The Hindu Business Line : Homoeopaths cry foul over The Lancet's report

HOMOEOPATHS are seeing red over the recent report in The Lancet, a British medical journal, which trashes homoeopathy as a form of medical treatment with "no curative powers, but acting only as a placebo."

Dr Prasanta Banerji, a homeopath, has termed the publication of the study as "highly irresponsible and humiliating to all practicing homoeopaths in the country."

The Lancet has published an article based on a "study of studies" by Prof Matthias Egger of the University of Berne, which calls for an end to the natural pharmaceutical science, arguably a popular medical treatment in India. Pointing out that homeopathy is no better than dummy drugs, the study has said that Western doctors must be honest about homoeopathy's "lack of benefits."

Reacting to The Lancet report, Dr Banerji said, "Homoeopathy has been around for over 200 years and it is going from strength to strength, as its annual world market is now valued at £147 million." He said Prof Egger's study seems to be sponsored by some powerful forces to propagate this falsehood. Now that homoeopathy is getting more popular even in countries like the US, a lot of drug companies are losing out heavily on their revenues, he pointed out. " The absence of side-effects, the easy availability (over-the-counter), and low costs make homoeopathy a clear winner, giving conventional medicines a run for their money."

Quoting a study undertaken at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre, University of Texas, Houston, Dr Banerji told Business Line, "Leave alone the thousands of less serious ailments that we treat, the homoeopathic medicines we use for brain cancer treatment induce the death of only the brain cancer cells, but proliferate the normal peripheral blood lymphocytes."

He challenged The Lancet and Prof Egger to explain how cancer cells can die in a lab with homoeopathic medicine when, according to them, they are supposed to only affect the mind (like a placebo.) How can a mere study dismiss an entire system of medicine, which is over 200 years old and practiced successfully in 66 countries , have only a placebo effect?

Interestingly, according to Dr Banerji, in 1997, The Lancet itself had published a report stating that homoeopathy is as good as any other recognised system of medicine.

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