Positive Health Online

Abstract

GOODYEAR, LEWITH and LOW, School of Medicine, University Medicine, University of Southampton, UK write that homoeopathic "drug" pictures are developed by recording the symptomatic effects of homoeopathic remedies given to healthy volunteers, called a "proving ". The authors conducted a double-blind randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that individuals using an infinitesimal dilution of Belladonna thirtieth potency, C30 would record more true symptoms.

Background

Methodology

The authors recruited 60 volunteers to the study; 47 completed data collection. A questionnaire was used, containing both true and false Belladonna proving symptoms, which was administered to the treatment and placebo groups.

Results

The authors were unable to distinguish between Belladonna C30 and placebo using their primary outcome measure. For the secondary outcome measure the authors analysed the number of individuals who proved to the remedy according to the predefined criteria. 4 out of 19 proved in the Belladonna C30 group and 1 out of 27 in the placebo group, which was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

; This pilot study did not demonstrate a clear proving reaction for Belladonna C30 versus placebo; however it indicates how the question might be further investigated.Goodyear K, Lewith G et al. Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of homoeopathic proving for Belladonna C30. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 91(11): 579-82. Nov 1998.

References