New Judgment for Homeopathic Medicines
Are homeopathic medicines truly medicines? Officially, um, yes. Now they are. So says the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.
In a ruling published on October 27, 2004, the Bureau did a flip-flop, reversing its previous opinion. Prior to October 27, the Bureau said that homeopathic medicines are, more or less, foods. But henceforth, the official classification for them is "medicaments."
(The Bureau, by the way, seems to dislike being called by its official name. The Bureau almost never calls itself "The Bureau" in public. The Bureau prefers to be called "U.S. Customs & Border Protection.")
For the manufacturers (and their attorneys), the question "Is it medicine or is it, er, food?" is a matter of money. The import duties are different for "medicaments" than for food-related items.
What about the medical worth of homeopathic medicaments? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration remains (officially, at least) confused as to whether homeopathic medicines are medicines, or foodstuffs, or perhaps some sort of lovely dream.
And how do scientists size up homeopathic medicaments? What is their take on the question? Very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very few scientists feel that homeopathic medicines are medicines. That’s because most scientists fail to accept the Second Principle of Homeopathy. Here is that Second Principle: The most powerful medicines are the ones that contain no actual medicine.
(The First Principle of Homeopathy, by the way, is as colorful as the Second Principle. Here is that First Principle: Things that can kill you can cure you.)