I always check with my hand before even thinking of getting out the thermometer. I had to get a pharmacy to order in good old fashioned under the tongue thermometers for me, all they had were battery powered ones. I am lucky that we get so few fevers in my house that the batteries were always dead when I needed it.
I am happy with modern medicine. My mum recently had cataract surgery on both her eyes, that has not been around for all that long.
I also work for 2 alternative health practitioners and see a place for them in keeping ourselves as healthy was we can be.