論拠行方不明な宣伝で売られるインフルエンザを予防すると称するホメオパシーレメディ

Influenzinumと称するインフルエンザ予防・治療と主張されるホメオパシーレメディが販売されている：

[Influenzinum 9C -- Oral Homeopathic Flu Remedy ]

Dr. Hansen recommends the oral homeopathic flu remedy called Influenzinum instead of the Flu Shot. This homeopathic medicine has been prepared according to the standards of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States since 1957. Influenzinum is the only homeopathic flu remedy that is updated each year based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization. It contains a dilution of the same three viral strains as the conventional Flu Vaccine.

Dr. Hansenは、インフルエンザ予防接種のかわりにInfluenzinumと呼ばれるホメオパシーインフルエンザレメディを推奨している。このホメオパシーレメディは、"Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States"の標準にしたがて、1957年から製造されている。Influenzinumは、WHOの推奨に基づいて、毎年更新される唯一のホメオパシーインフルエンザレメディである。これには、通常のインフルエンザワクチンと同じ3株のヴィルスを希釈したものが含まれている。

"9C"なので、通常ワクチンを10¹⁸の希釈したことになり、本当に希釈していたとしても、それを検出するのは無理だろう。

ワクチン10¹⁸倍希釈で十分にジョークだが、ここからがホメオパスたちの特徴である根拠を示す気のなさを示す部分：

CLINICAL STUDIES

In 1998 the French Society of Homeopathy conducted a survey of 23 homeopathic doctors concerning their use of Influenzinum for the prevention of the flu (Coulamy, 1998). The survey included use of Influenzinum over a 10 year period (1987-1998) in 453 patients. Results of the survey were remarkable. In approximately 90 percent of the cases no instances of the flu occurred when Influenzinum was used preventively for all ages 2 and older. In the survey, no side effects were noted in 97% of the cases, while 3% experienced mild nasal discharge. Influenzinum has been used throughout the world by millions of people for decades.

1998年フランスホメオパシー協会は23人のホメオパシー医が関与して、Influenzinumによるインフルエンザ予防効果の研究を行った[Coulamy, 1998]。調査には10年(1987-1998)の10年にわたる453名の被験者に対するInfluenzinumの投与を含む。調査結果は注目に値する。2歳以上にInfluenzinumを予防に使った場合、約90%の例で発症しなかった。97%に副作用がなく、3%は弱い鼻漏になった。数十年にわたり、Influenzinumは世界中で数百万人に使われてきた。

ここで注目すべきは効用ではなく、[Coulamy, 1998]である。この[宣伝ページにReferenceはない。つまり事実上、論拠なき主張が書かれている。

同様に"French Society of Homeopathy"や"Coulamy(1998)"に言及したページは存在するが、"Coulamy(1998)"について記載があったのは、わずかに2個。

ひとつは本からの引用していたページ：

[Treating Children's Flu ]

Coulamy A.. Survey of the prescription habits of homeopathic doctors on the subject of a single medication: Influenzinum. French Society of Homeopathy Conference Notes: The Prescription in Homeopathy 1998: 1-16.

そして、もうひとつはgoogle booksに載っていた引用元の本：

[Randall Neustaedter: "Flu: alternative treatments and prevention" -- Prevention Homeopathy, pp.50-52]

For at least the past 150 years homeopathic practitioners have used the medicine Influenzinum as a flu preventive. Influenzinum is a homeopathic medicine made from flu viruses. A proprietary preparation is produced by Dolisos pharmacy each year using the flu virus strains recommended by the Wor ld Health Organization for the year's vaccine production (Dolivaxil - containing Influenzinum 9C). The typical dosage is once per week for four weeks beginning in October or later, followed by another dose three weeks later.

In 1998 the French Society of Homeopathy conducted a survey of 23 homeopathic doctors concerning their use of Influenzinum as a flu preventive (Coulamy, 1998). The survey included use of Influenzinum over a 10 year period (1987-1998) in 453 patients. The protocol for the frequency of doses varied considerably among these doctors. Weekly doses were used by 26 percent of participants and monthly dosage by 23 percent. Another 16 percent used a weekly then monthly dosage plan, and 35 percent applied some other dosage protocol. 80 percent of respondents began treatment in the fall (September through November) and ended between February and April. In this French survey 70 percent of participants used a 9C strength of Influenzinum. (In the US practitioners often use a higher strength because of the different prescribing preferences between the two countries.)

Results of the survey were remarkable. In approximately 90 percent of the cases no instances of the flu occurred when Influenzinum was used preventively no matter what the dosage protocol. Among the physicians the effectiveness was deemed good to very good in 90 percent of the cases. In 5 percent there was no protective effect. Of the patients, 98 percent expressed a desire to take the same preventive treatment the following year. Certainly this confidence in homeopathic prevention among physicians with many years of experience and their patients speaks to the effectiveness of Influenzinum as a flu preventive. It should be noted that a clinical study that approaches statistical significance evaluating the preventive effects of any homeopathic preparation would probably be prohibitively expensive.

Coulamy A.. Survey of the prescription habits of homeopathic doctors on the subject of a single medication: Influenzinum. French Society of Homeopathy Conference Notes: The Prescription in Homeopathy 1998: 1-16.

ところが、このReferenceもあやしい。

まず、"the French Society of Homeopathy"はネット上に存在しない。おそらく、「Societe Francaise d'Homeopathie」のことだと思われるが、"the French Society of Homeopathy"に言及した英語サイトで、URLを明記したものが存在しない。おそらく、この本のコピーでしかないので、本の著者以外に誰も知らないと思われる。

また、Societe Francaise d'Homeopathieをさがしてみたが、"Conference Notes: The Prescription in Homeopathy 1998"らしきものは見当たらなかった（1998年物のマテリアルなので、Webに載っていなくても不思議ではなく、実在しないとは言えなけど）。

ということで、根拠となる調査方法・そもそも調査の実在・そもそも調査実体たる"the French Society of Homeopathy"の実在とべてあやしい形で、ワクチンを10¹⁸倍希釈したと称するInfluenzinumという名称のレメディが販売されている。