Following article was published 10th of August 1960 in an Icelandic womens journal
PILL EPIDEMIC
In our days, where everything evolves around saving time and space, it even reaches the area of pharmacology. People do no longer want to spend time and space on large medicine bottles, but the new thing is to for the cure to be done quickly with small tablets — or pills, as they are commonly called — with concentrated medicinal power and stored in compact bottles or packages.
This convenient arrangement does however include the danger that people may start taking pills on time and off time.
But let’s look at the positive side first:
Various types of food, which we take to us directly from nature, may now also be available in a different and smaller form, i.e. pills. And for people in certain fields of work, this is pure and direct necessity, such as e.g. athletes in competitions.
Short, hard sports competitions, e.g. which test so hard on the competitor’s strength, that in order to get renewed power during the race he must be able to take in something that works extremely quick. And now all he needs is to stab up to one dextrose sugar tablet in order to be able to throw himself out again in the competition with new enthusiasm. These tables have it to their advantage, that they dissolve and digest and “fire up” the body in a flash of a moment.
Pregnant women need to supplement their diet with A, D vitamins and iron during pregnancy, except for those who live with abundance of fresh meat and vegetables all year round.
VlTAMlN TABLETS AND COLDS.
In the last few years, it has come into the limelight, to prevent or cure a runny nose by taking 3 to 4 200 milligram vitamin C tablets daily. Such amounts are harmless and can even be beneficial, if it is not taken in more than 1-2 weeks, but it is not healthy to consume it for longer periods.
Vitamin B tablets have good toning effects, especially after surgery, but they should be consumed only according to medical advice, because in many cases it has become clear later, that the lack of power they were meant to improve, prooved to be anemic condition, and prevented the long-term use of the vitamin B, as diagnose of anemia would be done quickly and properly.
Aspirin tablets are swallowed by humans in millions every month. One tablet, once or twice a day, does no harm, and also does its useful part for dulling headaches and various other minor aches. But too large doses of aspirin — and which should especially be avoided for children – can cause bleeding in the stomach lining. In general, people did commonly not know about this dangerous side of aspirin until recently, but it has been well known to medical science since the beginning, which was in 1889 as this is a drug this was invented in Germany. And the truth is that aspirin, which is acetylsalicylic acid was initially produced in the hope that it would not work irritating to the stomach lining in same manner as salicylic acid, which was previously used. But that hope did not come true, however the drug proved to be surprisingly effective against various inflammations and certain species of gout.
Nevertheless moderate use of aspirin does not induce bleeding and is perfectly safe. But as said before, it can be given to children, but with special caution. Two tablets of aspirin are usually not double as effective as one tablet, and four tablets are probably four times more harmful.
ENERGY PILLS
Then there are the so-called energy pills. Doctors know what they are talking about, when they say we are completely “against” them. Artificial energy in form of a pill is a fraud mill, which almost invariably ends up with corrupt health.
It is with them, like all other stimulants, to gradually break down the person who takes them. Some of these stimulants especially those that reduce the appetite can become healthy harmful, because they are addictive. And what’s worse, that they are often used in order to “drive the tired horse” where rest and sleep should come instead in their place. When such pills have being taken in late in the day, they take away the normal need for sleep in the evening, and when sleep does not show to itself after long wait, sleeping pills become the only remedy, and taking them creates even worse risk of addiction.
SEDATIVE PILLS.
The ever-increasing production of various sedatives, is truly a symbol of our time. But such drugs are therefore only useful, if they are consumed at the right time as prescribed, in correct amount. A doctor would e.g. give the patient a sedative before doing the procedure of minor operation, such as e.g. sew together a cut, but not, if the same person would drive a car once within two hours or go alone through dangerous traffic, because, such drugs have, among other things, the effect that people’s sense of security will be greater than it actually is.
About all these pills it is finally to say, those that are readily available without a prescription, such as e.g. iron, vitamins and aspirin, can help well if used in reasonably small doses, but those that are not available without a prescription, should never be taken except according to medical advice and in the doses he advises.
Translated to from Icelandic to english from this source: Eldhúsbókin 10th of August 1960