The Confusions and Consolations of Uncertainty

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Abstract
Does coffee drinking predispose to coronary-artery disease?May oral antidiabetic agents curtail rather than prolong life?Do the common tranquilizers meprobamate and chlordiazepoxide, if taken by a pregnant woman, harm the fetus?Does reserpine make a woman more susceptible to cancer of the breast? In the last 20 years, increasing and improved use of epidemiologic technics has contributed immensely to making treatment more efficacious and safe. Yet Feinstein's comments in the preceding editorial and the four questions listed above indicate some of the controversial aspects that remain concerning the usefulness of pharmaceutical agents and their safety.The first two questions . . .