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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

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

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

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