Will homeopathic silica reduce fear of public speaking?

About a year ago Madeline Innocent posted an article on Overcoming Public Speaking Fear with Homeopathic Treatment which stated that:

“Silica is one of our top medicines for overcoming public speaking fear, for a lack of confidence, for someone who is paralysed by anxiety or fear, is indecisive or for someone with a yielding or timid disposition.”

Silica (or as homeopaths sometimes grandly describe it, silicea terra, or sil for short) just is silicon dioxide (typically found in sand). How is it supposed to help? According to this web page about silicea 6X “cell salt” tablets:

“....The key to Silica’s deepest uses is a want of grit– physical and sometimes moral. It offers the most benefit to individuals with some or all of these symptoms: nervous irritability, timidity, fear of public speaking, exam nerves, fear of needles, weak ankles, pale skin, fatigue, a lack of vital heat, and weak hair and nails.”

If you drink tap water, then I would not expect that taking these lactose tablets would have any effect. Silica already is ubiquitous in tap water (and most fresh water). Your tap water probably went through a rapid sand filter. Typically silica is present at concentrations of a few parts per million (mg/liter), or 6X in homeopathic dilution jargon. Taking a pinch of it in tablets would be an insignificant addition to the daily intake via tap water.

For example, silica is present in Cleveland water at 1.6 mg/L, New York City water at 2.5 mg/L, and Los Angeles water at 16 mg/L. Silica content is not required to be listed in water quality reports, so many water systems don’t bother to report it. But like the Prego spaghetti sauce slogan says, “it’s in there.”