杏吧原创

Dark Remedy: The Impact of Thalidomide and Its Revival as a Vital Medicine by
Trent Stephens and Rock Brynner, Perseus, 拢15.95, ISBN 0738204048

THALIDOMIDE is casting off its disastrous reputation, and is being seen once
again as a useful drug. As a biochemist and the scientific adviser to the
Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada, I was keen to review Dark
Remedy. I鈥檓 also a German-born thalidomider myself.

As far as facts go, this book is a a joy to read. There鈥檚 ample data on
thalidomide itself, on the bad behaviour of the pharmaceuticals companies when
the unusual effects it caused came to light and the legal battles that followed.
It explains, too, exactly how and why thalidomide was approved as a drug in the
US for the first time in 1998.

But a huge problem lies at the heart of the book: the negative descriptions
of people affected by thalidomide. This might reflect public attitudes. But I
wish the writers had questioned these demeaning views. Take this: 鈥淭he impact
upon brothers and sisters of the newborn was no less horrific. This was the
defining ordeal of their family life.鈥� Or: 鈥淗ow did parents endure the shock?
The few who made it through without enormous collateral damage to their
濒颈惫别蝉鈥︹赌�

I鈥檓 left with the impression that we thalidomiders are defective products who
destroyed the lives of our parents and siblings. But more often than not, those
lives were destroyed not by having such a child in the family, but by the
failure to support the parents emotionally or financially or to accept
thalidomiders as part of society. I urge everyone to have a look at the
Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada webpage (http://www. thalidomide.ca)
for their views on the revival of thalidomide鈥攁nd why they did not block
it.