A Cell Salt Experiment: A Control Group

[ecosophia]

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the Carey cell salt protocol and filled out the questionnaire! I received 60 responses, which is more than enough to do the kind of basic number-crunching I have in mind -- and, by the way, equal or better than the experimental groups used in preliminary experiments by some big drug companies. So we're doing well. 

At this point, however, I'd like to ask a favor of those readers who are not participating in the Carey cell salt protocol. In analyzing the results of the first questionnaire, it will be very helpful if I have a control group of people who didn't follow the protocol, but who are willing to answer many of the same questions. If I can get 50 or 60 responses on a control group questionnaire, we're off to the races in a big way, and it should be possible to extract some serious data from the results. 

So if and only if you have not used the Carey cell salt protocol discussed in this journal, and did not fill out the earlier questionnaire, may I asp you a favor? Please follow this link and fill out the control group questionnaire. All responses will be kept completely confidential and the results will be published only in the form of compiled data. Thank you for helping the onward march of mad science! 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

JMG, that last question, your sun sign, isn’t working. The drop-down didn’t work and it wouldn’t let me type in “Virgo.”

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Not sure what went wrong -- the other 37 people who've taken the survey were able to enter that, and when I checked it just now, it was working. I'll make a note that the "did not answer" on that question should be Virgo.

[(Anonymous)]

It might have been my phone being grumpy. Anyway, now you know where that odd Virgo goes. (Thank you, there will be no attempts at humor from the peanut gallery regarding use of the SCIENTIFIC phrase “odd Virgo.”)

Grumble grumble kids these days grumble grumble...

on questions that don't compute

[kallianeira]

Hi JMG,

I got the same with another question where there was no way to select any of the radio boxes, but it was possible to go to the next question nonetheless.

In any case I then mucked up my gender (only through dyspraxia, not agnosia) and in the course of my trying to return to that page the whole survey packed up and I found myself back on dreamwidth. So if you find partially-done surveys turning up it could be for either of those reasons.

As I couldn't easily source one of the requisite salts where I live I am not participating in the treatment. But am not sure whether I'm acceptable to the experiment as a control, since I decided to use the bioplasma on its own.

?

kallianeira

[(Anonymous)]

Done! I'll be interested in seeing the results.

[ecosophia]

So will I!

[ecosophia]

By the way, several people now have asked about the question that specifies coffee, rather than other caffeinated beverages. That's an odd detail of homeopathic medicines; coffee -- but not other caffeine-containing drinks -- counteracts the effect of some, but not all, homeopathic preparations. I drink tea all the time, and have never had any counteracting (or, as homeopaths call it, "antidoting") from even strong black tea. So the choice of questions was quite deliberate!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm excited to hear the results of your surveys, but this point intrigues me almost as much as the experiment in general. It would explain some things in my experience (I drink less coffee than my wife for example, and have always found cell salts more effective and faster-acting than she does). Do you know the reason for this antidoting? Presumably it's not the caffeine, but there are quite a few other somewhat unusual things going on in coffee. Do you have any suggestions if I wanted to read up on coffee and homeopathy.

And, possibly related, is it generally suggested to not drink coffee if you're trying to do something specific with homeopathy?

[ecosophia]

I haven't really looked into it, as coffee gives me migraines -- thus it's not something I need to worry about. I do know that it's standard advice from homeopaths that you should not drink coffee for a while before or after taking a remedy.

coffee vs. homeopathy

[ritaer]

It is worth noting that it is the totality of coffeeness that seems to be the problem, not the caffeine in isolation. As you mentioned, other caffeinated beverages such as tea, chocolate and certain soft drinks and energy drinks do not seem to have an effect. Nor do medications containing caffeine.

I am curious about other known antidotes to homeopathy, such as camphor, tea tree oil and electric blankets and heating pads. I have also been warned to avoid menthol in products such as cough drops. Are these not a problem with cell salts?


Rita

Re: coffee vs. homeopathy

[ecosophia]

I have never found anything that will antidote cell salts. They're not highly potentized -- 6x is small potatoes in homeopathic terms -- and seem to be much more robust than, say, 30C or LM potencies.

Re: coffee vs. homeopathy

[slclaire]

Two things regarding caffeine, from a chemist's point of view:

1. The other "caffeinated" beverages have some caffeine in them, but they also have caffeine analogues such as theobromine and theophylline. The latter two may not interact with homeopathics in the same way that caffeine does, in spite of their high similarity in chemical structure.

2. Coffee has a higher proportion of "caffeine" than any of the other beverages.

[(Anonymous)]

Note on the cell salt question, there is no option for never having taken a cell salt preparation

[ecosophia]

Um, yes, there is. Question 3: "Have you used biochemic cell salts before?" You can answer no. Question 4: "If you answered yes to question 3, how often have you used cell salts?" If you didn't answer yes to question 3, you don't answer question 4.

[(Anonymous)]

If you answer no, question 4 still comes up

[ecosophia]

I know; free survey sites don't give you a lot of options. Ignore it and keep on going.

Frequently seems relative

[(Anonymous)]

Done, and happy to do contribute to your efforts in my own very small way. For what it’s worth, I waffled when deciding whether or not I drink alcoholic beverages frequently. In the end, I decided that since I have an alcoholic beverage most days, occasionally 2 in a day, and occasionally none, that I do, indeed, have alcoholic beverages frequently. But not as frequently as say, someone who has one every hour. Good luck with this endeavor!

Re: Frequently seems relative

[ecosophia]

It is indeed relative. On this kind of survey, with a small experimental group and a small control group, it doesn't make any sense to do fine-grained questions, so broad categories such as "frequently" are standard.

Survey

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
I just finished the survey: astrological noob here: is the sun-sign the same as in the month? Like september = virgo?
Also: striktly speaking I have heard about the cell-salts: here - but never before, a bit of a huddle for me ;-)
Also, if you only recruit the control group through this channel then of course everyone is into spirituality. I have the impression that once you were connected to e.g. the earlyretirementextreme-forum ( you had a guest post in the blog at least) maybe some people over there are interested as well? Hm, although the ones taking it would also rather be spiritual inclined, oh well, on with mad science!
And thanks for doing this!

Re: Survey

[ecosophia]

No, the signs aren't exactly equal to the months; there's a convenient table here.

[(Anonymous)]

"may I asp you a favor?" - no asping; I wouldn't be led in a triumph either, but I never lost an empire and am happy with that. (Survey answered.)

Should people thank you for not asking "Which one?" after the question about sex/masturbation?

- Fuchsia Palpitating Wombat

[ecosophia]

No doubt, but the issue is the same whether there's a partner involved or not: Carey thought that any kind of sexual release (aka orgasm) would have certain effects on the protocol, and that's what I'm trying to check for.

[(Anonymous)]

You now have a control Taupe Squamous Eel ! That should do it !

[ecosophia]

That should definitely do it.

-- Cobalt Exogenous Chicken

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

OK! Just did my bit!
Interesting survey.
When will you be able to post some preliminary results?
Regards

[ecosophia]

I'm in the process of transcribing the results of the first survey into Excel so that I can do the basic number crunching. Once that's done, I'm going to have to bone up on statistics -- it's been almost 40 years since I took classes in that -- and get to work seeing if there are statistically significant differences in the data.

So it's probably going to be a couple of months, all things considered. I'll post something as soon as I have something to post!

Statistics

[(Anonymous)]

Once you get going, if you need any advice from someone who uses statistics in their day job, I'd be happy to help. I think I'm not the only one of your readers who could offer that, either. BoulderLovin Cat

[(Anonymous)]

Done.
Looking forward to the results.
I apologize if my answers regarding my spiritual path are too weird.

Whispers

[ecosophia]

Most of the comments on that question are weird. I have weird readers; it's one of the things I appreciate most. ;-)

[jpc2]

John,
Well I'm an outlier in your survey. Had to check the 'I don't want to say' on the food question.

I used to be a Joel Salatin vegetabletarian. I love meat - scorpions to prime rib. But vegetables are even better.

Unfortunately I'm lucky now to be able to get a couple of eggs or some pudding down. I'd call my current diet a chemical diet. For the last four years and the next how ever many it will be a 'Radiance' approved liquid - so far processed that water and Corn syrup solids are the main ingredients. But I seem to do OK on it.

John

[ecosophia]

Got it. No problem.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG

When are you going to turn off the questionnaire for those of us doing the protocol? I am still waiting for one of the items but am taking the bioplasma daily.

[ecosophia]

The first questionnaire is already shut down, but I'll be running it again in another three months or so to get longer-term data.

[hwistle]

I plan to follow the protocol once I get the last of the cell salts delivered. So far I've been taking daily Bioplasma for just a week so not sure if that validates or invalidates me for this questionnaire... Happy to go either way John, just let me know.

Manuel

[ecosophia]

If you've been taking the Bioplasma you're already out of the control group. No problem -- as I noted just above, the questionnaire for people using the protocol will be run again in about three months.

Sun sign

[(Anonymous)]

FYI, I had to look up what a sun sign is. I know my "sign" but have never heard it referred to as specifically that. I know from reading this that there are other types of signs but otherwise I know setup about them.

Re: Sun sign

[ecosophia]

Fair enough! Thanks for this.

[mo_drui_mac_de]

Done! :)

Other names for Bioplasma?

[(Anonymous)]

I’ve managed to source the Bioplasma and the three single salt supplements I need in the UK, but they are drop shipped somewhat unreliably from the US. A local chain can supply combinations that they label H, B, F, J, R, T, C, L, P, M, N, E, G, S, I, U, D, Q, A, 5, K (that’s pretty much the order they appear on the Holland and Barrett website). Are any of these an alternative name for the Bioplasma combination?

I have noticed some mental and physical changes that started about 14 days after I started with the Bioplasma pills , all positive so I’m keen to pursue this. I’m running out of alternatives for the word ‘surprised’.

Andy

Re: Other names for Bioplasma?

[ecosophia]

Holland and Barrett doesn't carry Bioplasma. The closest they get is Combination 12, which has equal amounts of all the cell salts in 6x potency, and doesn't have the same effects. You can get Bioplasma in the UK from Biovea here, and also from the UK branch of iHerb here.

[(Anonymous)]

And I am the person with a date and sign that look
like they don't match. 00.00 on the Sun, I promise I mean that mismatch. Yeah, it was a surprise: I knew I was near the line, but I hadn't known I was on it til you shared the online chart links and I put my data in.

BoysMom

[ecosophia]

Duly noted!

[(Anonymous)]

I cannot be sure of my birth date. Should I still answer the questionnaire?

[(Anonymous)]

I answered the diet question with "I don't want to say", as I wasn't sure where eating meat or fish _occasionally_ but not _usually_ would fall there. There are many meat-containing foods I don't mind eating and would enjoy, but I'm also not a big meat eater and am fine with a diet that, while it regularly contains animal products such as cheese, doesn't have any actual meat in it; since I live in a house with a full vegetarian, I just find it easier to not bother with meat except sometimes on the rare occasions I'm eating or ordering out. As a result, my diet does sometimes contain meat or fish, but those times usually have between them months without either.

NFP: Image margin

[(Anonymous)]

The images on your dreamwidth posts never seem to have a margin, which I find makes the adjacent text difficult to read. Rather than try fixing the css, you could (if you wish) manually add margin to your img tag, like so:

<img src="https://static.vinepair.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/madscience-social.jpg" alt="mad scientist" width="300" height="157" align="left" style="margin: 0 10px 5px 0;">

This just says add margin around the image of: (top) 0(px) (right) 10px (bottom) 5px (left) 0(px)

[temporaryreality]

Turquoise Somnolent Puppy checking in and glad to be of help in this project since I didn't join the test group.

Gee, I am curious about the weirdness of the answers to the religious practices question. I can't help but feel that "daily banishing, meditation, divination, and devotional practice" is on the more boring end of the answers to be found among this group? :D

[(Anonymous)]

I did the survey before reading these comments. During the survey, I was a little worried that my terse description of the general gist of my practices would seem nutty and/or pretentious. Adding detail would likely only make it more so, so I muttered "so be it" and clicked Next. But afterward, I read the reply you're referring to and figured I'm probably in good enough company.

Consider the current topic of the other blog, John Chapman, as an example case. If he'd answered that question "Swedenborgian worship services" it would hardly have told the whole story; but writing instead (or in addition) "I travel around barefoot between older and newer settlements living rough and collecting and germinating apple seeds" would have come across as odd. In the end it's better understood as singular, which isn't the same thing as odd.

Genderqueer

[(Anonymous)]

Just wanted to note that one of your "prefer not to say" answers on gender identity is from someone who is genderqueer. I don't mind saying it! <3

Translation-fail

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
I'm the one who filled out that ocasonally I offer the equivalent of 56 Dollar to certain nuns. I have mistaken what cell-salts are, I think because this blog (and the weird oft hali) also deals with alchemy so I thought cell-salts must be some great alchemic thing which I never have gotten into. Further reading here convinced me that I had filled out the Form incorrect. I have used cell salts mostly #7 during colds, and last year also one for the kidneys. Should I retry the questionnair for maybe I have missed questions, or does that throw your analitics into disarray?