New book on homeopathic clinical research & its history!

[Dana Ullman, MPH]

Friends,

I'm again excited to announce a new book that merits your attention.
"THE TRIALS OF HOMEOPATHY: ORIGINS, STRUCTURE, AND DEVELOPMENT" is a
masterful book that review clinical research from the earliest days of
homeopathy to the 21st century. This book, just published (!), won the
"Hans Walz Prize" in Germany (Hans Walz was Robert Bosch's right-hand man
and had a lifelong commitment to homeopathy...Robert Bosch is the famous
auto parts maker who was very generous to homeopathy...and his Foundation
still supports various homeopathic efforts).

I'm pleased to report that this book is not too expensive...only $27.00.

Here's some more information about this book...
"The Trials of Homeopathy" is the first systematic review of all clinical
trials of homeopathy, predominantly in Europe and North America, from its
beginnings to 2000. Dean shows that homeopathy has a long history of
scientifically conducted trials that have not received the recognition they
deserve. At a time when the place of homeopathy in a changing health
landscape is under discussion, this work provides a valuable historical
context.

This book includes a CD-ROM that includes several Appendices that provide
details of all clinical trials that were excluded from this review of
research (and the reason for their exclusion!), an outline of all controlled
trials testing "classical homeopathy," all trials testing "complex
homeopathy," all trials testing isopathic homeopathy, all trials that
observed any "adverse reactions" to homeopathic medicines (or placeboes),
and what the quality of each trial was determined to be (according to
specific scoring). Needless to say, this CD-ROM alone is worth of price of
this book!

The current debate about the merits of different therapies is informed
increasingly by trial evidence. The rediscovery of homeopathy’s clinical
research tradition is, therefore, of particular importance.

In recognition of this valuable work Dean was awarded the first Hans Walz
Prize of the Robert Bosch Foundation in October 2003. The aim of this prize
is to promote research in the history of homeopathy outside the Robert Bosch
Foundation’s Institute for the History of Medicine.

The controversial discipline of homeopathy is examined from three original
perspectives.

Conceptual Background: The structure and presentation of Hahnemann's
research programme is contrasted with philosophical assumptions about
medical sicience and emerging theoretical structures in German academic
medicine circa 1800, and the subsequent rift between homeopathy and
allopathy is explained at this level. The sources of homeopathic theory and
method are located in mainstream eighteenth-centruy experimented. alleged
relationships to alchemical medicine are discounted, with the exception of
certain pharmacy techniques introduced after 1816. Divergent schools and
approaches within homeopathy are traced to their sources, and mapped onto a
unified therapeutic field. (NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER WRITTEN IN THIS AMOUNT OF
DETAIL ABOUT THE EARLY RESEARCH IN HOMEOPATHY!)

Historical Importance: A systematic review of prospective clinical
evaluations of homeopathy, 1821-1953, contends that these played an
important but neglected part in the evolution of the clinical trial.
Placebo-controlled trials by skeptics most probably originated in prior
Hahnemannian use of within-patient placebo controls. Pragmatic trials of
homeopathy versus allopathy in the mid-nineteenth century show that
judgments of homeopathic inefficacy made by influential nineteenth-century
opponents, which have coloured debate eversince, were not evidenced-based.
Early twentieth-century clinical trials by homeopaths were methodologically
in advance of biomedical trials in some respects.

Clinical relevance: A systematic review of 205 prospective controlled
clinical trials published since 1940 found evidence of homeopathy's safety,
and specific and global efficacy in trials of high internal validity.
Implications for clinical research and practice are considered, founded on
analysis of intrahomeopathic diffrences and trends. On the basis of trial
evidence, the relative merits of placebo-controlled and pragmatice
evaluations of homeopathy are discussed. Clinical relevance was found
particularly in areas that pose problems for biomedicine, and proposals for
pragmatic trials of homeopathy versus standard treatment are made in the
following conditions: Unexplained female infertility; postviral fatigue
syndrome; influenza; atopy (allergy).

See:
http://www.homeopathic.com/Merchant2/me ... e_Code=HES
&Product_Code=DEA-TRI (use this ENTIRE URL in order to see a photo of the
book...and for those who are interested in purchasing it).

Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathic Educational Services
2124 Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA. 94704
(510)649-0294
(800)359-9051 (orders in the US only)
(510)649-1955 (fax)
dullman@igc.org OR mail@homeopathic.com
http://www.homeopathic.com

[Felipe Cárdenas Támara Di hom]

Dear
Dana

Your web page announcing the book is not functional. Can youn please tell me
where to can I purchase the book

FCT