(25.0K) |
A hundred years ago in the United States, one out of three
children was expected to die of an infectious disease before
the age of five. Early death or severe lifelong debilitation
from scarlet fever, diphtheria, tuberculosis, meningitis, and many
other bacterial diseases was a fearsome yet undeniable fact of life to
most of the world's population. The introduction of modern drugs to
control infections in the 1930s began as a medical revolution that has
added significantly to the lifespan and health of humans. It is no
wonder that for many years, antibiotics in particular were regarded as
the miracle cure-all for infectious diseases. In later discussions, we
will evaluate this misconception in light of the shortcomings of
chemotherapy. Although antimicrobic drugs have greatly reduced the
incidence of certain infections, they have definitely not eradicated
infectious disease and probably never will. In fact, in some parts of
the world, mortality rates from infectious diseases are as high as before
the arrival of antimicrobic drugs. Nevertheless, humans have
been taking medicines to try to control diseases for thousands of
years.
|