A Victoria-based naturopath has ignited a social media firestorm after she claimed to treat a four-year-old boy's behavioural issues by prescribing him a remedy made from the saliva of a rabid dog.
In a blog post on her website, Dr. Anke Zimmerman said the boy was brought in to see her last October because he was having trouble sleeping, caused by a fear of werewolves.
"There is a history of a dog bit [sic] which drew blood. I decided to give a homeopathic remedy made from rabies," she wrote. "A bite from an animal, with or without rabies vaccination has the potential to imprint an altered state in the person who was bitten, in some ways similar to a rabies infection. This can include over-excitability, difficulties sleeping, aggression and various fears, especially of dogs or wolves."
Zimmerman wrote that after giving him the remedy, the boy was reported to be much calmer and more relaxed.
"Bottom line: Homeopathy can work wonders for children with behavioural disorders if the remedy can be clearly perceived," she wrote.
The blog post was quickly picked up in the news media, and has since attracted the attention of provincial health officials in B.C.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said while homeopathic remedies may be helpful in some cases, there's no evidence that show lysinnum, the remedy given to the boy, has therapeutic benefits.
"More importantly, I am concerned that if a product did actually contain what is suggested, saliva from a rabid dog, that would put the patient at risk of contracting rabies, a serious, fatal illness," Henry said in a statement.
Henry goes on to say she's concerned over the implication that vaccinating dogs against rabies could have adverse health effects for humans.
Speaking with CTV News, Zimmerman said the outrage stems from a misunderstanding of what homeopathy is.
"If the remedy was made from dandelions or calcium no one would have complained," she said. "The mother is happy and the child is happy and no longer aggressive."
She said the potencies used in remedies don't contain any of the original substance, which in this case is rabies.
She responded to Henry's concerns by saying she "doesn't know anything" about homeopathy.
"Our tragedy is our chief medical officer doesn’t understand homeopathy," she said. "What, do they think I have rabid dogs chained in my backyard?”
According to Henry, Health Canada "expressly requires" that homeopathic remedies called nosodes are labelled as not being effective vaccines.
Henry said she is urging Health Canada, the body responsible for reviewing and approving homeopathic products in Canada, to review the approval of lysinnum "in light of the potential health risk to patients."
