Experimenting with the Alternatives

Smallpox was a disease that ravaged the world. Nobody knew the cause of smallpox and there was no cure. But there were 'alternative treatments'. It was known that once someone had smallpox, they did not get it again. They became immune to it.

In China, survivors of mild smallpox were found. The crusts from their soars were scraped and ground up into fine powders. Healthy people inhaled the powder in an attempt to become immune. Mothers injected pieces of smallpox scabs into their children. Threads were soaked in the fluids from smallpox soars and then placed just under the surface of the skin.

In the late 1700's an English country doctor developed a vaccine. He knew that milkmaids never got smallpox, but did get the similar but milder disease, cowpox. His vaccine used cowpox as the vaccine. After infecting a young boy with cowpox, he injected the boy with smallpox several weeks later. The boy never became ill.

Now, we know the science behind this. We know that the body creates antibodies and these antibodies protect us from getting the disease again. Now that we know the scientific reasons, children and adults are routinely vaccinated. For measles, mumps, rubella, polio and the flu.

The 'experimental treatments' did not have the science but they were on the right track. It took science to understand why and to take the myth out of the experiments. But there was some truth to their efforts. Back then, scraping soars and inhaling the powder was, likely, considered madness. But those that survived the process, did become immune.

Now, again we have a range of 'alternative treatments'. Many of these may be exactly right for treating certain conditions. Others may be 'on the right track'. It is the job of science to determine what these treatments have to offer. And more and more scientific research is in the areas of alternative medicines. The National Institutes of Health has a department dedicated to the scientific testing of alternative and complementary medicine. They describe themselves as 'dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science...and disseminating authoritative information.'

Health web sites such as Health Scout and Health Central have sections specifically for alternative medicine. Here you can find all the latest scientific findings and news about alternative medicines. Have a look at the top news stories each day and you may be surprised how many studies are being done into alternative medicine.

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