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Comment by Ygg2 | Hacker News Reader

Actually no, homeopathic contains minute traces of cause of disease...

Basically if you are hit by a blue car, they need a homeopathic traces of blue color to 'cure' you.

Not really. Most homeopathic placebos are diluted to the point that you'd need to take anywhere from billions of doses up to get even a single molecule of the 'ingredient'. They are literally just water. Not ot mention that in most cases, the 'cause' is based on a speculative or outright fictional 'link'. For example, one of the most well known placebos is Oscillococcinum, which claims duck liver/heart 'causes' flu. It is also diluted to the point that, to quote, "As there are only about 10^80 atoms in the entire observable universe, a dilution of one molecule in the observable universe would be about 40C. Oscillococcinum would thus require 10^320 more universes to simply have one molecule in the final substance."

> They are literally just water.

Usually they are sold as granules, containing some form of sugar... to capture the magical water :) So technically it's sugar+water that you ingest.

I took some homeopathic 'marbles' as a kid. Probably the best placebo ever designed. The only pill I'd never forget to take. While everything else is sour and alien in taste, this instead, is a doctor approved crunchy candy.

Icing on the cake, the dispenser http://goo.gl/xsT3IM would be vetted by Steve Jobs, cute squary bottle, press the cap to fill it with a dose, open, ingest, close. Genius ?

I know, I just wanted to state they need to contain 'traces' of what caused the disease, not what cures it.

That's why it's been revoked. Because it might work.

Ducks cause flu?

yup. at 12C you pass the avogadros number and beyond that theres no possibility any of the original substance is left. I wonder if Homeopaths believe water retains the memories that our shitting gave it

Only in some case, a "nosode", i.e a trace of the disease, is used. But it is not systematic. For example, oscillococcinum [0] which is sold as a flu remedy, is famous for containing some cells from a duck liver.

If I remember correctly a single duck is raised every year, and due to the dilution, is enough to produce the millions of dose.

I am not sure what makes more sense, the nosode or the duck liver...

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscillococcinum

A Dutch TV programme ('de Keuringsdienst van Waarden') did a show on oscillococcinum, they went to the factory and actually got a tour. When they started asking about the duck they were quickly taken to lunch (also no Duck). They went to duck farms near the factory but none of them had ever provided the factory with duck liver/heart...

Episode (in Dutch / French) http://keuringsdienstvanwaarde.kro.nl/seizoenen/2011/aflever...

> Actually no, homeopathic contains minute traces of cause of disease...

Above certain dilutions it goes beyond the Avogadro figure and there should be no molecules/proteins left of the original disease agent.

Exactly.

http://youtu.be/HMGIbOGu8q0

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