Confessions of a Medical Heretic

Question

Have you guys read the "Confessions of a Medical Heretic" by Robert S. Mendelsohn? What do you think about his thoughts and ideas?

To put a few words about it, here's what he clung to (taken from Wikipedia):

Mendelsohn considered himself a "medical heretic." One of his books charged that "Modern Medicine's treatments for disease are seldom effective, and they're often more dangerous than the diseases they're designed to treat"; that "around ninety percent of surgery is a waste of time, energy, money and life"; and that most hospitals are so loosely run that "murder is even a clear and present danger."

Dodo · Accepted Answer

i didnt read this , but from what you pasted from his book , i totaly agree with his thoughts.

Eszter · Answer

Good theme, and I think the debate about it is very important, it goes without saying, cause it is about our Health.

Even so, I think that theme a bit more complicated as we think. I am sure, most of medicaments has a bad effects to the organism, it goes without saying. Pharmaceutical industry is about money, and after that we don't need to think more about the question.

Even so, I don't agree with those people too, who believes in the Natur wunderful, limitless healing power.
We have been living in the Natur for more million years, our organism got conformed to the Natur, to be more precisely, we are the Part of the Natur. Ok, that is right, and that makes me believe, that the cure for many of our illnesses can be found simply in the nature, and people should respect, safe and use that wunderful Gift of the Earth well.

Even if the natur wonderful is, it can be also harmful to the human organism, sometimes even fatally. Many people don't know, that some plants even the intacted rainforest can cause cancer! That is dreadful, but the reality is more disappointed, as we have thought when we used to be a child and was read tales.
Besides that, there are many diseases which are carried by animals, and there is no other cure agains them, as a kind of medicaments.

Shortly summerized, I think, 70-80% of disease are preventable by leading a natural, healthy life, many diseases are curable by using the gift of the nature, even so sometimes we need also medicaments, of course, in a much lower amount as we are said and forced by pharmaceutical industry.

Stormy · Answer

I can't take Mendelsohn seriously. He was not really a cause for good in the medical world, and he outright opposed water fluoridation, immunization, coronary bypass surgery, licensing of nutritionists, and screening examinations to detect breast cancer.

Mendelsohn was president of the National Health Federation, a group whose primary purpose is to prevent government agencies from protecting consumers against quackery. So here's a group who wants to protect the consumers from falling in to the trap of people who just call themselves 'doctors' - but really aren't - and the NHF doesn't like that at all. This is just one of the reasons why I think Mendelsohn can't be taken seriously.

So to be quite honest - I can't really answer your question. But at least now I have told you the reason for why I can't answer that question.

Ruslana · Answer

Storm, you can't answer the question if you've read the book?

To speak seriously, I agree he exaggerates stuff and uses grotesque sometimes, but honestly I do agree with his thoughts. His opposition to immunization and all the things you listed was not unsubstantiated. He provided statistics, studies, and examples to show the reader what made him cling to what he clung. Obviously, everyone has the right to agree or disagree with his conclusions, and to make their own conclusions basing on the facts he provides. For this, however, we need to be curious enough to have a look at those facts that made him a "medical heretic". That means, to read his books. Otherwise we'll just criticize blindly, without any idea of what the matter is all about.

Anyway, I don't mean to argue with your opinion, I just mean to say that I've almost finished reading that book and I agree with his conclusions for the most part.

He describes a situation in the American medicine in 1970s. Many things have changed since then, of course, but some are still so true, in and outside the USA.

A little off-topic now. I'm so much against immunization, too. Too pity there's no English version of a book called "Merciless Immunization. The truth about vaccines." by Alexander Kotok, M.D. It was issued in Russian just a few years ago and I hope it will be translated into other languages too, sooner or later. It's a good read for everyone who's ever been wondering about immunization, its pros and cons (cons mainly). Facts, statistics, and studies are all out there. If you ever happen to come across this book, don't hesitate to read it if you're interested in the topic.

Stormy · Answer

Oh, I think I may have come of a little different, than what was intended.

I have indeed read his book, but what I meant to say was that I take this man as seriously as I take the local drunk, who says he was obducted by aliens.

I mean no disrespect to people who agree with him, but I don't think at all he's on the right path of enlightning people who are in need of medical assistance.

Ruslana · Answer

You couldn't be more clear, lol. I didn't realize you had read the book, nice to know you did.

StormyI mean no disrespect to people...

Ditto.

Confessions of a Medical Heretic

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