/oss/taxonomy/term/6359/all en /oss/article/medical-history/enigma-evidence-based-medicine <p align="left">I know what you’re thinking. If not evidence-based, what else could medicine be? Well, it could be based on conjecture, hearsay, wishful thinking, anecdote or just plain flim-flam. Indeed, throughout most of our history, medicine was not evidence-based. Bloodletting, purging and various herbal treatments were practiced without any attempt to systematically determine whether they worked. Heart attack victims were put on extended bed rest, and patients after cataract surgery had to endure days of lying still with sandbags over their heads, just because this seemed logical.</p> Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9172 at /oss