Can Homeopathic Arsenic Remedy Combat Arsenic Poisoning in Humans Exposed to Groundwater Arsenic Contamination?: A Preliminary Report on First Human Trial

Abstract

Groundwater arsenic (As) has affected millions of people globally distributed over 20 countries. In parts of West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh alone, over 100 million people are at risk, but supply of As-free water is grossly inadequate. Attempts to remove As by using orthodox medicines have mostly been unsuccessful. A potentized homeopathic remedy, Arsenicum Album-30, was administered to a group of As affected people and thereafter the As contents in their urine and blood were periodically determined. The activities of various toxicity marker enzymes and compounds in the blood, namely aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione, were also periodically monitored up to 3 months. The results are highly encouraging and suggest that the drug can alleviate As poisoning in humans.

Laboratory Research in Homeopathy: Pro

“…In human trials, ethical issues in administering placebo to ailing people with chronic or serious diseases also need consideration. 10 It can be difficult to establish the causal efficacy of homeopathic remedies above placebo because of such considerations, necessitating meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials to arrive at a conclusion of either positive clinical effect of a drug over placebo on human subjects with any given disease (ie, similar set of symptoms) or no such effect. Summary tables of clinical trials in homeopathy as well as systematic reviews of homeopathy in general and on single medical conditions can be found on the Web site of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ homeopathy/).…”

A study of arsenic, iron and other dissolved ion variations in the groundwater of Bishnupur District, Manipur, India

“…Arsenic contamination and its effects on health in these two regions have been studied extensively (Chowdhury et al 2000;Bhattacharya et al 2002;Roy and Saha 2002;Sexena et al 2004). In West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh, over 100 million people are at risk because arsenic-free water supply is grossly inadequate (Khuda-Bukhsh et al 2005). The dominance of potentially more toxic As (III) species rather than As (V) in the groundwater of West Bengal (India) has further aggravated the problem (Maity et al 2003).…”

Conference Report: Improving the success of homeopathy 5: A global perspective; London, January 26–27, 2006, Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital

“…In light of the mercury trial, the first toxicological study on human subjects who were exposed to arsenic was published just prior to this conference. 1 A potentized homeopathic remedy, Arsenicum album 30C, was administered to a group of arsenic-exposed people in West Bengal, and thereafter the arsenic contents in their urine and blood were periodically determined. The activities of various toxicity marker enzymes and compounds in the blood, namely aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione, were monitored for 3 months.…”