Bengaluru: The Ministry of AYUSH Wednesday issued an advisory for the “prevention” of infection from the novel strain of coronavirus using homoeopathy, and “symptomatic management” using Unani medicines.
In its advisory, which met with instant criticism on social media, the ministry recommended a course of Arsenicum album30, used in homeopathy to treat influenza-like illness. The prescription came after the 64th meeting of the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy Tuesday.
The advisory also recommended Unani preventive treatments such as drinking shadang paniya, consuming samshamani, agastya harityaki, and other Unani drugs.
It also gives a dietary recommendation of “easily digestible, light and soft diets”, apart from personal hygiene tips that are generally issued by health experts across the board to prevent air-borne infection.
The novel coronavirus strain has no known cure or preventive vaccine yet, according to health experts around the world. Further, there is no evidence that the prescribed diet or medicines work.
The strain was discovered just over a month ago and was confirmed earlier in January. It has so far killed over a hundred people and spread to 15 countries. The virus can spread through air even before its common cold-like symptoms can manifest in an individual, and can escalate to fatality in some cases.
The Ministry of AYUSH — which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy — has come under repeated criticism for propounding pseudoscientific medicine as alternative medicine.
Also read: China is perfectly prepared to fight coronavirus
Arsenicum album and homoeopathy
Arsenicum album is a highly diluted solution of arsenic trioxide which effectively contains little to no arsenic after dilution. It is used by practising homoeopaths to treat various symptoms — not diseases — such as digestive disorders and common cold, as well as arsenic poisoning.
As a homoeopathic prescription, it is considered generally safe since the resultant contains almost no arsenic at all, but “improperly used” homoeopathic preparations in treatment have resulted in cases of arsenic poisoning in India.
Arsenic is highly toxic to humans and in controlled doses is used intravenously to treat cancer of the white blood cells. Mild arsenic poisoning through ingestion has symptoms identical to coronavirus — diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, runny nose and headaches. Arsenicum album treatments, like other homoeopathic treatments, are not considered scientifically and medically sound or effective.
Homoeopathy as a system was created by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796 under the premise that similar symptoms (not diseases) can be cured with similar remedies. It involves repeatedly diluting a substance with water and sugar until not even a single molecule of the original substance is present in the final solution.
Due to the dangers posed by not obtaining the desired treatment for an affliction, homoeopathy is declared a pseudoscience and isn’t allowed any form of government funding in multiple countries such as Australia, Switzerland, England, and France. It is banned in Spain. The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council, and the Commission on Pseudoscience and Research Fraud of Russian Academy of Sciences have both concluded that it is ineffective and poses significant harm.
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Unani medicines
Unani is an Arabic system of medicine, originating in ancient Greece, based on the Greek system of four fluids or humours in the body — phlegm, blood, yellow bile and black bile. It has heavy Indian and Chinese influences in its practice.
The system believes that each person’s body is composed of a unique combination of these four humours and treatments for diagnosis follow the patterns of Izalae Sabab (elimination of cause), Tadeele Akhlat (normalisation of humours) and Tadeele Aza (normalisation of tissues/organs).
There are several Indian universities devoted to Unani medicine, which provide graduation as well as postgraduation degrees.
However, practitioners of Unani are not authorised to practise medicine in India unless they are also trained as qualified physicians. Practising Unani medicine and similar forms of rural alternative medicine in India was banned under the Travancore-Cochin Medical Practitioners’ Act of 1953.
The Supreme Court as well as the Indian Medical Association have declared Unani to be ‘quackery’.
In 2018, the Supreme Court said “unqualified, untrained quacks are posing a great risk to the entire society and playing with the lives of people without having the requisite training and education in the science from approved institutions”.
Many Unani treatments are also considered to be poisonous and are not recommended by the World Health Organization.
AYUSH criticism on social media
On Wednesday, several social media users criticised the government move to propagate “unscientific” homoeopathy and Unani medicines.
the government of India (as usual) is peddling unscientific crap
ayurveda, homeopathy and unani are NOT legitimate branches of medicine and have no material proof in curing or preventing such diseases
please don't swallow placebo-inducing sugar pills thinking you'll be safe. https://t.co/u9vV2n8itD
— v̴̢͉̙͙̜̘̣̓͑̽̾̓͘͝ͅo̸̯̮͂̽̉̓̃͝͠͝i̸͎͍͕̭̩̊͆̇̃̅̽̄d̷̿̈́̀̄͑ (@bismillahcamus) January 29, 2020
#Coronavirus breaks out, China embarks on building a 1000 bed hospital in 6 days
India: ye lo homeopathy, 4 goli subah 4 raat ko khaali pet. No onion no garlic. OK?— Raghav Chopra (@RaghavChopra_) January 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/TwinklingTania/status/1222406959179059201
Some users also mocked the advisory in light of reports that China is building hospitals in Wuhan, where the coronavirus cases originated, in a matter of a few days to provide extra beds to control the situation.
China is building 1500 bed hospital in 9 days to control #coronavirus.
Indian Government is advising homeopathy & Unani which are pure quackery.
International media, @WHO @UN please take note. https://t.co/XtlRdgXJI4
— Aparna (@chhuti_is) January 29, 2020
Also read: Coronavirus spread pushes drugmakers to hunt for ways to stop pathogen eluding travel curbs
onion we all know must for sabji,read lauren feder md at drfeder dot com, onion cut it put it in socks of baby child will relieve colds,oatmeal bath for skin relief,sincerely explained many home remedies homeopathy remedies,such data is useful to public at no cost.if we stick to issue using onion oatmeal homeopathy aconite etc min bams bhms degree plus registration with councils required,public feels safe in their own adrak laung elaichi formulae.skin doctors may laugh at oatmeal bath but will have to think twice reading md degree of dr lauren.
dead animal putrid matter infested air,arsenic alb is beneficial as per salzer quoted by nc das in gleanings article.nc das gleanings notes are very beneficial for self help in homeopathy,like senecio for obstructed menstruation oleander for undigested food diarrhoea ceonanthus q for jaundice etc..in fact olden days homeopathy was practiced by look at simple body symptoms and all top homeo doctors used to have discussion at one table now replaced by i am best attitude public gets confused who is best.so arsenic recommended by ayush is beneficial to remove any poisioning effect on intestines.main path for food assimilation.
Animal putrid matter does not cause disease. This is miasma theory, that is now known to be Bullshit and Bullshit homeopathy still thinks it is true.
Undigested food does not cause jaundice. Read how liver works. Homeopathy is just dumb ideas.
Henny Heudens Mast author homeopathy miasm,clearly states that unless heriditary blockage ancestral carry over some disease prone manifestations are cleared normal prescribing of homeopathic medicines doe not help rather acts as suppressor like allopathy or any other system.She has well examplified a case read simllimum 2006 vol xix where psora was blockage,other miasms sycosis syphilitic tubercular are more serious.those who can afford should treat their children at early stage from a reputed classical homeopath but limitation is they are few,most homeopaths treat like reckeweg mixtures imparting relief as on required basis but disease roots say embedded in personality trait of ancestors is not eliminated.
Miasma is now known to be BULLSHIT!!!
homeopathy random notes 1930 lesser writings by cm boger,disordered life forces soon exterriorise as disease picture if suppressed turn to metastasis in more vital organs.he has also put on record injecting heterogeneous matter into the blood stream violates law of nature full of danger.dorothy shepherd trated many retarded children due to vaccination side effects by thuja homeo remedy.ha roberts put on record wrongly treated arthritis metastases in heart life miserable.there is latest very fine article building resilience in critical time by elizabeth adalian well known homeopath.even water kept overnight in copper vessel at times cleans blood neem capsule cleans blood but do not take in routine as indians are taking aloevera guduchi etc without advice of trained vaidya.best is go to AYUSH homeopathy wing for constitutional treatment if you feel subacute symptoms like vague pains chronic fatigue etc.avoid homeopaths who do not have confidence to write name of remedy in prescription.stitch in time saves nine.
homeopathic case management covid 19 best guidance is available in 176 page webinar 04 april 2020 by andre saine nd arranged by american institute of homeopathy at site homeopathyusa dot org. .bryonia for chest pain highly recommended.ant arsenic for dry cough and difficult breathing.camphora 1m for diarrhoea senior citizens conium eupato perf recommended.o2 osi index less than 94 percent one must go to reputed hospital.this webinar is so elaborate in giving clinical guidance that even experienced homeopaths will love to keep a copy for routine practice in other diseases.
swami pradiptananda remarks rhus tox very valid i use it clears body toxins,five phos 6x german be taken in routine.in fact 1993-94 i with col bose charity family attached to Ramakarishna mission used to go to nihati well known homeopath dr ak bhattacharya he gave us his latest book practical homeopathy a masterpiece in homeopathy even layman can understand..
Homeopathy herald 1942 sep vol5 no 7, NC Bose editorial remarks a cry to west bengal govt at that time are so touching as he could anticipate future todays condition.see example cornea inflammation red eye is red humid as moon increases but pale and dry as moon decreases remedy is clematis.there is no short cut to homeopathy by way of clinical tests,olden time homeopaths could sense rays of even planets and link with homeo remedy.atleast some high up in west bengal order study group homeo teachings of nc bose and dc das gupta some hidden suggestions may come up to deal with present crisis.
few days back media articles by dr das and sh biswas bbc correspondent throw much light on medicine aid available in india esp rural areas.for cough cold i use hamdard joshina very effective.homeopathy i have educational interest it is holy science but symptom oriented,example mag carb used to strengthen mind thinking of orphaned children in high potency and medium potency for poor digestion milk.many use homeopathy low potency mixtures it is as good as allopathy..system cannot be changed overnight but atleast efforts be made rural innocent be convinced only to govt dispensary allopathic or homeopathic ayurvedic.hamdard unani medicines are safest no side effects. viewed by own use.
I personally use homoeopathic medicine Rhus Tox 200 as antidote for Coronavirus and till now safe. In future what will happen I don’t know. Though before I successfully used Rhus Tox as antidote for measles, chicken pox, influenga and conjitivitis
like diseases caused by viruses in my friend circle if requested. I’m 75 years old. I studied many homoeopathic books treat my many diseases with homoeopathic medicines.
Please don’t mislead people that you are giving them measles and chicken pox prevention with your quack nosodes. That puts their lives in danger because they don’t get any real immunity. So far they have only been protected by herd immunity from real vaccines and are a growing threat to the society as their numbers grow. Anti-vaxxers such as yourself are a danger to society.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11012900/Why-do-we-believe-in-homeopathy-Ten-tricks-the-brain-plays-on-us.html
This is Homeopathy reality – sorry replied to wrong post earlier.
1. ‘The principles of homeopathy contradict known chemical, physical and biological laws and persuasive scientific trials proving its effectiveness are not available.’
Russian Academy of Sciences
2. ‘Homeopathy should not be used to treat health conditions that are chronic, serious, or could become serious. People who choose homeopathy may put their health at risk if they reject or delay treatments for which there is good evidence for safety and effectiveness.’
National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia
3. ‘These products are not supported by scientific evidence.’
Health Canada
4 “Homeopathic remedies don’t meet the criteria of evidence based medicine.”
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
5. ‘The incorporation of anthroposophical and homeopathic products in the Swedish directive on medicinal products would run counter to several of the fundamental principles regarding medicinal products and evidence-based medicine.’
Swedish Academy of Sciences
6. ‘We recommend parents and caregivers not give homeopathic teething tablets and gels to children and seek advice from their healthcare professional for safe alternatives.’
US Food and Drug Administration
7. ‘There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific condition.’
National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, US
8. ‘There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.’
National Health Service, UK
9. ‘Homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos, and the principles on which homeopathy is based are scientifically implausible.’
House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, UK
10. ‘Homeopathy has not definitively proven its efficacy in any specific indication or clinical situation.’
Ministry of Health, Spain
11. ‘There is a constant increase in the quantity of evidence and the conviction of the scientific community in medicine, that homeopathy should be treated as one of the unscientific methods of so-called “alternative medicine”, which proposes worthless products without scientifically proven efficacy.’
National Medical Council, Poland
12. ‘From a purely clinical perspective, the fact remains that there is no valid empirical proof of the efficacy of homeopathy (evidence-based medicine) beyond the placebo effect.’
Federaal Kenniscentrum voor de Gezondheidszorg, Belgium