Hishtadlus? Of course. However, if, as some claim, they truly KNOW all the medical matters contained within Torah, why won’t using those PERFECT and ABSOLUTE cures suffice as hishtadlus? And yes, I have heard them explain why they use every available medical treatment. It is because of “chochma bagoyim – ta’amin” and, while knowing that every last scientific fact is, indeed, contained in the Torah, they freely acknowledge that it is not known to them.
When a new discovery or law of nature is established, looking into the p’sukim can show that it was clearly alluded to. Yet, that doesn’t mean that it was known to be such, or derived by the chachomim from the Torah itself. Just as not every secret of Ma’aseh Bereishis or Merkava was understood by each great scholar, even though they studied it assiduously day and night, scientific matters, which did not concern them, were even more elusive to derivation. This in now way detracts from their true Gadlus in Torah matters. It DOES point to their honesty and search for truth, employing knowledge obtained from every source and person.
When Rabbi Yishmoel allowed human dissection to count the bones in human body, he didn’t rely on Sh’sa and R’mach of the mesorah, for what would have been the permissibility of nivul hames? To prove the Torah right to Tannaim, of all people? This is also the reason for permissibility of an autospy to cure another suffering of the same disease. Why dissect a body, when one can dissect a posuk?
Yes, Torah training and Sayata Dishmaya allows our Gedolim to understand some of the most complex scientific and medical matters, WHEN they specifically apply themselves to that end. I have witnessed the speed with which Gedolei Yisroel plumbed to the depth of complex Genetics issues or comprehended most arcane formulae of Quantum Mechanics. However, all that was AFTER they were instructed in these matters by professionals, or read the books that deal with such. They had the humility to ask a much younger person, sometimes totally unlearned in the basics of Judaism, to explain to them how things function, how matter is constructed, and how the world turns. Sometimes these discussions were followed by “Oy, THIS must be what the posuk in Yechezkel means with one extra letter!! Amazing! See how everything is included in the Torah!” At other times they sat in silent awe of the Creation and of the Ribono Shel Olam, who allowed human minds to unveil His wondrous secrets. I recall being in the presence of a Gadol Hador who sat in stunned silence, with sparkling eyes, after hearing of the latest discoveries made through the Hubble telescope. Finally he spoke, and the only words that came out were “Moyradik!! Dos is takke moyradik!! Ver ken fershteyn Der Boirei Oilam!!” Had he known these facts previously from his Gemara studies, why would he be so incredulous after wasting some two hours listening to what the goyim just found out?
There is a reason why Chazal instituted a b’racha to be said on a scholar of science, yes, a non-Jewish one.