Product Description

Is there really a safer, more effective natural alternative to most prescription and over-the-counter medicines?The answer is yes. In this groundbreaking book, Michael T. Murray provides specific natural alternatives to some of the drugs most used by Americans, including Tagamet, Prednisone, Seldane, and Zantac, as well as alternatives to over-the-counter drugs used to treat acne, high cholesterol, hay fever, heartburn, insomnia, and many other common ailments.Naturopathic physician Michael T. Murray discusses the effectiveness, and the unwanted side effects, of many of the drugs used today. He then shows how these drugs can be replaced with less expensive natural remedies whose medicinal benefits have been proven in clinical studies. Murray discusses dozens of herbal remedies, vitamins and minerals, extracts, and ointments, and shows how each can be used to bring relief from specific ailments. With easy-to-understand charts, graphs, and tables throughout, the book offers detailed, practical information that will help readers live a fuller, healthier life -- free from pharmaceutical medicines.As Dr. Alan R. Gaby writes in his Foreword: "Because of the efforts of Dr. Murray and others, the medical profession is slowly becoming aware that there are legitimate alternatives to drugs and surgery. As the research and data supporting natural medicine continue to increase, and as the limitations and dangers of conventional medicine become more widely appreciated, natural medicine will emerge as the only reasonable alternative."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1246277 in Books
• Published on: 1994-03-24
• Released on: 1994-03-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 383 pages

From Library Journal
Murray ( The Encylopedia of Natural Medicine , LJ 5/1/91) has written another excellent book offering an alternative to traditional healthcare. He does more than merely list alternatives to over-the-counter and prescription drugs; his book also includes information on the causes of diseases, the side effects of both drug and herbal therapies, and practical advice on diet and exercise. A section on staying healthy is particularly good since it doesn't overwhelm the reader with too much information. Murray presents a good balance between the advantages and disadvantages of both natural remedies and conventional medical treatment. Although libraries that own the more in-depth encyclopedia by the author may not need this work, it belongs in all other libraries as one of the best guides to healthy living. With an excellent bibliography; highly recommended.
- Natalie Kupferberg, Montana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Michael T. Murray, N.D., teaches at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. In addition to practicing medicine, he is the author of fourteen books, including A Textbook of Natural Medicine. He lives in Bellevue, Washington.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Making Medicine or Making Money

The United States spends more money on health care than any country in the world. For 1994, the projection is that the total will exceed one trillion dollars. Despite this tremendous financial commitment, are Americans getting their money's worth? If so, why is the United States ranked sixteenth in terms of life expectancy and why are there more people in nursing homes in this country than anywhere else in the world? Where is all this money spent on health care going? Are drug companies and doctors more concerned about making money than making people healthy?

Since the 1950s, the drug industry has been the most profitable industry in America. In December 1959, the last year of the Eisenhower administration, the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly heralded a year-long investigation of the drug industry with the declaration that the public was not only being overcharged for drugs, but was being ripped off by more than $250 million a year for useless and sometimes harmful medicines. The drug industry was harshly criticized for its unrestricted promotional, marketing, and pricing practices.

Have things changed in the last thirty-five years? Yes, they have gotten much better for the drug companies at the public's expense. During the past thirty-five years, drug costs have skyrocketed at a rate four times that of inflation. In 1960, the drug industry was the most profitable industry in America, with a profit margin of 10.6 percent of sales. By 1992, this had increased to 13 percent.

In 1980, the average prescription cost was $6.52. In 1992, the cost of the same prescription was $22.50. Since 1980, prescription drug costs have risen nearly three times higher than the consumer price index. Projections are that drug costs will continue to rise at a rate of nearly 10 percent per year for the next few years. Some drugs will see rises even steeper. Not surprisingly, the drugs most likely to rise in cost are those in highest demand among aging baby-boomers. For example, Premarin, a drug used primarily in women around the time of menopause, is being prescribed more. In 1985, the price of one hundred tablets of Premarin was $13.34; in 1991, the price had increased by nearly 2.5 times that amount to $33.09.

Customer Reviews

A must for every one interested in integrated medicine
Dr. Murray proves once again his outstanding breadth of knowledge when it comes to complementing conventional medicine with advanced natural medicine. The book contains 3 major sections: The first section discusses the current need for natural medicine, the second one brings in-depth comparisons of common drugs vs. natural alternatives for 18 major ailments, and the third section beautifully covers 5 aspects of the "staying healthy" issue. The main aspects of each and every ailment included in this book is wisely covered, and the available conventional vs. alternative medications are critically discussed. The book reads fluently and the author spent much energy to make each and every medical term easy to understand and comprehend, even for layman. This is a must for health practitoners as well as for each and every health conscious individual.

DON'T SEE A CHIRORACTOR FOR MIGRAINES!!!!
Dr. Murray "strongly recommends" seeing a chiropractor for migraines. I am a 41 year old otherwise healthy woman who saw a chiropractor for a migraine and ended up with a stroke (caused by a dissection of the vertebral artery). Do some research on this on the internet, and you will see that this is not all that rare. My neurologist (one of the very best in the country) is convinced that the manipulation is the cause of my stroke. I want to keep others from death or paralysis. PLEASE find another way to deal with your migraine!