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Western medicine - to harm or to heal - June 2001 newsletter
To harm or to heal
After conducting a survey of readers, we decided that our newsletter could do
with a revamp.
It was found that many readers like a monthly feature article, and a discussion
of a particular herb, nutritional compound or ingredient, and that many do not
make use of the monthly recipe - with that in mind, we have changed the format
of our monthly newsletter.
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This month's newsletter is nearly a month late, but we have had problems with
South Africa's Telkom - they are having trouble transferring the ISDN line to
our new premises, and for that reason we could not send out the newsletter -
our sincere apologies.
To harm or to heal?
The Hippocratic oath, the one all doctors are supposed to take when starting to
practice, stipulates that the first and golden rule is to "do no harm".
Although this might seem to be a bit obvious, since doctors are supposed to be
healers in the first place, there comes a time when you start to doubt the
sincerity of certain medical practitioners.
When saying this, let me immediately state that I have the highest regard for
truly professional doctors, and also see a normal allopathic doctor when need
be, but this is not what this month's newsletter is about.
Also please note that I am in no way advocating that anybody should stop taking
their normal medicine, or that people should no longer see their normal western
doctors - nor am I indicating that alternative medicine should replace the more
conventional ways of healing - all I am saying is that people should keep an
open mind - that there is place for both these treatments to live in harmony.
The controversy regarding western medical practitioners (known as allopathic
medical practitioners) and alternative healers is heating up, since more and
more people are turning to more natural ways of healing for many reasons, and
with allopathic medicine on the whole not wishing to acknowledge the benefits
it may have.
People in the past only turned to alternative therapies when suffering from
terminal illnesses, and where no hope was held for any recovery and normal
conventional therapies failed.
This trend also seems to be changing with more and more people looking at
alternative therapies at the start of an illness or problem, and also looking
with greater interest at alternative ways to promote vital health in general.
There might be a couple of reasons for this:
Firstly, some people have wonderful results with alternative medicine, and
although some uninformed allopathic practitioners may scoff at this, the proof
of the treatment still lies in the way a person reacts to it.
Secondly, there is a cost implication, and with the exorbitant cost of certain
allopathic treatments, alternative medicines are more financially accessible to
many people. But this is not always the case, since there are also alternative
practitioners that are solely practicing their craft (for lack of a better
word) just for the sake of money.
Thirdly, there seems to be far more humanity involved in alternative medicine,
since most of the alternative practitioners take a personal interest in their
patients, whereas allopathic practitioners try to keep their patients at a
distance.
When we talk about alternative therapies, what do we really refer to?
This could refer to a variety of treatments, from the ancient Chinese herbal
and acupuncture wisdom to the equally ancient Indian Ayurvedic way of dealing
with illness and disease, to homeopathy, reflexology, aromatherapy, herbal
compounds, light therapy, crystal therapy, and all other alternative healing
methods.
Although some of these therapies might be too way out or too New Age for some
people, it is interesting to note that some of the ancient medical wisdom has
been around for thousands of years - long before we in the west even had an
inkling of what medicine was all about.
That is why I find some allopathic western medical people so utterly conceited
when they in all their infinite wisdom declare that there is no worth in some
of the ancient remedies!
A medical treatment system scarcely a couple of hundred years old, are calling
some of the most ancient ways of dealing with problems worthless - who is the
ridiculous party?
It was wonderful to see in India, on my recent visit to that hugely interesting
country, how the population accepts both forms of medicine - the ancient
Ayurvedic system and the more contemporary western style of medicine.
I have found that truly professional and thorough allopathic medical people are
never intimidated by other alternative remedies, and are willing to help their
patients try them if they are safe enough to use. My personal allopathic doctor
also practices acupuncture on his patients when it is called for, and when it
is indicated as a way to help the patient.
Safety of treatment is also a sore point - there are both medical companies and
herbal suppliers, which manufacture products that can be potentially dangerous
when not used properly.
It must also be kept in mind that a wide variety of medical drugs that are in
use today, can trace their roots back to herbal origin, although the drug
manufacturers would sometimes like us to forget that.
My personal chiropractor, Dr Ron Coetzee, is an example of a practitioner that
has a holistic view on treatment, who refers patients to orthopedic surgeons
when needed, but also has a reflexologist working at his practice, (Isabel
Harka) since he knows the value other therapies can have.
The refusal of some medical doctors to accept other therapies, although not
totally alien to the medical world, such as nutrition, is really astounding.
Years ago the world famous nutritional expert - Adelle Davis, found that the
addition of niacin (vitamin B3) to the diet of troubled children yielded great
results.
When our company donated niacin tablets to the children's ward at a state
mental hospital, they were promptly returned with the explanation that the idea
of helping with vitamin B3 was too alternative and that they would not even
give it a try.
Even at a dosage that could do NO harm, and possibly have helped some children,
the powers to be were not prepared to give it a try.
It is this pig-headedness of some medical people that I object to - yes I agree
- there is a place for normal western medicine, but the flip side of the coin
is that there is also a place for alternative medicine to promote health and to
deal with problems.
In future newsletters we will dwell on various aspects of alternative medicine,
and see how it works, and what beneficial effect it can have on your holistic
health.
We will still, as usual, also cover nutrition, herbs, skin care - all the
things to help "make living and aging a stunning experience."
If you have some time, please visit our herbal site at www.ageless.co.za and
our nutritional site at www.anyvitamins.com.
This newsletter is not meant as a substitute for medical advice and cannot be
used to diagnose or treat illnesses nor should it be seen to replace any
medical advice - if you have a medical problem, please consult your doctor.
We, however, trust you enjoyed this month's newsletter, and remember - if you
have any ideas or suggestions (or criticism) please mail us at
[email hidden] or [email hidden] - and if Telkom South Africa can get
their act together we may also be sending you the July newsletter soon.
Kind regards
Michael Meyer