King Charles II, 1685
Curiously, his strength seemed to wane
�The king was bled to the extent of a pint from a vein in his right arm. Next,
his shoulder was cut into and the incised area was sucked of an additional 8oz of
blood. An emetic and a purgative were administered followed by a second purgative
followed by an enema containing antimone, sacred bitters, rock salt, mallow leaves,
violets, beetroot, camomile flowers, fennel seeds, linseed, cinnamon, cardamom seed,
saffron, cochineal and aloes. The king�s scalp was shaved and a blister raised.
A sneezing powder of hellebore was administered. A plaster of burgundy pitch and
pigeon dung was applied to the feet. Medicaments included melon seeds, manna,
slippery-elm, black cherry water, lime flowers, lily of the valley, peony, lavender,
and dissolved pearls. As he grew worse, forty drops of extract of human skull were
administered, followed by a rallying dose of Raleigh�s antidote. Finally Bezoar
Stone was given. Curiously, his Majesty�s strength seemed to wane after all these
interventions and as the end of his life seemed imminent, his doctors tried a last
ditch attempt by forcing more Raleigh�s mixture, pearl julep and ammonia down the
dying King�s throat. Further treatment was rendered more difficult by the king�s
death.� [3]
We can be sure that the physicians gathered around the King�s bed were all leaders in their particular field - royalty and presidents do not settle for anything less. But as Proust observed, with hindsight, we can now see the hideous error of their therapeutics. Today, the skull-drops, the ammonia and the pigeon dung have long since disappeared from the conventional arsenal, but what will we say in a few years� time when we look back on the �highly respected� cancer therapeutics of 2002? Will we dare to venture that there is nothing new under the sun?
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