Comparison of homeopathic and chemotherapeutic treatment strategies in the case of bovine clinical mastitis

Summary in the original language of the document

The EU-Regulation (2092/91) postulates that homeopathic and phytotherapeutic remedies shall be used in preference to allopathic products chemically synthesised, provided that their therapeutic effect is proven. However, only few scientific data with promising results are available. The objective of this clinical control trial was to examine the effectiveness of the classical homeopathic treatment in comparison to the chemotherapeutic treatment and to a control group given a placebo in the case of bovine clinical mastitis. Only cases of mild or moderate acute clinical mastitis caused by environmental associated pathogens and cases with negative bacteriological result in the milk sample were enclosed in the trial. A number of 147 quarters affected with acute clinical mastitis were treated. 56 days after beginning of treatment, 36,2% of the cows given homeopathic treatment were cured in contrast to 16,3% in the placebo-group. The chemotherapeutic treatment resulted in 23,9% cured cases. The differences in healing between the homeopathic and the placebo group were significant (p<0,05), while the difference between the homeopathic and chemotherapeutic therapy regime was not.