THE PROTOCOL

Procedure to prove homeopathy
by John Benneth
USA telephone: 503 661 4842

Posted April 14th, 1999


As a suggested protocol for the application to the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Psychic Challenge dated January 24th that states the ability to separate unidentified homeopathic preparations from plain placebo, this addendum is made:
 
 

     JREF returns the application signed by James Randi and dated.

     In order to prove the claim, the following suggested protocol is
     proposed:
 

1. The applicant chooses the source from which
    the potentized solutions are created.

2. The placeboes are made of the same diluting substance
    used to prepare the potencies so that all samples are
    chemically identical and diluted beyond Avogadro of
    the mother tincture.

3. Hahnemann Labs of Albany, California (1 888 4 ARNICA)
    prepares the 50 samples to be tested, 25 placebos and 25
    homeopathically potentized, and their containers are labeled
    accordingly. Two copies are made of each sample, potentized
    and non, creating a total of 50 sample sets of  three identical
    items each, making for a total of 150 items.

After coding is completed, this makes one set of
fifty samples for analysis by the claimant, one set
of fifty identical samples kept by the referee in the
event of a dispute and one set of fifty identical
samples for JREF analysis.
4. JREF observes the potentization procedure and preparation
    of the placeboes at a time of mutual convenience to JREF
    and the applicant. The procedure is videotaped.

5.  The coding of the samples is overseen by an independent
     accounting firm mutually agreed upon by the applicant
     and JREF.

6. The coding will be done by multiple teams so as the test
     is administered by a panel lay people who have been
     randomly chosen by the accountants. This is the best
     insurance that the test will be impartially and fairly
     administered.

7. Coding is done by several teams of two people each to insure
    that there are no mistakes or cheating.

8. The first team of two people removes any identification
    of the samples and randomly codes and records the fifty
    sample sets using a numerical index, labeling the samples
    with numbers that correspond to the true identity of the
    samples..

9. The second team randomly assigns the numerically coded
    samples with alphabetical coding, records the numerical identity
    of the samples, removes the numerical labels and labels the samples
    alphabetically. In this way no one person will be able to know the true
    identity of a sample without conferring with a member from another
    indexing team.

10. The numerical and alphabetical indexes shall be kept in
      separate locations mutually agreed on by the applicant and JREF.

11. After one lunar cycle, from full moon to full moon,  the
      applicant will produce to the accountants the results as
      to which are the potentized and which are not.

12. The results will be assessed by the same accountants who
      managed the coding of the samples.

13. The Challenge shall be considered to have been won
      if the applicant has produced 70% correct results or better.

_______________________________________
 
 

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