OP-ED Defending Western medicine

Author: Annie Onishi

Primum non nocere - it's the Hippocratic Oath; a sacred promise that all doctors make before they begin their careers. It means: First, do no harm. I haven't taken it yet, but I'm planning on it some time in the next 10 months or so when I start medical school next August. To do no harm - a straightforward, simple, and elegant way to outline the role of the traditional Western doctor in our society. Unfortunately, this role has recently come under attack from the rising popularity of alternative healing and homeopathy.

Although I personally believe that this recent fad is a sickening manifestation of our society's gross scientific illiteracy, this is not the venue for such a broad-based tirade. Rather, I hope to defend the institution of "traditional Western" medicine - an institution in which I am a firm believer.

Do not misread me: homeopathy is not a complete hoax. Its foundation, based on the keen observation of the total patient, is its strongest talking point. The idea of treating people and not diseases is admirable; I can only hope to someday become the type of doctor that understands the person instead of the x-ray, the life-story instead of the lab results.

While the human side of homeopathy certainly holds merit, the explanation of its so-called healing abilities leaves much to be desired. In fact, even an extraordinarily basic understanding of a few simple scientific principles is enough to induce the skepticism which plagues homeopathy.

For example, the homeopathic theory of the "Law of Similars," is really referring to the biochemistry of our immune systems - how our bodies differentiate between "self" and "not self." And this is how vaccines work. We give our bodies dead versions of viruses like the flu for example, and we let our immune systems learn to recognize them, so when the real thing comes around, our white blood cells and immunoglobulins know to attack and destroy. Vaccinations are similar to the way a cheetah mom gives her cheetah baby an antelope that already has a gaping neck wound - it's just good practice.

So while the homeopathic "Law of Similars" probably has some biochemical merit, it is just not safe to mess around with natural cures and remedies until their full pharmacological effects have been elucidated - and that's the difference between traditional Western medicine and homeopathy. Both observe natural curative phenomena, but only one seeks to explain it on a rational level.

Further, there are certain homeopathic principles that, in addition to being ill-informed and unexplained, are downright dangerous. For example, the idea of treating burns with the hottest water you can stand is a clear violation of a simple rule of thermodynamics - heat flows from hot things to cold things. When you touch something cold, it feels cold because heat is leaving your body and going into the object in an effort to establish a sort of equilibrium. The assertion that heat from water will take heat from a burn is wrong; and if you follow this logic, you might as well just put your hand right back on that scalding pot.

As another example of the danger of homeopathy, its cure for seasickness - ingesting tabacum - is also somewhat curious. The leaf of the tobacco plant, N. tabacum, affects the body via the chemical nicotine's interaction with special receptors that are present in the nerves of your spinal cord and the nerves that connect to your muscles, as well as in certain tissues in your brain. When exposed to nicotine, these receptors are stimulated which causes the myriad effects associated with smoking your first cigarette like nausea, vomiting, and salivation. However, with prolonged exposure, these receptors actually become blocked and paralyzed. When nicotine toxicity occurs, respiratory failure is induced because the nerves that control the breathing muscles cannot fire; your airway becomes obstructed from the obscene amount of saliva and other mucosal secretions; your heart can lose its normal rhythm, you can have seizures, and you can die.

Yes, many FDA-approved drugs and medicines have such nasty effects - but only when used improperly or in unsafe doses. And these factors are explored extensively before the drugs are released onto the market; there's a reason your Claritin comes in 5 mg pills and not 500 mg pills. So how much tabacum will you ingest before your next boating trip? A pinch? A dash? A spoonful? The entire plant?

In this day and age, depending on hearsay, superstition, and gut-instinct is just down-right stupid. We are lucky to live in a society and a time where science saves lives and improves the quality of life everyday. When it comes to decisions about your health, gambling on anything but Western medicine is a risk that no one should be willing to take - there's just too much to lose.