Homeopathy helped cows avoid mastitis
Homeopathy research funding pledged in an effort to find an alternative to antibiotics.
The European Parliament’s agriculture committee has just agreed to fund a major research project (valued at almost three million dollars) on the homeopathic treatment of cattle, sheep and pigs.
The move comes at a time of growing concern about the widespread use of antibiotics and other drugs prescribed to farm animals in conventional veterinary medicine and their passage into the food chain.
The concern is not confined to Europe. Last year Joshua M. Sharfstein of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), sent a message to US farmers to stop using antibiotics routinely in a bid to promote growth in cattle, poultry, hogs and other animals. He expressed concern that this drug overuse was creating dangerous bacteria that do not respond to medical treatment and endanger human lives.
“This is an urgent public health issue,” the principal deputy commissioner told the press “To preserve the effectiveness [of antibiotics], we simply must use them as judiciously as possible.”
Homeopathy has been used to safely and effectively treat farm animals in Europe for almost two centuries. A recent trial in Switzerland of herd-specific homeopathic dry cow therapy showed its effectiveness in treating mastitis in cows and increasing the number of animals with normal milk secretion. Homeopathy also has a long track record in treating agricultural plants and has a strong following among organic farmers.