Magic or Medicine: Homeopathy and the NHS

[Wookie]

Magic or Medicine: Homeopathy and the NHS by BBC Scotland didn't get an BBC1 England showing afaik, so here it is on the iPlayer. Illuminating.

**EDIT: No longer available. Sorry.

 

[Gramaisc]

Crazy stuff. Seems to just be accidental psychology, but some people get carried away with the symbolism...

 

[Withnail]

Top game for those who haven't watched.

Which of these are genuine 'ingredients' in homeopathic 'remedies';

Hyena saliva
Fairy tears
Donkey whiskers
Light from Venus
Bee fur
Anti-matter

Clue - three are correct.

Haven't watched it all as i had to stop when i encountered a word i was hitherto unfamiliar with - succuss vt to shake up - etymology of which Chambers informs me is [L succutere, succussum to toss up...].

Toss very apt methinks.

Briefly on the subject of etymology, does anyone know of a free on-line dictionary that has such for entries? Will look myself tomorrow, but if someone has already done so it would save me a job.

 

[Gramaisc]

The anti-matter really had me worried..

Made me want to bang - sorry, succuss, something off a leather Bible..

What a load of succussers...

 

[Wookie]

Briefly on the subject of etymology, does anyone know of a free on-line dictionary that has such for entries? Will look myself tomorrow, but if someone has already done so it would save me a job.

Something like Online Etymology Dictionary?

WRT homeopathy, it's basically a very well-dressed placebo effect. There is some benefit in visiting a homeopathic doctor, simply because they spend so much time paying attention to you, which is *never* a bad thing. Then they give you a potion that they say will help, and lo and behold! - they're right!
(Unless you've got something terminal, of course...)

But if you believe all this stuff about "the weaker the preparation the more effective it is", or treat this hypothesis that water has a 'memory' as anything other than a sure pair of Nobel Prizes in Physics and Medicine up for grabs if only it would pass those *damn* *trials*, I will point and laugh at you.

 

[Withnail]

Something like Online Etymology Dictionary?

I found this earlier today too, promptly bookmarked, though it doesn't have an entry for succuss i notice.

I fear i could lose many hours there.