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Academic freedom is sacrosanct in universities.

Researchers must be free to pursue their ideas, be they conventional or peculiar. But academic freedom also includes the freedom of others to question those ideas, and scholastic consideration dictates that those questions be addressed, especially when they are posed in a courteous letter signed by 90 scientists and physicians from around the world, including two Nobel laureates.

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The letter in question was sent to Heather Boon, Dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto and focused on a study she was organizing to investigate the use of homeopathic preparations in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. Those of us who signed the letter, along with the vast majority of the scientific community, believe that numerous studies have concluded that the effects of homoeopathy do not extend beyond a placebo response. The letter sought Boon’s views on why a Faculty of Pharmacy was organizing a trial that legitimizes homoeopathy, a practice that has no scientific plausibility. She has not made any direct response.