In early 1995 and into 1996, I came under a lot of flak for actively promoting a wholesome raw meat diet. So in January, 1996, I thought an article about choices
was appropriate.
I along with many other associations, vets and people like you are pioneers.
We have made a choice. We have chosen to become active participants in the
health and well being of our companions, something that not enough people do.
When Hippocrates and others like Dioscorides, and Soranus practiced their
medicine, they used what was available to them, usually herbs. Their knowledge
was passed on through their books. Other individuals like midwives passed their
knowledge on from one generation to another.
As time went on, the use of herbs was less and less frequent. To their own
varying degree, religion and the ever increasing rise of science deemed the use
of herbs witchcraft and sorcery.
Near the end of the 18th century, science became very important. However,
this was not without its toll as centuries of superstition deemed herbology and
other alternatives to be superstitious nonsense.
Much is recorded and cultures all around the world have used herbs since time
immemorial, but these stories are classified as unscientific old wives
tales
.
Knowledge continued to be passed from one generation to another, much to the
dismay of fearful physicians and those in the medical community. But, through
political influence, the medical community began to suppress competition from
herbalists and other like them.
When a struggle arose between which way was best, the allopaths won while the
homeopaths and herbalists lost. These allopaths are our modern doctors and vets.
Their associations have been given the legal monopoly on medical education and
certification.
Naturopathy was founded in 1895. According Dr. Flemming, a retired naturopathic doctor who started practicing in the 1950's, there were literally
thousands (almost 20,000) naturopaths practicing throughout North America in the 1920's. But then Mr. Rockerfeller, who recently bought shares in a
pharmaceutical company of the time, found it necessary to pressure government into helping to disband the naturopathic movement. The reason why Mr.
Rockerfeller pressured the government to disband the naturopaths is simply because the naturopaths refused to carry, provide or prescribe the
pharmaceutical product that Mr. Rockerfeller was promoting.
Sad to say, naturopaths outnumbered allopathic doctors until this time. The
numbers of naturopaths decreased until their low point of around the 1950's but
now there are more and more naturopaths again.
In many ways, the health of ourselves and our pets have been taken away from
us. Modern medicine is not an exact science and neither is herbology, but at
least herbology has been used for over 3000 years and even longer in Asia. However, because of medical
elitism, other approaches to health have been suppressed and laws to this degree
have been created when possible. Some will say that these laws were also created
for the financial benefit of some.
Luckily many doctors and veterinarians are changing their ways as more and
more overwhelming evidence continuously shows the importance of a healthy
lifestyle and a lifestyle that lives in harmony with the laws of nature.
It is ironic that the science that was created to tout modern medicine can
now be used to show and in some cases prove the benefits of natural means. For
example, modern tests have proven that the Chinese acupuncture meridians do
exist and exist exactly where the ancient Chinese said the lines are.
The problems lies though with those medical practioners who are steeped in
their older medical practices and still show skepticism. Doctors and
veterinarians who continuously try to improve their practice, look for
alternatives, and who respect another person's choice should be congratulated
and supported.
No–one is saying we don't need doctors or vets, what we are saying is we
need a choice. It's your body, your life and your pet depends on your choices
whatever they may be. The key is freedom of choice.
At present, close to 40% of the population prefers or use
holistic / alternatives methods of healing. In addition, this percentage is
growing at a rapid pace.
As said at the beginning, we are pioneers. We appear as pioneers because only
a small percentage of the population uses holistic methods with their
companions. This number is growing because of pioneers like you, holistic vets
and others. In time we will be able to look back and be in awe of all that we
have achieved.
The issue here is not about which way is right or wrong, but about
choice.
Paths are many, truth is one