Mind&Body&Woo

Reading this week's Mind&Body&Woo supplement in the West Australian, EoR wonders about the delights of Nominative Determinisn. Apparently people with names like De'Ath and Paine are forced to become doctors, while the entertaining cast of characters this week are forced to become alternative therapists. We have Madelaine Innocent (WA president of the Australian Homeopathic Association), Bobbi Buckle (reiki healer) and Mr Joy (runs group therapy retreats). It's like a surrealist game of Happy Families.

EoR was fascinated by how potent homeopathy can be in cases of infertility since, as Ms Innocent points out,

homeopathy treated the whole person and not fertility alone.

Something those nasty evidence based medical practitioners would never do.

Ms Innocent holds the contraceptive pill accountable for many fertility difficulties. She said it altered the delicate balance of hormones

So stop taking the contraceptive pill if you want your fertility treatment to work. Thank God we have holistic homeopaths to tell us those sort of things we'd normally miss.

Homeopathy raised the body's immunity, vitality and energy to better cope with life and any stress.

Which rather begs the questions: how are the immune levels, "vitality" and "energy" measured to prove they are "raised"? And how does this relate to fertility? Please include references to published studies in the comments.

At least homeopathy is safe.

"Remedies are subtle and gentle with no side effects," Ms Innocent said.

Liars are often subtle as well, if they're any good at it. And politicians. And scammers. But at least EoR is reassured to know that water drops (or is it sugar pills?) have no side effects. Though the word "side" is redundant.