From:
ferret
Date: 2001-05-10 19:45:00 UTC
Subject: Opinion on herbs
While I respect your opinion on herbs, and think you are right on some
points, I think there might also be a few things that you are overlooking.
The main one that comes to mind is your point that people in third world
countries (where many of the herbs actually originate) actually have rates
of disease and death.
This is indeed true ... but I don't think it's in any way due to their
reliance on herbal medicine. Many people in the U.S. and other "first
world" countries use herbal medicine as *complimentary* medicine ..
complimentary to allopathic medicine, synthetic pharmaceuticals, and the
like.
In many third world countries, the people are poor, uneducated, and lack
access to decent doctors, medical facilities and diagnostic equipment.
Even if you have access to the BEST medicines in the world (be they herbal
or allopathic), it's pretty hard to get well if you can't get a diagnosis,
you can't get medical tests or laboratory tests, and you have a second
grade education.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that those same people in third world
countries who have access to wonderful herbal medicines would suddenly
have access to ANY pharmaceutical product on the market .. at no cost, in
unlimited quantities. I think we all agree that modern pharmaceuticals
are very valuable lifesavers .... but do you think that this access would
suddenly reverse the poor health of these third world residents? I don't
think so .. I think rather they would be misusing them, and at worst
killing themselves with them, and at best getting somewhat suboptimal
results with them.
Medicines (herbal or allopathic/pharmaceutical) only work if you have
knowledge, and access to decent diagnostic and medical treatment to go
with the medicines.
- Ela
(000)___(000) Ela Heyn
/ @ @ \ ferret@p...
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