Taking the Medicine, By Druin Burch

Christopher Hirst
Friday 08 January 2010 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Though some pages may require a mild anaesthetic, this is a gripping history of the blundering progress of medicine, by an Oxford hospital doctor. He is not the first medic to express doubts.

In 1843, Oliver Wendell Holmes, professor of anatomy, advanced the view that puerperal fever was spread to women in childbirth by medical attendants: "I had rather [they] should be delivered unaided in a stable than that they should receive the best help in the fairest apartment but exposed to the vapours of this pitiless disease." Even today, Burch insists, aspirin is wrongly seen as a cure rather than the treatment of a symptom.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in