Modern Medicine and History of Diseases

Modern Medicine 

In the 19th century, modern medicine emerged, enabling people to live longer, healthier and more comfortable lives. Modern medicine, which has developed over the years, has made it possible to diagnose and treat diseases much faster. For instance, antibiotics have been developed for bacterial infections, and procedures that require surgery have become much more painless and heal faster.

Although it is a fact that we owe a lot to modern medicine, the fact that humanity can constantly improve by recognizing mistakes and accepting criticism shows that modern medicine is also subject to criticism.

Medical Nemesis 

Ivan Illich’s book Medical Nemesis is an excellent example of a critique of modern medicine. Illich argues that doctors and modern medicine create a monopoly power over human health. People have become so dependent on modern medicine that they have lost their autonomy over their health. They have become unable to recognize their bodies and pain. Illich calls this iatrogenesis. He argues that iatrogenesis has three dimensions: Clinical, social and cultural.

Clinical Iatrogenesis 

Clinical iatrogenesis means that even if there are patients who suffer and die because of the mistakes made by the doctors, doctors are not held responsible for this, and their mistakes are always rationalized. He criticizes the constant attribution of disease to people with the concept of diagnostic imperialism. Individuals are classified with many diseases. Consequently, their autonomy to recognize their body is taken away. 

Social Iatrogenesis 

By social iatrogenesis, he means that medicine has become a consumption culture, and health has become a commodity. Modern medicine constantly produces new diseases and imposes these diseases on individuals. As a result, even healthy people want to benefit from medical services. 

Cultural Iatrogenesis 

By cultural iatrogenesis, on the other hand, he means that modern medicine detaches pain, suffering, ageing and death from the meaningful context of human life and reduces it to a burden that needs to be relieved. 

He eventually argues that medicine should be criticized, and individuals should take responsibility for their health, they should be autonomous. Health is a duty, the result of one’s ability to self-knowledge and discipline. 

The Fourth Horsemen 

The book “The Fourth Horsemen” argues that some diseases are anthropogenic, that is, caused by humans disrupting the balance of nature, and discusses how these diseases caused major historical events. 

Agricultural Revolution 

Ten thousand years ago, humans’ relationship with disease was relatively peaceful. The worst illnesses were poisonings and intestinal parasites. 

With the agricultural revolution, animals began to be domesticated after the settled life. Nesting with animals gave rise to the reproduction of viruses and led to diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. The rapid population growth that started with industrialization in the modern period has led to excessive consumption and garbage heaps. These, in turn, led to the proliferation of new bacteria and diseases.  

The causes and consequences of some diseases that occur substantially due to anthropogenic causes are described in the book: 

Malaria 

Malaria, which destroyed various civilizations, first appeared when farmers from Africa began to destroy rainforests to grow potatoes. 

In Sri Lanka, the mosquito-killing drug DDT was used to end malaria, but the results were unpredictable. Malaria disappeared, but as death rates decreased, the island became overcrowded, leading to food shortages and civil war. 

Plague 

The cause of the plague was the onset of climate change. Between 1308 and 1332 there was a “little ice age” and as a result, food production became more difficult. Because of the famine, people ate nettle and bird droppings; even worse, they began to slaughter and eat newborn babies. As a result, plague emerged with the proliferation of Yersinia Pestis bacteria.  

Consequences of Plague 

The most important consequence of the plague was its role in the abolition of feudalism. The death of the peasants from disease caused labour shortages. The conflict between the aristocrats and the peasants also eventually brought an end to feudalism. 

The plague wiped out 31% of Europe’s population. As the population dwindled due to mass killings, traders spread to different countries, in this regard, the plague also played a role in geographical explorations, along with scientific advances, such as ship design and the invention of the compass.

After the plague, nature began to be treated as something to be dominated, and a mechanical approach to nature developed. 

Conclusion 

In his book “The Fourth Horsemen”, Andrew Nikiforuk discusses the importance of anthropogenic factors in the emergence of the most significant diseases in history and narrates the most important historical events caused by these diseases in a fluent language. While discussing the emergence of the object-to-be-dominated approach to nature, he also reveals how naive this approach is in the face of the unpredictable power of nature. 

In his book “Medical Nemesis”, Illich explains that modern medicine has destroyed man’s autonomy over his health, has commodified illness and treatment and turned it into a service to be consumed, and criticizes modern medicine. 

References

• Illich I (1976) Medical nemesis: expropriation of health. USA: Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd
• Nikiforuk A (1996) The fourth horsemen: a short history of plagues, scourges and emerging viruses. USA: Penguin Books Canada, Limited

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