title: The mathematics of dilution.
abstract: The major objection to homeopathic medicine is that the doses of medicine prescribed in some cases are too dilute for any active ingredient to be present. The medicines would hence be rendered inactive, necessitating novel explanations for the action. A further examination of dilution in the light of the Langmuir equation shows that homeopathic medicines may not be as dilute as a simplistic application of Avogadro's Principle suggests, due to surface effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Bose Institute, 93/1 A.P.C. Road, Kolkata 700009, India. Electronic address: barun_k_chatterjee@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Barun Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods; D008433:Mathematics; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012996:Solutions / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water
keywords: Homeopathy; Langmuir equation; Surface effects; Ultramolecular dilution