Letter from former IAVH General Secretary Dr. Petra Weiermayer

Homeopathic veterinarians are all conventionally trained veterinarians. We understand disease and health as do our conventional colleagues. We use conventional diagnostics and therapeutics as needed. We have added homeopathy as another tool with which to help animals in our care. Homeopathic veterinarians have chosen to study and use homeopathy because we have seen benefits to patients. There is also significant research evidence supporting the effectiveness of veterinary homeopathy.

Please see our letter to the editor on the review of Doehring and Sundrum published in the Veterinary Record in December 2016, which summarises the current state of research in veterinary homeopathy. (CLICK to download.) Please read also a review (below, in Articles section) of a masters thesis performed by a human doctor (Melanie Woelk) on research in homeopathy, with the conclusion that homeopathy is an evidence-based medicine. Research of the crucial question whether veterinary homeopathy works according to the rules for evidence-based medicine (EBM) has to be performed, although some studies which show this evidence exist already.

Currently, there are one out of two evidence class 1a reviews, and one evidence class 1a meta-analysis, stating positive outcome for veterinary homeopathy, as well as one out of two evidence class 1b studies stating positive outcome for veterinary homeopathy, so veterinary homeopathy could be classified as evidence based. More high quality research is certainly needed.

For FAQ's on homeopathy we would like to refer to the website of the HRI (Homeopathy Research Institute); we are working together with regard to research.

For further information on research in homeopathy please see this page, also from HRI.

The ECH (European Committee for Homeopathy) and the UK Faculty of Homeopathy certify and examine medical and veterinary professionals in the practice of homeopathy, and their websites also discuss current research efforts.

ECH Research page  Faculty Research page

WissHom page (https://www.wisshom.de/)

Dr. Petra Weiermayer

Dr. Petra Weiermayer

Homeopathic Case Reports in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

The Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (JAHVMA) has recently made available a sample of some nice homeopathic case reports by IAVH members Liesbeth Ellinger and Henry Stephenson. Liesbeth's case is Pemphigus Foliaceous in a horse, and Henry's is an Akita with Eosinophilic Meningoencephalitis. Both cases were treated successfully with homeopathic medicines. This sample page is available at the following link, courtesy of the AHVMA:

https://www.ahvma.org/sample-ahvma-journal-articles/

Carstens Stiftung [Carstens Foundation] Veterinary Homeopathy Research Database Online Again!

The Karl and Veronica Carstens Foundation (www.carstens-stiftung.de) have once again published their extensive database of veterinary homeopathic medicine research articles and supporting documents (Currently 445 clinical trials and case histories, as of June 2020). Registration is necessary but is free.

HomVetCR (Clinical Research on Veterinary Homeopathy)

General information about their New Database Portal for Complementary Medicine.

Carstens Stiftung

Homeopathy Research Institute leads the way with Research into Homeopathic Medicine

CORE-Hom is the most comprehensive and academically rigorous database of its kind in the world, and the only homeopathy database providing information about the quality of the studies it contains. It is a collaboration between Carstens Stiftung and Homeopathy Research Database.

HRI Research Database

Any research IAVH supports should be vetted by the HRI scientific committee, which consists of experts from around the world who understand and participate in research in homeopathic medicine.

HRI Scientific Advisory Committee

HRI undertaking a new study to investigate the quality of homeopathic research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29377709

HRI

BAHVS/IAVH Research-Database

Editor's note, December 22, 2021. Dr. Elliott's website went down recently and is under construction. I placed his articles on the IAVH website for now, but hopefully the original site comes online again before long. Click here to see the articles.

The BAHVS/IAVH Data collection project began in January 2013. The aim is to collect and collate peer-reviewed and non- peer reviewed papers on veterinary homeopathy to provide a searchable database of the evidence for Veterinary Homeopathy that now has assumed global significance.

The vehicle for the project is the website www.homeopathicvet.org; this is an open website which is freely accessible and therefore provides a resource which is available to anyone wishing to investigate the evidence base providing the foundations for the use of homeopathy in the veterinary sphere.

The information is sourced by searching the scientific literature, using on-line and open databases. In the main it can only access at this time the data in English, so collaboration with overseas colleagues could well expand the data still further by adding papers we cannot read the language of, and thus source.

As a bit of fun at first, but now as more information has been discovered as a serious part of the project we also have a growing database on Agrohomeopathy.

I am the co-ordinator of the project: I am the past President of the BAHVS and an elected member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council. I am grateful for the help of Lindsay Cope in performing a lot of the practical work transferring the information onto the site. This work takes an enormous amount of time and we have been fortunate in receiving a generous donation from Ilse Pedlar VetMFHom MRCVS which helped us to grow the body of work remarkably rapidly.

So far the site contains over a thousand publications, approximately 840 of which are peer reviewed and  490 non-peer reviewed. In addition there are 379 Agrohomeopathy references. 

Case histories which have been published can be accepted; otherwise they should be submitted for inclusion in the MMVH project.

If you have a paper which you would like to be included, or you know of one which would be of interest, please send them directly to me at homeopathicvet(at)btinternet.com or to IAVH via the IAVH office: office(at)iavh.org

At present the information is not sub-divided, and a goal for the future is to collate it into  categories for easier research. We also hope to access more work in other languages.

If you have any queries or wish to be involved in this project, please feel free to contact me.

Mark Elliott BVSc VetMFHom MRCVS
Co-ordinator BAHVS/IAVH Data collection project

Research-Database on clinical homoeopathy

The Karl and Veronica Carstens Foundation (www.carstens-stiftung.de) has created an online database of clinical research in homeopathy. Interested parties can obtain an overview of the scope and content of previous research efforts in the field of veterinary homeopathy. Anyone who wants to be active themselves in this field or already works in research gets a good insight into the current state of research in his area of ​​responsibility. It should be noted that the individual contributions are listed multiple times depending on the question in the results because the study was treated within several questions. It also should be noted that the claim of completeness isn’t raised with the present database; each user is invited to report any gaps, so that they can be closed immediately. Other critical comments are welcome. 

The following page provides links to human research databases.

Clinical Research-Database in Homeopathy

Interviews & Videos

Dr. Saurav Arora, founder of Initiative to Promote Research in Homeopathy, attempts to scientifically answer many queries like dilution, dynamization, mode of action, transfer of biological information, physicochemical properties, and so on. This is the most updated work purely based upon the peer-reviewed scientific publications dedicated to fundamental research in high dilution and homeopathy.

Links to other articles/extracts about homeopathic research

This research project used nanoparticle testing to show that properly prepared homeopathic remedies in higher dilutions still contain particles, in apparent contradiction to Avogadro's number:

Nanoparticle Characterisation of Traditional Homeopathically Manufactured Cuprum metallicum and Gelsemium sempervirensMedicines and Controls

This small study showed that homeopathic remedy provings elicit more symptoms than placebo, suggesting that indeed remedies at dilution do produce reactions in the body:

Quantitative and Qualitative Pathogenetic Indices for Review of Data Derived from Homeopathic Pathogenetic Trials

Interview with Shelley Epstein and Myriam Favre-French
Interview Myriam Favre-French
Interview John Saxton

Articles

Homeopathy and Intellectual Honesty. A Commentary (German with English abstract) From the abstract: It has become fashionable to deny the therapeutic efficacy of homeopathy in view of a lack of plausibility as to its active prin- ciples although pertinent published evidence suggests the opposite. Nevertheless, incorrect information is being launched that implies either ignorance or deliberate polemic propaganda against homeopathy. This publication contrasts three recent examples with the actual evidence available to reveal the lack of seriousness of such activities.
Evidence-based homeopathy and veterinary homeopathy, and its potential to help overcome the anti-microbial resistance problem – an overview. P. Weiermayer, M. Frass, T. Peinbauer, L. Ellinger This new article provides an overview of the many good studies which show clear effect from homeopathic medicines, as well as how these medicines can help decrease the huge problem of antibiotic resistance.Original article is here: https://sat.gstsvs.ch/de/sat/sat-artikel/archiv/2020/102020/evidence-based-homeopathy-and-veterinary-homeopathy-and-its-potential-to-help-overcome-the-antimic.html
Homeopathy Declaration: Professors and medical societies underline the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy – and criticise one-sided representations. Also by Dr. Matthiessen: Summary of the Homeopathy Declaration: In view of the lack of plausibility to the principles of homeopathy, it has become fashionable to deny their therapeutic efficacy, although the evidence published here indicates that it is effective. Nevertheless, scientific misinformation is launched as an expression of ignorance or a deliberate mood against homeopathy. The present publication shows the lack of respectability of these activities in three selected examples from recent times, taking into account the actual document situation.
Homeopathy and Pluralism of Theories in Medicine. This article by Peter F Matthiessen and published in the American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, discusses the current "fashionable" trend of belittling homeopathy based upon inaccurate statements. Matthiessen argues for a broader approach to medicine rather than the current bias against anything other than the conventional model.
Comments on the Article ‘Beliefs, Endorsement and Application of Homeopathy Disclosed: A Survey among Ambulatory Care Physicians’ by Markun et al. [Drs. Rigetti et al] agree with the authors that medical education should pro- vide every physician with a sound basic knowledge of homeopathy. Since January 1, 2018, it is mandatory by federal law that basic knowledge of complementary medicine is conveyed to medical stu- dents [10]. As usual in medical education, teaching should be pro- vided by specialists with clinical and scientific expertise in the re- spective field. We also agree with the majority of the participants in that more research on homeopathy is needed. Looking back on many years of experience in homeopathic research and keeping inmind the controversial discussion about homeopathy, we would appreciate further research to be conducted in close cooperation of conventional and homeopathic physicians.
Marginalising homœopathy: an Australian case study A very interesting article describing in general how a dominant group uses proven techniques to marginalise and discredit competing groups. The author then shows how this applies to the NHMRC report from Australia, which claimed there is no evidence for homeopathy by using extremely high standards for homeopathic research studies—much higher than those they use for conventional research studies. Their biased (and false) conclusions have then "shot round the world" as "proof" that homeopathy doesn't work.
Understanding Veterinary Homeopathy—Peter Gregory, MRCVS Peter Gregory, an experienced veterinarian and homeopath and the current dean of the Faculty of Homeopathy in the United Kingdom, has written a thorough article on veterinary homeopathy. Gregory provides a good explanation of the principles and history of homeopathy as well as providing a good explanation of the perhaps well-intended but misguided attempts to discredit veterinary homeopathy in the UK and elsewhere.
Dr. Sue Armstrong 2018 A nice, succinct article on the IVC website about the ability of homeopathic remedies to alter genetic expression as shown by solid research. Here is the link to the website: https://ivcjournal.com/homeopathy-genetic-expression/
Steven Cartwright 2017 Interaction of homeopathic potencies with the water soluble solvatochromic dye bis-dimethylaminofuchsone. Part 1: pH studies
IAVH Letter to the Editor of Veterinary Record Jan 2018 Letter to the Editor of Veterinary Record concerning the [flawed] article “Comparative effectiveness of individualised homeopathy and antibiotics in the treatment of bovine clinical mastitis: randomised controlled trial” KELLER, D., SUNDRUM, A. 2018
Physiologic_effects_of_Ultra-diluted_Rhus_tox.pdf Scientific study showing physiologic effects of "Rhus tox" (Toxicodendron pubescens, common name Poison Ivy) even when highly diluted as with homeopathic medications.
Dr. Marcus Zulian Teixeira (2017) To those who demand scientific evidence for homeopathy An editorial letter about the vast amount of research in homeopathic medicine by Marcus Zulian Teixeira MD, BC Homeopathy; PhD, Medical Sciences; Professor of “Fundamentals of Homeopathy”, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (Brasil). 2017
Dr. Marcus Zulian Teixeira (2017) Scientific Evidence for Homeopathy A listing of some current homeopathic research, in English and Portuguese, by Marcus Zulian Teixeira MD, BC Homeopathy; PhD, Medical Sciences; Professor of “Fundamentals of Homeopathy”, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (Brasil). 2017
Epstein—Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy The Evidence Base for Homeopathy. Dr. Shelley Epstein presents a fairly comprehensive overview on the topic, with a nice list of articles for reference.
Homeopathy Research Institute Press Release Regarding the Australian Anti-Homeopathy "Study" 2017 This press release clearly lists the glaring attempt by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council to discredit homeopathic medicine by skewing the study database, and under the direction of anti-homeopathy lobbyists. It's rather shocking, actually.
Australian Homoeopathic Association 2017 AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL HEALTH & MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL HOMEOPATHY REVIEW Australian Homoeopathic Association's formal submission of complaint to Australia’s Commonwealth Ombudsman
Dr. Friedrich Dellmour/Dr. Melanie Wölk 2017(English) Dr. Dellmour's review of Dr. Wölk's Masters Thesis on Homeopathy as Evidence-Based Medicine
Dr. Friedrich Dellmour/Dr. Melanie Wölk 2017(Deutsch) Dr. Dellmour's Review zur Masterarbeit von Dr. Wölk zur Homöopathie als Evidenz-basierte Medizin
Marta Marzotto et al 2016 Arnica montana Stimulates Extracellular Matrix Gene Expression in a Macrophage Cell Line Differentiated to Wound-Healing Phenotype
WissHom 2016 (Deutsch) Der aktuelle Standder Forschung zur Homöopathie
Robert Mathie and Jürgen Clausen 2015 Veterinary homeopathy: meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials
Mathie_2015b.pdf Veterinary homeopathy: Systematic review of medical conditions studied by randomised trials controlled by other than placebo
Iris Bell—Bibliography of Research Articles 2015 Iris Bell provides a long list of research articles for homeopathic medicine.
Mathie_2014.pdf Randomised placebo-controlled trials ofindividualised homeopathic treatment:systematic review and meta-analysis
Robert Hahn 2013 Homeopathy: Meta-Analyses of Pooled Clinical Data
Iris Bell 2013 Testing the Nanoparticle-Allostatic Cross Adaptation- Sensitization Model for Homeopathic Remedy Effects
Khuda-Bukhsh et al 2011 Modulation of Signal Proteins: A Plausible Mechanism to Explain How a Potentized Drug Secale Cor 30C Diluted beyond Avogadro’s Limit Combats Skin Papilloma in Mice
Camerlink, Ellinger et al 2009
Henning Albrecht, Dr. Achim Schütte 1999 Henning Albrecht, Dr. Achim Schütte
Dr. Achim Schütte Research in veterinary homoeopathy - where are we going? A thought-provoking article upon the complexities of proving homeopathic medicine through research.