Diversity and Excellence in Homeopathy Research

The eclectic nature of homeopathy research is amply reflected in this issue of Homeopathy, with topics ranging from public health and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to in-vitro experiments in physics and biology. The care and attention to detail in the original research and in the subsequent peer-review and editing of the articles endow a level of excellence to the articles printed within these pages. Whether the reported results are favourable or non-favourable to homeopathy, therefore, readers should be in no doubt that the data presented are rigorous and factual, with reasonable and fair conclusions offered in each case.

In this issue, some remarkable data are presented from India that reveal the sheer scale of homeopathy's impact on that country's healthcare system.[1] And while a systematic review of previously published RCTs finds indecisive evidence currently for the clinical effectiveness of non-individualised homeopathic treatment,[2] a novel homeopathic medicine is reported to have efficacy in reducing intensity of hot flushes in menopausal women.[3] Potency-dependent effects are reported for pattern formation in evaporating droplets[4] and for voltage generation[5] of specified homeopathic preparations. Growth-changing effects of certain potencies of Mercurius corrosivus are observed in mercury-stressed duckweed plants.[6] Our debate article proposes that an auto-sarcode of DNA could be used isopathically to modulate gene expression for the management of individual chronic disease.[7]

Diversity and excellence have always been reflected in this journal's Editorial Advisory Board (EAB), and the list of members shown in this issue includes several new names who extend that description. We are delighted to welcome these specialist experts: Paulo Bellavite, Steven Cartwright, Carolina de Oliveira, José Eizayaga, Michael Frass, Anisur Khuda-Bukhsh, Christien Klein-Laansma, Emma Macías-Cortés, Lionel Milgrom, Tony Pinkus, Elio Rossi, Marcus Teixeira, Michael Teut and Silvia Waisse. Several other respected opinion leaders have taken the decision to stand down from the EAB: Michael Carlston, Jean-Louis Demangeat, Edoardo Felisi, David Reilly and David Riley. We are sorry to lose their input to the journal's further development and we sincerely thank each of them for important and valued contributions over many years.

• References

• 1 Kaur H, Chalia DS, Manchanda RK. Homeopathy in public health in India. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 76-87
• 2 Mathie RT, Fok YYY, Viksveen P, To AKL, Davidson JRT. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, other-than-placebo controlled, trials of non-individualised homeopathic treatment. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 88-101
• 3 Andrade DCDS, Carmona F, Angelucci MA, Martinez EZ, Pereira AMS. Efficacy of a homeopathic medicine of Capsicum frutescens L. (Solanaceae) in the treatment of hot flashes in menopausal women: a phase-2 randomized controlled trial. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 102-107
• 4 Kokornaczyk MO, Würtenberger S, Baumgartner S. Phenomenological characterization of low-potency homeopathic preparations by means of pattern formation in evaporating droplets. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 108-120
• 5 Bhattacharya TS, Maitra P, Bera D. , et al. Investigation of the origin of voltage generation in potentized homeopathic medicine through Raman Spectroscopy. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 121-127
• 6 Jäger T, Würtenberger S, Baumgartner S. Effects of homeopathic preparations of Mercurius corrosivus on the growth rate of severely mercury-stressed duckweed Lemna gibba L. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 128-138
• 7 Teixeira MZ. Isopathic use of auto-sarcode of DNA as anti-miasmatic homeopathic medicine and modulator of gene expression?. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 139-148