Man-made Maladies and Medicine

Man-made, including iatrogenic, maladies are usually unforeseen and may fall into several categories: those resulting from diagnosis and treatment, those relating to social and psychological attitudes or situations, and those emanating from mass programs to control or eradicate diseases. Examples: the physician-originated spread of “shipyard eye,” tactless behavior toward patients, and lapses in malaria eradication programs. From a presentation of some results from acts of good intention, we may come to anticipate at least some of the unanticipated consequences of health-related interference, much as we are all becoming aware of other consequences of man's tampering with earthly resources.