HERBS ARE
BETTER THAN
DRUGS
Editor's Note: This story was written back in the 1860's by my favorite author on health, Ellen G. White. She was well over a hundred years ahead of her time. Here is another one of her statements written at the same time. "More deaths have been caused by drug-taking than from all other causes combined. If there was in the land one physician in the place of thousands, a vast amount of premature mortality would be prevented. Multitudes of physicians and multitudes of drugs, have cursed the inhabitants of the earth, and have carried thousands and tens of thousands to untimely graves."
The daughter was sick, and the father was much troubled on her account, and summoned a physician. As the father conducted him into the sick room, he manifested a painful anxiety. The physician examined the patient, and said but little. They both left the sick room. The father informed the physician that he had buried the mother, a son and daughter, and this daughter was all that was left to him of his family. He anxiously inquired of the physician if he thought his daughter's case hopeless.
The physician then inquired in regard to the nature and length of the sickness of those who had died. The father mournful y related the painful facts connected with the illness of his loved ones. "My son was first attacked with a fever. I called a physician. He said that he could administer medicine which would soon break the fever. He gave him powerful medicine, but was disappointed in its effects. The fever was reduced, but my son grew dangerously sick. The same medicine was again given him, without producing any change for the better. The physician then resorted to still more powerful medicines, but my son obtained no relief. The fever left him, but he did not rally. He sank rapidly and died.
The death of my son so sudden and unexpected was a great grief to us all , especially to his mother. Her watching and anxiety in his sickness, and her grief occasioned by his sudden death, were too much for her nervous system, and my wife was soon prostrated. I felt dissatisfied with the course pursued by this physician. My confidence in his skill was shaken, and I could not employ him a second time, I called another to my suffering wife. This second physician gave her a liberal dose of opium, which he said would relieve her pains, quiet her nerves, and give her rest, which she much needed. The opium stupefied her. She slept, and nothing could arouse her from the death-like stupor. Her pulse and heart at times throbbed violently, and then grew more and more feeble in their action, until she ceased to breathe. Thus she died without giving her family one look of recognition. This second death seemed more than we could endure. We all sorrowed deeply but I was agonized and could not be comforted.
My daughter was next afflicted. Grief, anxiety and watching, had overtaxed her powers of endurance, and her strength gave way, and she was brought upon a bed of suffering. I had now lost confidence in both the physicians I had employed. Another physician was recommended to me as being successful in treating the sick. And although he lived at a distance, I was determined to obtain his services,
This third physician professed to understand my daughter's case. He said that she was greatly debilitated, and that her nervous system was deranged, and that fever was upon her, which could be controlled, but that it would take time to bring her up from her present state of debility. He expressed perfect confidence in his ability to raise her. He gave her powerful medicine to break up the fever. This was accomplished. But as the fever left, the case assumed more alarming features and grew more complicated. As the symptoms changed, the medicines were varied to meet the case. While under the influence of new medicines she would for a time, appear revived, which would flatter out hopes, that she would get well , only to make our disappointment more bitter as she became worse. The physician's last resort was calomel. For some time she seemed to be between life and death. She was thrown into convulsions. As those most distressing spasms ceased, we were aroused to the painful fact that her intellect was weakened. She began slowly to improve, although still a great sufferer. Her limbs were crippled from the effect of the powerful poisons which she had taken. She lingered a few years a helpless, pitiful sufferer, and died in much agony.11
After this sad narrative the father looked imploringly to the physician, and entreated him to save his only remaining child. The physician looked sad and anxious, but made no prescription. He arose to leave, saying that he would call the next day.
The next day the physician was in the sick room, standing by the bedside of the afflicted daughter. Again he left the room without giving medicine. The father, when in the presence of the physician alone seemed deeply moved, and he inquired impatiently, "Do you intend to do nothing? will you leave my only daughter to die?" The physician said, "I have listened to the sad history of the death of your much loved wife, and your two children, and have learned from your own lips that all three have died while in the care of physicians, while taking medicines prescribed and administered by their hands. Medicine has not saved your loved ones, and as a physician I solemnly believe that none of them need, or ought to have died. They could have recovered if they had not been so drugged that nature was enfeebled by abuse, and finally crushed. He stated decidedly to the agitated father. "I cannot give medicine to your daughter. I shall only seek to assist nature in her efforts, by removing every obstruction, and then leave nature to recover the exhausted energies of the system" He placed in the father's hand a few directions which he enjoined upon him to follow closely. "Keep the patient free from excitement, and every influence calculated to depress. Her attendants should be cheerful and hopeful. She should have a simple diet, and should be all owed plenty of pure soft water to drink. Bathe frequently in pure soft water followed by gentle rubbing. Let the light and air, be freely admitted into her room. She must have quiet, and undisturbed rest."
The father slowly read the prescription, and wondered at the few simple directions it contained, and seemed doubtful of any good resulting from such simple means. Said the physician, "You have had sufficient confidence in my skill to place the life of your daughter in my hands.” Withdraw not your confidence, I will visit your daughter daily, and direct you in the management of her case. Follow my directions with confidence, and I trust in a few weeks to present her to you in a much better condition of health, if not fully restored."
The father looked sad and doubtful, but submitted to the decision of the physician. He feared that his daughter must die if she had no medicine. At a later date the daughter was sitting by the side of her father cheerful and happy, with the glow of health upon her countenance. The father was looking upon her with happy satisfaction, his countenance speaking the gratitude of his heart, that his only child was spared to him. Her physician entered, and after conversing with the father and child for a short time arose to leave. He addressed the father, thus, "I present to you your daughter restored to health. I gave her no medicine that I might leave her with an unbroken constitution. Medicine never could have accomplished this. Medicine deranges nature's fine machinery, and breaks down the constitution, and kills, but never cures. Nature alone possesses the restorative powers. She alone can build up her exhausted energies, and repair the injuries she has received by inattention to her fixed laws."
He asked the father if he was satisfied with his manner of treatment. The happy father expressed his heart felt gratitude, and perfect satisfaction, saying, "I have learned a lesson I shall never forget. It was painful, yet it is of priceless value. I am now convinced that my wife and children need not have died. Their lives were sacrificed while in the hands of physicians by their poisonous drugs."
GEORGE WASHINGTON: MEDICAL MARTYR
On December 13th, 1799, George Washington summoned his doctor after coming down with a sore throat. His doctor bled him four times, injected him with poisonous mercury, gave him more mercury by mouth, then blistered his throat with a compound of vinegar and dead bugs. After enduring this torturous treatment for a single day, the Father of Our Country begged his doctor to leave him alone and let him die in peace - which he did, at 10:00 PM on December 14.
STATISTICS CONFIRMS HARMFUL USE OF DRUGS
100,000 deaths a year (over 300 per day), are caused by prescription medications. This figure is only on those reported by hospitals or physicians. Journal of the American Medical Ass. April 15, 1998
One would think that doctors contribute to a decrease in mortality rates. Ironical y, however, the reverse happens. Statistics gathered during doctors strikes in 1973, 1976 and 1978 proved their absence coincided with decreased death rates. These are as follows:
1973 - Israel 29 day physician strike - 50% less deaths reported by Jerusalem Burial Society.
1976 - Columbia 52 day physician strike -35% decrease in deaths in Bogotá, Columbia confirmed by Morticians Association of Columbia.
1978 - Los Angeles Doctors went out on strike for two months and death rate fell by 35%. When they went back to work, the death rate increased by 40%.
In a 1980 American study, 20% of all patients admitted into hospitals suffered one or more latrogenic episodes. This means one person out of five suffered from drug reactions, negative reactions to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and ward accidents. Medication errors were responsible for 11% of the mistakes!
Ref Cures That Kil - Medicine's Deadly Experiments," David Helerstein, Harper's, Dec. 1980, p. 22
"I firmly believe that if the whole materia medica could be sunk to the bottom of the sea, it would be all the better for mankind and all the worse for the fishes."
Ref: Oliver Wendel Holmes, M. D. (Professor of Medicine at Harvard and father of the Supreme court Justice)
"It appears that therapeutic drugs are major causes of birth defects and learning disabilities when used during pregnancy. Connecticut figures suggest that as many as 13.4 percent of all congenital malformations may be caused by drugs prescribed by doctors during pregnancy. Drugs like Valium appear to cause birth defects, learning disabilities, and hyper activity."
Ref: National Network To Prevent Birth Defects, August 1985, 3rd Edition. In 1978, 1.5 mil ion people were hospitalized in the USA due to medication side effects. (FDA Statistics)