The last decade has witnessed an explosion of interest in a wide range of medicines and therapies in the West. Terms such as "traditional", "conventional", "orthodox", "alternative", "integrative", "complementary" and "holistic" abound, but often these do not aid understanding—they are often a byproduct of laziness, and of the politics of medicine.
If you ask someone whether they understand what medicine is, then they will usually either give you a dismissive nod, or will perhaps reply ‘of course’. When you then ask them to follow up and explain in simple terms there is often an embarrassed silence.
I first became interested in the whole field of medicine in the mid-nineties. I scoured bookshops and libraries far and wide, and trawled extensively through numerous websites. But to little avail. There were plenty of books detailing the finer points of Neuro-Immunology or Diagnostic Radiology, for example, but precious few looking at the big picture.
The standard official line that is marketed is that the only serious and scientific form of medicine that is available is what I term ‘Modern Western Medicine’. And that we’ve never had it so good. Furthermore that all other forms of medicine are at best alternative or complementary, or at worst quackery and unscientific. Fortunately we are now beginning to break out of these medical Dark Ages, and this mental prison.
‘What is Medicine?’ intends to draw together all the different strands of medicine like beads on one string, and to review them historically and scientifically. Not all of the main systems of medicine will be covered—Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman and Arab/Islamic included—but the ones chosen are representative of the development of medicine and are educationally useful.
This book is primarily geared for those who wish to learn more about medicine in its totality, and is presented in a simple way for mass communication. ‘What is Medicine?’ is a basic introduction, initial orientation, and serves as a jumping-off point for those wishing to delve more deeply into the arena of medicine.
Moreover the most important purpose is to aid and self-empower people to reclaim some degree of control over this most basic aspect of themselves—their own bodies and health—and to view doctors and consultants on more equal terms with themselves, rather than just a more modern equivalent of an all-knowing priesthood from the Middle Ages.