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Oscillococcinum – revisited

By on 28 May, 2018 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 28 May 2018

MNET / DSTV are running adverts for Oscillococcinum, which claims to be effective for flu.

This is a timely reminder that this product has no real effect.

We have posted a number of posts on this absurd product.

A class action lawsuit against the company was successful and a Canadian lawsuit is presently in the offing.

Wikipedia has this to say about Oscillococcinum:

Oscillococcinum (or Oscillo[1][2]) is a homeopathic preparation marketed to relieve influenza-like symptoms. It does not provide any benefit beyond that of sugar pills. It is a popular preparation, particularly in France. It is manufactured by Boiron, its sole manufacturer. Oscillococcinum is used in more than 50 countries and has been in production for over 65 years.

The preparation is derived from duck liver and heart, diluted to 200C—a ratio of one … Read the rest

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Osillococcinum – its origons, i.e., how is it made and its ‘science’

By on 22 January, 2016 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 22 January 2016

In a comment to the posting, Why an ineffective flu remedy (Oscillococcinum) is still being advertised in South Africa, a reader drew our attention to the excellent article Ososillyococcinum and other Flu bits by Mark Crislip on the blog, Science-Based Medicine, which explains the bizarre rationale for how this product was created and how it is manufactured. Very funny, (O-so-silly-ococcinum) but very serious. Worth a read.

In the 1919 flu epidemic a physician who did not understand that artifacts on the slide, probably bubbles, move randomly due to Brownian motion.  Looking at the tissues of flu patients with a microscope, he  found what he thought was not only the cause of influenza, but the cause of all diseases: small cocci (round balls) that oscillated under the microscope.  He found these wiggling bubbles in all the tissues of all the ill people he examined and thought
… Read the rest
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Why an ineffective flu remedy (Oscillococcinum) is still being advertised in South Africa

By on 21 January, 2016 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 21 January 2016

This article, copied from The Conversation, asks the question why Oscillococcinum is even on our shelves when the evidence does not support its use for flu.

Prof Roy Jobson, an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, writes “A homeopathic flu product is being advertised in South Africa despite the fact that an internationally based review, and an update to it, have found the product to be ineffective”.

It is essential to read his article with this CamCheck article in mind: Absurdity of Oscillococcinum: ASA FAC ruling (opens in a new browser window)

… Read the rest
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Flu vaccines might be ineffective, so try… water

By on 15 May, 2015 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 15 May 2015

In a post titled, Flu vaccines might be ineffective, so try… water (otherwise known as Oscillococcinum)?, the well known critical thinker, Jacques Rousseau, has commented on LeBron’s press-release for Oscillococcinum (which we have also commented on).

Extract:

“Briefly, on Oscillococcinum itself, you’d be amused to read up on it, as the story of its origins and composition is quite the catalogue of pseudoscience in action. While there might be nothing that trumps Scientology for batshittery, Oscillococcinum gives it a damn good try…”

Read the post here

… Read the rest
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Oscillococcinum / LeBron: abominable behaviour

By on 15 May, 2015 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 15 May 2015

It is one thing to sell a product that has no proof of benefit, another to claim it is more effective than one that has.

Lebron, the local agents for Oscillococcinum – a homeopathic product that claims to be effective for the symptoms of flu and colds (but is not), have made the repugnant suggestion in a press-release that “flu vaccines may not work”, and that Oscillococcinum should be used instead. The press release misleadingly does not point out that flu vaccines DO work – but not for a specific strain of flu that may emerge, and infers that therefore one should consider not using a flu vaccine and instead use Oscillococcinum.

… Read the rest
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Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, on homeopathy (and Oscillococcinum)

By on 4 February, 2013 in Homeopathy, Oscillococcinum
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Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has written a hard hitting opinion on homeopathy (and Oscillococcinum).

He writes:

photo[1]

Oscillococcinum is a complete hoax product. The method of production is to take an extract of duck liver and heart and dilute it in a 1:100 ratio with water, and to do that dilution over and over, 200 times. Wikipedia, in the article I linked up above, eloquently explains what this means: “Mathematically, in order to have a reasonable chance to obtain one molecule of the original extract, the patient would have to consume an amount of the remedy roughly 10^321 times the number of atoms in the observable universe.”

… Read the rest
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Absurdity of Oscillococcinum: ASA FAC ruling

By on 19 September, 2012 in ASA (SA) Rulings, Oscillococcinum
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Posted 19 September 2012

This is a story of money, of failure of appropriate interpretation of evidence, of a legal process trumping facts. This is a story of consumers being screwed.

This is not a story of whether homeopathy works or does not work – it is about whether evidence and proof is less strong than personal opinion, and of whether “experts” can be believed or even trusted.

This is a story of whether a “belief” should be superseded by the accumulation of evidence and facts that contradicts that belief, and how strongly a commercial company will fight back to keep making money even if the product is actually useless.

 

… Read the rest
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Oscillococcinum – ASA ruling

By on 26 April, 2012 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 26 April 2012 

Consumer complaints were lodged against a Boiron laboratories television commercial as promoting the product Occilococcinum. The voice-over states, “When flu symptoms appear, take Oscillococcinum immediately”, “Take Oscillococcinum immediately for the relief of flu symptoms” and “Oscillococcinum, homeopathic medicine from Boiron laboratories”.

In essence the complainants submitted that the implied efficacy of the product is unsubstantiated and misleading. The complainants explained that this product is nothing more than duck liver and heart, which has been processed, and then diluted to a measure of one part liver/heart extract to 100200 parts water (100 to the power of 200). As such, there are literally no heart/liver molecules left in the final product solution. What’s more, there is no evidence to show that consuming duck liver/heart has any effect on the flu.

The ASA ruled in favour of the complainants.

… Read the rest
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Oscillococcinum, Boiron: class-action certified

By on 28 August, 2011 in Oscillococcinum
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Posted 28 August 2011

An USA federal judge has certified a class, which enables the class-action suit filed by the Newport Trial Group against Boiron USA to proceed.

http://www.casewatch.org/civil/bo i ron/coldcalm/class_certification.pdf

The suit claims that Boiron made misleading claims that Children’s ColdCalm, a homeopathic product it manufactures, would relieve sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sinus pain, headaches, and sore throat.

http://www.casewatch.org/civil/boi ron/coldcalm/complaint.pdf

In July, the judge denied a motion to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds.

http://www.casewatch.org/civil/boiron/coldcalm /dismissal_order_ruling.pdf

CamCheck posts related to Oscillococcinum
(Link opens in new browser window)
… Read the rest

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