People's attitude towards drugs varies from person to person. Some  51  them as miraculous; others think of them as dangerous. Then what is the sensible attitude toward drugs?

I think the first thing to think about is the difference between drugs and wonder drugs. The antibiotics can really  52  certain bacterial diseases. On the other hand, the major diseases threatening Americans today are cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, coronary disease, etc.  53  them, the doctor's bag of tricks is limited. He has no wonder drugs.

So the first important lesson is not to  54  too much from drugs. If you can accept the fact that the war against many of our most devastating diseases is, at  55  a holding operation rather than an inevitable triumph, it will  56  a great deal to ease your life as well as that of your doctor. Too many  57  exert great pressures on doctors to prescribe for every symptom, even when such treatment is unwarranted or dangerous.

Unfortunately, the medical profession is guilty of taking part, to a certain  58  in the wrongful action. The patient who demands a shot of penicillin for every sniffle and sneeze may be  59  the injection by a reluctant  60  because he is certain that if he does not, the patient will search until he finds a doctor who will.