"Benzamycin is a combination of erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide and is used for the topical treatment of acne (pimples). Erythromycin is an antibiotic. *The exact mechanism by which topical erythromycin reduces pimples is unknown*. Erythromycin *probably* reduces pimples by penetrating into the skin and killing bacteria that contribute to the formation of pimples."

I don't know why I find it so amusing but I do. With all of our modern marvels, things that would blow the colons out of the asses of those Civil War doctors with their meat cleavers and soggy bags of leeches, we still use medicines that we won't even really understand.

"Yeah we're pretty sure this stuff gets into the pores of your skin and kills bacteria but for some reason we just can't figure why. Pretty cool, huh?"

-John Smith, FDA

This begs another question. If an herb like St. John's Wort, which has been promoted throughout history as a health aid, has been dismissed by the FDA as impotent because its effects can't be scientifically proven, why is there so much stuff out there that "works like magic" (I'm simplifying things here)? It's an obvious double standard to me. It's money talking, is what it is. I'm not the first person to catch on to this (mwa ha, wouldn't that be grand if I was?) but it's something to think about.

I'm certain there's a fairly well publicized book out now concerning natural cures to common (and not so common) ailments that greedy people with a lot of (but not quite enough) money don't want you to know about. Might be worth a look.