LETTER
In the Name of Medicine
Katherine Gundling, MD
1 October 1998 | Volume 129 Issue 7 | Page 589
TO THE EDITOR:
Dr. Berkenwald [1] eloquently described the complexity of terminology. I would like to add, however, that our profession's adoption of the word allopath should be reconsidered. The term is now used in editorials and articles in major journals and papers [2-4]. The distinction between homeopath and allopath may have been a logical one to Hahnemann (the founder of homeopathy), but today we have naturopaths who treat illness with natural remedies; osteopaths, who place particular emphasis on the spine; and a host of specialized therapies to prevent and cure every ailment. In this sense, allopathy is perceived as just one of many styles of practice, limited by its (apparent) use of foreign or synthetic (and therefore bad) substances.
Does the term allopath do justice to hospice care, geriatric home visits, or preventive medicine? Does it describe the healing touch of a physician's hands, assurance to the worried well, or repair of a defective heart? Ironically, a good history and physical examination are the essence of holistic medicine, which patients think allopaths cannot provide. The term distills the entire practice of a medical doctor into a stereotype that creates assumptions by our patients about what we do.
Do not doubt that there is power in a name. Let's drop the label allopath. Why not refer to ourselves the old-fashioned way, as medical doctors or even physicians?
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Author and Article Information
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University of California, Davis, Medical Center; Sacramento, CA 95817
1. Berkenwald A. In the name of medicine. Ann Intern Med. 1998; 128:246-50.
2. Alpert J. The relativity of alternative medicine [Editorial]. Arch Intern Med. 1995; 155:11-25.
3. Fontanarosa PB, Lundberg GD. Complementary, alternative, unconventional, and integrative medicine [Editorial]. Arch Intern Med. 1998; 158:9-10.
4. Eriksen J. Settling the "integrative" frontier. American Medical News. 1998; 16 Feb:41.
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