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 of4. JREF observes the potentization procedure and preparation
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.
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.
_______________________________________
MARIUS NET HOME PAGE
PSYCHIC CHALLENGE NOTES
PROOF FOR HOMEOPATHY
Your comments are welcome. Please address them to: