COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Doc. 8435

11 June 1999

A European approach to non-conventional medicines

Report

Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee

Rapporteur: Ms Lara Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, European Democratic Group

Summary

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7. In May 1998, the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee heard Mr Vithoulkas, a homeopath who has been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize [1], and who identifies three separate categories: firstly, alternative medicine, which includes homeopathy and acupuncture; secondly, complementary medicine, which includes osteopathy, chiropractic, herbal medicine, naturopathy and so on; and a third, paramedical, category comprising techniques such as music therapy and meditation which bear no relation to medicine proper.