It is a matter of common knowledge that if any chemical is applied to the skin for a number of days continuously nay even if a cheap soap is used invariably for any length of time, some kind of skin trouble is bound to develop. When human skin cannot resist the harmful effects of chemicals how can our internal tissues stand up against the use of such virulent chemicals.
People have became addicted to taking laxatives and fruit salts daily and feel wonderfully well for some time. The longer they continue to take it they become convinced of the efficacy of continual dosing of these drugs. What a perversion of mind! They do not realise that a medicine which has not been able to cure their constipation after years and years of continuous use cannot be said to be a curative but only a palliative.
Furthermore if during this long period of constant dosing and overdosing of laxatives and aperients he develops other digestive troubles or piles or even Cancer, he does not associate these troubles with his drug habit. He consults his family physician who adds more fuel to the fire by prescribing still another wonderful poisonous drug. This goes on indefinitely in a vicious circle. This slow poisoning of his system ultimately results in complete break down of his health.
DOMESTIC MEDICINES
It is a pity that manufacturers of proprietary medicines have lost all sense of humanity. Even children of tender age are not spared and are being made victims of these domestic drugs. What are called “BABY SOOTHING POWDERS” contain mercury which is undoubtedly a highly poisonous chemical. It admittedly produces conditions very much similar to advanced syphilis. It can very well be imagined how parents would feel when their innocent child develops such hideous symptoms as a result of mercury poisoning.
Professor E.A. Farrington has given the picture of mercury poisoning in the following words: “Finally the patient becomes paralysed, cannot move his limbs and he presents a perfect picture of imbecility”.
What are called sleeping tablets usually contain Barbiturates, which inspite of its condemnation is still holding the field as one of the best sleeping draught. Dr. Thomas Parian has condemned Barbiturates in the following words: “They can force a person to sleep, but induce evil habits, and even cause criminal propensities such as lying and stealing.”
A sleeping dose does not produce natural sleep. It only benumbs his nerves for the time being and the patient has an induced sleep, but he must take that dose every night and probably a bigger one than usual to soothe down the over irritated nerves. It becomes a habit and the patient can never sleep without it. A prolonged use leads to a complete nervous break down of the patient.
Amongst the “PAIN – KILLERS” Aspirin tops the list in household medicines. This snow-white innocent looking powder acts as a miracle in stopping ones headache but the ill fated person does not know that its continuous use will also stop his heart beat much earlier. It is a natural consequence of easy and quick relief from pain that the patient should come to have faith in the efficacy of the drug which had given him such quick results. But the after effects of such quick work are far from being known to him.
Stomach acidity is relieved by an Anti-acid chemical such as soda or magnesia but the more one takes it the acidity becomes more and more persistent leading to chronic dyspepsia.
THE CRAZE FOR SULPHA DRUGS
Man is credulous by nature and a sick person becomes more and more gullible with the advancing disease. He is prepared to listen to any one and act up to his advice if he can be convinced that he would be cured of his malady.
This is the psychological basis for publicity of a number of “WONDER DRUGS” discovered during the last few decades. They take advantage of this human weakness and flourish at the cost of a diseased population.
Many “WONDER DRUGS” have come and gone but disease goes on for ever. When a new “WONDER DRUG” is put on the market its virtues are extolled to the skies. It is said to be a panacea for all human ills. It is said to be capable of curing a number of ailments which were hitherto said to be incurable. It is further said to act as a preventive for certain other diseases. It is said to bring new hope for the suffering humanity.
To add a pinch of salt to this fast propaganda and publicity it is said to be the result of laborious research in most up-to-date laboratories by expert scientists. It pretends to be something absolutely new and perfectly harmless unlike its predecessors which are decried as being very injurious, and have been discarded therefore. There is an upheaval in the medical world and manufacturers office is virtually flooded with enquiries and orders for supply soliciting top priority.
A ray of hope dawns upon the poor patient who anxiously waits for the supplies to reach his shores.
Black marketeers also get ready to reap a rich harvest and all is well for some time until a new “WONDER DRUG” is born and the old one becomes absolute and is burried alive never to be heard of any more.
The first “MIRACLE DRUG” from the Sulpha group of drugs was “Sulphanilamide” which was boosted as “A NEW ELIXIR OF LIFE.” It soon became the rage in the drug people. Doctors began to prescribe it indiscriminately and people took it simply because it was prescribed by the doctor little realising that it was a highly TOXIC drug. The medical profession and the public were taken by the storm of praise for this miracle drug raised in the press by vested interests.
The “World Digest” (July 1939) published a long article eulogising the merits and the wonderful curative properties of “A NEW ELIXIR OF LIFE”. Among other things it said: “All things considered, Sulphanilamide has no competitor for the position of the countrys greatest medical discovery. For years the more critically minded of the profession have cast cold scientific eyes on hundreds of cure-alls that had their day and then passed into oblivion, but a white powder extracted from Coal-Tar and whose healing possibilities were only found by accident, has roused many of them to a rare state of enthusiasm.”
It further said: “Two thousand mothers are saved from child-bed fever each year by this “MIRACLE DRUG”. It was also said to be a sure cure for Erysipelas.
Sulphanilamide was also believed to be a definite cure for Gonorrhoea. And apparently it was so. Although the discharge stopped after 15 days treatment but the person was still capable of infecting and passing on the disease to others. That clearly meant that the disease was not cured but was only suppressed. And there were relapses very often. It also produced Peripheral Meningitis.
But disillusionment came soon. A leading German Medical Magazine (published in Br. Med. Jour. of 17-6-39) contradicted the claims made by the British Press and said that Prontosil (German name fore Sulphanilamide) had no curative action in the treatment of Erysipelas and other disease. But the controversy remained confined to the Medical Press and the people were no wiser for it. The truth, however, soon began to dawn from the darkness of murky propaganda as a result of several fatalities and an unknown number of chronic complications arising out of the extensive use of the “Wonder Drugs.”
The result was that a mad search started for a similar but less toxic drug. And it was not long before a number of them were put on the market under different names by various manufacturing units. Some of them were: Sulphacetanide, Sulphapyridine, Sulphadiazine. Sulphathiazol, Sulphathiophene and Sulphaguanidine.
Several other diseases such as Cerebro-Spinal fever and Pneumonia were also said to be cured by these drugs in addition to what Sulphanilamide claimed to cure.
But so far as Pneumonia was concerned the British Medical Journal (20-7-40) wrote that all the patients treated by it died.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (1940) published an article by Dr. P. S. Pelouse, M.D. saying: “At least two of the other Sulphanilamides now being used for the treatment of Gonorrhoea have shown an unfortunate tendency to produce Peripheral Meningitis. No dissertation on any Sulphanilamide derivative used so far would be complete without the warning that these preparations bear toxic properties.”
The British Medical Journal (27-7-42) reported the case of a woman who died of Tetanus after Sulphanilamide was used in an operation of her pelvic region.
Dr. (Brig.) T.E. Osmond, M.B., consulting Venereologist to the Army, wrote in British Medical Journal (17-7-43):-
“Headache, lassitude, Pyrexia (above 100 degree F) Insomnia, Nausea, Vomiting, Epigastric discomfort. Agranulocytosis, Haemolytic Anaemia, Toxic Hepatitis are all common side effects of Sulphanilamide treatment.”
With this long list of poisonous after effects of Sulpha Drugs it hardly stands to reason why they are still being used so extensively.
ANTIBIOTICS
Streptomycin: This is a “WONDER DRUG” from the Antibiotic group after Penicillin.
