Abstract
The use of many drugs for the treatment of a single disease or symptom complex has been a prevalent practice throughout history. Indeed, William Withering's clinical description of “dropsy” published in 1785 advocated treatment which included “medicines of the de‐obstruent tonic, antispasmodic, diuretic and evacuate kinds.” In the best tradition of multiple component therapy, he advised the use of “pills of Myrrh and white vitriol; and if costive, a pill with calomel and sloes.” Now as then, the psychological appeal of prescribing “not just one but a combination of medically proven ingredients” is apparently hard to resist, presumably on the basis of “more” being necessarily better than “less.”
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