How Rockefeller Transformed American Medicine
Health & Medicine SeriesEach lesson uses: RECEIVE (read), REFLECT (answer questions), RECALL (close book, write from memory), RECITE (teach someone), REVIEW (spaced repetition), RESPOND (apply practically).
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." — James 1:22
Complete this guide before beginning the lessons
Root: Pharmakon (φάρμακον) = drug, medicine, poison, spell
Meaning: The use of drugs/medicines, especially in connection with magic and sorcery
English derivatives: Pharmacy, pharmaceutical, pharmacist, pharmacology
Appears in: Galatians 5:20 ("witchcraft"), Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8 ("sorcery/sorcerers")
Key insight: The word translated "sorcery" in Revelation 18:23 is literally "pharmakeia" - and Scripture says by this, "ALL NATIONS were led astray."
| Statistic | Before Flexner | After Flexner |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Schools | 160 (1900) | 76 (1930) - 53% closed |
| Homeopathic Schools | 22 (1900) | 0 (1950) - 100% eliminated |
| Black Medical Schools | 7 | 2 - 71% closed |
| Midwife-Attended Births | 50% (1900) | 12% (today) |
| Alt. Medicine Students | 17% (1880) | 6% (1910) |
Before we can understand what was lost, we must understand what existed. In 1900, American medicine was diverse, with multiple healing traditions legally practiced and widely accepted. This lesson documents what medicine looked like before the pharmaceutical takeover.
At the turn of the 20th century, American healthcare was remarkably different:
~160 Medical schools in the United States
22 Homeopathic medical schools
17% Medical students in alternative approaches (1880)
50% Births attended by midwives
| Approach | Description | Status in 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| Allopathic | Conventional biomedical approach | Growing influence |
| Homeopathic | "Law of similars" - diluted substances | 22 schools, widely respected |
| Eclectic | Herbal/botanical, Native American traditions | Formal colleges in Cincinnati, NY |
| Osteopathic | Body mechanics and manipulation | Legal and growing |
| Chiropractic | Spinal alignment focus | Emerging practice |
| Naturopathic | Nature-based healing | Practiced legally |
For most Americans, especially in rural areas, herbal medicine was the primary form of healthcare:
In 1900, midwives attended approximately 50% of all births in America:
Before the takeover, patients had choices:
1. Multiple Choice: Approximately how many medical schools existed in the United States in 1900?
2. Multiple Choice: What percentage of births were attended by midwives in 1900?
3. Multiple Choice: How many homeopathic medical schools existed in 1900?
4. True or False: In 1900, herbal medicine was illegal and only practiced underground.
5. Discussion: Why do you think having multiple approaches to medicine might be beneficial for patients? What are the advantages of healthcare diversity?
6. Scripture Connection: Read Psalm 104:14. How does this verse support the legitimacy of herbal medicine?
Close this workbook. Write everything you remember about medical diversity before 1910.
After 5 minutes, check what you missed and mark for review.
Explain to someone how medicine was practiced in America before the Flexner Report.
Person I taught: Date:
Their response:
"He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man."
Memory Schedule:
Write from memory:
Before the next lesson, complete ONE:
What I did:
In 1910, a single report transformed American medicine forever. The Flexner Report, funded by Carnegie and implemented with Rockefeller money, would eliminate most alternative medicine and establish pharmaceutical dominance.
| Person/Organization | Role | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham Flexner | Author of Report | Was an EDUCATOR, not a physician |
| Simon Flexner | Abraham's brother | Director of Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research |
| Carnegie Foundation | Commissioned & Published | Paid for the study itself |
| Rockefeller Foundation | Implementation | Provided capital to implement recommendations |
Flexner didn't hide his contempt for non-pharmaceutical approaches:
The Flexner brothers' connection reveals a massive conflict of interest:
1. Multiple Choice: Abraham Flexner, who authored the Flexner Report, was:
2. Multiple Choice: The Flexner Report was commissioned by which foundation?
3. Multiple Choice: Flexner recommended reducing medical schools from 155 to:
4. Multiple Choice: What term did Flexner use to describe homeopathy?
5. True or False: Abraham Flexner's brother Simon had no connection to Rockefeller interests.
6. Analysis: Why might a non-physician be chosen to write a report transforming medical education? Who benefits from this arrangement?
Close this workbook. Write the key players in the Flexner Report and their roles.
Explain to someone who Abraham Flexner was and what his report recommended.
Person I taught: Date:
"And the leaf thereof shall be for medicine."
Write from memory:
What I did:
The Flexner Report wasn't just a study - it was a blueprint for destruction. Within two decades, over half of American medical schools were closed, and entire healing traditions were eliminated.
| Category | 1900 | 1930 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Medical Schools | ~160 | 76 | -53% |
| Homeopathic Schools | 22 | 0-2 | -100% |
| Black Medical Schools | 7 | 2 | -71% |
| Eclectic Schools | Multiple | 0 | -100% |
The Flexner Report was particularly devastating to Black medical education:
What did all eliminated approaches have in common?
1. Multiple Choice: By 1930, what percentage of medical schools had been closed?
2. Multiple Choice: When did the last homeopathic medical school close?
3. Multiple Choice: How many Black medical schools remained after the Flexner Report?
4. True or False: Flexner believed Black doctors should receive the same surgical training as white doctors.
5. Matching: Match each approach with its fate:
6. Critical Thinking: What did homeopathy, eclectic medicine, and midwifery all have in common that might explain why they were targeted for elimination?
Close this workbook. Write the numbers: how many medical schools closed, what happened to homeopathy, midwifery, and Black medical schools.
Explain to someone the real-world impact of the Flexner Report on medical school closures.
Person I taught: Date:
"And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
Why would an oil tycoon want to control medicine? The answer reveals one of the most successful business schemes in history: converting petroleum waste products into patentable, profitable pharmaceuticals.
The key insight: Many drugs can be synthesized from petroleum byproducts.
Rockefeller partnered with the German chemical giant I.G. Farben:
| Natural Remedies | Synthetic Drugs |
|---|---|
| Cannot patent a plant | Can patent synthetic molecules |
| Affordable, accessible | Expensive, controlled |
| Competition exists | Patent = monopoly for 20 years |
| No exclusive profits | Endless profit potential |
| Threatens pharmaceutical model | IS the pharmaceutical model |
1913 Rockefeller Foundation founded
1902 General Education Board (GEB) founded
$94 million Distributed to 25 selected medical schools (1913-1929)
$1.5+ billion Value in today's money
Condition: Schools MUST adopt Flexner model to receive funding
1. Multiple Choice: What percentage of US oil refineries did Standard Oil control at its peak?
2. Multiple Choice: What was the key advantage of synthetic drugs over natural remedies for pharmaceutical companies?
3. Multiple Choice: How much did the Rockefeller foundations distribute to selected medical schools (1913-1929)?
4. Multiple Choice: I.G. Farben was a German cartel that included which companies?
5. True or False: You can patent a naturally-occurring plant just like you can patent a synthetic drug.
6. Scripture Connection: How does 1 Timothy 6:10 ("the love of money is the root of all evil") apply to Rockefeller's transformation of medicine?
Close this workbook. Write what you remember about the Rockefeller connection to medicine.
Explain to someone how Standard Oil connects to modern pharmaceutical medicine.
Person I taught: Date:
"For the love of money is the root of all evil."
The transformation of medicine required more than money—it needed enforcement. The American Medical Association (AMA) became the tool to compel compliance, using accreditation power to force schools to adopt the Flexner model or close.
| Year | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1904 | AMA creates Council on Medical Education (CME) | Established accreditation framework |
| 1905 | AMA creates Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry | "Seal of Acceptance" for drugs |
| 1908 | CME invites Carnegie to conduct Flexner survey | Gave agenda "neutral" public standing |
| 1910+ | AMA gains state-sanctioned accreditation power | Non-compliant schools lose licensure eligibility |
Here's how accreditation became a tool of control:
The AMA created additional financial incentive for pharmaceutical focus:
1. Multiple Choice: In what year did the AMA create the Council on Medical Education?
2. Multiple Choice: The AMA's "Seal of Acceptance" program ran until what year?
3. Multiple Choice: What happened to medical schools that didn't adopt the Flexner model?
4. True or False: The Carnegie Foundation hired the AMA to conduct the Flexner survey.
5. Analysis: Why would the AMA invite Carnegie to conduct the Flexner survey instead of doing it themselves? What advantage did this provide?
Close this workbook. Write what you remember about the AMA's role in medical accreditation.
Explain to someone how the AMA controls which medical schools can exist.
Person I taught: Date:
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."
The Flexner model established over 100 years ago remains the foundation of American medical education today. Its legacy continues to shape—and limit—healthcare.
25 hours Recommended minimum nutrition training
7.8% Medical students receiving recommended amount
19-21 hours Average nutrition training over FOUR YEARS
Result: Doctors are not trained to advise on nutrition
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act created a legal framework that suppresses natural remedies:
$387+ million Pharmaceutical lobbying spending (2024)
#1 Consistently top spending industry in Washington
Influence extends to: Medical school funding, continuing education, clinical guidelines
1. Multiple Choice: What percentage of medical students receive adequate nutrition education?
2. Multiple Choice: How many hours of herbal training are included in standard MD curricula?
3. Multiple Choice: Under DSHEA (1994), natural remedies are regulated as:
4. Multiple Choice: How much did pharmaceutical companies spend on lobbying in 2024?
5. Scripture Connection: Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." How does this apply to the suppression of nutritional and herbal knowledge in medical education?
6. Critical Thinking: Why would herbal manufacturers be prohibited from saying "this herb treats X" even if research supports it? Who benefits from this regulation?
Close this workbook. Write about the modern legacy: medical errors, drug side effects, and nutrition education gaps.
Explain to someone how little nutrition training modern doctors receive.
Person I taught: Date:
"I have given you every herb bearing seed... to you it shall be for food."
The Greek word translated "sorcery" in Revelation 18:23 is "pharmakeia" - the root of our English word "pharmacy." This lesson examines the biblical warning about pharmakeia and its modern application.
Root: Pharmakon (φάρμακον) = drug, medicine, poison, spell
Meaning: The use of drugs/medicines, especially in connection with magic and sorcery
English derivatives: Pharmacy, pharmaceutical, pharmacist, pharmacology
| Reference | Context | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 5:20 | Works of the flesh | "Witchcraft" |
| Revelation 9:21 | End-times sins | "Sorceries" |
| Revelation 18:23 | Babylon's deception | "Sorceries" |
| Revelation 21:8 | Lake of fire | "Sorcerers" (pharmakeus) |
This verse describes the fall of "Babylon the Great"—the end-times system of false religion and corrupt commerce:
Consider how this prophecy may apply today:
1. Multiple Choice: The Greek word "pharmakeia" is the root of which English word?
2. Multiple Choice: According to Revelation 18:23, how many nations are deceived by pharmakeia?
3. Multiple Choice: In Galatians 5:20, pharmakeia is listed among:
4. True or False: This lesson teaches that all modern medicine is evil and should be avoided.
5. Scripture Analysis: Revelation 18:23 says the deceivers are "merchants" who are "great men of the earth." How might this describe pharmaceutical corporations and their executives today?
6. Personal Reflection: How does understanding the word "pharmakeia" change how you view the pharmaceutical industry? What discernment does this knowledge require?
Close this workbook. Write the Greek word for sorcery, its Strong's number, and where it appears in Revelation.
Explain to someone what "pharmakeia" means in Greek and its biblical context.
Person I taught: Date:
"For by thy sorceries [pharmakeia] were all nations deceived."
Having understood how natural medicine was systematically suppressed, what can we do? This final lesson focuses on reclaiming Yahuah's provision for healing and taking responsibility for our own health.
Having completed this study, I commit to:
Name:
Date:
1. Reflection: What was the most impactful thing you learned in this workbook? How has it changed your perspective?
2. Application: What specific steps will you take to learn more about Yahuah's natural provision for health?
3. Discussion: How can we maintain balance—not rejecting all modern medicine, but also not being naive about the system? Give specific examples.
4. Scripture Summary: Using the verses from this workbook, explain in your own words what Scripture teaches about plants, healing, and pharmakeia.
5. Action Plan: Name three specific things you will do differently as a result of completing this study.
Close this workbook. Write everything you remember about reclaiming Yahuah's provision for health.
Explain to someone the biblical approach to health and healing you've learned.
Person I taught: Date:
"I am Yahuah that healeth thee" (Yahuah Rapha)
Review each lesson at these intervals for maximum retention:
| Lesson | Done | D1 | D3 | D7 | D21 | D60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Medicine Before Takeover | ||||||
| 2. Flexner Report | ||||||
| 3. Medical School Takeover | ||||||
| 4. AMA Creation | ||||||
| 5. Pharmaceutical Industry | ||||||
| 6. Biblical Perspective | ||||||
| 7. What Was Lost | ||||||
| 8. Reclaiming Health |
For Instructor Use
1. C) 160
2. C) 50%
3. C) 22
4. False - Herbal medicine was legal, widely accepted, and practiced openly. It was the standard of care for rural Americans and the primary tool of Eclectic physicians.
5-6. Personal responses—assess for understanding that diversity provided patient choice, competition, accessibility, and accountability.
1. B) An educator with no medical training
2. B) Carnegie Foundation
3. C) 31
4. B) "Unconscionable quackery"
5. False - Simon Flexner was Director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. This represents a significant conflict of interest.
6. Personal response—should recognize that a non-physician could be controlled/influenced more easily, and the outside "neutral" appearance benefited the agenda.
1. B) 53%
2. C) 1950
3. C) 2
4. False - Flexner recommended Black doctors focus on "hygiene" and "sanitation," not surgery.
5. A=3, B=2, C=1
6. All were unpatentable, threatened pharmaceutical profits, and competed with the Rockefeller model.
1. C) 90%
2. C) They can be patented
3. C) $94 million
4. B) Bayer, BASF, Hoechst
5. False - You cannot patent naturally-occurring plants. This matters because patents create monopolies and exclusive profits, giving pharmaceutical companies financial incentive to suppress natural remedies.
6. Personal response—should connect Rockefeller's financial interest in synthetic drugs to the love of money driving the transformation.
1. B) 1904
2. B) 1955
3. B) They lost accreditation and students couldn't get licensed
4. False - The AMA's CME invited Carnegie to conduct the survey, not the other way around. This gave the AMA's agenda "neutral" public standing.
5. Personal response—should recognize that outside validation made it appear neutral rather than self-serving.
1. C) 7.8%
2. D) Virtually zero
3. C) Dietary supplements
4. C) $387+ million
5-6. Personal responses—should connect knowledge suppression to Scripture and recognize that regulations benefit pharmaceutical companies.
1. B) Pharmacy
2. C) All nations
3. B) Works of the flesh
4. False - The teaching is about the SYSTEM that suppresses natural cures, not anti-all-medicine. Emergency care has its place, and many doctors are genuinely trying to help.
5-6. Personal responses—assess for thoughtful application of Scripture to modern pharmaceutical industry.
1-5. Personal reflections and applications—assess for integration of workbook content and genuine commitment to action.