Great Construction

Is Medical Science Incorporating my Views?

     The pages of the Jiji Shimpo newspaper last June 9 reported views of Professor Takashi Nishida of the Medical Department of Keio University that agree with what I advocate about pharmaceuticals, so I am very gratified. On many points, the account is not as forceful as I would care for, but what is presented differs from prevailing medical ideas and comes very close to my views. I add here the text of the article that appeared, adding merely the comment that if the medical profession can, even if only by increments, come to understand my views, my happiness would exceed all expectations.

Efficacy Disappears When Needed
Dangerous Amateur Diagnoses, Caution Needed for
Continued Use of New Hormone-based Medicines

     When you take a newspaper or magazine in hand these days what stands out to even those readers who are not ill are the advertisements for medicines. The efficacy of these advertised medicines is touted as being appropriate for symptoms that can be diagnosed by amateurs, but using these drugs too readily in the home is dangerous. Particularly drugs such as penicillin, streptomycin, oreomycin, and other of the new medicines, if used indiscriminately, can develop resistance to pathogenic bacteria and may not work when most needed or else may lead to the most unexpected results. Even if such problems do not occur, the physical body possesses the ability to adapt, so, for example, if a specific vitamin is ingested over a certain period, the body does not have to work to produce the vitamin from the food during digestion and absorption because a simple form of the vitamin is being provided. The ability of the organs to digest and absorb degenerates. The same can be said of hormone drugs.
     That an indiscriminate use of hormone drugs weakens the secretion ability within the body and may also lead to results more harmful after the end of their efficacy period have become common sense truths in the medical field. It can be said about any medicine that when that drug is used to cure a certain condition under doctor’s guidance, its usage should be stopped when the condition is cured. If prevention is called for, what should really be done is not to depend on medicines but to encourage measures that promote the functions of the organs for digestion, absorption, and secretion, that is, as in taking care of what one eats. When they think of medicines, members of the general public mostly look to results that are soon visible, such as taking an antipyretic for a fever or, an analgesic for a headache. They think that to be healed it is necessary to control only the symptoms that are obviously visible, but this is wrong. The body itself has the ability to cope when abnormal conditions occur within the body with functions like fever, pain, or in some other form. There is a certain reason for every symptom. By not confirming this specific cause and simply and indiscriminately suppressing the symptom without letting the body fight on its own, it is only natural that the condition will worsen. There are occasions when cause may not be known or that treatment should proceed first, but unless there are dangerous levels of fever and pain that threaten life, medicines should be applied only for the causes of disease. I would hope that everyone obeys and correctly follows the doctor’s instructions.

Eikô, Issue 224, September 2, 1953
 translation by cynndd