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368,379 people killed, 306,096 injured and over $2,815,931,000 in economic damages

What's the harm in homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a practice created by Samuel Hahnemann that believes that incredibly minute quantities of substances dissolved in water can have powerful effects.  Read more about homeopathy

Here are 437 people who were harmed by someone not thinking critically.


Jacqueline Alderslade

Age: 55
Hollymount, County Mayo, Ireland

Died (asthma attack)
July 9, 2001

A homeopath told her to give up her asthma medication. She later died of an asthma attack. Read more & more

Lorie Atikian

Age: 17 months
Ontario, Canada

Died (malnutrition, pneumonia)
September 25, 1987

Lorie's parents, concerned about modern food additives, were advised to give her an organic vegetarian diet. She was also treated with herbal & homeopathic remedies and an energy machine. Her parents were convicted of neglect. Read more

Cameron Ayres

Age: 6 months
Fulham, west London, England

Died
May 1999

Cameron was born with a rare but treatable disorder, but his parents distrusted conventional medicine. A nurse/homeopath begged them to take him to a doctor, but they refused. He died. Read more & more

Heather Charles

Bloomsbury, Central London, England

Inadequate treatment
June 8, 2002

She saw a doctor for a throat infection and an injured ankle. The doctor used dowsing to select a homeopathic remedy. Her throat did not improve and she had to get antibiotics in another city. The doctor was disciplined. Read more & more

Photo of Sylvie Cousseau

Sylvie Cousseau

Age: 41
Paris, France

Died
March 31, 2001

Sylvie was diagnosed HIV positive, but pursued alternative treatments for her disease including homeopathy, acupuncture and drinking her own urine. She eventually died of AIDS. Read more & more & more

Lucille Craven

Age: 54
Pelham, New Hampshire

Died (untreated cancer)
2000

Lucille concealed the diagnosis of breast cancer from her family. She secretly consulted a naturopath and took homeopathic remedies. She also used quack treatments like blood irradiation. Her cancer raged out of control and she died. Read more

Photo of Isabella Denley

Isabella Denley

Age: 13 months
Kew, Victoria, Australia

Died (untreated epilepsy)
October 19, 2002

Isabella was prescribed medications for her epilepsy. Instead of using them, her parents consulted an iridologist, an applied kinesiologist, a psychic and an osteopath. She was being treated purely with homeopathic medication when she died. Read more & more

Ralph Gonzalez

Anthem, Arizona

Died
2006

Ralph went in for outpatient cosmetic surgery. The doctor performing his liposuction was actually a homeopath. Instead of looking better, Ralph ended up dead. Read more

Mahendra Gundawar & 6 others

Chandrapur, India

Three dead, seven blinded
December 14, 2007

Gundawar was a homeopath who sold a new tonic, recently introduced on the market, that was supposed to reduce fatigue. He himself died, along with several of his patients. Several others were blinded, and other cases occured elsewhere in India. Read more & more

President Warren G. Harding

Age: 57
Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California

Died
August 2, 1923

Despite the misgivings of a physician, his personal homeopath let him do arduous tasks and speak in the heat. When he had a bout of food poisoning, the homeopath applied heavy doses of purgatives to flush out toxins. He died. No autopsy was done. Read more & more

Jeff Healey (musician)

Age: 41
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Time wasted on useless treatments
March 2, 2008

In 2007 Healey underwent surgery to remove cancerous tissue from his legs and both lungs. Radiation and chemotherapy failed to halt the spread of the disease, as did alternative homeopathic treatment in the U.S. this year. Read more

Paul Howie

Age: 49
South Mayo, Ireland

Died (untreated cancer)
April 22, 2003

A natural health therapist & homeopath told Paul and his wife that he would die if he used conventional medicine. The treatable tumor in his neck grew to the point where he died of suffocation. Read more & more

Photo of Russell Jenkins

Russell Jenkins

Age: 52
Southsea, Hampshire, England

Died (untreated wound)
April 17, 2007

After stepping on an electric plug, he self-treated the wound on his foot using honey on the advice of his homeopath. A diabetic, his foot became gangrenous. He died, but doctors said if he'd sought help just 2 hours earlier he could have been saved. Read more & more

Kira Jinkinson

Age: 11 months
Bloomsbury, Central London, England

Misdiagnosed gastroenteritis
October 22, 2000

Kira had an upset stomach. Her doctor used dowsing to choose a homeopathic remedy, claiming that geopathic stress patterns beneath her home were to blame. The baby was later found to be suffering from gastroenteritis. The doctor was disciplined. Read more & more

Coretta Scott King (civil rights)

Age: 78
Rosarito, Mexico

Last days spent on pointless treatments
January 30, 2006

She was the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a respected civil rights leader herself. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and sought out alternative therapies from a clinic in Mexico. She died there of complications. Read more & more & more

Christopher Lemonius

Bloomsbury, Central London, England

Inadequate treatment
June 13, 2002

He saw a doctor for a sore throat and was prescribed homeopathic remedies. Later at a hospital he was diagnosed with a throat infection and abcess. The doctor was disciplined. Read more & more

Charles Levy

Patagonia, Arizona

Died
2001

He was injected with "bovine adrenal fluid" as a treatment for fatigue. He developed a gas gangrene infection and died. The family sued and settled out of court. The homeopathic board dismissed a complaint against the practitioner. Read more

Francesca "Chex" Linke

Age: 37
Los Angeles, California

Died (untreated cancer)
March 27, 1986

She rejected traditional treatments for her breast cancer, instead choosing homeopathy. The eulogy at her funeral was later made into a one-man play called "Time Flies When You're Alive" which was shown on HBO. Read more & more

Susannah McCorkle (Jazz singer)

Age: 55
New York City, New York

Suicide
May 19, 2001

She battled depression all her life, but stopped taking antidepressants due to side effects. She consulted a homeopath instead. After a setback she promised a friend she would take the Tegretol that had been prescribed. Four days later she was dead. Read more

Sylvia Millecam (actress)

Age: 45
Boxmeer, Netherlands

Died (untreated cancer)
August 19, 2001

A popular television personality, she sought out alternative therapies for her breast cancer, including a new age psychic healer. Two of her physicians were later barred permanently from medical practice. Read more & more

Mary Nedlouf

Orlando, Florida

Sold useless treatments for her cancer, died
2007

When her cancer recurred and was declared inoperable, she turned to a homeopathic physician. He prescribed thousands of dollars of treatments and claimed she was being cured, and yet her cancer raged out of control. Read more

Sarah Parkinson (actress)

Age: 41
East Sussex, England

Died (untreated breast cancer)
September 23, 2003

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was concerned that chemotherapy would prevent her from using IVF to start a family. Instead she used acupuncture, spiritual healing, homeopathy and Johrei to treat it. Read more & more

Charles Paynter

Age: 68
Columbus, Ohio

Hospitalized with kidney failure
1988

He saw a chiropractor for help with his back pain. He was treated with heat, herbs, tonics and homeopathy. Three days after his last treatment, he was rushed to a hospital and barely recovered. A judgment for $147,500 was awarded by a court. Read more

Diane Picha

Janesville, Wisconsin

Died (untreated cancer)
April 2000

When her cancer recurred, Diane tried homeopathic treatment. She was sold unapproved substances and a machine. After she died, her daughter sued the practitioner. Read more

Janeza Podgoršek

Age: 42
Trboje, Slovenia

Died (malaria)
1996

A physician/homeopath advised him to use homoepathic preventatives for malaria prior to a trip to Africa. After he returned with the disease she continued to treat him with homeopathy. He died. Her license was revoked and she got two years probation. Read more

Paula Radcliffe (athlete)

Age: 32
Athens, Greece

Olympic medal attempts ruined
August 22, 2004

She is a British athlete. Weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics, a doctor injected her with a homeopathic remedy for a leg injury. The treatments allegedly caused a stomach ailment that forced her to withdraw from the marathon after 23 miles. Read more & more

Robert A. Rizzi

Age: 48
Norfolk, Virginia

Died
1993

His Hodgkin's disease recurred but he did not want to do chemotherapy again. His oncologist treated him with homeopathic remedies instead. After he died, a lawsuit resulted in a judgement of $235,715. Read more

Katie Ross

Age: 16
Las Vegas, Nevada


She was suffering from colitis but her mother chose to treat it homeopathically. She was down to 50 pounds when child services intervened. She was hospitalized and her colon had to be surgically removed. A judge ruled neglect. Read more

Alicia Santizo

Anthem, Arizona

Died
2007

Alicia went in for outpatient cosmetic surgery. The procedure was performed by a homeopath. Instead of looking better, Alicia ended up dead. Read more

Diane Shepherd

Provo, Utah

Died (untreated cancer)
October 20, 2004

She refused surgery for breast cancer and went to a naturopath. There she was diagnosed using muscle tests, treated with an energy machine and given homeopathic remedies. She died within five months. The naturopath was arrested. Read more

Malka Sitner

Age: 1
Ashdod, Israel

Died
May 28, 2006

Police believe her parents disregarded a doctor's prescription of antibiotics and took her to a homeopath instead. She died. Because autopsies are forbidden amongst her family's ultra-Orthodox sect, an angry mob stole her body and secretly buried it Read more

Gloria Thomas

Age: 9 months
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Died (untreated infection)
May 8, 2002

Gloria was diagnosed with eczema at four months. Her father, who taught and practiced homeopathy, treated her using that instead. She died of sepsis caused by broken skin due to her eczema. Read more & more & more

Jaspar Tomlinson

Age: 0
London, England

Brain injury during childbirth
December 2004

Jaspar's father is one of England's leading naturopaths. He was warned by a GP that his wife's pregnancy could end in stillbirth. At home, the "homeopathy assisted" birth went horribly wrong. He suffered brain damage and now has cerebral palsy. Read more & more

Dennis Vickery

Age: 54
Wick End, Stagsden, Bedford, England

Pointless dental surgery while near death
November 8-9, 2004

He was dying of motor neuron disease, but a homeopath convinced him it was actually caused by mercury from his fillings. Knowing he was near death and could be killed by anaesthetic, his toxin-obsessed dentist replaced them. He died 16 days later. Read more & more

Lady Victoria Waymouth or "Ms. A"

Age: 57
southern France

Died
September 1, 2004

In a telephone & email consultation (with no physical exam), an alternative care doctor told her to discontinue any other medication and use homeopathic remedies. Within days she died of heart failure. The doctor was suspended for a year. Read more & more & more

Lisa Weatherington & 339 others

Age: 50
Phoenix, Arizona

Anosmia (loss of sense of smell)
January 19, 2006

The makers of Zicam, a "homeopathic" cold remedy, settled 340 lawsuits by consumers who claimed it damaged or destroyed their sense of smell. The company did not admit guilt but paid out $12 million. Read more

1 melanoma patient

Jerusalem, Israel

Delayed treatment, worsening disease
1991

Homeopatthy Read more

33 breast cancer patients

Karachi, Pakistan

Delayed treatment, worsening disease
2003

This study found that many breast cancer patients in Pakistan delayed medical treatment in favor of homeopathic remedies. Read more

5 women

Age: 26,34,39,40,57
Sweden

Malaria
Nov 1994 - Jan 1995

This report found 5 women who used a homeopathic preventative instead of conventional medicine prior to a trip to Africa. On return, all five had malaria. Read more

"C.C." (woman)

Age: 45
West Palm Beach, Florida

Improper treatment, infection
December 1995 - January 1996

Her "biological dentist" performed many unnecessary procedures on her including removing amalgam fillings and treating her with "autonomic response testing" and homeopathy. His license was revoked five years later. Read more

"John Doe"

Age: 84
Westmount, Quebec, Canada

Died
June 13, 2008

He was injected with a mineral solution by his homeopath/naturopath. He died the next day of a heart attack, and it was ruled a homicide. The naturopath faces charges. Read more & more

"L. R."

Age: 51
Anthem, Arizona

Died
July 3, 2007

She went in for outpatient cosmetic surgery. Her procedure was actually performed by a homeopath. Instead of looking better, she died. Read more

"Jane Roe"

Age: 1
Wellington, New Zealand

Died (untreated meningitis)
1991

The mother refused antibiotics for the baby's ear infection, preferring homeopathic advice. The baby grew more ill and was eventually hospitalized with meningitis. The baby died. Read more

"Jane Roe"

Age: 40
Nice, France

Malaria, multiple organ failure
November 18, 2000

This case report is about a woman who used a homeopathic malaria preventative, but contracted malaria. At one point she suffered multiple organ failure. Read more & more

 
 
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