I have stated inaccurately that iatrogenic (physician/hospital/drug/surgery-induced) deaths per year are approximately 250,000 in the United States alone. It is not. And medicine is not the third leading cause of American deaths.

I have learnt that an in-depth 30-year study, which cites and references at least 159 reputable medical and scientific peer-reviewed published studies, has proven my words regarding iatrogenesis adverse effects, injuries and deaths to be false. The more accurate number of deaths by modern medicine in the United States alone — according to the recent publication by Gary Null, PhD; Carolyn Dean MD, ND; Martin Feldman, MD; Debora Rasio, MD; and Dorothy Smith, PhD — is much closer to three quarters of a million per year.

The following is an edited excerpt from the peer-reviewed, statistical, scientific study and subsequent findings alluded to above:

“Something is wrong when regulatory agencies pretend that vitamins (and natural care practitioners) are dangerous, yet ignore published statistics showing that government-sanctioned medicine (chemicals and drugs are) the real hazard. Until now, Life Extension could cite only isolated statistics to make its case about the dangers of conventional medicine. No one had ever analysed and combined all of the published literature dealing with injuries and deaths caused by government-protected medicine (as an industry). That has now changed. A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled Death by Medicine that presents compelling evidence that today’s system (despite all of its “regulation”) frequently causes more harm than good. This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year (antibiotics are useless against viruses). The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalisation annually is 8.9 million. The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American Medical System is the leading cause of death and injury in the US (as well as one of the most expensive ways to die). By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5″.

Allopathic medicine is not a purveyor of health care, but of disease care. No diagnosis codes exist for adverse drug side effects, surgical mishaps or other types of medical errors. Until such codes exist, the true mortality rates of medical error will remain buried in the general statistics.

It is imperative that we do everything possible to make sure that this pattern and scale is not repeated here in Jamaica, which could effectively involve one third of the population, comparatively. People need to know that modern “health” care is simply sickness care and disease and symptom management with long-term use of toxic, potentially harmful and deadly drugs. Apart from emergency and critical care, drugs should be avoided at all costs.

At least 50 per cent of surgeries (even up to 75-85 per cent) are neither indicated nor necessary. Most surgeries, save critical conditions, are not worth the risk and the conditions can most times be naturally corrected with lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and chiropractic care, first.

Hippocrates, the original father of modern medicine (the first non-mythical, human one) said:”Get knowledge of the spine, for it is the requisite of disease.” The newer father of modern medicine, William Osler, stated: “One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses, not to take medicine.”

Oh, how far the modern model has strayed from the wisdom of its predecessors in favour of profit in the form of drug sales and distribution.

Look out for part two of this piece next week.

Don’t forget to “Ask Your Chiropractor” every week where your questions may be published and answered in subsequent articles. Address questions to: Dr Chris Davis, the Spinal Mechanic at movethebone@gmail.com; or, Dr Michael Harvey, director, at dr.michael_harvey@yahoo.com or visit www.drharveychiropractic.com