Oscillococcinum: OK for vegetarians?

jimtron

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jimtron
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The "active" ingredient in the homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum is duck liver. Of course, there are no molecules of duck liver remaining after the dilution. Is it therefore acceptable for vegetarians to take? What about those who are against killing animals for medicinal purposes?
 
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Well, my overriding rule in being (almost) vegetarian is not "is there any animal content" but rather "did an animal have to die". I think this violates my rule because I assume, at some point, a duck had to provide its liver.

OTOH, a single duck liver could make enough Oscillococcinum to last damn near forever. So, um... well, you see, that's why I tell the Mrs to take back any homeopathic stuff she shows up with when she shops at Whole Foods.
 
jimtron said:
The "active" ingredient in the homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum is duck liver.
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Just for the record, it's fermented duck heart and duck liver. But it's a 200C dilution. :rolleyes:

Of course, there are no molecules of duck liver remaining after the dilution. Is it therefore acceptable for vegetarians to take? What about those who are against killing animals for medicinal purposes?
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As a vegetarian, I don't think it's acceptable for anyone to take Oscillococcinum since it's quack medicine.

I have a buddy, also a vegetarian, who eats the crab rangoons at Chinese restaurants because he figures only one crab gave its life to prepare every one of those things ever made.

I don't think the same reasoning applies when you do a cost/benefit analysis of Oscillococcinum. That one duck (that may have been killed for some other reason than making this preparation--I suspect these organs are normally discarded) died but the homeopathic remedy has no benefit whatsoever.
 
You have to wonder whether the companies that make that stuff even bother with the "active" ingredients. You couldn't test for them, and it surely wouldn't make a difference. I guess an inside muckraker could make trouble if they spoke up though...
 
jimtron said:
You have to wonder whether the companies that make that stuff even bother with the "active" ingredients. You couldn't test for them, and it surely wouldn't make a difference. I guess an inside muckraker could make trouble if they spoke up though...
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Yeah. I wouldn't have a great deal of trust--especially for the big companies like Boiron.

Maybe it's different for a personal homeopath who is probably a genuine believer and only take money for small amounts of water because they believe their own nonsense.

I can't imagine a QC department at Boiron throwing out a batch of whatever because it wasn't succussed enough times at one of the dilution steps!
 
Couldn't every dry martini joke that's every been made be recycled for homeopathic medicines?

I want my medicine so diluted it once merely saw a fermented duck liver from across the room.
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
Just for the record, it's fermented duck heart and duck liver. But it's a 200C dilution. :rolleyes:
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A homoeopath takes a duck and dilutes it until there's nothing left but the quack.*









*And then dilutes it by a further factor of 10376. Current estimates are that there are only around 1080 atoms in the observable universe.
 
jimtron said:
You have to wonder whether the companies that make that stuff even bother with the "active" ingredients. You couldn't test for them, and it surely wouldn't make a difference. I guess an inside muckraker could make trouble if they spoke up though...
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I know somebody which used to work there, and yes , they bothered with the process, if only not to be liable under false advertising.
 
RecoveringYuppy said:
Where do they find enough water to do that, fountains of the deep?;)
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Korsakoff or whatever. They might just have "running" water in the reactor and estimate that each dilution is 1000C or something. It does not matter anyway, as the method could include singing santa claus acapella and just putting the mother tincture in the same room as the dilution used for preparation, it would be the same.
 
Aepervius said:
I know somebody which used to work there, and yes , they bothered with the process, if only not to be liable under false advertising.
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I'm still skeptical. I don't think there's any agency that regulates homeopathics. No government inspectors, for example.

ETA: I suspect some users of homeopathics would be dismayed to learn that many of these high volume large producers use machines to do the mixing, "succussing" and repeated dilutions.

I know there have been studies done on the levels of active compounds in herbals (a different subject than homeopathy, but a similarly unregulated industry) that found anywhere from no active ingredient to dangerous amounts (these are in herbals with known active compounds).
 
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JoeTheJuggler said:
Just for the record, it's fermented duck heart and duck liver. ... it's quack medicine.
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I enjoyed this unintentional joke as well.

JoeTheJuggler said:
That one duck (that may have been killed for some other reason than making this preparation--I suspect these organs are normally discarded) died but the homeopathic remedy has no benefit whatsoever.
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The heart, liver, gizzard, and neck are typically included in the carcass of a chicken/duck/goose. They often come in a little paper bag and are used to make stock, gravy, stuffing, or whatever else you like. I agree with everything else you were saying here, just an FYI.
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
I have a buddy, also a vegetarian, who eats the crab rangoons at Chinese restaurants because he figures only one crab gave its life to prepare every one of those things ever made.
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Um, does he know what the other ingredients in imitation crab meat are? They're usually pollock and other forms of white fish.

Do vegetarians normally eat fish?
 
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