Tradition in Medicine

The Use of Theory and Postulates in Medicine

The author makes various points about the use of theory and postulates in the realm of medicine. The first argument focuses on the use of arbitrary assertions in medical practice, implying that the true causes of mortality and disease are not fully understood. To elaborate, it is not sufficient to just make claims about diseases and limit health to a small scope. On the contrary, the key to acceptable medical practices is a foundation based on the observed onset, progression, treatment, and remedies of an ailment per individual.

The Influence of Theoretical Approaches

Secondly, by using theoretical approach, acquiring accurate causes of diseases and how the body responds become a hard task. Since the practitioners rely on the postulates, each and every one of them develops their own standpoint based on their understanding. This is the reason why the author disputes the application of new postulates for medical purposes. He says that “For this reason, I do not think that medicine is in need of some new postulate.” This statement raises another argument against the modern medicine. Clearly, traditional methodologies revolve around learning from past experiences concerning various diseases, and the factors that make a person healed or get worse. Deviating from such real-life knowledge is a risky venture because the biology of human life is not similar in all people.

Risks of Applying Theories and Assumptions

Thirdly, applying theories and assumptions in treatment can lead to unfavorable outcomes to the patients and this is a great concern for practitioners and the sick as well. Simply put, the author generally calls for the abolishment of postulates and instead, develop an understanding of how the body works. He argues that since “everything has its effect,” changes in the composition of the humours and organs of the body and their relationship to each other must be defined for medicine to be practical and fruitful.

What should Medicine use instead of Postulates?

Apparently, medicine should take a more practical approach that is centered on what an individual experiences in times of health and also during sickness. This is because people differ in symptoms, reactions to treatment, duration of illness and also the outcome. The author mentions that “By such a method, too, the rest of the science will be discovered if anyone who is intelligent enough is versed in the observations of the past and makes these the starting point of his researches.” In the contemporary world, research studies attempt to prove whether a hypothesis is valid or not and this is where the mark is missed. Evidence from the paper point out that proper medical-related studies can make good use of traditional approaches to medicine. Since the methodologies used in the old era worked, the basis for any advances should be founded on traditional medicine and not new conventions. In summary, past experiences, discoveries, and observations are the core elements that will ensure reasonable and practical medicine in today’s world, not theories.

Does the Author avoid Postulates?

The author does not refrain from applying postulates himself since he also supports traditional practitioners who, in one way or another utilized the theoretical approach. This is evident when he supports the early researchers who “carried out their researches well and along the right lines.” However, an in-depth outlook on the paper reveals that even these traditional practitioners had to attribute diseases to a particular factors or things that could cause suffering. They would then look for ways to deal with the proposed element. Clearly, this is a postulate that since the disease-causing factors were not pin-pointed. Likewise, the elimination method depended on trying out more than one remedy. By supporting early medical practitioners who applied postulates in certain situations, the author finds himself using the same aspect that he is so much against.