Let's talk shit (and homeopathy)

Homeopathy
Homeopathy has been, finally, talked about in the house of commons and the science and technology committee has advised us the government to stop funding homeopathic treatments. This is a step in the right direction, I just hope the government take note and stop bloody inflating Prince Charles ego.

Homeopathy, for those that do not already know is a complimentary medicine (or alternative medicine if you prefer) that takes a substance (Tiger tooth, Dragonfly wings, eye of a newt, scratchings from stonehenge - Guess which one is the 'non-made-up-one') and dissolves it in a huge vat of water. They then take that large vat of water and take a tiny vial of water from it. Following this, that small vial of water is emptied into another, fresh, vat of water and mixed up. This is then repeated a few times until there is absolutely no remnants of the original substance left. You are left with a vial of water with a fancy label. I am actually serious - The homeopath fanciers claim that water has a 'memory' of what was in it and that memory helps cure or alleviate a range of diseases including coughs, colds and even broken bones, bad breath and erectile dysfunction. There is evidence that homeopathy works - but only as a placebo effect.

Well? If it works let people use it. It doesn't matter how it works if it does.
I have a few problems with this- It is ripping people off.

the UK-based Society of Homeopaths said that the NHS spends £4 million annually. This does not include the running costs of the homeopathic hospitals and the £20 million spent on refurbishing the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital between 2002 and 2005.

This, part of the report shown to the house of lords is proof that sugar pills are costing the government dearly. Not to mention the companies that are pushing this 'water with a fancy label' over the internet for a helluva lot of money. Coca Cola must be fuming they didn't market their Dasani water as homeopathic. (It got taken of the shelves after being exposed as tap-water)
 The other problem is that people may be put off going to their doctor - even worse - put off taking their youngsters to a doctor as they believe homeopathy can cure them. This is child abuse and a violation of human rights.

My personal favourite claim by the Medicines and Health care Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is that...

that there is an "important homeopathic tradition" to uphold.

First of all, this is the agency that regulates our medicine and healthcare and they are worried about upholding traditions. This is pure medieval (Speaking of which, Black magic, witchcraft and hanging were all traditions at one point too - should we bring them back?) It seriously worries me when the MHRA, a government agency with this line as their first line of the 'about us' section of the website reads 'is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe.'
is worried about upholding traditions, since when has medicine been about tradition
I mean, it is pretty much saying, by licensing homeopaths (They do. Frequently), that homeopathy is as good as conventional medicines at curing disease.
Homeopathic remedies are touted as water with memories of past dilutions- They are so staggeringly diluted that there are no traces of any of the original substance, usually in the scientific world they do double blind tests against placebos to test weather they work (Double blind means that the patients plus the scientists don't know who has been given the placebo until after the results are in) With homeopathic remedies the placebo will be atomically the same as the 'real' treatment so it is impossible for it to work.

I will leave you with one last comment.
If water has such a good memory, even when diluted hundreds of times. What about all the shit that has been in it at some point?

P.S. The real substance was scratchings from Stonehenge. Seriously