Confessions of a Medical Heretic

Dr. Mendelsohn had an enviable curriculum vitae; it includes being a practicing pediatrician for 40 yrs, expert witness, writer, professor of medical ethics, and medical advisor for LLLI; he knew...Pros ConsDr. Mendelsohn was a practicing, dues paying member of the AMA for over 40 yrs. He was honest to call out his colleagues on the hypocrisy in their proI have not read the new edition, but some of the information may be dated as the vax schedule is expandedDr. Mendelsohn had an enviable curriculum vitae; it includes being a practicing pediatrician for 40 yrs, expert witness, writer, professor of medical ethics, and medical advisor for LLLI; he knew something was wrong with the way modern medicine was run when his former patients came back to him for advice in treating the damage he did to them as children - and following the advice of his professors. Dr. Mendelsohn said to them, "Why are you coming back to me? I am the one who damaged you in the first place." The damage he was talking about was thyroid cancer from radium boxes on the thyroid gland, DES.Dr. Mendelsohn advocated that two pediatricians are worth ONE GRANDMOTHER because the experience of a grandmother, a woman who has raised her own babies to adulthood, is priceless. At great peril to his professional reputation, Dr. Mendelsohn was the first pediatrician in America to advocate against routine childhood vaccines during the swine flu fiasco of 1976 in his syndicated column. Many publications dropped his column after that one, but the dye was cast, and the Medical Heretic was born!Chapter 19 in the book describes the childhood diseases that had vaccines against them when he wrote this book in 1986 and how to treat these diseases using common and time tested home remedies. Mothers with young children in 1986 probably recalled having chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, or the flu and knew that these diseases were not dangerous, so with some bedrest, fluids and attention, the disease quickly passes. This chapter is a responsible writing since today most doctors do not know how to diagnose a case of whooping cough that is right in front of them; this was the cause of the deaths of the 9 babies in California three years ago - doctors in the ER did not know they were dealing with whooping cough and treatment was delayed. The babies were not vaccinated since they were too young for the vaccine but had genuine symptoms that the doctors were too ignorant to recognize as whooping cough. Therefore, parents should be know what symptoms to look for, what treatment to use, and when to go for help.I was most fortunate to meet Dr. Mendelsohn many times in the early 1980s. He was very supportive of mothers and I always felt empowered when I heard him in the media or in person. He was very kind but articulate when he discussed his views.This book puts the parents back in charge of their child's health. How did we get to the point where we look to young educated but in-experienced professionals to tell us how to raise, feed, and care for our children? We need to be responsible for ourselves and make the decisions that we live with, because we really do live with our decisions not the doctors. Truly, this book is a valuable resource for a parent to raise his/her healthy child in spite of any bad advice from any doctor. Doctors are paid consultants and are human, and that should be remembered.

Unfortunately for me, I am currently suffering from the side effects of a prescribed medication (the muscle relaxant, cyclobenzaprine), so I am sensitized.Another reveiwer (A Customer) says that Mendelsohn's 1979 message is out of date. On page 26, Confessions of a Medical Heretic states that in the US, annual deaths from adverse reactions to prescribed drugs run around 20,000 to 30,000 per year. According to my research, current (2013) estimates put this figure at 100,000 to 300,000. So in this aspect at least I would not call Mendelsohn out of date. It's not like the problem has been solved.I love Dr. Mendelsohn, and would follow him anywhere. Wait a minute. That is exactly the kind of blind faith that he was cautioning against. Didn't I learn anything? I would question him everywhere. Actually Mendelsohn passed away in 1988, so he is no longer available for questioning. But one thing I would question is his opposition to national health insurance. Having lived both under it, and out from under it, it seems to me that under it is better. But maybe there is some subtlety that I am missing? Maybe it's something about the insurance part.Anyway, I am sure that Mendelsohn must have had many positive experiences during his long and illustrious career, and he mentions (p. 25) having been proud to have taken part in the miracle of Modern Medicine. But he felt that a cautionary message was needed, so that is what he wrote. Page 167: "I have written this book precisely to scare and to radicalize people BEFORE they are hurt."My quick summary review:Pros: Very good rundown of the perverse incentives and shortcomings that actively drive the medical establishment.Cons: Mendelsohn is a bit heavy handed with his Modern-Medicine-as-religion analogy. Not that he's wrong, mind you, but he pounds it. Of course I am not a physician and I do not have his years of experience; maybe if were and I did, I'd pound it too.One thing that HAS changed since 1979 is the internet availibility of medical information. The patient's job is a lot easier since access to a PDR is no longer necessary.This is an excellent book, and until we revamp or somehow generate ourselves a more humane, true health care system, the book is at least as germane as when it was first published. And that's not just the cyclobenzaprine talking either. Applying the principles in this book could save your life, or your quality of life, or that of a loved one. Highly recommended.

Mendelson es un maestro observador con un pensamiento critico como pocos. En vez de tomar los procedimientos de la profesion medica como dogma, los cuestiona. Si todo el mundo leyera este libro, la industria pro-dinero farmaco-medica se caeria al suelo en 3 años.La inmensa mayoria de sus procesos, cirugias y farmacos no solo son inefectivos e innecesarios, sino perjudiciales para la salud.

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Wow what an eye opener. This was written back in 1979 and I imagine things have gotten a lot worse since then. More surgical procedures, more toxic drugs, no doubt "new" illnesses and syndromes, and more drugging of our children instead of sorting out their dreadful diets. If I ever go to a doctor which is very rare I just want to know what they think is wrong with me and then look after it myself. I have managed to reach sixty two years and am still very much alive and kicking without help from drugs. I dread the time that I may have to accept a GP's help as I know I will have to throw away the little piece of paper that states the side effects,otherwise I will not take them. I have had Virus Pneumonia and Glandular Fever neither of which were helped by the GP who was unable to prescribe anything thank goodness. My body healed me very successfully on it's own. What I want to know is how on earth has the human race survived and managed to populate all the corners of the earth without medicine? Are we not able to heal ourselves 99% of the time without allopathic intervention? Our creator has given us bodies that strive for homeostasis and if given the right conditions will carry us into old age healthy and active. I remember saying to a doctor friend that they could only heal two things, and she said, no that was wrong, they can heal nothing. Give them their due and in the case of trauma they are wonderful. If the so called civilized populations changed their lifestyle and diets then maybe, just maybe, there would be no need for doctors. Utopia! Let us have a new kind of health professional who studies health rather than sickness, and might prescribe a big salad every day for let's say constipation, or fruit to cleanse an irritated colon. Yes, we do have Naturopaths, and Homeopaths and other wonderful therapies and treatments, but not on the National "Health" Service. Before somebody corrects me I know Homeopathy is supposed to be on the NHS, but I have never known anybody who was able to use it. We should be able to choose whom to see if we are ill and the kind of treatment we want. I bet it would be a lot cheaper for the Government of the day.

Just a few pages into this book and I was laughing my head off because what the author said was so true. I liked how he compares the funny similarity of modern medicine with religion.Whats even funnier though is how much of the British know how corny the medical system is yet they still fall for it because they think despite all the screw ups of modern medicine they won't screw up ever time or its better than nothing, that their doctors know better than their patients. (After 25 years I know personally from my family's case that is not so).Despite when this book was originally written nothing has changed, a few alterations in the medical system may be believed but still nothing has changed.It is said the author is a "people's doctor". After reading this book I agree. He has more understanding than any of these doctors nowadays who want to just sell something rather than help the patient.If you want humour, facts, understanding of the doctor's mind, the tactics used by the medical system, no nonsense jargon in between, then this is the book for you.

This is a great book, it really is, and Dr Mendelsohn is (or at least, was) a funny, funny guy. I kind of think of him as a 70s Larry David - the book is full of downright zingers, but these zingers also happen to be true and often very wise (I'm thinking particularly of treating doctors with the same respect as second-hand car salesmen).The downside is the chapter about Dr M's personal beliefs and alternatives to the present medical system. He was a little -- how can I put it? -- fundamentalist: abortion, birth control, and sex for anything but reproduction are all on his list of no-no's.But please don't let that put you off buying this book. It's brilliant and deserves all the five star reviews. It might even save your life. Don't ever stay in hospital and if you have to stay in hospital, then leave at the very first chance you get!