Sunday, April 02, 2006
Check this out. Written by a druggie. Damn interesting!
Jim Hogshire
The Pill as the Holy Eucharist
The unrealistic view of pills is possible because of what we call the 'holy pill' syndrome. Pills are viewed by society as something holy, sort of a Eucharist.
In this analogy, the pill - or host - is capable of miraculous things but only if treated in a certain ritualistic way. Thus, a high priest (your doctor) must first authorize its use i accordance with proper canon. It must be further consecrated by another level of priest (your pharmacist) who will place it into your outstretched hands from a counter three feet above your head.
You must not vary from the bottle's holy procedures. You may not transfer any of the pills in the bottle to another person or else something unspeakable may happen.
When pills are handled by lay people, they can become hideous things, instruments of death, sowers of discord. Drugs routinely used by psychiatrists in the USA to treat schizophrenics were the very ones used by the evil Soviets to 'torture' patients in its mental hospitals. Mom's Darvon is for Mom only. If anyone else takes the pill consecrated for Mother's use, they are abusing it. To act on your need for antibiotics without prescription is also heretical. It is also irreligious, not to mention illegal, to manufacture your own medicine without a license - tantamount to permission from the Bishop.
From the Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories,Vintage, 2001.
