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L. acidophilus) by taking acidophilus supplements or cultured foods, the healthful metabolizing effects these bacteria produce can be decimated for months. Hence, those who hold these concerns argue that great care must be taken in assessing whether an antibiotic is realy needed. In many cases today, antibiotics are administered casually at the first hint of a problem in both men and animals, and sometimes routinely as a hoped-for preventative, whether or not there is an identifiable problem. Rather, the cautionary school of thought advises, a proper approach should concentrate on measures that encourage overall good health including a well functioning immune system, such as maintaining wholesome balanced nutrition, as well as healthy living conditions and adequate exercise. This applies to both humans and animals. It seems also that with animals used to produce food for humans, the beneficial effects of such measures tend to carry over to people who consume that food. Regarding hormones, there are major problems also. Hormones have been called “the messengers of life,” since as chemical message-bearers they control growth, development, reproduction, and are key to maintaining the delicate energy balance of the entire body. They are also vital to maintaining a well functioning immune system. So, the first reaction of many on learning this is, “Why not give hormones to animals?” Hundreds of natural hormones are known and some are administered to both humans and animals. Hormones in very tiny amounts can create big changes. Nevertheless, few have been systematically tested for unwanted effects. It’s not that effort has been lacking, but it’s a most complicated busi- ness. Even so, during the last half-century considerable numbers of hor- mones or hormone-like substances have been chemically synthesized and are being used. These are not found in nature in exactly the same form, but mimic the action of natural hormones and interact with them. Chemists and other scientists, highly skilled as they are, are a long way from possessing the godlike power to create hormonal substances that will interact in just the right way, at just the right time in the right amounts, with an organism’s total hormonal system to keep it all in balance. That is an unimaginably complex matter, which living organisms (or God, if you will) have developed over many millions of years. However, during the last half-century or so, scientists have succeeded in creating hormone-like chemicals that have been used to produce certain de- 176