A Pill for every ill

In the tribal days there were a couple of people in the tribe that held positions of authority and importance. The most obvious would be the Chief, the person responsible for the tribe. But the person that came in a close second to overall importance was the Medicine Man. While it was the duty of the Chief to provide leadership and direction to the tribe, the job of the Medicine Man was to keep the entire tribe healthy.

It is true that being Medicine Man would bring with a certain level of respect and authority, but I think there is a much more important reason why being a successful Medicine Man would be very important. Was it because of the bigger teepee in the most prime spot of the village? Was it because of the faster, flashier horse he got to ride? Or was it because he actually had a personal, vested interest in the health and well being of every member of the tribe?

I believe that the last option makes the most sense. You see, while the members of the tribe were dependent on the Medicine Man to help them stay healthy, the Medicine Man was dependent on the rest of the tribe for his own needs, so if they were in poor health, it would directly affect him. If the Chief were sick, the tribe would be without necessary leadership; if the warriors were ill, the tribe would be without protection; if the hunters were not healthy, the tribe would be without food; if the squaws were sick, there would no clothes.

In the tribal world, every one of these things would have impacted the Medicine Man directly, so his well being was directly connected to that of the tribe.

Now, let's look at the modern medical industry. Right off the bat, the fact that it is referred to as an "Industry" is a very bad sign. When medicine became an industry, then it became a business, which means it centers on profit. I believe that it was the introduction of medical insurance back in the 1950's that really created the current "Medical Industry". It changed the dynamic of medicine being a "Calling" into being a "Profession".

Believe it or not, there was actually a time when a person would attend medical school because they really wanted to help people. Nowadays, why do most parents want their kids to become doctors? Because of the PAY!! Not because it is a noble thing to do. It's because it is a way to make good money and lead a better life style.

Not so long ago, medicine in this country was more like the tribal model than the current model. There was a doctor that would service the needs of people in their own community. You remember, the days of the "house call". Much like the Medicine Man, these community doctors relied on people around them for their own well being. Then communities grew and hospitals were joined by clinics. Then health insurance started limiting which doctors a person could see and patients went from being a familiar face to a number. The doctor's personal vested interest in the health of each patient has vanished!

Patients have become customers. In business, what are the best kinds of customers? Repeat customers! So, is the medical industry of today really geared towards wanting to keep their customers healthy? Or is it more suited to keeping people just healthy enough to be able to go to work to earn the money needed to cover their co-pay?

Ask yourself this question: does it seem like the medical industry wants people to thrive or just be alive?

The answer to this question speaks volumes as to why people in this industry are less than receptive to something that might actually improve the long term health of a person. There is a lot of money in people being, and staying, sick and the reality is that getting and keeping people truly healthy is not financially prudent for the medical industry. 

- Renix Graham, III via Jerry Kostecka 

"Water is the only drink for a wise man." - Henry David Thoreau

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