Oscillococcinum
From RationalWiki
This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline.
Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology.
Remember: just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right.
Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic drug manufactured by Boiron, a homeopathic manufacturer headquartered in France, which can allegedly cure symptoms of influenza. It received worldwide attention after claims by its manufacturer that Oscillococcinum can cure the symptoms of bird flu.
The process of manufacturing of Oscillococcinum is based on the homeopathic belief "let like be cured by like". It is manufactured from the heart and liver of wild ducks, which are claimed to be the reservoirs for influenza viruses.[1] No scientific evidence has ever been found that Oscillococcinum works, and any of its results are due to the placebo effect.
The commercially available form of Oscillococcinum is at a dilution of 200C, which means that there is one molecule of active ingredient in a cube over 1055 light years[2] on each side. In short, whatever you're getting, it ain't duck liver.
[edit] External links
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Homoeopathic Oscillococcinum for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like syndromes
- ↑ To give an idea of order of magnitude, the observable part of the universe has a radius of ~1010 light years.
