Response from: waster    (07/21/06 9:43am)

The experimental design should control for the placebo effect working on the experimenters. A double-blind trial would do this. (The dog isn't blind, like a human trial member would be, but the control and test animals should be treated identically.) This is not mentioned on the linked web page.

There is a false statement on the web page. It reads:
"The practice of homeopathy is currently under great scrutiny in both the medical and veterinary fields."
Actually, no: it is not under great scrutiny, just as astrology is not under great scrutiny despite the large number of practitioners and 'believers'. It does however receive vast amounts of unwarranted press coverage and government funding.

Response from: ruth    (07/21/06 11:03am)

Thanks for the comment. Come to think of it, the press release from Bristol did not indicate details of the study design. If you're that interested, you might want to take it up with Dr. Peter Hill (Peter.Hill@bristol.ac.uk) who's leading the trial.

As for scrutiny, let's hope it is research studies like these which will spur scientifically grounded discssions.