While it is actually a funny joke, its notion actually false. It is only a very recent phenomenon in the entire history of humanity that our society became so reliant on pharmaceuticals. For many millennia , everything that is now considered 'alternative medicine' today was considered the standard medicinal protocol. Although many of these traditional treatments are still effective, and in some cases better than our 'conventional' medications, they are not considered 'medicine' by the pharmaceutical industrial complex. In fact, they may not be covered by insurance plans.