In the various chapters of this book we have frequently touched upon the medical anticipations of the future. So far-reaching are some of these expectations that some of them will make a number of medical methods of the last few years as outdated in ten or twenty years from now, as today's medi­cine eclipses the well-intentioned but inadequate attempts of some of the old folk medicines.

"Unless optimistic researchers are wrong, we have already entered the most spectacular decade in the history of medi­cine," writes Pat McCormick in The American Weekly, Octo­ber 23, 1960. "By 1970, there seems an excellent chance that we will have ridden down the Four Horsemen of suffering and death."

To enumerate the fields of research in which medicine is making such outstanding progress would mean delving into virtually every area of medicine.

In the field of immunization alone, as already has been indicated, more and better protection against diseases is ap­pearing steadily.

Transplantation of organs from one body to another; the possibility of storing "spare parts" from persons killed in accidents, or from otherwise healthy individuals, for use by the diseased apparently is approaching reality.

Plastics are becoming functioning parts in human bodies.

New drugs that may quickly reverse the action of such widespread ailments as coronary artery disease are almost within sight.

Preventive medicine undoubtedly will continue to make great progress. Thomas Francis, Jr., M.D., of the Medical School, University of Michigan, says in the 25th Anniversary Issue of What's New, "The next 25 years should witness major developments in these lines of research. One can spec­ulate that the basic abnormality involved in arteriosclerosis will be defined. Dependable markers will have developed to designate the precoronary, the prediabetic, some types of the prehypertensive, and certain prepsychotic segments of the population."

Dr. Francis also predicts that the underlying mechanisms at fault in rheumatoid arthritis will be demonstrated and advance made in avoiding their development, as well as prog­ress dealing with rheumatic fever, leukemia, and other conditions.

There are many problems in this new world of medicine upon hich we are about to embark. Some of these, too, have been discussed in preceding chapters.

Care for the aged is a pressing problem, the expansion of medical care, the growing feeling of the public that medical care has become "life's fourth social right"—are among some of the problems that weigh heavily upon the world of medicine, and upon the public.

Money for research is plentiful. Qualified persons to con­duct research are not plentiful. The problem of educating more doctors and scientists for research and the other fields of medicine is becoming more and more difficult to solve.

How important medical care has become is demonstrated by the fact that for the first time the problem of medical care was one of the major issues in a presidential election.

How openly some of the problems are being discussed by, and before, millions, may be indicated by the increasing number of articles and books, news stories, and television and radio programs devoted to the problems.

Early in this year one of the television networks not only devoted an initial hour-long program to the pros and cons of our medical problems, featuring national leaders in medicine, industry, unions, and educational circles, but it followed this with a searching and sharp debate between Walter Reuther, union leader in the automobile industry, and Dr. Edward R. Annis, spokesman for the American Medical Association.

Dr. Dean Clark, Director of Massachusetts General Hos­pital and Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine at Har­vard Medical School is quoted as summing up some of the problem in these words: •

"A huge new problem faces the medical profession—the distribution of medicine on a mass basis. This has never been accomplished before. The whole question is new and difficult."

Dr. Clark believes that the public, and not the medical profession, will determine the "institutional framework of medicine in the future," Edward T. Chase reports in Harper's.

Thus medicine, in huge strides, seems to step, almost im­patiently, over the concepts of folk medicine, and other previous developments of medicine, as it hurries toward a new and vitally important destiny.

Yet, paradoxically, in the midst of this new medical en­lightenment, a book describing and advocating the use of a certain philosophy of "folk medicine" is a best seller; millions upon millions of dollars are spent by the public for worthless "remedies" for various ills; people who are assured by their doctors that they don't need additional vitamins, continue to buy them and take them; health faddists continue to find followers to support them; and undoubtedly thousands upon thousands of persons—probably most of them past middle age—said sometime during the year: "I still think the old-fashioned remedies were the best!"

Thus it was that a well-educated, highly knowledgeable businessman in a West Coast city was stopped by a friend recently and asked about his health, especially in regard to a coronary attack he had suffered several years ago.

"I feel fine," said the businessman. "I see my doctor regu­larly, get a cardiogram and a check on my cholesterol. Watch my weight and get good exercise."

"You certainly look fine," the friend agreed. "No tonics or medicine?"

"Well, there is one other thing," the businessman admitted, a little sheepishly, "the wife has me taking vinegar and honey every day. Yogurt, too. Old folk medicine stuff, I guess. Maybe it helps."

"You really think so?"

The businessman looked suddenly thoughtful, and his eyes had a twinkle of amusement as he answered.

"Maybe that's it," he said. "Maybe I really think so—and maybe thinking so is pretty darned good medicine sometimes!"

The friend, an attorney, nodded absent-mindedly, his thoughts evidently elsewhere for the moment. "Vinegar and honey?" he said. "My grandmother used to swear by a spring tonic she made all of us take. Sulphur and molasses. You know, I'm not sure some of those old remedies weren't the best of all?"

The End

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