History Revealed

 

                                   History Revealed

While sorting through mountains of memories in my parents’ attic, my siblings and I found many keepsakes and photos which evoked memories, laughter, and tears. We also found records concerning my grandmother’s final illness and death. I was fifteen when she left us and I remembered being told that she had died of lung cancer. The records read otherwise. They revealed a different health history that could directly affect our future. 

Many today decry what they consider “the rewriting” of history. Many consider history static, that is, as once reported now “set in stone.” They argue that historical events and figures should be regarded as admirable or contemptible based on judgments from former days, disregarding new information, revealing information, that might alter the understanding generally accepted in former days. When judged from today’s perspective historical events become more nuanced. “Heroes” and “villains” can be viewed as both people of their times and by current standards. What was acceptable in 1692 (think Salem Witch Trials) was unacceptable by 1792, shameful by 1892, condemned by 1992, and unthinkable in 2092 (let us hope).  

The ancient Greeks believed that a group of gods controlled the movements of the sun, moon, and tides. About 1,000 years ago, people believed that health was related to the state of your soul. About 300 years ago, people believed that witches cast spells that caused livestock to sicken and die and that dunking a witch in a pond would reveal her guilt.  About two hundred years ago, people believed that miasmas (bad air) caused plagues and that ingesting mercury would cure diseases. Bleeding with leeches was also popular. Past nations and cultures have condoned or condemned human sacrifice, child labor, polygamy, slavery, lynching, genocide, eugenics, ethnic cleansing, manifest destiny, pogroms, and denying one group or another the right to vote, to hold a job, to representation in court, to live in adequate housing, to access healthy foods, to attend good schools, or to get affordable health care. 

As human understanding of science and health progresses, old beliefs and practices fall away. As paleontologists unearthed fossils, earth history was revised. Scientists with microscopes discovered that illness is caused by germs not miasmas. Doctors no longer prescribe “bleeding” or ingesting poison as remedies. Slave labor is outlawed. Actions once accepted as solutions are re-identified as problems. Historic events and historical people are viewed through the lens of research and modern thought and reevaluated — sometimes more admirable, sometimes less so.   

Over 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote, “Change is the only constant in life.” As life continues, change is constant. History is not rewritten; it is revealed. As we learn more about our past, our understanding and judgments will also change. When history is revealed, we need to pay heed. 

My family’s health history was revealed by once-forgotten records. We have better information for making future decisions. History revealed does not rewrite the past. History revealed rewrites the future. Pay heed.