| I was thinking about the quarrel (well, fight to the | | | | Drug Companies grew tighter and tighter, as time |
| death, actually) between conventional medicine | | | | went by, mainly because they depended so much |
| and alternatives like herbal or holistic medicine. So, | | | | on one another. This further estranged them |
| I did some research to see if I could figure out | | | | from Herbal and Alternative healing approaches. |
| what's the big beef between these to approaches | | | | Alternative and herbal treatments, since then, |
| to healing. I always believed that herbal medicine | | | | have been generally limited to American Natives |
| pre-dated conventional medicine by thousands of | | | | who had been using them for a couple hundred |
| years. It turns out that it doesn't, not by | | | | years and small town doctors who were open |
| THOUSANDS, anyway! Conventional medicine | | | | minded enough to learn such arts from them. |
| appears to be younger than herbal medicine by | | | | I'm reminded of the TV series "Dr. Quinn Medicine |
| only about 1,100 years. | | | | Woman". Glamorous as the series made the |
| Here's what I was able to turn up: The first text | | | | frontier practice of medicine look, it was largely |
| known to deal with health and healing is "The | | | | accurate and, as it turns out, there actually WAS |
| Vedas" and is attributed to a fellow in India by the | | | | a Dr. Quinn who practiced around the 1870s in the |
| name of "Srila Vyasadeva" around 1500 BC. It | | | | territory now known as the State of Colorado. |
| details the first known uses of herbs and Yoga | | | | For western approaches to medicine, this was |
| for the treatment of ailments. These books are, | | | | roughly the time period when the rift between |
| roughly, the equivalent of Christianity's Bible in that | | | | Conventional and Holistic Medicine began. The |
| it is a founding religious text, only in this case, for | | | | whole conflict was about Money and Power! |
| Hinduism. This text is believed to be the | | | | Surprised? The United States is among the most |
| foundation of all medical practice that followed. | | | | wonderful (meaning "Full with Wonder") places on |
| The father of conventional western style medicine | | | | earth! I've seen a lot of it and I can testify to |
| is largely believed to be Hippocrates who | | | | that! HOWEVER, we have made a few mistakes |
| developed and formally taught the foundation of | | | | along the way, kind of like me personally (but |
| modern western medicine. He wrote the | | | | that's a story for another day). |
| "Hippocratic Oath" which is still widely used today. | | | | I believe this is one of the mistakes we made as |
| He did the bulk of his work around 400 BC in | | | | a culture, this conflict between Conventional |
| Greece. No big surprise there, you probably | | | | Medicine and Alternative or Holistic Medicine. I've |
| already knew that. | | | | actualized, personally, the benefits of both and it |
| Around that same era, the first practice of herbal | | | | kind of distresses me that, on a purely political |
| medicine in China is believed to have been | | | | level, they simply will NOT work together! On a |
| developed by a man named Shennong, who | | | | purely medical level they are positively meant for |
| practiced and taught herbal medicine during the | | | | one another! |
| Han Dynasty around 200 BC. Shennong's text, | | | | All you have to do to get what I mean is to go |
| "Bencao Jing" is believed to be the first Chinese | | | | to a drug store in Canada or Mexico, or for that |
| herbal medical text. However the Ayurvedic | | | | matter, just about any other country outside the |
| Medicine, developed in India over a century | | | | US. Notice what remedies for common ailments |
| before, is believed to be the foundation of all | | | | they have on their shelves. Almost all of them |
| medicine that followed including Chinese, Native | | | | are herb-based preparations! |
| American, Aztec and Greek approaches. | | | | Most common ailments will respond well to |
| All of these approaches to healing seem to have | | | | Alternative or Holistic treatments and most of |
| co-existed peacefully up until around 1860 here in | | | | those treatments have minor, or no, measurable |
| the United States when the Food & Drug | | | | side effects. On the other hand if you need to |
| Administration (FDA) was formed to regulate the | | | | lose weight, for example, and you are willing to |
| safety of medicine in response to early "Snake | | | | put up with significant side effects like, QUOTE |
| Oil" remedies that either did not work or were | | | | "An increased need for bowel movements |
| believed to be causing illnesses. | | | | combined with a decreased ability to control |
| The 2 most famous of these "Snake Oils" survive | | | | them", then by all means get your doctor to |
| today. We call them Coca-Cola, which up until the | | | | prescribe "Meridian" for you. You may "soil" your |
| early 1950s contained concentrations of cocaine, | | | | pants at inopportune moments, but you'll look |
| and Dr. Pepper with its 23 "Flavors". The 3 | | | | FABULOUS doing so! |
| numbers on the label of Dr. Pepper products | | | | My point is this: For catastrophic illness, |
| produced up until the early 1980s referred to the | | | | Conventional Medicine has no equal! Conventional |
| times of day the remedy should be taken. | | | | Medicine is rude and intrusive to your system and |
| It was around that time that Natural or Holistic | | | | sometimes that's what is medically called for. In |
| approaches to healing began to fall out of favor | | | | those situations, my advice for what it's worth is; |
| with the medical establishment that grew out of | | | | Don't settle for anything less! But for common |
| the American Medical Association (AMA), which | | | | ailments, nothing can beat Alternative Holistic |
| was founded in the late 1840s and the FDA. | | | | Medicine. It's, comparatively, kind to your system, |
| Herbal healing was lumped together with the | | | | carries few side effects and is consummately |
| infamous "Snake Oils" of the wild and wooly | | | | effective. |
| 1800s and therefore pushed out of mainstream | | | | Don't be caught up in the politics of medical care. |
| medical practice as voodoo medicine. | | | | Your health is WAY too important to be left to |
| At about he same time, drug companies were | | | | such political rivalry. By all means, consult with |
| beginning to spring up to provide doctors and | | | | your primary care Physician about ALL of your |
| nurses with medications and preparations to cure | | | | health concerns and make sure he, or she, knows |
| a wide range of illnesses and gave us such | | | | what you're doing, but trust Nature to help your |
| wonder drugs as Quinine, Aspirin and Penicillin, all | | | | system heal itself when it can and trust your |
| three of which are still widely used because | | | | Doctor when it can't! |
| they're just that good at what they do and have | | | | For more information about Alternative and |
| comparatively minor, to no, side effects. | | | | Holistic medical remedies for common ailments, |
| The relationships between the AMA, the FDA and | | | | please visit It's for your own good! |