Self medication

Monday, April 6th., Cadogan Square, London.

Some weeks ago Mrs. S.M. recommended to me some anti-fat pills mad and sold by a chemist at Nice. The course was six boxes. I got the six boxes from Nice and began. She positively assured me that they were quite harmless and very effective. After I had taken a little more than two boxes I began to notice that I perspired very freely and also was short-winded after any exertion. Also that my heart made a too loud noise and was rather irregular. So much so that I could not sleep on my left side on account of the thumping row! Fjellsted, my masseur, told me my heart had been affected by something, but he didn't know what, or why. I haven't told him about the anti-fat pills as he is strongly against pills of all kinds.

I then sent for Dr. Griffin. He examined me and said that organically my heart was quite all right, but that it had been upset by the pills and I must cease to take them at once. There has been some improvement but I still have to walk upstairs very slowly and avoid physical strain. Dr. Griffin had the pills analysed. The ingredients listed on the box, in accordance with French law, are iodothyrine, hypophyse, surenales and genesiques. But it seems that the quantity of thyroid is in fact greater than in the formula, and the other things less. He said that I oughtn't to take medicines without consulting him. And of course he is quite right. It is perfectly staggering the idiotic things even a wise man will do.

All my life it seems I have sought 'miracle cures' for health problems. I am remarkably credulous in this respect, and I puzzle to understand why. It seems that a part of the nature of humans is to have a belief in the irrational. If not, why should religions persist? And think about things like superstitions, lucky charms, and betting systems. Reason has done a great deal to improve the world since the Enlightenment, but it hasn't made a scrap of difference to man's fundamental nature.