Great quote about medicine:

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   habeeposted 11 years ago

   "Medicine is the art of entertaining the patient, as the body heals itself."  Voltaire
   
   LOVE it! A pal of mine who's a PA shared it with me.

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      Zelkiiroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well, I'm sure Voltaire would've sung a different tune if he knew about antibiotics.
      
      "Medicine is the art of entertaining the patient, as the--wait, this stuff cures typhoid fever? Gimme dat sh!t."

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   Angela Blairposted 11 years ago

   What a great quote -- and in my humble opinion it's right on target. Thanks for sharing that one!

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   logic,commonsenseposted 11 years ago

   In most cases, accurate.  We are an impatient species so we seek alternatives to speed things up.

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   Healthyannieposted 11 years ago

   I am not sure Voltaire would have sung a different song. Antibiotics are great but they are over used and they lead to disease resistance as they damage our immune system by disrupting healthy bowel function and cause many other problems. I am sure Voltaire would have used antibiotics more responsibly. Our bodies have an amazing capacity of healing themselves when we are not looking.

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      habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So true! Of course, antibiotics can be life saving, but they're prescribed way too much by many docs. A lot of bacteria are becoming resistant.

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   Healthyannieposted 11 years ago

   And causing IBS, adding to many other health problems and wrecks the immune system which lives in the bowel. The first time I took antibiotics I was fifteen and I got really sick. My great grandma took antibiotics for the first time at the tender age of 92 and it almost killed her but she lived on until she was 107. She took it for an infected toe and stuck to honey from that day on. It wasn't until I started to study physiology I realized how truly devastating antibiotics can be. Not always but they can really cause trouble. Boys - antibiotics can raise your PSA level, and some lower your blood pressure to a very dangerous level ( girls as well on this one)

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   DrMark1961posted 11 years ago

   Using a qoute from Voltaire to support your view against antibiotics makes about as much sense as someone qouting Alexandar the Great to support an argument against nuclear war.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The problem with a discussion like this is that it encourages people to avoid doctors.  This can lead to many serious health problems and even death.  Don't kid yourselves people, doctors, while not perfect, really matter.  They have saved my life more than once and my husband's as well.

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      habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not against antibiotics. I just think some doctors over-prescribe them. My own doctor has even said that.
      
      As for the quote, I thought it was funny - especially coming from a PA.

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         DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I understand that and smiled when I read the post but another person posted here using the Voltaire qoute trying to support her argument.
         Having read a lot of your hubs and seen pictures of all your dogs I know that if one came in with a draining abscess of the foot you would not stick honey on it. I am a great fan of alternative medicine but do not believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water.

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   Gordon Hamiltonposted 11 years ago

   The original post is obviously well intentioned and stands true a thousand times over and more with the amount of hypochondriacs this planet knows. I agree with it absolutely in that respect and don't doubt that the medical profession and taxpayers in general would save a fortune were it not for such individuals, their perceptions and obsessions.
   
   Unfortunately, the following is at least equally true:
   
   "Your mother/father, husband/wife, brother/sister, son/daughter would have stood a far greater chance of survival had they been granted access to modern medicines and treatments at an earlier time. I'm so sorry..." Unknown number of doctors around Planet Earth each year...
   
   I'm not trying to be controversial, simply realistic...

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   brakel2posted 11 years ago

   I have done more for my health than any doctor  but I know they are important. I love the quote, as it is funny.

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