RURAL MEDICAL RELIEF
This is one of the many catchy slogans of the day, effused from all platforms – secular, political, medical. Varieties of medical practice prevails in this country, each school extolling its own system. The economic condition of people demands a system of medicine which, in addition to improvement of the public health, and training the public sense of hygiene, can effectively conduct preventive and curative treatment of diseases with the least possible expense.
With the introduction of the allopathic system of treatment the indigenous medical system have practically died out like all indigenous handicrafts and local industries, the exotic medicines imported into the country returning princely profits to the capitalist-exporters in foreign countries. In the name of advancement of science all sorts of varagry and speculations in the dominant school of medicine are indulged in, their short- lived and kaleidoscopic changes serve only to exploit the penniless people of this impoverished country.
Not being established upon any fixed principle and unchangeable law of nature, such a system of medicine does, at the most, palliation of subjective troubles; and when the instinctive vital force effects metastasis, it is explained away as advent of a new and different disease altogether. Prolonged and tedious convalescence failing to yield to the equally prolonged use of tonics compounded of heterogeneous drugs, the patient is advised to take a sojourn to some health resort, without giving the least thought to the pecuniary condition of the patient and his people.
Newly prepared proprietory medicines accompanied with cleverly written scientific literature cooked up to prop these up, are unceasingly flowing into this country, and their well-trained field-workers (in most instances medical graduates cheaply employed) educate the practitioners to prescribe these blindfold, supplying the doctors at every visit with a liberal quantity of free samples for trial on their patients. The prices of these proprietory medicines are kept very high to cover the expenses of propaganda and free distribution of samples, prices much beyond the reach of our poor people.
The taste of these patent medicines are cleverly made so delicious that it tempts the doctors to use the samples themselves. It remind us of Sir R. N. Chopras pertinent and very true remarks that any drug advertised in a medical journal is considered to be useful if it is backed by testimonials. “It does not seem to be realized that, in addition to a large number of useful and patent drugs on the market, there must be a host of others of doubtful value. The majority of these so-called remedies have a very short life, but during this period they often enjoy a rich harvest of patronage.”
“The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.” – And we should add, at the lowest possible expense. This is possible and practicable with homoeopathic treatment.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald