Abstract
Because of their evident value, antibiotics were one of the very few aspects of medicine expressly exempted from criticism by Illich in his 1974 critique of medicine's 'health denying' effects. Yet, 25 years on, the potentially devastating consequences of increasing antibiotic resistance are widely recognized and the problems associated with antibiotic misuse can be seen as a classic example of the type of hazard Illich was concerned about. Current strategies proposed for dealing with these problems are, at first sight, of exactly the kind that Illich counselled against as doomed to failure. However, it can be argued that these strategies, if they were successful, might-however unintentionally-begin to address some of the root causes of iatrogenesis he identified. It is suggested that the very severity of the problem of resistance could, paradoxically, help provide the exceptional impetus required to bring about these changes.
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