Newest Attack on Homeopathy

[Magda Aguila]

The British Veterinary Voodoo SocietyYou would think the British would have more sense! This site is being heavily advertised on allopathic veterinary email lists and their members are being encouraged to join this UK society!

Magda

The British Veterinary Voodoo Society
In light of the gratifyingly supportive attitude of professional bodies (including the RCVS and a number of UK veterinary schools) towards systems of medicine based on magical thinking, the BVVS believes the time has come to extend our professional scope beyond the areas covered at present, and exploit the full potential of the discipline.

Sir J. G. Frazer (1922) analysed the principles of Sympathetic Magic and divided the discipline into two categories: Homoopathic Magic (Law of Similarity) (or 'like produces like'), and Contagious Magic (Law of Contact). Although Frazer did not include Hahnemann's medical homoopathy among his examples of the former category, there is no doubt that it demonstrates every criterion necessary for such inclusion (Stevens, 2001).

If we further investigate the use of Homoopathic Magic for healing, we in fact encounter the discipline of puppet healing, or Voodoo, just as frequently as traditional 'homoopathic medicine'. The tag 'similia similibus' is commonly applied to this methodology just as to Hahnemann's (for example Sophistes, 1996; Lambert, 1998), and given the obvious potential of the subject and its consonance with an already accepted branch of veterinary medicine it is astonishing that it has attracted so little interest within the profession.

The principle of voodoo healing is simple. As 'like affects like', an appropriately manufactured and treated wax doll or cloth puppet may substitute for the patient, and manipulations performed on the doll substitute for those performed on the patient. Techniques of visualisation and channelling of healing are easy to learn, and it is possible to combine voodoo with 'conventional' or allopathic medicine simply by administering the medicine to the doll rather than to the patient.

In addition, just as our homoopathic colleagues have extended their interest to the field of Contagious Magic (radionics and related subjects), voodoo may be extended in the same direction. The image may be identified with its subject by the embedding of ousia - items connected with the subject such as a hair or nail clipping, or even a blood sample. This greatly enhances the therapeutic effects of voodoo procedures, and in particular allows the practice of voodoo at considerable distances from the patient, even over the telephone or the Internet.

Voodoo has much to commend it in veterinary practice:

Client acceptability. As magical thinking is a fundamental attribute of human cognition (touching wood, not walking under ladders, Friday the 13th etc.), voodoo ideas naturally resonate with the client, who seldom has any difficulty in accepting their 'natural healing' potential.

Potential for profit. Materials to make dolls are inexpensive, and beeswax may be reused on multiple occasions. Even where pharmaceuticals are employed, the amount required to influence a puppet is considerably less than the dose for a large dog or a farm animal, leaving a far greater profit margin than in conventional medicine.

Safety. As the remedy or healing manipulation is applied to the doll rather than to the patient, the danger of side-effects or adverse effects is obviously eliminated. In addition, operator safety is clearly much enhanced, as there is little or no risk of being scratched, bitten or kicked by a doll!

Scientific credibility. Clinical trials are still in their early stages, however we are confident that by performing a sufficient number of small, poorly-controlled investigations we will easily generate enough p<0.05 outcomes to be able to claim with absolute assurance that the method is well proven by properly conducted double-blind research.

Faith-based practice. Voodoo has recently achieved recognition as an official religion in Haiti.

Aims of the Society

1.. To achieve a specialist listing for Voodoo practitioners in the RCVS Register. It is appreciated that in the absence of a formal qualification in Voodoo Medicine there may be some difficulty with this aim. However, the intention is that in the very near future a correspondence course in the subject will be instituted, leading to the diploma of VetMFVoo and the Fellowship award of VetFFVoo. We are confident of achieving specialist listing for holders of these prestigious accolades.
2.. To achieve recognition as a Specialist Division by the BVA. Sadly, there is at present no indication that the BVA, unlike the RCVS, is supportive of magical systems of medicine. However, should there ever be any suggestion that the Association is becoming open to the concept of embracing magical thinking within the Specialist Divisions, the BVVS will immediately apply for recognition.
3.. To achieve equal academic representation for Voodoo Medicine in all UK veterinary schools in which other branches of Sympathetic Magic are taught within the undergraduate course.
Application for Membership of the BVVS
I, ......................................... MRCVS / FRCVS* undertake to advance the cause of Voodoo Medicine in every situation where magical thinking is accepted as legitimate medical practice. I further undertake to highlight the issues of listing in the RCVS Register, BVA Specialist Divisional status and undergraduate education in Sympathetic Magic to the best of my ability.
* delete as appropriate.

I agree to pay the membership fee of 10p per annum, if demanded.
Signed ............................................... Date .................................

Please print form and return to George Tribe or Morag Kerr, Vetlab Services, Unit 11 Station Road, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex. RH13 9TZ, or email details to Morag@vetlab.co.uk.
References:

FRAZER, J. G. (1922) Sympathetic Magic. Ch. 3 of The Golden Bough, a Study in Magic and Religion, 4th edn. Public domain text, several editions in print.

LAMBERT, M. (1998) Review of Magic in the Ancient World, by F. Graf. Scholia Reviews, 18:7.

SOPHISTES, A. (1996) Construction and use of ancient Greek poppets. In Biblioteka Arcana, University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

STEVENS, P. (2001) Magical thinking in complementary and alternative medicine. Skeptical Inquirer, 25:6.
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[Tanya Marquette]

in a recent discussion with my daughter concernin prejudice/racism she read a statement in a current book she is reading.
it notes that in a racist society the first paradigm concerns the majority power's control over perceptions and interpretations.
in other words, whoever has the power can control the thought of the people as well as the recording of history, and its
interpretation. i think this is a pretty universal statement about institutionalized prejudice and certainly applies to homeopathy
as well as other forms of prejudice that support the ruling powers. so, as regards the british veterinary voodoo society, what
else is new. in california, there was a similar group that attempted a legal action. unfortunately, they misjudged the popular
and pervasive attitude of that state's public on the issue of holistic healing, and their case lost big time in the courts. however,
that group wasted much time and money for many in its attempt to "debunk" homeopathy.

regards
tanya