“…fascinated by the effects and ignored the dangers…” HB Jones
poor man’s doctor Dr’s Substack
Jun 05, 2025
Working on my doctorate as a family nurse practitioner so very long ago, I was flabbergasted when I learned of the dire health care needs and profoundly inadequate health literacy of the farming and rural poor communities. At the time, we lived on a small working farm while homeschooling our 7 children. With that as a background, my research into health literacy and rural health care really hit home for me: hence the name, ‘poor man’s doctor’. After my doctorate, I went to work in one of the poorest counties in my state with an inordinately high rate of morbid obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression and drug abuse.
I got started as a primary care provider late in life, but had always worked in the medical field and the community to improve health literacy. And for the past 30 years, I’ve had a sidekick: herbal medicine. I opined that having a basic knowledge of plants and their use as medicine was only natural for the ‘poor man’: I gave classes to moms, helping them to learn how to be a better ‘dr mom’ to their family; seminars and anatomy lessons; how-to manuals and monthly newsletters to help improve healthy outcomes for those less able — all from a biblical perspective.
Over the years, I saw a sharp rise in those seeking help from alternative methods for health problems. This was understandable. Nearly 30 years ago I had a medical problem that no doctor could/would diagnose; I was frustrated as heck because I knew what the problem and solution was, but could not find a physician to agree to a solution. Just my luck (or so I thought), I heard of an elderly Lutheran pastor who went around churches giving talks on Iridology. I was still fairly new in my quest for plant knowledge and learning about alternative methods but thought, ‘this is a pastor – a man of God – surely he must be ok with this method and can help me’. As luck would have it, I was able to go and hear him speak one evening; there were about 30 people in a small church, hanging on every word he spoke. He came with colored diagrams and a slide show. He had a contraption that he used to view the eye, stating he was able to diagnose any problem from viewing the iris. While he spoke, his words didn’t sit right with me — but I was desperate. I needed an answer to my medical problem. Would a man of God deceive?
As soon as he was done with his presentation, he invited people to come up and get a free diagnosis. I was one of the first ones up to the front of the church, but for some reason, he avoided me. Every time I would try to get his attention – a mere foot away – he would turn from me. No matter what I did, I could not get his attention. Feeling bereft, I left the church without an iris reading or an answer. Or so I thought.
The practice of iridology teaches that the iris has markings or colors that correspond with various body systems and maladies. This is false. While there are medical conditions that can show changes in the eye – especially the vasculature of the retina – a blocked gallbladder or broken arm will not reflect in iris changes. Still, I did get an answer. The Bible is replete with answers to our every problem – including all health problems. Had I gotten a ‘reading’ from this man, that would’ve opened the door to my acceptance of other questionable methods, weakening my faith.
There are some very popular you-tubers who claim to be Christian and have an almost cult-like following. One in particular has been espousing grounding, the use of different colored stones and gems for health, and other ‘energy medicine’. I try to refute these statements on these channels, but find it interesting that my comments are the only ones left untouched. I want to change that here.
I recently read a short article from the March, 1971 edition of Clinical Toxicology by Hardin B Jones, PhD, entitled The Deception of Drugs. Dr Jones noted that, “..drugs are a shoddy imitation of life”, and, “People who use drugs become fascinated by the effects and ignore the dangers”. The same holds true for various forms of alternative medicine, including energy medicine, iridology, homeopathy, yoga, chakras … the list is endless. Again, I can understand why people may look and become ‘fascinated by the effects’, but can be in peril of their spiritual walk, ‘ignoring the dangers’.
My hope is to educate people on various methods and why the Christian should stay away from them. I am not here to diagnose people, but to help inform them so that they can make a more informed decision for them — from a Scriptural view. I do believe in herbal medicine, but I do not pray to the plant nor offer a gift for taking it for use; I pray to the One who created it and ask Him for wisdom in its use.
Please note: plants are not a cure-all; neither is allopathic medicine as is practiced now. Plants have been used for well over 5,000 years in billions of people: quite an impressive case study! But chamomile tea is not a cure-all for a heart attack. In other words, there is a time and place for both forms of medical care: allopathic and/or herbal medicine. There is no place, however, for new age ‘medicine’ in a Christian’s life. It will be my goal to publish at least once a week for free for general education; paid will be reserved for education of specific maladies, their usual allopathic treatment and possible herbal alternatives.
I hope you will join me as we learn about these questionable methods and explore what the Bible has to say about them. This is not meant to be judgmental: I almost fell for it myself! The Bible is replete with the use of plants for healing. But we should always remember the One who created them, and not ‘ignore the dangers’ of following others because they say they are Christian.
1Thessalonians 5:21: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Next issue: Common new age methods and what they all have in common and why a Christian should avoid them. And a family herbal gem: onion cough syrup.
Credit: https://poormansdoctor.substack.com/p/plants-are-the-poor-mans-doctor?r=18atad&triedRedirect=true