The worst thing about medicine is that one kind makes another necessary.
About This Quote
Interpretation
Hubbard’s aphorism points to the problem of cascading remedies: a drug taken to address one ailment can produce side effects that require additional drugs, creating a chain of dependency. The line is less an attack on healing than a critique of overmedication and the tendency to treat symptoms piecemeal rather than address underlying causes (including lifestyle and environment). It also reflects a broader skepticism—common in turn-of-the-century American satire and moral essayism—toward professionalized systems that can perpetuate their own necessity. The quote remains resonant in modern discussions of polypharmacy and iatrogenic harm.
Variations
1) “The worst thing about medicine is that one kind makes another necessary.”
2) “The worst thing about medicine is that one kind makes another kind necessary.”
3) “The worst thing about medicine is that one kind makes another kind of medicine necessary.”
