Confessions of a Medical Heretic is a 1979 book by Robert S. Mendelsohn that argues modern medicine is often more dangerous than the diseases it treats. The book criticizes issues like unnecessary surgeries, over-prescription of drugs, and the lack of patient access to information about medical treatments and their side effects. Mendelsohn advises consumers to be skeptical of their doctors and to be informed about their own health.
Key arguments:
- Modern medical practices, including certain surgeries and drugs, are often more harmful than the conditions they are meant to cure.
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Patients should have access to the same information doctors have, such as the Physician's Desk Reference, to understand the risks of treatments.
He specifically criticized the frequent and often unnecessary use of procedures like hysterectomies and radical mastectomies on women.
Author's background:
Robert S. Mendelsohn was a pediatrician who became a vocal critic of the medical establishment. Confessions of a Medical Heretic was his first book to gain widespread attention.
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