“ But the prestige of doctors is curiously unaffected by their lack of success. Until around 1900, we now know, the medical profession scarcely cured anyone and did nothing to increase average life expectancy. Without a correct theory of disease it could not hope to discover remedies except by chance. Yet faith in doctors, and the belief that their endeavours were scientific, remained almost entirely unaffected by these distressing facts. It’s a point that would be well worth bearing in mind by the people who now campaign against homoeopathy and even faith healin
