Medicinal pills

Despite access to rich resources, Oil Age people suffered numerous health problems, especially of the mind, lungs and stomach. Pharmaceutical companies invested huge amounts in the development and marketing of palliative remedies and, occasionally, cures for such diseases, and consequently gained massive profits from world-wide purchase of their products. Many remedies offered the additional benefit of side effects, which necessitated buying further medication. By contrast, relatively little effort was invested in preventative action (for example, tackling diet and air pollution). Moreover, the holistic approach to individual and societal health we now take for granted was still rare at this time.