Heroic medicine: Difference between revisions
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'''Heroic medicine''' has several meanings, depending on the era of discussion. In the pre-scientific period, it referred to such things as belief all disease was believed to be due to overstimulation, or to an imbalance [[humors]], which needed to be balanced or released by bloodlettin or other means. Later, it referred to using extremely toxic treatments, without strong justification, for ill-defined illnesses. | '''Heroic medicine''' has several meanings, depending on the era of discussion. In the pre-scientific period, it referred to such things as belief all disease was believed to be due to overstimulation, or to an imbalance [[humors]], which needed to be balanced or released by bloodlettin or other means. Later, it referred to using extremely toxic treatments, without strong justification, for ill-defined illnesses. | ||
Today, it can refer to two quite dissimilar things. One is treatment that really needs to be recognized as [[futile care]] with no hope of improving quality of life. The other is exceptionally high-risk treatment where risk is proportional to benefit. | Today, it can refer to two quite dissimilar things. One is treatment that really needs to be recognized as [[futile care]] with no hope of improving quality of life. The other is exceptionally high-risk treatment where risk is proportional to benefit. | ||
==Early usage== | ==Early usage== | ||
[[Benjamin Rush]], in [[The Enlightenment]], pushed bloodletting, | [[Benjamin Rush]], in [[The Enlightenment]], pushed bloodletting, strong and toxic laxatives such as [[calomel]] and other harsh methods to reduce overstimulation. <ref>{{citation | ||
| url = http://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/exhibits/quackery/quack2.html | | url = http://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/exhibits/quackery/quack2.html | ||
| publisher = University of Toledo | | publisher = University of Toledo | ||
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| author = Barbara Floyd, | | author = Barbara Floyd, | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
[[Homeopathy]], introduced [[homeopathy]] as an alternative to 19th century heroic medicine. <ref>{{citation | |||
| Dr. Hahnemann's cure for 'heroic' medicine - Samuel Hahnemann, homeopath | |||
| journal = FDA Consumer | date = March, 1985 | |||
| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_v19/ai_3664132/}}</ref> Homeopathic practitioners often obtained better survival rates than their heroic counterparts, but, from the contemporary medical perspective, this was due to the homeopaths' not administering actively dangerous treatments. | |||
==Transition== | ==Transition== | ||
==Modern period== | ==Modern period== | ||
Revision as of 17:38, 7 October 2010
Heroic medicine has several meanings, depending on the era of discussion. In the pre-scientific period, it referred to such things as belief all disease was believed to be due to overstimulation, or to an imbalance humors, which needed to be balanced or released by bloodlettin or other means. Later, it referred to using extremely toxic treatments, without strong justification, for ill-defined illnesses.
Today, it can refer to two quite dissimilar things. One is treatment that really needs to be recognized as futile care with no hope of improving quality of life. The other is exceptionally high-risk treatment where risk is proportional to benefit.
Early usage
Benjamin Rush, in The Enlightenment, pushed bloodletting, strong and toxic laxatives such as calomel and other harsh methods to reduce overstimulation. [1]
Homeopathy, introduced homeopathy as an alternative to 19th century heroic medicine. [2] Homeopathic practitioners often obtained better survival rates than their heroic counterparts, but, from the contemporary medical perspective, this was due to the homeopaths' not administering actively dangerous treatments.
Transition
Modern period
Futility
High-risk
- Leucovorin rescue
- Pelvic exenteration
References
- ↑ Barbara Floyd,, Scientific Medicine, University of Toledo
- ↑ FDA Consumer, March, 1985