Homeopaths plot to broadcast idiocies on twitter

So you belong to a profession that has recently come under some criticism for lacking an understanding of medical ethics and indulging in some frighteningly irresponsible pseudo-medical posturing, you’re concerned about shifting media attitudes, you feel there is a lack of support within society, what do you do?

Do you engage in a period of self reflection, invite serious commentary on and within the profession, encourage responsible behaviour and punish that which brings your community into considerable disrepute?  Or, do you just confirm every allegation of ignorance, irresponsibility and idiocy made about you by your critics?

Dear Leaders of Homeopathy

This is an action alert in response to the recent attacks on the validity of homeopathy presented to the World Health Organization.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/01/world-health-organisation-homeopathy-hiv

In an effort to have our positive messages heard in the media we ask you to send out the email below to your entire mailing list.

Sincerely

Debby Bruck, CHOM.

Founder of HWC Homeopathy World Community

http://www.homeopathyworldcommunity.com

———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— -

Dear Friends and Supporters of Homeopathy
This is an action alert in response to the recent attacks on the validity of homeopathy presented to the World Health Organization.

We are asking you to take these four easy steps to have our positive messages about homeopathy heard around the world. Using the micro-blog tool Twitter, you can help bring keyword homeopathy up in the search engines. It is very easy to use and we will help you get started. So do this right now without delay.

1. Go to http://twitter.com
2. Sign up by typing your real name without a space in between the first and last name and create a password
3. Upload your photo
4. In the “What you are doing?” window enter each of the posts below (copy & paste one at a time, clicking Update after each).

Oxford University Press study | #homeopathy medicines have effect on cancer cells & genes http://budurl. com/FBDA

81% of patients receive CAM treatments on referral from GP #homeopathyhttp://budurl. com/PCAM

Dr. Pawan Pareek Clinical Evidence | #Homeopathy Treatment http://budurl. com/Pareek

Research Supporting #Homeopathy http://budurl. com/19535

The threat of a global pandemic & evolving #homeopathy treatment strategyhttp://budurl. com/DrBhatia

____________ _________ _________ _________ ________

Thank you so very much for being part of this 24-hour Twitter Campaign Marathon. If everyone around the world posts these messages [and more if you are so inclined] then we will have started a great wave of positive energy creating awareness and educating the public.

Thank you,
Your Signature

a.. PS. If you run a homeopathic school please make it an assignment. It only takes a few minutes to make a tremendous impact.
b.. Seven Reasons Homeopaths Should Join Twitter
http://homeopathyworldwide.blogspot.com/
c.. Please join HWC http://homeopathyworldcommunity.com
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The latest deceit from Jeremy Sherr

Jeremy Sherr, the homeopath conducting unethical treatments in Tanzania, made the claim on his blog that:

When I was in South Africa 5 years ago, we had designed a very complex trial together with the Nelson Mandela hospital in Durban.

Well blogger Warhelmet, whose comments here are always appreciated, has contacted the Nelson Mandela hospital and obtained this reply:

Please note that Mr Jeremy Sherr has no association with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and that its Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine has not conducted any research with Mr Sherr.

Looks like another lie to add to the litany of Mr Sherr’s misdeeds.  In summary Mr Sherr has:

1. claimed the support of the Muhumbili University of Health Sciences in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.  This is not true.
2. claimed the support of the Department of Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, USA. This is not true.
3. shown disregard for established notions of medical ethics.
4. may be in breach of Tanzanian law
5. caused the Society of Homeopaths (SoH) to lie on his behalf

The Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT), the SoH affiliated charity and Sherr’s funders, have had concerns about Mr Sherr put to them.  They refused to take action.

Mr Sherr remains fairly blase about all the allegations raised against him, dismissing all concerns as the activities of “a close group of the bloggers’ friends swimming around in their own swill“.

It is worth remembering that Mr Sherr is a highly respected homeopath whose teaching are admired by many other homeopaths and whose Dynamis school teaches many students.  In many ways Mr Sherr is one of the most respected members of his profession.  No homeopath has criticised Mr Sherr on this blog, they endorse what he does.  Mr Sherr’s failings are the failings of the homeopathic profession.

[BPSDB]

The Homeopathic Action Trust is controlled by the Society of Homeopaths

Over the past few months the Society of Homeopaths (SoH) have been pitiful in their condemnation of Jeremy Sherr, refusing to condemn the unauthorised experimentation on terminally ill AIDS patients in Tanzania, merely offering up a dishonest press release in response to a Private Eye article.

Now I understand why – the Society of Homeopaths and their members control Sherr’s funders, the Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT).

HAT was formed from an amalgamation of The Society of Homeopaths Trust Company Limited and Friends of Homeopathy. Both of these organisations were part of the SoH and were used to fund student bursaries and give grants for homeopathic research.  These functions have now been combined into HAT with the SoH providing funds and facilities during the merger (according to 2004 accounts – PDF).

Although HAT appears independent of the SoH, with the SoH website not claiming any links with them, this is not the case as these clauses from HAT’s Articles of Association show:

At least 60% of HAT voting members must be longterm members of the SoH and the SoH are represented by at least two members of the Committee of Management.

It is now no surprise that the SoH have not criticised Sherr or HAT.  The funding of Jeremy Sherr is the responsibility of the SoH and their members.

Ben Goldacre has released a new chapter of his Badscience book today detailing the activities of Matthias Rath, the quack nutritionist who believed vitamin supplementation can cure AIDS and who lied, cheated and harassed his way into carrying out experiments on terminally ill AIDS patients in South Africa.  I have compared Jeremy Sherr to Rath in the past, I now extend that comparison to the Society of Homeopaths and their members.

[BPSDB]

The Homeopathic Action Trust continue to support Jeremy Sherr

On the 6th of March the Homeopathy Action Trust (HAT) generously allowed Angus Wood to put forward many of the concerns people had about the actions of the HAT funded Jeremy Sherr in Tanzania.  They have now issued their response to these concerns in a letter to Mr Wood:

HAT does and has acted within the law and its own governing documents in supporting Jeremy Sherr’s work in Africa

Here is Mr Wood’s response:

In many ways I’m not suprised by this outcome. I’m disappointed, very disappointed. I understand that any admission of wrongdoing could have legal ramifications and any statement on the ethical aspects of this could also be seen by the HAT as being too dangerous an arena to even step in to but “we don’t think we’re breaking the law” from a registered charity limited company is a bit weak.

HAT have been further pressed by Mr Wood to respond to the ethical concerns surrounding the work of Jeremy Sherr but have so far declined to reply.

It is not surprising that HAT have failed to respond.  The Trustees of HAT include Francis Treuherz, former editor of the SoH magazine, Simon Taffler, a graduate of Jeremy Sherr’s Dynamis School, Jacqueline Anne Becker, a homeopath at Nelson’s – a favourite of Prince Charles, and Mary English, who believes in the healing powers of shipwrecks.   This motley collection are very much the homeopathic establishment and would not dream of criticising Sherr, a mentor of many. Their failure to act is merely representative of the whole of homeopathy, supporters of Mr Sherr have left several hundred comments on this blog in support of Mr Sherr, his claims that Homeopathy can treat AIDS and homeopathy in general despite my commentators taking the time to explain just exactly what the problems are with Mr Sherr (and I am very grateful to these commentators).  Homeopaths are also instituitionally dishonest, the Society of Homeopaths (SoH), who awarded a Fellowship to Mr Sherr, have claimed they retracted this award in 2005, despite telling me in 2007 and that he as still a Fellow.  Not only that but I had informed the SoH of Mr Sherr’s intentions at that time, they took no action and made no statement until Private Eye reported on Mr Sherr – and then they lied.  Further evidence of homeopathic dishonesty comes from a bizarre correspondence I had with a representative of the Dynamis School who refused to comment on Mr Sherr, stated that they had nothing to do with him or his school – despite being listed as a contact on the Dynamis website and emailing me from a dynamis.edu email address!

I think it was very naive of Mr Wood to expect a sensible response from HAT.  They are an organisation composed of people who believe sugar pills can cure diseases and shipwrecks have hidden powers.  They lack the education, experience and intellect to understand medical ethics.  That they have funded and endorsed Sherr’s excesses is further evidence of the complete absence of sensible behaviour and rational thinking within the entire homeopathic profession.  I hope, behind the scenes (and I know they read this blog), that HAT will take quiet steps to avoid a repeat of the Sherr situation but I doubt it – they are also funding the work of someone who believes that music can cure AIDS.

[BPSDB]

Society of Homeopaths respond on Sherr – dishonestly

After a week in which Jeremy Sherr managed to get a mention in Private Eye and his funders, the Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT), were treated to a presentation on why people have concerns about him, the Society of Homeopaths (SoH) have finally made a public statement on Jeremy Sherr in response to the Private Eye piece.  Sadly this statement squeals and squawks in the familiar dishonest tone and tenor typical of the organisation.

Homeopathic Action Trust are aware of the issues regarding Jeremy Sherr

Angus Wood, who has been very active in investigating and challenging Jeremy Sherr – the homeopath working on AIDS in Tanzania, was invited to give a presentation to the Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT), funders of Sherr, on Friday 6th March about his concerns. Without further ado, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present Angus’ presentation, already given to HAT, as well as an edited version of his description of the slides and his interpretation of HAT’s immediate response.  I hope to have the opportunity to publish HAT’s formal response at a later date.

Jeremy Sherr – in breach of Tanzanian law?

Jeremy Sherr, the homeopath who is carrying out homeopathic trials on AIDS patients in the developing world with the support of the homeopathic establishment, believed he was justified in his actions on account of a recently passed bill in Tanzanian law*.

Sigs explained about the Tanzanian law that support homoeopathy and other traditional medicines; Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act No. 23 of 2002. You can read it on

http://www.lrct.or.tz/documents/23-2002_The%20Traditional%20and%20Alternative%20Medicines%20Act,%202002.pdf

Sigs has been the main force behind this law, and he made sure that it was done properly and safeguards homoeopathy and just about every other major alternative medicine. It is a major achievement. This law is very important, because without legal backing from the government nobody wants to know. But once it is clear that we have government backing the staff is very interested. And once Sigs tells them about his clinic treating up to 100,000 patients a year, mostly for malaria, they are also very impressed.

Jeremy Sherr – blind to ethics and reason

After reporting on the actions of the homeopath Jeremy Sherr who is carrying out unethical experiments on terminally ill AIDS patients in Tanzania my blog has become inundated with homeopaths supporting his actions.  These range from those I have never heard of to Dana Ullman, an extremely prominent and notorious writer on homeopathy, and incidentally one who has some experience of the heavy hand of the law as a result of practicing homeoapthy.  Not one supporter of homeoapthy appears to have a problem with Sherr’s actions.

Perhaps I have been remiss in not making clear the international norms for medical research, and research on AIDS specificially.  First off there is the Declaration of Helsinki, the World Medical Association’s document guiding the use of human patients in medical research.  These are its basic principles for medical research:

Jeremy Sherr does not act alone, but with the support of the homeopathic establishment

I, and others, have been doing some digging and complaining about the activities of Mr Sherr, the homeopath carrying out his healing fantasies by human experimentation in Tanzania.   There is an excellent summary of the situation by Martin over at Layscience who also has another post examining Mr Sherr’s recent attempts to edit and censor his blog as well as an examination of the dishonest defence of his actions.  Our investigations have revealed that not only is Jeremy Sherr making false claims of academic support but that he could not have achieved his goals of taking homeopathy to Tanzania without the support of sections of the homeopathic establishment.

Jeremy Sherr – a Rath in the making?

Via Ben Goldacre’s miniblog I have come across this blog from the homeopath Jeremy Sherr.  Mr Sherr is a Fellow of the Society of Homeopaths (SoH), found and principal of the Dynamis homeopathic school and a subject of one my earliest blog posts.  That post was critical of Mr Sherr’s stated aims of carrying out trials investigating the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating AIDS and malaria.  This prompted me to email both Mr Sherr and the SoH  expressing concerns.  Mr Sherr did not reply although the SoH did stating that as he was a Fellow rather than a Member he was not bound by their code of conduct.  At that time Mr Sherr was only planning his trials, he is now carrying them out in Tanzania.