Will Falconer, DVM Moderator
Yes, Elle, lots of whacky things were once accepted as medicine. Allopathic medicine has never had a strong foundation that remains unshakable, like that of homeopathy. It's a path of short cuts and hopeful "one size fits all" prescribing, and things will continue to come and go, like mercury and bleeding.
Imagine: the founding principles of homeopathy from it's beginnings 200 years ago still apply today. As do the remedies those early prescribers discovered healed the majority of suffering patients. You'll not find much like that in all of medicine. Perhaps TCM comes close.
The bright side to the craziness that went on with mercury is that we homeopaths learned about its use as a remedy (safe, diluted form) from the patients who were poisoned with it at the hands of their doctors! It's a major remedy today, thanks in part to that understanding of how it poisons.
My hope is that, before too many years and autistic kids go by, we'll stop vaccinating, and look back, shaking our heads and saying, "OMG, I can't believe we thought that was ever a good idea!"
Thanks for your thoughtful comment.