Great Construction
Cigarettes and Medical Science
The Monopoly Bureau, at wits’ end with their failure to sell Peace cigarettes, trying one strategem or another, went as far as the ridiculous act of recruiting a Miss Peace for advertising, but the failure of the campaign was exceedingly obvious. The reason Peace does not sell is of course due to the influence of foreign cigarettes. That foreign cigarettes are the only reason Peace does not sell well is because Peace cigarettes taste terrible. It is a certainty that Peace would sell well even without a Miss Peace or advertising if the taste was good and they were inexpensive. This should be obvious, but even if acknowledged and obvious, producing a tasty and inexpensive cigarette may be impossible. Indeed, what can only be called incomprehensible.
It could be said that a similar situation also occurs constantly when we try to explain about sickness and disease. Certain people say that it is outrageous that religion should deal with treating sickness. They hold that there is nothing more dangerous than coming into contact with superstitious, heretical religions, and these people produce great amounts of propaganda and are involved in movements to try to block our efforts. It is insufferable that even newspapers lead the charge of these blocking efforts. But all of these obstructionist movements are quite similar to the situation with cigarettes. Like the Monopoly Bureau, these obstructionists miss the point. All medical science has to do is heal each patient that goes to them. That is all. Medical science does not heal the patients who go to them, so the afflicted unavoidably run to superstitious, heretical religions. They do so because it is only natural that one would go to those who are better at healing than medical science. Briefly, the Kannon Church’s spiritual treatment is the same as foreign cigarettes.
The above is to be presented to the Monopoly Bureau and the Medical Association.
Hikari, Issue 40, page 2, December 17, 1949
translated by cynndd
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“Tabako to Igaku,” was originally published on the second page of Hikari, Issue 40, on December 17, 1949. Although no translations are known to exist, “Tabako to Igaku” was reprinted in the anthology Igaku Kankei Goronbun Shū (Collected Essays on Medical Science) 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.