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     When the subject of superstition is brought up, most members of the general public do not think that it has anything to do with science, that science is something different, but such thinking is very much in error. There is a great amount of superstition in science, and not only are there many who have undergone not insignificant harm, there are even those who have lost their lives due to the superstitious elements of science. Some may pull a frowning, doubting face at this remark, but as it is true, it cannot be helped. Such being the case, what is going on can be illustrated in the recent popularity of addiction to the narcotic philopon. Along with philopon, there are various kinds of drugs. Most of those who start using these drugs do not feel at first that the drug is that harmful. Among users are quite a few who realize the dangers and quit, but the majority become so involved that they can do nothing about their situation.
     Of course, behind such behavior is the deep reliance that has been placed upon pharmaceuticals since antiquity. When the word “medicine” is mentioned, all think about how efficacious it may be and its poisonous aspects tend to be overlooked. The extent of the adoration of pharmaceuticals by contemporary people is apparent from the large amount of advertisements for drugs that can be found in the pages of newspapers. From our point of view, however, narcotic addiction is not something that has recently been discovered. All pharmaceuticals basically have the same function as narcotic addiction. The effects of medical drugs, however, are not as strong within a short period as with those causing narcotic addiction. They follow a very slow, sluggish course, so people do not perceive the effects. Since medical drugs are of course addiction, they have the effect of temporarily relieving pain, so both doctors and patients are lulled into believing a cure has occurred. As a result of pharmaceuticals and this situation, countless many are those who have created their own diseases or whose lifespans have been shortened. We continually teach about medicinal poisons in order to inform the world of the harm from pharmaceuticals.
     When the preceding has been carefully considered, the situation should be clear. The medicines of today are a product of science and people today rely on them when the word science is cited. Pharmaceuticals are used without the knowledge that they shorten the lifespan. If science is not a superstition, what is it then? Alas, the frightening superstition called science!

“Kagaku Meishin” was originally published on the front page of Hikari, Issue 38, December 3, 1949. Although no translations are known to exist, this essay was reprinted in the anthology Igaku Kankei Goronbun Shū (Collected Essays on Medical Science), page 124, that did enjoy a limited circulation. Igaku Kankei Goronbun Shū contains no publication data, but internal evidence suggests that its editing stopped several months preceding Meishu-sama’s Ascension. Furthermore, since the book lacks publication data, whether the volume had Meishu-sama’s imprimatur or not is unknown, so details concerning this volume are probably impossible to research.