-
Disease—Will It Ever End?The Watchtower—1983 | May 1
-
-
The End of Disease at Hand!
As has been shown many times in The Watchtower, the composite “sign,” of which ‘pestilence,’ or disease, is a part, has been unmistakably evident since 1914. When you examine the evidence, there is no doubt that Jesus’ words have come true. So, much of the sickness and disease that we see today is actually in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy at Matthew 24:3-7 and Luke 21:10, 11. That means we are living at “the conclusion of the system of things”!
Soon God’s Kingdom will remove this present wicked system and replace it with a righteous New Order. (2 Peter 3:13) Then, under Kingdom rule, no longer will pestilence, or disease, rob us of health and life. How thankful we can be that our loving heavenly Father has both the capability and the will to wipe out sickness and disease completely, forever!—Revelation 21:3, 4.
-
-
Disease—Will It Ever End?The Watchtower—1983 | May 1
-
-
[Box on page 7]
Is Science Ending Disease?
Cancer: It is estimated that this year alone there will be some 835,000 new cases of cancer in the United States. At the same time, some 430,000 people will die of it. And the World Health Organization claims that of the estimated 37 million cases of cancer worldwide more than half are in the developing world.
Chagas’ Disease: This is a parasitic infection that afflicts some 10 million people in South and Central America. In the early stages parasites invade the body’s tissues, particularly the heart. The disease is chronic and can be fatal, death often resulting from cardiac insufficiency. There is no known cure for Chagas’ disease.
Influenza: The Spanish influenza was no doubt the worst flu pandemic of all, claiming an estimated 20 million lives in 1918 and 1919. Despite the availability of vaccines, major new strains of the flu virus have cropped up since then. The flu virus has the uncanny ability to change its molecular structure every so often, causing new epidemics. Thus, the Asian flu killed some 57,000 people worldwide in 1957. The Hong Kong flu killed 33,000 in 1968 and 1969. In the past 20 years, some 500,000 Americans have been killed by the flu.
River Blindness: River blindness, also called onchocerciasis, is a chronic disease spread by the bite of black flies. The invasion of the infection into the human body results in the forming of scar tissue in the skin and eyes. Although it can cause blindness, it usually is not fatal. In all, some 40 million people in Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil have onchocerciasis. Researchers are still seeking safer therapies for river blindness.
Lupus: S.L.E. (systemic lupus erythematosus), or lupus for short, is a sometimes fatal disease of the immune system, affecting 500,000 to a million Americans. In lupus the body’s connective tissues, which hold together and support cells, are attacked by the body’s own immune system. The prognosis for most patients has improved in recent years, with 80 to 95 percent of patients living at least 10 years after diagnosis. As yet, however, there is no known cure for lupus.
Snail Fever: Already afflicting an estimated 200 million people in 71 countries, snail fever (schistosomiasis) is spreading rapidly. Humans become infected by bathing or swimming in water in which there are snails containing the schistosomiasis parasite. Once inside a human host, the parasite’s eggs can do serious damage to the bladder and liver, often proving fatal. The control of snail fever remains difficult (especially in poorer countries), for this depends largely on the proper disposal of wastes.
Malaria: Caused by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria is an ancient affliction. Once eradicated in countries like India and Sri Lanka, in recent years malaria has made a devastating comeback! Each year, in Africa, it kills a million children under the age of five. Additionally, more than 150 million people worldwide now suffer the chills, fever and other symptoms of malaria. Researchers are still searching for a vaccine against it.
Venereal Diseases: The availability of penicillin gave false confidence to a permissive society. Now a penicillin-resistant form of gonorrhea has been spreading.
A newcomer is genital herpes, said to affect some 20 million people in the United States alone. It is caused by a virus and is usually transmitted by sexual contact. Similarly, the new disease AIDS is spreading rapidly among homosexuals and others. Experts consider it one of the most deadly epidemics. There are no known cures for genital herpes and AIDS.
Multiple Sclerosis: A disease of the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord—multiple sclerosis afflicts some 500,000 people in the United States alone. It usually strikes its victims during their 20’s and 30’s. The long list of symptoms includes numbness, loss of coordination, blurred vision, slurred speech and loss of bladder or bowel control. While much research is going on, no cure has been found.
-