The Oct. 11, 1999, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine featured a transcript of a debate between Andrew Weil, M.D. — perhaps the leading popularizer of “natural medicine” in the United States — and Dr. Arnold Relman. Dr. Relman defended the principles of biomedicine (so-called traditional Western medicine), which has been practiced in the United States for more than 60 years.

Biomedicine is based on the scientific method, with reasoned analysis of observational studies and of clinical trials designed to prevent the influence of bias in the pursuit of the most effective means of diagnosing and treating diseases. Unlike Relman, Weil advocates a mix of biomedical methods and magical, religious, and non-mainstream herbal methods. He calls this mix “integrative medicine.”

In the foreword to the book “Coyote Medicine” — a paean to Native American shamanism — Weil described the breakup of medicine, religion and magic as “our loss.” In a lecture on integrative medicine broadcast on public television in March 1997, he stated:

” … [W]hen [American] Indians use the word medicine … their concept of medicine is quite different from ours. And I’m tempted to call it “medicine with a capital m.” … The Indian concept of medicine embraces spiritual aspects of human beings. It embraces what we call magic and religion, which are seen in conventional medicine as having nothing to do with medicine. I think our society desperately needs “medicine with a capital m” — medicine in the larger sense.

” … [O]ne of the key functions of a shaman is to mediate between the visible world of everyday experience and the invisible world. How can you do that if you don’t believe that an invisible world exists? You can’t. So we need a whole new kind of physician.”

Weil has further declared: “All our problems come down to how we are training our doctors. We do not take account of human beings as mental, emotional, spiritual beings as well as physical bodies.”

Although the moderator equated alternative medicine, complementary medicine, and integrative medicine, Relman suggested that integrative medicine was a hypothetical combination of alternative medicine and science-based medicine. He stated:

Weil’s argument, in a nutshell, was that:

many patients worldwide are seeking help outside “conventional medicine”

they are doing so not only because of the “impersonality and time constraints” accompanying managed care, but also because they have found “alternative methods” occasionally effective

many medical students, physician trainees and practicing physicians are requesting education in integrative medicine

patients want physicians who are unrushed, speak to them in plain terms, are knowledgeable about dietary supplements, are sensitive to psychosomatic factors, are open-minded concerning Chinese medicine, and are willing to regard them as more than physical bodies

the incidence of iatrogenic (inadvertently medically induced) harm through pharmaceuticals is considerable.

This argument may not be strong, but it is revealing. Reportedly, Chicago department-store pioneer Marshall Field (1834-1906) once said reprovingly to a sales clerk: “Give the lady what she wants.” This directive became famous and sums up the philosophy of many early department-store owners.

The intention of giving consumers whatever they want may be appropriate for most retail sectors of the U.S. economy. For healthcare practitioners, however, this intention is a potential Pandora’s box. Regrettably, it seems that a variation of Field’s directive sums up the philosophy of most alt-med proponents, including Dr. Weil.

Here are a lot of strong and great pluses of pharmacy on line. The remedies that are affordable at an online drugstore are much more economical than which are affordable in a local drugstore.