Homeopathy and the Placebo Effect

Abstract

Although homeopathy has a long historical tradition, its apparent therapeutic effects began to be interpreted differently after Hahnemann introduced the process of succussion into remedy preparation. Since then, it has often been assumed that the clinical effects reported with highly diluted preparations-where the probability of retaining molecules of the original substance is extremely low-must arise from placebo responses rather than pharmacological activity. This view is based on the assumption that succussion produces solutions devoid of active constituents, thereby rendering any therapeutic benefit attributable to patient expectations. However, this interpretation neglects the physicochemical consequences of mechanical processing. Systematic, blinded testing of symptom development in healthy volunteers (“provings”) using multiple potencies, in comparison with mechanically untreated water, may provide a more precise understanding of the relationship between placebo processes and homeopathic practice.