Re: [asa] Medicine and Evolution

Evolution is of relevance to the practice of medicine in that sloppy
use of antibiotics, etc. promotes the evolution of resistant
pathogens. Of course, if regulations for the use of such that were
based on a solid knowledge of evolution were put in place and
promoted, the individual physician would not necessarily need to know
why, but it might help highlight the importance of heeding the
regulations.

In addition to the evolution of pathogens, an understanding of
evolution helps medicine in giving an appreciation for the functions
and origins of all the parts. The pharmaceutical industry seems to
think that a lot of genes only function to cause disease and that an
inhibitor won't have negative side effects. Likewise, suppressing
immune responses without appreciating the fact that they reflect a few
billion years of dealing with potential pathogens is unwise.

Although ID advocates do not intend to harm AIDS victims, etc., loudly
proclaiming bogus science in opposition to conventional medicine harms
them by confusing the public and by wasting time and effort. That is
not an integral part of ID itself, but is commonly a part of the same
anti-science package, as in Wells and Johnson denying that HIV causes
AIDS or Wells denying that mutations cause cancer.

Ironically, however, it does highlight the fact that someone can have
a legitimate medical degree without having any competence to comment
on evolution, which is rather damaging to the claim that anyone who
signs an antievolutionary petition is competent to assess it if he has
a science background.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
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