The effects of homeopathic belladonna 30CH in healthy volunteers -- a randomized, double-blind experiment.
OBJECTIVE
The practice of homeopathy rests on symptoms, which have been produced by medicinal substances in healthy volunteers, often applied at ultramolecular dilutions. It is unknown whether these symptom patterns are due to specific effects or chance fluctuation.


METHODS
We tested the hypothesis that a homeopathic substance can bring about symptoms different from observation and placebo in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design with baseline observation.


RESULTS
87 out of 118 healthy volunteers took both placebo and homeopathic belladonna 30CH in random sequence, after a 2-week observation period, and finished the 8-week trial. Apart from an insignificant tendency for subjects to report more symptoms with belladonna (mean number: 27.34), as compared to observation (24.26) or placebo (24.17), there was no indication that subjects reacted differently to homeopathy than to placebo or during baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no indication that belladonna 30CH produces symptoms different from placebo or from no intervention. Symptoms of a homeopathic pathogenetic trial (HPT) are most likely chance fluctuations.
Walach
H
H
Department of Environmental Medicine and Hygiene, University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany. walach@ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Köster
H
H
Hennig
T
T
Haag
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001532:Atropa belladonna / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012016:Reference Values; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D008419:Materia Medica