Proving Homeopathy – Dielectric Strength Testing of Homeopathic Dilutions of Mercuric Chloride

Breakdown Voltage

The breakdown voltage of an insulator is the minimum voltage that causes a portion of an insulator to become electrically conductive.

Puncture voltage is the voltage across the insulator (when installed in its normal manner) which causes a breakdown and conduction through the interior of the insulator.

The resistivity of ionic liquids varies tremendously by the concentration - while distilled water is almost an insulator, salt water is a very efficient electrical conductor.

Anomaly

Proving homeopathy with a dielectric strength test is easy. Just add mercuric chloride in some distilled water and measure it’s conductivity. Then for each following step dilute the solution with more distilled water, but not just only diluting it, also shaking it vigorously like homeopaths do usually by knocking the bottle against a huge leather book (or like John suggested, against the hard head of some pseudoskeptic). This procedure of shaking and diluting is called succussion (remember this word, it’s important!).

What would you now expect? That the breakdown voltage would rise by diluting the water more and more? Well, yes this happens, but only till the 7th homeopathic dilution (potency), then the puncture voltage gets lowers again, against out expectation, against the materialistic science worldview (loosing territory again and again).

I suggest some more tests: Do the same with the mercuric chloride water solution, diluting it on the “classical way” without succussion. I expect that there will be now lowering of the breakdown voltage.

Further readings:

• Brucato and Stephenson, 1966, Dielectric Strength Testing of Homeopathic Dilutions of Mercuric Chloride

• The Dangers of Homeopathic Research, by John Benneth (great man!)