Madam, - No one is denying that there are studies which indicate that homeopathy has positive effects, as Kevin Mannerings (October 25th) notes. The issue at stake is the quality of those studies.
The critical components of scientific studies of this sort are objectivity, statistical significance and repeatability. If any one of these criteria is missing, a study is meaningless, regardless of its findings. In the case of homeopathy, there are many positive studies which satisfy two of these requirements, but there is none which satisfies all three.
Measuring the effects of homeopathy is not an issue about personal beliefs, spiritual theories or gazing at appalling vistas. If homeopathy has curative effects, then these effects must be measurable in credible and controlled circumstances. This has not happened. - Is mise,
NICK HILLIARD,
De Courcey Square,
Dublin 9.