How Western Medicine Developed in the US
Western Medicine vs Holistic Health
As a practitioner of alternative medicine, I work with clients who are under the care of primary care physicians (as a reminder, I am not a replacement for your doctor). Often times, clients will attempt to incorporate this doctor in order to use their insurance for ordering labs & bloodwork, only to be dismayed when I tell them (and it’s later proven) that it’s unlikely their doctor will any clue as to what they are talking about upon requesting this laboratory work. This is because there’s an extreme and unfortunate divide between holistic practitioners, like myself and Western (allopathic, conventional) medicine.
Don’t get me wrong, allopathic medicine is beautiful in it’s own way. If I shatter a bone, I want Western Medicine to piece me back together. I don’t think an herbalist would be of much help in that scenario. But when it comes to treating chronic disease, or better yet, preventing it from happening in the first place, I do not trust allopathic medicine, to find out why, read on. This article examines a historical overview of the Western medical business model, built by a very wealthy man, who deliberately sidestepped decent patient care in favor of increased profits.
John D. Rockefeller, a Businessman on A Mission
A glance at American medical history is necessary to comprehend our current healthcare (sick care) structure, and in my opinion, a system that is failing the vast majority of people with health issues. The narrative of modern Western medicine arguably begins with John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), hailed as the wealthiest American ever and the richest person in modern history. While Rockefeller is best known for monopolizing the American oil industry, his influence, regrettably extended far beyond.
By the dawn of the 20th century, Rockefeller had secured control over 90% of America's oil refineries via Standard Oil Corporation, which eventually fragmented into companies like Mobil, Chevron, and Exxon. As byproducts of natural gas and petroleum, “petrochemicals” captivated scientists with the promise of synthesizing a myriad of new compounds, including the first plastics.
As Rockefeller was profiting from plastic and chemical production (at little to no additional cost to his already booming gas and oil production), scientists were discovering vitamins and examining their effects on the body, including their ability to both prevent and reverse certain diseases. Fueled by this discovery and seemingly simple fix for ailments such as scurvy (cured by vitamin C) and rickets (cured by vitamin D), scientists, naturally, looked to create and study synthetic versions of these constituents. In 1935, the synthesis of Vitamin C showcased the potential for petrochemicals in medicine, a prospect Rockefeller keenly eyed for its lucrative patenting and profit-making possibilities. He realized that his byproduct could be turned into high revenue generating companies, where he would manage (and as we will later find out, control and manipulate) not only the oil and chemical industry, but also, the medical industry.
A Solution Offered by Money
However, Rockefeller's vision faced a significant hurdle: the widespread popularity of natural and herbal medicines in early 20th-century America. Nearly half of the country's medical practitioners and colleges were rooted in holistic medicine, drawing on European and Native American traditions, such as naturopaths, herbalists and chiropractors. To monopolize the medical industry, Rockefeller embarked on a campaign to discredit and dismantle these natural healing practices.
His strategy involved acquiring a stake in the German pharmaceutical giant I.G. Farben and commissioning the Flexner Report of 1910. I.G Farben was a German conglomerate in support of the Third Reich (or Nazi Regime). Part of the conglomerate, Bayer (which purchased Monsanto, the maker of RoundUp Weed Killer a.k.a controversial, and as far as I am concerned, health disaster, glyphosate in 2018), took advantage of the lacking legal and ethical constraints for medical testing at the time to use human subjects in concentration camps to perform testing by intentionally infecting a person and seeing if a drug could cure them.
It’s clear to see the unethical motivation in Rockafeller’s plan, compounded by the fact that this partnership would later prove to be pure evil. What’s a bit more murky, is the initial intention of the Flexnor Report of 1910, which advocated for the standardization of medical education under the American Medical Association's oversight. Medical schools at that time had very little structure and requirements, many students hadn’t even finished high school, granted, this was a very different world than we’re currently used to. Many men (the workers of that time) never graduated high school and were successful, proficient and qualified. However, once Rockefeller joined forces to the Flexnor Report, the direction became quite clear, as he claimed traditional healing methods as unscientific “quackery” and said that there were too many doctors and medical schools in America, eliminating most, especially those that housed Black Americans. This move effectively branded and paved the way for allopathic medicine's dominance, characterized by invasive surgeries and toxic treatments such as the injection of mercury and lead to ‘cure disease’. To this day, it’s almost unheard of in American households to use any sort of ‘alternative medicine’ (which used to be the go-to / the ‘norm’) such as herbs, acupuncture etc.
Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie further cemented allopathic medicine's supremacy by funding medical schools that adhered strictly to their allopathic curriculum, systematically erasing any holistic health teachings, including nutrition, herbs, body work and any relationship a physician might have to their patient. It’s astonishing what the power of money can accomplish.
Rockefeller continued to defame his holistic opposition by using the newspapers and media to discredit and even demonize natural medicine and consequently, many doctors practicing natural medicine were penalized and jailed, even though their therapies had been used for centuries. Their influence extended to a rigorous campaign against natural medicine, resulting in the homogenization of medical education and the rise of a drug-dependent healthcare model.
Rockefeller's ambitions even reached China, although his efforts to supplant Traditional Chinese Medicine largely failed, preserving centuries-old practices. Nonetheless, the legacy of Rockefeller and Carnegie's efforts is a healthcare system dominated by "Big Pharma," where alternative treatments are marginalized, and the cost of care soars.
The brilliance of Rockefeller as a business man cannot be undermined, his system is still mainstream, as Big Pharma makes large “donations” to medical schools in exchange for teaching their medical students to prescribe their petrochemical based profitable drugs. In fact, did you know that it is illegal in the U.S. to treat cancer with anything other than radiation, chemotherapy or surgery? Why would it be illegal? Well, cancer treatment averages $150,000. Changing your diet and lifestyle is free.
Rockefeller accomplished exactly what he set out to. His system is still largely in tact today, however, myself and many other holistic practitioners are noticing a shift in what patients are seeking. They are coming to understand that their pursuit is akin to chasing an elusive carrot that won't cure them but merely masks their symptoms, leading to new issues due to the failure to tackle the underlying cause. They recognize that plants and other natural treatments not only offer greater effectiveness than drugs derived from petrochemicals but also minimize the likelihood of adverse side effects.
This exploration into the history of Western medicine highlights the commercial underpinnings of our healthcare system, where patients are often seen as customers and treatment costs can be exorbitant. The stark contrast between the high cost and comparatively low quality of American healthcare underscores the consequences of a profit-driven model. Despite the absence of visual imagery of Rockefeller due to copyright restrictions, his impact on the healthcare landscape remains undeniable, a testament to the enduring influence of his monopolistic practices.
If you are someone dealing with health issues, whose been impacted by the working of Rockefeller (as most of us have), then perhaps it’s time to take a different perspective to your care. If you’d like to book a root cause consultation with me, book here.