ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with two uses of mechanisms. The first is the usefulness of mechanisms in trying to discover cures of diseases or ways of preventing them, or at least ameliorating the symptoms. The second is in seeking for deeper explanations of diseases. An excellent example of the use of mechanisms to discover cures is given by Raffaella Campaner in her 2012 work. This example is concerned with the development of treatments for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS first appeared in 1981, and in 1984 and 1986 two hitherto unknown retroviruses HIV-1 and HIV-2 were isolated, and are now generally accepted as the cause of the disease. The chapter argues that mechanisms help in the development of deeper explanations in medicine. The question of deeper explanations can conveniently be tackled by comparing the situation in theoretical medicine with that in theoretical physics. This is connected with Bertrand Russell's views on cause.
