In the past, I’ve suggested it’s not wise to trust the government or drug companies to inform you of what is safe and what is not. And despite recent cases (Vioxx, Celebrex) where dangerous drugs were marketed to the public and taken by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, some folks persist in their folly.
But this is nothing new. The government is particularly prone to making bad recommendations, as are drug companies that are often blinded by greed. And the public at large has particularly poor judgment.
For instance, did you know heroin used to be sold as an over-the-counter drug from 1898 to 1910? And did you know it used to be marketed as a cough medicine for young children?
I can see it now: “Hey Johnny, you don’t feel so well, do you? Here, have some smack…”
Next time you consider blindly trusting so-called “authorities,” remember the history of heroin–and do your own due diligence.
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And a century ago, crank alternative health quacks were promoting their ideas in fliers and ads, that era’s equivalent of “The Health Blog.” People never learn. ;-)
Medicine was not well-regulated at the time, the AMA was not yet dominant, with all kinds of bizarre competing organizations, and medical education was a complete free-for-all.
The federal government didn’t even get into regulating medicine until the twentieth century, and it took them a while to deal with food regulation after the publication of The Jungle before they even really started to look that closely at medicine.
Stephen – Thanks for your comment. And also, may I remind you, I’m not a doctor, nor a “health quack.” Nor am I promoting anything but self-education.
Health quacks weren’t promoting their ideas, as you suggest. They were selling products. They pitched and hawked for money.
By the way, The Jungle is a fantastic book, depressing though it is…
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