The harm of medicine

The harm of medicine was the theme of a 1996 issue of The Good Life. 

  The entire newsletter focused on the many dangers and harmful side effects of modern medicine. Topics included When to see a doctor, The dangers of modern medicine, Dangers of medical tests, Side effects of drugs, Iatrogenic illnes, Over-caution in preventive medicine, etc. 

The issue also carried a profile of Dr Robert S Mendelsohn, a staunch critic of medical science and the medical system, better known as 'The Medical Heretic'.

Below are short summaries, with links to the articles on Modern Medicine:

The end of a miracle	The 'miracle' of modern medicine is coming to an end. After two centuries of apparent progress, doctors today are faced with more unsolved problems than ever before.
When to see a doctor	It is unwise to get ourselves drugged, cut and zapped at the slightest symptom of illness. We have to learn to discern when to see a doctor, and when not to seek medical treatment.
Preventive or kiasu medicine	A doctor once suggested that all older women should have their breast cut off – to avoid breast cancer. This was his idea of “preventive medicine”. I call it kiasu medicine.
Dangers and harm of medicine	Many medical procedures are not only harmful, but are outright unscientific! For example, heart patients used to be treated by surgery that involves sprinkling talcum power onto their hearts.
Dangers of medical tests	The harm of medicine extends to medical tests. In Medical Care Can Be Dangerous to your Health, Eugene Robin explains how a seemingly harmless medical test can lead to disastrous results.
How to survive in a medical factory	Iatrogenic illness – illnesses “caused by doctors” – affect 5 to 30 percent of hospital patients. Between 0.5 and 2 percent die. The percentage seems small. But the total figures are staggering.
The ill-logic of medical drugs	A lot of pharmaceutical drugs do not make sense. Some contain ingredients that cancel out each other. Some produce side effects exactly the same as the symptoms they are supposed to treat.
Dr Robert S ‘Meddlesome’	Dr Robert S Mendelsohn, a pediatrician, was a staunch critic of medical science. He proudly called himself 'The Medical Heretic'.