Tag Archives: Medical history
Aristotle said, “Other things being equal, the simplest hypothesis possible is the good principle”. William Ockham said when distinguishing between two hypotheses, to “shave away” unnecessary assumptions or “cut apart” two similar conclusions, and favor the hypotheses with the fewest assumptions. Theodore Woodward said, “When you hear hoof beats, think of horses not zebras”, meaning the most obvious diagnosis is the most likely. In more recent times, Hickam’s dictum said, “A man can have as many diseases as he damn well…..
A history of prior acute infections, particularly a history of pneumonia, respiratory infections persisting 6 weeks or more, and sexually acquired infections; prior antibiotic treatment, and the type and duration of antibiotics taken; health issues in household members and other close contacts; and contact with pets and domesticated animals, including the health of the animals, should be included in the history of patients with newly diagnosed chronic disease. A more detailed history could aid medicine in identifying triggering events, and…..
Evidence of bone cancer was found in a 240-million year old turtle, which was the oldest recorded cancer in a reptile. The earliest description of cancer, in humans, is 1600 BC; and cancer may have been described in manuscripts from 2500 BC. Evidence of cancer has been found in ancient manuscripts, fossilized human bones, and human mummies. Remains of a young-adult male in northern Sudan, from 1200 BC, showed multiple lesions on the vertebrae, ribs, sternum, clavicles, scapulae, pelvis, and…..
Historically, soldiers who were given anti-malaria medications noticed their rheumatoid arthritis and lupus symptoms improved. The effectiveness of anti-malaria drugs against rheumatoid arthritis and lupus supports the underlying cause is an immortal bacteria and/or parasite, which can be treated with anti-malaria medication. Knowing anti-malaria medications improve theses chronic diseases, should direct research to find which pathogens among those treated by anti-malaria drugs are causing these chronic diseases. Success in treatment should direct research to find causes.
Dr. Merchant was born to a family of outspoken rebels. As a doctor he rebelled against conventional, conservative, and profit-driven medical thinking. His desire and willingness to think beyond what was known opened doors to new understanding. He studied, observed and learned from experience. His medical vision arose from unexpected and unprecedented successes in chronic disease. He has shown himself repeatedly to be a medical visionary.
John D. Rockefeller used his oil money to buy a German pharmaceutical company (I.G. Farben, which later emerged as Bayer Pharmaceuticals). The pharmaceutical company was researching how to remove medicine from plants and obtain patents to sell the medicine. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie devised a plan of reward and punishment that discouraged the use of existing herbal remedies, and encouraged the use of his expensive patented medicine. Rockefeller’s mantra was, “A pill for every ill”, and that mantra persists in medicine today. Doctors…..
Hippocrates suggested the revolutionary idea that diseases had a cause, and were not sent from God. A diagnosis based on a genetic abnormality may be the modern version of the chronic disease was sent from God. Paul Ewald, PhD, an evolutionary biologist, argued if genes caused chronic disease then the chronic disease would be eliminated or reduced in every generation, because all chronic diseases have a genetic cost. Doctors today may attribute chronic disease to a genetic abnormality; however, genetic…..
In 1890, William Russell found pleomorphic microbes (microbes which can change shape and size) wandering inside and outside of cancer. In 1910, Frances Peyton Rous discovered an infectious cause of cancer in chickens and was ridiculed by his peers. Dr. Rous’ discovery earned him a Nobel Prize fifty years later. In 1983 Dr. Marshall discovered an infectious cause of ulcers and stomach cancer, and was criticized by peers. His discovery was acknowledged seventeen years later, and twenty-two years later he…..
Jacob Henle (1809-1885), a German physician, pathologist and anatomist, called for investigation of infectious causes in acute disease. He was ridiculed by his peers in the medical community. During the Civil War,heart disease was thought to be from an infection, and was referred to as tight chest. In 1903, Sir William Osler proposed infection caused atherosclerosis. In 1926, T Howard Plank suggested numerous chronic diseases are caused by infection. Yet, medicine still resists acceptance of infection as a cause of…..
In 1874, Dr. Arthur Boettcher discovered a small curved bacterium in ulcers. In the 1940’s, Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York taught residents to treat ulcers with antibiotics, after doctors observed antibiotics cured the ulcers, even though they did not know the pathogen. In the 1950’s, knowledge ulcers were caused by an infection was deleted from medical texts and medical training. Doctors were taught ulcers were caused by stress, and patients were left to suffer indefinitely from a curable disease……
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