Or THE SILENCING OF TRUE HEALTHCARE
Did you ever wonder why, in the U.S. and many Western countries, traditional medicine is considered the "alternative" even though it has been around since Biblical times and its counterpart, Western medicine, has been around for not much more than 100 years? Well, there is a good reason for this, and this is juicy! Sit back and enjoy this true story that reads somewhat like a fairy tale!
Just as in the story of Cinderella, there is deep-seated jealousy, suppression, and corruption involved. In this case, the Western medical industry (the Evil Step-Sisters) was jealous of traditional medicine (Cinderella).
In the early years of Western medicine, when it consisted of "scientific" practices such as blood letting and application of leeches, traditional medicine was much favored in the greater populace, especially with the well educated and wealthy. Traditional medicine included osteopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, eclectic medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy. The theme of traditional medicine was (and still is) to treat the whole self, and cure the root problem. "Modern" Western medicine's theme then (and now) was to suppress symptoms of disease, and maintain the disease, but never to fully cure the disease. No wonder traditional medicine was favored, but what caused that to change? Why would so many come to favor suppressing and keeping their diseases, but not ever really curing them?
Fast forward a few years to when there were medical schools that taught nutritional (traditional) medicine and those that taught "scientific-based" (Western) medicine using symptom suppressing medication. There were also schools that incorporated both traditional and scientific practices.
At that time, homeopathic practices were particularly favored by the highly educated and elite. This was in part due to the historical success that homeopathy had in comparison to orthodox (Western) medicine when it came to infectious epidemic diseases, as well as acute and chronic ailments. For example, during the 1849 Cincinati cholera epidemic, only 3% of the 1,116 homeopathic patients died, while between 48-60% of those under orthodox medical treatment died. It was also well-known that homeopathic patients lived longer than those who sought conventional medical treatment. Life insurance companies caught on to this and charged lower premiums to those who were actively under homeopathic care. Oddly, a higher percentage of those who graduated from homeopathic colleges passed medical board examinations than their counterparts. Imagine the animosity and rivalrous jealousy this produced for the orthodox community!
But then why have we not heard of this fairy-tale-like existence of traditional medicine? It has been said that the history books are never written by the fallen. The evil step-sisters (AKA: allopathic medicine) found a way to make it so the beautiful Cinderella (AKA: homeopathic medicine) couldn't go to the ball (AKA: continue success based on honest, whole body healing). They wanted her to look as ugly, unqualified, and incapable as possible, and they succeeded.
Allopathic medicine brought forth a man named Abraham Flexner, who produced an "objective" research report evaluating the medical schools in practice at the time, including the traditional medical schools. In actuality, Flexner was very biased against traditional medicine, and his report was designed to streamline medical schools so that they were more uniform and conforming to Western medicine. He also decided that there were too many medical schools and he had a plan to reduce the numbers. In order for them to get much needed funding, he required the schools to merge, to stop teaching nutrition-based medicine and exclusively adopt the teachings of Western medicine. (This is likely the reason medical schools today provide only a few hours of education on nutrition, if that, thus turning out nutritionally uneducated doctors.) The schools that managed to remain open were ordered to affiliate themselves with universities in addition to following several other strict guidelines that were obviously designed to be the undoing of the low-funded nutrition-based medical schools.
Unsurprisingly, these new rules caused many of the nutrition-based schools to close. By 1950, all colleges that taught homeopathy were closed or no longer teaching homeopathy. There was a well-known, prestigious man who had intended to donate funds to these schools in order to help them stay open. His name was John D. Rockefeller, a strong advocate and faithful patient of homeopathic medicine. Incidentally, Rockefeller lived to be 99 years of age, crediting his long, healthy life to homeopathy. He had instructed his financial adviser to donate major grants from his money to the homeopathic schools. Strangely, the financial adviser, who preferred orthodox medicine, never complied with Rockefeller's orders.
Even with all this adversity and oppression, Homeopathic doctors were still sought after and favored by the American society. To combat this, the American Medical Association was chartered. As told by Jon Barron in his book, Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, the original wording of the AMA code of ethics described the traditional medicine community as "an enemy who has many strongholds upon the affection of the people, and one who in many places rivals us in their esteem." The AMA was formed in order to thwart their competition, and not to help improve their own health practices!
It was also required that no homeopathic physicians or anyone who associated with or consulted with a homeopathic physician could members of the AMA. It was an organization exclusively for those who practiced Western, allopathic medicine. This was not taken lightly, but was strictly enforced. There was an orthodox doctor who was banned because he consulted with his homeopathic wife! Another doctor was kicked out because he assisted a homeopathic physician in providing emergency care for a man who had been stabbed. Not only were homeopaths banned from the AMA, but licensing requirements were changed and they were also stripped of their licenses to practice medicine. Those who practiced nutritional medicine were often arrested for practicing medicine without a license, although many of them had graduated at the same medical schools as the AMA members. Homeopathic graduates were no longer allowed to take medical licensing exams.
The AMA had succeeded at defaming traditional medicine. Eventually, traditional medicine came to be known as "quack" medicine. It has lingered, but not until recently has it regained some of its strength. Happily, I believe traditional medicine is once again giving Western, allopathic medicine a run for its money. Do you think Cinderella (nutritional medicine) will finally get to go to the ball? But what will become of the evil step-sisters (Western medicine)? Do you think they can be reformed so that everybody can live happily ever after? Only time will tell. I don't think I have to tell you how I want this fairy tale to end.
Sources:
~Defeat Cancer Now, by Tamara St. John, M.B.A.
~Lessons from The Miracle Doctors, by John Barron
~homeopathic.com
~naturallifemagazine.com
Just as in the story of Cinderella, there is deep-seated jealousy, suppression, and corruption involved. In this case, the Western medical industry (the Evil Step-Sisters) was jealous of traditional medicine (Cinderella).
In the early years of Western medicine, when it consisted of "scientific" practices such as blood letting and application of leeches, traditional medicine was much favored in the greater populace, especially with the well educated and wealthy. Traditional medicine included osteopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, eclectic medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy. The theme of traditional medicine was (and still is) to treat the whole self, and cure the root problem. "Modern" Western medicine's theme then (and now) was to suppress symptoms of disease, and maintain the disease, but never to fully cure the disease. No wonder traditional medicine was favored, but what caused that to change? Why would so many come to favor suppressing and keeping their diseases, but not ever really curing them?
Fast forward a few years to when there were medical schools that taught nutritional (traditional) medicine and those that taught "scientific-based" (Western) medicine using symptom suppressing medication. There were also schools that incorporated both traditional and scientific practices.
At that time, homeopathic practices were particularly favored by the highly educated and elite. This was in part due to the historical success that homeopathy had in comparison to orthodox (Western) medicine when it came to infectious epidemic diseases, as well as acute and chronic ailments. For example, during the 1849 Cincinati cholera epidemic, only 3% of the 1,116 homeopathic patients died, while between 48-60% of those under orthodox medical treatment died. It was also well-known that homeopathic patients lived longer than those who sought conventional medical treatment. Life insurance companies caught on to this and charged lower premiums to those who were actively under homeopathic care. Oddly, a higher percentage of those who graduated from homeopathic colleges passed medical board examinations than their counterparts. Imagine the animosity and rivalrous jealousy this produced for the orthodox community!
But then why have we not heard of this fairy-tale-like existence of traditional medicine? It has been said that the history books are never written by the fallen. The evil step-sisters (AKA: allopathic medicine) found a way to make it so the beautiful Cinderella (AKA: homeopathic medicine) couldn't go to the ball (AKA: continue success based on honest, whole body healing). They wanted her to look as ugly, unqualified, and incapable as possible, and they succeeded.
Allopathic medicine brought forth a man named Abraham Flexner, who produced an "objective" research report evaluating the medical schools in practice at the time, including the traditional medical schools. In actuality, Flexner was very biased against traditional medicine, and his report was designed to streamline medical schools so that they were more uniform and conforming to Western medicine. He also decided that there were too many medical schools and he had a plan to reduce the numbers. In order for them to get much needed funding, he required the schools to merge, to stop teaching nutrition-based medicine and exclusively adopt the teachings of Western medicine. (This is likely the reason medical schools today provide only a few hours of education on nutrition, if that, thus turning out nutritionally uneducated doctors.) The schools that managed to remain open were ordered to affiliate themselves with universities in addition to following several other strict guidelines that were obviously designed to be the undoing of the low-funded nutrition-based medical schools.
Unsurprisingly, these new rules caused many of the nutrition-based schools to close. By 1950, all colleges that taught homeopathy were closed or no longer teaching homeopathy. There was a well-known, prestigious man who had intended to donate funds to these schools in order to help them stay open. His name was John D. Rockefeller, a strong advocate and faithful patient of homeopathic medicine. Incidentally, Rockefeller lived to be 99 years of age, crediting his long, healthy life to homeopathy. He had instructed his financial adviser to donate major grants from his money to the homeopathic schools. Strangely, the financial adviser, who preferred orthodox medicine, never complied with Rockefeller's orders.
Even with all this adversity and oppression, Homeopathic doctors were still sought after and favored by the American society. To combat this, the American Medical Association was chartered. As told by Jon Barron in his book, Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, the original wording of the AMA code of ethics described the traditional medicine community as "an enemy who has many strongholds upon the affection of the people, and one who in many places rivals us in their esteem." The AMA was formed in order to thwart their competition, and not to help improve their own health practices!
It was also required that no homeopathic physicians or anyone who associated with or consulted with a homeopathic physician could members of the AMA. It was an organization exclusively for those who practiced Western, allopathic medicine. This was not taken lightly, but was strictly enforced. There was an orthodox doctor who was banned because he consulted with his homeopathic wife! Another doctor was kicked out because he assisted a homeopathic physician in providing emergency care for a man who had been stabbed. Not only were homeopaths banned from the AMA, but licensing requirements were changed and they were also stripped of their licenses to practice medicine. Those who practiced nutritional medicine were often arrested for practicing medicine without a license, although many of them had graduated at the same medical schools as the AMA members. Homeopathic graduates were no longer allowed to take medical licensing exams.
The AMA had succeeded at defaming traditional medicine. Eventually, traditional medicine came to be known as "quack" medicine. It has lingered, but not until recently has it regained some of its strength. Happily, I believe traditional medicine is once again giving Western, allopathic medicine a run for its money. Do you think Cinderella (nutritional medicine) will finally get to go to the ball? But what will become of the evil step-sisters (Western medicine)? Do you think they can be reformed so that everybody can live happily ever after? Only time will tell. I don't think I have to tell you how I want this fairy tale to end.
Sources:
~Defeat Cancer Now, by Tamara St. John, M.B.A.
~Lessons from The Miracle Doctors, by John Barron
~homeopathic.com
~naturallifemagazine.com
RSS Feed
