p. 13 | Drugs by L. J. Otis

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 5, 1908

Drugs

By L. J. Otis

L. J. OTIS, M. D.

We include under this head substances that, owing to certain action (usually poisonous) on the human system, are used as medicine. As these have to enter the system in order to have such effect, what is said here will refer only to the internal use of drugs.

With people generally, drugs, no matter how vile, disgusting, and nauseating, are considered an indispensable necessity in treating the sick, so that each disease has certain drugs for its cure. Just how the cure is brought about they do not attempt to explain, but, after taking the medicine, somehow, in some mysterious way, the patient gets well, which is attributed to the drug taken, of course.

This idea used to be held generally by doctors. But now, we see a change coming. Physicians scoffed at the idea that nature cured the patient. Drugs were given to restore the patient in spite of nature. But they recognize now that nature cures, and cured then. So now, drugs are given supposedly to assist nature, but, as a matter of fact, they come about as far from it as they used to, in most cases.

The drug is recognized as an invader. Increased action is brought to bear to protect the system from the offending drug and to destroy or expel it. By this increased action other poisons may be expelled or destroyed, nature assisted, and the patient improved in one way. But there is left, owing to the poison of the drug, a benumbed, narcotized effect on the fine nervous structures, which, as the drug is repeated, becomes more and more permanent. This action not infrequently leads to other diseased conditions, from which the patients often suffer more than from the original disease. Some of these drug-produced diseases are never cured; the patient is peevish, irritable, and always sick.

This is the action of a large class of drugs. There are others that are entirely devoid of even this much good. Those that so poison and benumb the patient that he no longer recognizes the distress and the diseased condition, but is able to rest, cause him to be deceived into thinking that his condition is better, when, in reality, it is worse.

The history of this class of patients is much the same. More of the drug, or similar drugs, are demanded, the patient fails, goes from one doctor to another until outraged nature calls a halt, and the patient dies—not from the disease, this was a small part of the trouble, and would long since have ceased of itself, had nothing at all been done; but the patient dies in the way that thousands of others have been and are dying,—of drug poisoning. Then the report is published, that everything that medical science could suggest was done, but to no avail. Had medical science only thought to leave nature to itself, yes, even to do nothing, the patient in most cases would have lived. But don’t misunderstand me. I am no advocate of a do-nothing policy—there is so much that will help the patient, apart from drugs. But do nothing always, rather than do that which will injure your patient. “God’s servants should not administer medicines which they know will leave behind injurious effects upon the system, even if they do relieve present suffering.” It is a fact that more have died from drug poisoning than from all other causes combined. All poisons taken into the human system have their baneful influence. They affect the stomach, liver, kidneys, and lungs, besides deranging the system generally.

If the individuals themselves were the only sufferers, it would be bad enough, but these same persons are bringing into the world children who are sick and feeble, or otherwise suffer from the parents’ transgression. Yet in the face of this, there will be found plenty who will say that they were sick and took such and such a medicine and it cured them. A part of this positive statement that they were sick and took medicine and got well, is doubtless true. But it is not true that a drug ever cured any one, and had they known that at the time they took the medicine, there was a force much more potent for good already at work, credit might have been given where it was due. As we have previously stated, nature cures. And what is more, aside from cases of divine healing, nature only cures.

In Ps. 103:3 we learn that the Lord is the one “who healeth all thy diseases.” The laws of nature are the laws of God; and when he restores to health from disease, it is either through these laws, or as in cases of divine healing, by his immediate creative power, and hence miraculous. In either case the Lord heals. Nor does any man possess this power, no matter how many have become well after taking his medicine.

When the body is overcome by disease, nature immediately begins a process of fortification against, and destruction and expulsion of, disease poisons, which, if there is no hindrance, soon brings back conditions of health. But suppose that the patient takes medicine that lessens pain and enables him to sleep. He has constitution enough so that nature can handle both the disease and the medicine. He is sick longer or is more seriously sick, but in no sense ought it to be said that the medicine cured him.

There are many whose false logic prevents their seeing this, and to these this quotation is given: “Those who will gratify their appetite and then suffer because of their intemperance, and take drugs to obtain relief, may be assured that God will not interpose to save health and life which is so recklessly periled. . . . God does not see fit to answer prayers in behalf of such, for he knows that, if they should be restored to health, they would again sacrifice it upon the altar of unhealthy appetite.” In these cases so often is the following true: “They will live fashionably and suffer with disease as the result, be doctored with fashionable poisons, and die a fashionable death.”

Grand Rapids, Mich.