Dilutions and Avagadro

The critics of homeopathy are always going on about Avogadro's number, which is 6.022 x 10 to the power 23. I wonder how many of them actually understand it.

So here is a very simple explanation of what it is all about. Armedeo Avagadro in 1811 hypothesised that 'Equal volumes of ideal or perfect gases, at the same temperature and pressure, contain the same number of particles, or molecules'. What he meant was that the same volume of a gas, whether it is hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen or anything else, will contain the same number of molecules if the temperatures and pressures are the same. This is Avogadro's Law.


Long after he died other scientists recognised what an important contribution he had made and the Avogadro Constant is named after him but the concept of the mole to which it refers was not known in his lifetime.

Now for a basic chemistry lesson, so pay attention.

One mole of a substance is the molecular weight in grams of that substance, so hydrogen has a molecular weight of 1, so 1 g is 1 mole of hydrogen, carbon has a molecular weight of 12 and so 12g of carbon is 1 mole.

One mole of a substance will always contain the same number of elemental particles (usually atoms or molecules) and that number will be 6.022 x 10 to the power 23, this can also be written as 602 200 000 000 000 000 000 000 particles, which is an awful lot of particles.

Are you still with me? The problem sceptics have is that homeopathic remedies are very diluted. A 12c homepathic remedy is technically a dilution of 1 x 10 to the power 24, and so larger than Avogadro's Constant so there should be none of the original particles still present. What the sceptics always seem to forget, or ignore, is that homeopathic remedies are not just diluted, they are also shaken vigorously between each dilution which is a process known as succussion.

There is a whole branch of science looking at the peculiar properties of ultra diluted solutions and there is absolutely no doubt that there are many scientific peer reviewed published papers which demonstrate that a substance which has been diluted and shaken is still measurable way beyond the point that it should be. There have been positive experiments using a whole host of different analytical techniques and the laws of physics and chemistry cannot currently explain why these ultra diluted and shaken substances can still be measured.

One of the key papers on this subject is by the physicist Dr Louis Rey, he used very diluted and shaken solutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride and then analysed them using a technique called thermoluminescence. It showed conclusively that very dilute solutions were measurable when they were diluted beyond the point there should be any particles present.

http://www.vhan.nl/documents/Rey.thermoluminescence.pdf

and there is much more evidence in plant and biological systems too.

Homeopathy ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/homp) is the journal for the Faculty of Homeopathy which has recently published a two part special issue focusing on biological models of homeopathy. The special issue highlights experiments on homeopathic treatments in biological models, ranging from whole animals and plants to cell cultures and enzymes, showing a remarkable range of findings.

Editor-in-Chief Dr Peter Fisher commented: ?Throughout its 200 year history claims that homeopathy has ?real? (as opposed to placebo) effects have been hotly contested. Our special issue brings together a wide range of scientific work in biological systems, where there can be no placebo effect, showing that there are now several biological experiments which yield consistently positive results with homeopathic dilutions?.

Visit www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/14754916 for full contents and abstracts

Sceptic stunt

The sceptics 'overdose' stunt is in the news.

This is a statement from the Society of Homeopaths, the largest organisation registering professional homeopaths in Europe, in response to the1023 stunt.

http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/

For a very good overview of the current research and evidence for homeopathy have a look at the website of the British Homeopathic Association which is the organisation for medically trained homeopaths working within the NHS.

http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is based on treating the individual with highly diluted substances given in mainly tablet form, which triggers the body?s natural system of healing. Based on their experience of their symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to the patient.

Since homeopathy is person specific, the action of a remedy cannot be predicted without knowing the patient?s symptoms at the time they take it.

This is one reason why The Society recommends that prescriptions are taken under the guidance of an appropriately qualified and registered homeopath (see www.homeopathy-soh.org for more details).

Over-the-counter homeopathic medicines should only be used as directed on the labeling. Proving guidelines for determining which homeopathic medicines are suitable for which disease focus more on the repetition of a dose rather than a large single dose in isolation.

The Society would not therefore expect any reaction to the proposed ?overdose? by this group unless, by chance, an individual in that group already had symptoms that matched that remedy at the time of taking it.

The Thin Line That Leads Us

Lemon Leaf

This is nothing to do with homeopathy but is a wonderful blog which is written by a friend of mine, Rhiannon. We shared an office many years ago at the Open University where we worked in geochemistry research, both our lives have changed quite a bit since then!
She now lives in a beautiful part of Cumbia, is a keen walker, fellrunner and sea kayak-er and her blog is full of amazing pictures, mainly of things that her and her partner, Stu, get up to on their travels. It is so much more than looking at someones holiday snaps, the photos are really quite wonderful and beautifully observed. So, if you are stuck at a desk and not enjoying your day then have a look at her blog and escape in to Rhiannons world for a bit!

http://heliospanoptes.blogspot.com/

Pumpkins drying on a Spanish balcony

Winter scenes

Catrigg Force

There has been much doom and gloom on the news about the recent disruptions due to the snow and ice. But with all the cold weather we also get some fantastic scenery, particularly in our bit of the Yorkshire Dales. We went for a walk in the snow to Catrigg Force which is close to where we live. The ice in the stream above the waterfall and cascade of water had created some wonderful ice formations so I thought I'd share some of our pictures with you.

Ice in the beck

Down the waterfall

Looking towards Giggleswick

Winter Newsletter and Evening Class

The winter newsletter is now available. If you would like to receive a copy, either by post or email, then email or call me.

I am starting a regular evening class in Settle to talk in more depth about various aspects of homeopathy and related subjects. Classes will be on the last Monday of each month and held at the Gateway to Health clinic in Settle.

The first class will be on Monday 22nd February from 7-9pm. I will be there from 6pm and will provide some simple vegetarian food so people can come straight from work. Each session costs £10 and will include handouts, drinks and, of course, food. The idea is that each class will be self contained so people can drop in rather than commit to a long course.

The first session will be about the history of homeopathy and some of the colourful characters involved in its development.