“It’s a Brave New World!”
Aldous Huxley created this science fiction world in 1931, and it has remained a popular work since then.
Now, it would seem from many appearances, we have actually entered the world that he described over three-quarters of a century ago.
In the novel, virtually all the residents of this imagined future constantly resort to partaking of a product called soma. It is a concoction produced by the “state” and is designed to produce euphoria in the populace, to keep them sedated so they will never question their place in the ordered society.
There is a chilling similarity between that futuristic world and what is being encountered in this country today.
If one watches TV at almost any time of the day, one is exposed to a litany of medicinal products touted to treat every malady known to mankind. And this seems to be especially true during the evening broadcasts of national and world news when, apparently, advertisers believe the majority of viewers are older Americans whose afflictions will make them more susceptible to the sales pitches for remedies to both real and imagined illnesses.
During any evening, a viewer will be inundated with commercials for over-the-counter and prescription products, including pills, potions, lotions, liquids, salves, gels, sprays or ointments to treat and/or cure virtually any physical deficiency, including (but not limited to) psoriasis, nail fungus, fibromyalgia, eye health, short eyelashes, pimply skin, dry skin, oily skin, mottled skin, incontinence, flatulence, erectile dysfunction, migraine headaches, sleeplessness, upset stomach, overactive bladder, vitamin deficiency, dementia, wrinkles, ringing ears, dry eyes, COPD, mucus, back pain, neck pain, restless legs, onset of Alzheimer’s, bad breath, toothache, depression, nicotine addiction and allergies.
We have become a nation of pill-poppers, looking to find instant remedies for everything that ails us. How truly horrible it must have been in days gone by when the only readily available remedy to most complaints was aspirin.
Beyond that, one had to simply live with an ailment or, upon its worsening, pay a visit to one’s friendly family physician (or, imagine this, having the physician visit one’s home!).
Today, aspirin is passé, with numerous over-the-counter options available, such as Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, ibuprophen, and prescription painkillers like Celebrex and, oh yes, the highly popular Oxycontin.
In the early 1950s, a new product became available called Hadacol. It was available over-the-counter and was touted to be a cure-all for virtually everything. The liquid was quite popular for a short period of time, not for its curative abilities, but for the fact that it contained 12 percent alcohol.
Two odd things about all the medications being sold via TV today are: One, most of them are advertised during the evening national news, apparently the manufacturers feel the most receptive audience is watching at that time; and two, the cautions about possible side effects from most of these medications contain conditions which, should they occur, are much worse than the ailment they are designed to alleviate.
It may well be that Mr. Huxley’s world is upon us, but instead of everyone partaking of a single, all-inclusive panacea, we are using a whole multitude of products to produce the same effect, and it’s entirely possible that, by partaking of so many different products, the human race is positioning itself to be overcome by maladies not susceptible to any cure, although the pharmaceutical companies seem very adept at developing remedies for conditions that may not even exist.
