Report on the status of research on homœopathy with recommendations for future research

Abstract

Medicine has its roots in the art of practice, but scientific validation is of increasing importance in the incorporation of new therapeutics. There have been a number of well-designed research studies on homœopathy, but much remains to be done toward understanding its modus operandi and its relationship to the healing process. An examination and understanding of homœopathy by contemporary science would undoubtedly lead to its wider acceptance and use. For a critical and comprehensive review of research on homœopathy, the reader is referred to Scofield's two-part reviews, ^1,2 This report addresses results from the most experimentally promising and rigorous studies in the modern literature and addresses some areas of proposed investigation. It highlights important research areas that are cost-effective at three distinct levels from the fundamental to the applied: (1) the physics and chemistry of homœopathy preparations, (2) laboratory studies using homœpathic preparations on cells and organisms, and (3) clinical trials using homœopathic medicines.

^* Research Director, Foundation for Homœopathic Education and Research, 5916 Chabot Crest, Oakland, CA 94618.