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“It either works or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t matter what the remedies are made from, because if it’s just water, who cares. If it does work, then we really should look at the great potential homeopathy has.”

She said she took down the original post after receiving hundreds of hateful messages, including threats of injury.

The B.C. Naturopathic Association filed a complaint Thursday against Zimmermann, claiming she may have breached the association’s code of conduct and code of ethics for naturopathic doctors.

It notes that Zimmermann is not a member of the association but her conduct still reflects on the organization.

Photo by Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press/File

Co-president Victor Chan said he was not aware of the remedy until hearing Zimmermann’s story, but said the association takes no issue if the treatment is federally approved.

Instead, the complaint filed with the College of Naturopathic Physicians of B.C. relates to statements and posts Zimmermann has made, in person and online, that reflect poorly on the profession.

“We had some concerns about unprofessional conduct and adherence to a code of ethics,” Chan said. “We also had some concerns about misrepresentation and overstatement of claims about a particular remedy and practice.”

The B.C. Association of Homeopaths defended the use of the product in a letter it sent to Dr. Henry.

It said the use of nosodes, or homeopathic remedies, goes back hundreds of years and they are used in practice regularly.

“Lyssinum is just one of many nosodes that homeopaths have available to use in practice and has been part of our pharmacopeia since 1833,” the letter said.

“Because they are prepared as a homeopathic remedy going through the process of potentization, as a result, the end product doesn’t bear any toxicity or infectious elements that would be a threat to the public.”