Comments on: New Avengers #28: A Medical Review

By: james

james — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 03:30:50 +0000

No wonder Dr. Strange has become less powerful lately: his spells that are so watered down that they no longer contain a molecule of magic (figuratively speaking).

By: Deepak Chopra reviews Dawkins’ God Delusion. Quantum Physics spotted fleeing the scene! « The Bad Idea Blog

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:47:14 +0000

[...] Trying to stabilize her vital signs through a series of homeopathic enchantment spells! [...]

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:47:47 +0000

Oops — that Lancet article was from August of 2005, not 2006.

By: The Mutt

The Mutt — Thu, 24 May 2007 18:48:57 +0000

“Homeopathic does NOT equal Natural” needs to be added to the sign that hangs above every comic book writer’s desk, right under “Y’All is Plural” and “Heat Rises”.

By: Bill Beechler MD

Bill Beechler MD — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:02:19 +0000

It seems to me that you’ve taken quite a literal view defining homeopathic. Yes, that is the traditional definition: however, today, I would say that any treatment that is not part of established American medicine, any alternative medicine, would be bunched under the homeopathic tent. There are both good and bad things under there, obviously, but some treatments, such as accupuncture, have been shown in studies to be useful and better than placebo. I’m a pediatrician who works with children with autism, so I run into bunk treatments a lot…but many of the psychotropic medications prescribed to these children also don’t work well and are used without much in the way of actual science to guide their use. Anyway…when reading the New Avengers issue, it didn’t bother me that Doctor Strange used the term as, given his history, he probably sees all alternative (read: mystical) healing, even when effective, as homeopathic.

By: Julia

Julia — Sun, 20 May 2007 16:41:27 +0000

I remember once a show I like did a report on homeopathic treatments, explaining everything in detail and then they went on to do an experiment: they took homeopathic medicine and water and gave them to different groups of people and then looked for something in their blood (can’t remember what it was). For a moment they thought something was wrong because the results all pointed to the homeopathic treatments working; but it turned out to be just a coincidence as they went down the table it turned out 50% water 50% homeopathic.

I hope that makes sense since I’m very hungry and not thinking straight.

By: Maire

Maire — Sun, 20 May 2007 08:28:22 +0000

It didn’t even occur to me that he might not mean that he’s using the law of similarity in some way to stabilise her.

After all, homeopathy is magic, basically.

By: John Bishop

John Bishop — Sat, 19 May 2007 04:12:22 +0000

He should just use StrangeOn!

Apply the Eye of Agamotto directly to the forehead.
Apply the Eye of Agamotto directly to the forehead.
Apply the Eye of Agamotto directly to the forehead.

By: hydrogenguy

hydrogenguy — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:39:43 +0000

Maybe the word he means is “homeostatic”? That might make a bit more sense in context.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:14:09 +0000

Elayne, vaccinations are different from homeopathy because they have actual molecules of the weakened virus or dead virus, which causes the body’s immune system to then mount a defense, leaving the person receiving the vaccine able to fend off the full virus if she should later be exposed to it. In homeopathy, a bit of an irritant is put into thousands of gallons of water. One homeopathic cure is thus microscopically the exact same as any other homeopathic cure, which is the same as a glass of water. Well, that’s not quite right. Rescue Remedy is largely a homeopathic dilution in alcohol instead of water.

Furthermore, no responsible doctor would infect a patient with a disease the patient already has, which is the idea behind the principle of similarities. If you go to your doctor with a case of poison ivy, you will not be treated by being exposed to more poison ivy. The homeopathic “remedy” for poison ivy is poison ivy, or more accurately, water that had a bit of poison ivy in it.