You are Edzard Ernst, esteemed professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, and I claim my £10,000. Please wire my payment to: Bryan Hubbard@Dunworkin.
As you may have heard, Edzard has done a Randi, and has announced a £10,000 prize to anyone who can produce evidence that homeopathy works.
Magician James Randi is another gallant quack-buster, who has offered a $1 million for proof that the paranormal exists. Randi has never coughed up, of course, and he never will, despite the many cases he has seen that should see him parted from his loot.
I fear the same with Edzard. For him, it’s a publicity stunt to stimulate the flagging sales of his latest book, which is a full frontal assault on alternative medicine, which seems strange from Britain’s only professor of, er, alternative medicine.
But let’s give the man the benefit of the doubt, and take him at his word. So, Edzard, here’s a study that has been double-blinded and placebo controlled, and that demonstrates homeopathy is just as good as, if not better than, drugs for the treatment of eczema. The study’s reference is: Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2008; 16: 15-21.
Take a look, and pass the money along soonest. No disrespect, but I’d prefer notes (£20s and £50s are fine) to a cheque.