Quackery in the Colleges

[Paul of London]

I am appalled at the number of colleges (usually ex-polytechnics rather than long-established universities) that are offering courses on 'complementary medicines' -- that is, quackery.

If you go to http://www.luton.ac.uk/courses/bysubject/heacar/fd-comthe, you'll find one at Luton; http://www.salford.ac.uk/course-finder/course/327 for one at Salford Uni. There are many others if you do some searching.

The Salford one has a brilliant bit:

'If you complete all of the homeopathy modules in the degree you will be able to apply for entry into year two of the four-year part-time homeopathy professional training programme at the North West College of Homeopathy in Manchester. You will also receive a certificate in Homeopathic First Aid.'

What's homeopathic first aid, throwing a pail of water over a casualty?

I find it very disturbing that such quackery is taught in colleges, and are advertised alongside legitimate health and medical courses, also with no warning that they are scientifically unproven.

[faithlessgod]

The Salford one has a brilliant bit:

'If you complete all of the homeopathy modules in the degree you will be able to apply for entry into year two of the four-year part-time homeopathy professional training programme at the North West College of Homeopathy in Manchester. You will also receive a certificate in Homeopathic First Aid.'

What's homeopathic first aid, throwing a pail of water over a casualty?

I have noticed at festivals where there are "healing areas" or other such sCAM therapies available that there is a st johns ambulance first aid tent and all the newagers/crusties/hippies go there if they hurt themselves or overdose...

How would homeopathic first aid deal with a foot cut with broken glass? Give them a dilution of glass? And wait a week for it to work?

[Tessa K]

There was a very funny sketch in a TV show by Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller where they were emergency aromatherapists turning up at an accident site.

In desperation, a friend of mine once tried Rescue Remedy on her small boy to calm his tantrums. It worked, but we suspected this was because the base liquid was nearly 100% pure alcohol and it stunned him into submisson.