Some Medical Errors

A (Very) Partial List of Past and Present Medical Fiascos

"Doctors pour drugs of which they know little, to cure diseases, of which they know less, into human beings of whom they know nothing." - Voltaire

DES

Doctors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S.

Injections of  vaccines or antibiotics - now known to predispose to paralytic polio (and still not acknowledged to be particularly relevant to the question of who gets polio and why)

Routine tonsillectomies  - now known to predispose to bulbar polio (and still not acknowledged to be particularly relevant to the question of who gets polio and why)

Routine X-rays with inadequate concern about dose

Thalidomide

The story of Semmelweis -  page 1 & page 2  from Matters of Life & Death: Risks vs. Benefits of Medical Care by Eugene D. Robin, M.D.

Vaccines    

    Cutter vaccine

    High-titer measles vaccine

    Rotavirus vaccine

    SV40 and polio vaccine

X-ray pelvimetry during pregnancy 

Let's not forget one of the current fiascos the medical community still steadfastly denies could be causing any problems - injecting mercury into children via vaccines.  (Note: Although recommendations have gone out to remove mercury from vaccines, they were not recalled, nor has there been official admission of harm done to children due to having had thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines.)