Our last three newsletters have quite naturally been about the virus. We have no financial ax to grind in what we’ve said about COVID. We’ve tried to help our readers by giving them a perspectives that cuts through the misinformation and confusion
(You can access the newsletters in our archive HERE).
We’ve been warned by our national associations to be extremely careful in what we say about COVID. Our constitutional freedom of expression has come under attack by interests whose views are moderated by power and financial gain.
We are in deep trouble as a society when offering a perspective contrary to the accepted party lines is forbidden by “executive order.”
Medical freedom and the use of discernment to cut through the misinformation are what this newsletter is about.
Let’s take a historical perspective.
- Until the mid-1800s, people who were ill had the “bad humors” bled out of their veins.
- In the late 1800s, any physician who advocated sterile procedure in the operating room was ridiculed and kicked out of the medical profession.
- Midwives were persecuted when they insisted on washing their hands when delivering a baby.
- A physician in England was thrown into jail when he maintained that blood circulated.
- When X-rays were introduced in the 1900s, physicians who cautioned against their overuse were considered quacks.
- Present-day doctors and researchers have long warned about antibiotic abuse, yet prescribing behavior has barely changed. Microorganisms have adapted to antibiotics, leading to new infectious strains for which we have no remedies.
The historical examples of medical bias and nearsightedness go on and on.
As naturopathic doctors, we are particularly vulnerable because our viewpoints often run counter to the mainstream medical propaganda and push the buttons of those who would gain by our silence.
We have received our share of harassment. Yet, buttressed by science and truth, we persist in offering the best evidence-based complementary care we possibly can.
Here’s a parting thought with which we would leave you. No one holds a monopoly on creativity, intelligence, and truth. Think carefully before lightly surrendering the teachings learned through your own experience and intuition.
Be Well! Be Safe!
Dr. Connie, Dr. Marcel, Dr. Sage, Jane, Anandini, Marisa, Anna, Ardell
Your Pacific Naturopathic Team