Controlled clinical trial of the effect of a homoeopathic nosode on the somatic cell counts in the milk of clinically normal dairy cows

Cows in a 250-cow Holstein-Friesian herd were allocated at random to be treated with either a homoeopathic nosode or a negative control, both treatments being applied by means of an aerosol spray to the vulval mucous membranes. A total of six treatments were given over a period of three days and milk samples were taken for the determination of somatic cell counts (scc) on days -3, 3, 7,9, 14, 21 and 28. individuals applying the treatments or carrying out the scc: determination were unaware of which animals were receiving which treatment. owing to the wide natural variations in scc, the trial had only a 71 per cent possibility of detecting a 30 per cent difference in scc: between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the scc: of the two groups on any sample day, but there were significant variations between the scc: on different days (P=0.003) in both groups.