Grab your tin foil hats readers, Fran Sheffield has jumped the shark.

Fran Sheffield runs the woo-fest website that is Homeopathy Plus! The same website that was the subject of a recent Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) investigation which found her website contained misleading information. Including such gems as “homeopathic immunisation” is as effective as vaccination and that homeopathy can treat cancer, AIDS and other terminal diseases.

Regular readers might remember her being responsible for the e-newsletter alerting us to the “homeopathy cures breast cancer study” which myself and David Gorski subsequently took to pieces. Sadly, only a few weeks ago this study ended being tabled as evidence for an EDM submitted by UK MP David Tredinnick (the one who believes blood does not clot under a full moon therefore surgeons do not operate) in the House of Commons. Thanks to the quick action of Simon Singh and Evan Harris, the EDMs were modified pointing out the utter fail that this study is, including the fact that one of the authors publicly dissociated herself from the study in a comment left on my blog.

As a result of an investigation into the HP! site, the TGA recommended Fran Sheffield publish a retraction in a prominent position on her website. But as is her want, she has refused to do so and since the TGA have no powers to enforce the ruling, so her website remains unchanged.

Following the finding by the TGA, Steve Cannane’s Lateline did a story where he interviewed Fran Sheffield about her reasons for not putting up the retraction. It was clear to me from the story that she sincerely believed the nonsense spouted on her website, thus saw no reason why she should conform with a TGA ruling to the contrary.

But it seems that since the TGA ruling and Lateline story, Fran has made even more outrageous claims and jumped the shark.

She even wrote a response on her website to the Lateline story where she Gish galloped references in support of homeopathy as an effective treatment for cancer and AIDS.

In her most recent flyer (below) for a seminar running in early August she claims homeopathy works for fractures (ummmm, okay), fear of flying (??), workaholism (huh?) and nose bleeds (I have one from reading this BS).

To be fair, she does get some things right. She says homeopathy works for hangovers – well sure it does, a nice big glass of water can be great for dehydration resulting from excessive alcohol consumption. And homepathy is good for plants – I add homeopathy/water to my plants water about once a week, they love it!

But seriously, Fran Sheffield, if I fractured a bone in my body, I reckon the first place I would go is a hospital, for some good old fashioned plaster – not run my leg under the tap. This information is wrong and dangerous. About the only thing homeopathy is good for is dehydration. And the TGA sits back doing nothing. Disgraceful.

Speaking of homeopathy for burns, Arnica Montana made these claims for the victims of the the Bali bombings and the Victorian bushfires back in February 2009.

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