[Is homeopathy a scientific therapy?].
BACKGROUND
Homoeopathy is not considered as a scientific therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To systematically re-examine research concerning homoeopathy and to analyse whether these works show homoeopathy as being a scientific therapy.


METHODS
The review of international literature on the subject.


RESULTS
Scientific research on homoeopathy is divided into four principal directions: the demonstration of the clinical activity of homoeopathic medicines, the demonstration of the biological activity of the high dilutions and of the principle of similarity, the research of the mechanical action and the medical conception of homoeopathy. Homoeopathy cannot rest on a fixed doctrine but must be continually brought up to date by medical discoveries and present day science. More and more research in these four domaines is being published in the best international medical journals, providing publicity for homoeopathy and its activities. Up to now, no research has categorically proven that homoeopathy has a specific pharmacological action, consequently it is not a proven scientific therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
If homoeopathy wants to be recognised by classical medicine, it must continue its academic research. It is only by doing this that homoeopathy will be accepted by the scientific world.
Mudry
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Service d'ORL, CHUV, Lausanne. amudry@worldcom.ch
D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D012586:Science