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Title: The Royal Road to Health
Author: Chas. A. Tyrrell
Official Release Date: October, 2002 [Etext #3453
[Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule]
[The actual date this file first posted = 04/26/01]
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Language: English
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WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS
Transcriber's Note: This tract on health, like many published last
century, is essentially an advertisement of a particular form of
treatment invented and sold by the author. While it is of interest
in historical terms, it should not be relied upon as medical advice.
This e-text "Royal Road To Health" is for historical and educational
purposes only. This antiquated information is not presented with the
intention of diagnosing or prescribing.
No responsibility, liability or warranty, express or implied, is
assumed by the author or any distributer of this book. Anyone can
distribute this book freely any way they want, as long as all this
information contained in this book remains like it is now. . . .
(no changes, additions, or deletions).
THE ROYAL ROAD TO HEALTH
OR THE SECRET OF
HEALTH WITHOUT DRUGS.
By Chas. A. Tyrrell
TO MY WIFE.
Whose Enthusiasm, and unflagging interest in all matters pertaining to
health is excelled by none, and who has been a faithful coworker in
building up the system treating disease by hygienic methods herein set
forth,
This book is affectionately dedicated.
Copyright 1907
By
Charles A. Tyrrell, M.D.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAM
ILLUSTRATING THE
DIGESTIVE ORGANS OF MAN.
1. Esophagus or Gullet.
2. Cardiac end of Stomach.
3. Pyloric end of Stomach.
4. Duodenum.
5, 6. Convolutions of Small Intestine.
7. Caecum.
7* Vermiform appendage of Caecum, called the appendicula
vermiformis.
8. Ascending Colon.
9, 10. Transverse Colon.
11. Descending Colon.
12. Sigmoid Flexure, the last curve of the Colon before it
terminates in the Rectum.
13. Rectum, the terminal part of the Colon.
14. Anus, posterior opening of the alimentary canal, through which the
excrements are expelled.
15. Lobes of the Liver, raised and turned back.
16. Hepatic Duct, which carries the bile from the liver to the Cystic
and Common Bile Ducts.
17. Cystic Duct.
18. Gall Bladder.
19. Common Bile Duct.
20. Pancreas, the gland which secretes the pancreatic juice.
21. Pancreatic Duct, entering the Duodunum with the Common Bile Duct.
PREFACE
TO THE ONE HUNDREDTH EDITION.
In presenting to the public the one hundredth edition of this work, it
is a matter for profound gratification to be able to state that the
treatment described in its pages has steadily increased in public
favor since its introduction. Tens of thousands of grateful people
testify to its efficiency, not only as a remedial process, but better
still, as a preventive of disease. Truth must ever prevail, and this
treatment being based on natural law (which is unerring), must achieve
the desired result, which is the restoration and preservation of
health.
This edition has been completely revised and much of it rewritten,
and, while the essential principles remain unchanged, some slight
departures from previously expressed opinions may be noted; for in the
years that have elapsed since the first edition saw the light, some
notable advances have been made in rational therapeutics and
dietetics, and no one can afford to lag behind the car of Progress.
The arrangement of the book has been still farther altered, by adding
another part, making nine in all, each part being devoted to a special
phase of the general subject, thus simplifying it, and making its
principles easier of application. Quotations have been freely made
from articles written during the past three years by the author, in
his capacity as editor of "Health," and several new formulas for the
treatment of important diseases have been added to those that have
appeared in previous editions.
While painfully conscious that the critically disposed may find
something to condemn in its pages, the work is sent forth with the
fervent hope, that despite any defects it may possess it may, in the
future, as in the past, prove the means of restoring to suffering
thousands the possession of their natural and rightful heritage
health.
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
PART 1.
DRUGGING PROVED UNSCIENTIFIC.
Health is wealth. The truth about "Materia Medica." Medical
opinions on drugs they do not cure disease. Opinions of
British physicians. The most important medical discoveries
made by laymen. There is no "law of cure," only a condition.
Drugs do not act on the system, but are acted upon.
PART II.
THE TRUE CAUSE OF DISEASE.
Only one cause of disease. There is only one disease, but
many modifications. Digestion and assimilation explained.
Evil effects of the retention of waste. The horrors of
faecal impaction. How auto infection is accomplished. The
mysteries of the circulation. Disease shown to be the result
of imperfect elimination.
PART III.
RATIONAL HYGIENIC TREATMENT.
Nature cures, not the physician. The action of microbes. The
cathartic habit. The true action of cathartics explained,
and popular suppositions corrected. A correct solution of
the difficulty. "Flushing the colon" as an ancient practice.
Dr. Turner's post mortem experiences. Colon distortion
illustrated. Objections to the ordinary appliances danger in
using the long, flexible catheter. Invention of the "J. B.
L. Cascade," and description of it.
PART IV.
HOW TO USE IT.
The complete process of "flushing the colon" explained, step
by step, so that even a child might understand it.
Objections answered. Advice to users of the treatment.
PART V.
PRACTICAL HYGIENE.
Longevity man's natural heritage. The care of the body
absolute cleanliness rare. The function of water in the
human organism. Hot water the natural scavenger. The bath.
Description of the skin, and its function. Hints on bathing.
The wet sheet pack. Importance of fresh air. Interchange of
gases in the lungs. Ventilation. Prof. Willard Parker on
impure air. The function of the heart. The therapeutic value
of sunlight.
PART VI.
EXERCISE.
Motion is life. Effect of exercise on the fluids of the
body. How the tissues are nourished. Exercise for invalids.
Complete system of breathing exercises for developing the
lungs. Improved system of physical exercises, calling into
play every muscle of the body ensuring harmonious
development. Special nerve exercise. how to stand and how to
walk. All the above exercises plainly illustrated.
PART VII.
THE DIET QUESTION.
The replacement of waste. Appetite and hunger. The evils of
gluttony. Vegetarianism versus flesh eating. Diet, a
question of latitude. The cause of old age. Cretinism.
Danger of earthy matters in food substances. Fruits are
ideal foods. The true value of bread. Classification of the
ingredients of food substances. Table of proportions. Table
of digestive values. Vegetarianism discussed. A mixed diet
the most reasonable. How to eat. Liquids at meals. When to
eat. The no breakfast plan. The effects of alcohol, tea and
coffee. Improper habits of eating. The influence of mind
upon digestion. The advantages of regularity. Nature's
bookkeeping.
PART VIII.
TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
Complete formulas of treatment (with dietary rules) for over
fifty different diseases, including Consumption,
Appendicitis, Locomotor Ataxia, Paralysis, Dyspepsia,
Pneumonia, Diabetes Mellitus, Uterine troubles, etc. Also
all the principal ailments of children.
PART IX.
SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS.
Disease is the result of the operation of natural law don't
dread it. Don't treat symptoms; treat the fundamental cause.
Pain is Nature's danger signal. Prevention is better than
cure. The elements of prevention. Importance of a knowledge
of physiology. The body, the vehicle of expression for the
mind. The strenuous life. Tear worse than wear. The
importance of reserve energy. The effect of the mind on the
body. The human body as a bank. The importance of a daily
balance. Cultivate cheerfulness. The habit of happiness. The
folly of squandering health. Medicine and surgery compared.
What children should be taught. The final word.
APPENDIX.
Instructions for massage. How to use the stomach bath by
three different methods. How to improvise the Turkish Bath
in your own home, without apparatus. How to use the wet
sheet pack. How to care for the "Cascade".
THE ROYAL ROAD TO HEALTH.
PART I.
DRUGGING PROVED UNSCIENTIFIC.
It is one of the most profound mysteries of our civilization, and has
been one of the most perplexing and discouraging phenomena of human
existence, that, while the world at large has maintained an ever
increasing "medical profession," whose members are popularly supposed
to be competent to deal with all the ills that flesh is heir to; still
there has always been a long list of what are termed "incurable
diseases." But the immense strides made, in recent years, in every
branch of modern science, has led the thinking public to consider such
a condition of things as an outrageous libel on the God of Nature, and
to question whether there can be such a thing as an incurable disease.
Health is such an inestimable blessing, that the individual who shall
devise means to preserve it, or to restore it, when lost, is deserving
of all the thanks and honors that a grateful community can bestow.
Unfortunately, there are very few who estimate life at its true value,
until they are confronted with the grim destroyer, Death. No one can
fully appreciate the priceless blessings of health, until they feel
that it has slipped from their grasp. The oft quoted phrase, "Health
is Wealth," is truly a concrete expression of wisdom, for without the
former, the latter is well nigh an impossibility. But its interference
with the activities of life is one of the least evils of sickness, for
perfect health is the very salt and spice of life; without it,
existence is "weary, stale, flat and unprofitable."
But let none despair, for it is my purpose to show how those who enjoy
the blessing of robust health may preserve it indefinitely, and how
those who have lost it may regain it with access of vigor, and once
more feel that life is indeed worth living. In presenting a new system
of medication, it is necessary to attack the existing systems, and
hence, I am placed in a delicate position, for of all the problems
ever presented for the ingenuity of man to solve, undoubtedly the most
difficult is, how to present new facts so as not to offend old errors;
for individuals are very prone to regard arguments levelled against
their opinions as direct attacks upon their personality; and not a few
of them mistake their own deeply rooted prejudices for established
certainties.
I shall endeavor to show that the practice of administering drugs to
cure disease is a fallacy, and in so doing, I am bound to incur the
condemnation of my brother practitioners, who prescribe drugs, and the
druggists who vend them.
It may safely be asserted that the drug system of treating disease
would be destroyed if it were to be critically examined; in fact, to
defend it is provocative of unmistakable damage to it. If it is once
subjected to the analysis of calm reason its defects become palpable
to the meanest understanding.
There are three principal schools of medicine, each with a distinctive
title, but they are all one in essential principles. They may differ
in unimportant details; but in the main premises they are a unit. They
all believe in the principle of "curing one disease by producing
another." In other words, their practice is, to induce a drug disease
to cure a primary one, for this is exactly what is done when drugs are
administered, in pathological conditions as we shall prove later on by
testimony from authorities on medical practice.
The materia medica of the schools, to-day, includes upwards of two
thousand substances the number increasing daily and when viewed
dispassionately it presents what? A list of drugs, chemicals, dye-
stuffs, all subversive of organic structures. They are all
antagonistic to living matter: all produce disease when brought in
contact in any manner with the living domain as a matter of fact, all
are poisons. Now, what logical standing can a system have, that
employs, as remedies for diseases, those things that produce disease
in healthy persons? No advocate of the drug system has ever advanced a
reason that would bear one moment's scientific examination, why
poisonous substances should be administered to the sick, and no one
will ever be able to give a satisfactory explanation of the theory
that underlies the practice, for none exists. When once the public
fully grasps the true import of this glaring anomaly, the days of the
drug system will be numbered.
Physicians of ability and long experience, who have devoted their
lives to the relief of suffering humanity, both in this and other
countries, have declared after close observation, that they were fully
and thoroughly convinced that medicines do not cure patients, that
they do not assist Nature's process of cure, so much as they retard
it, and, that they are more hurtful than remedial in all diseases. A
still larger number have reached the same conclusion with regard to
certain complaints, such as scarlet fever, croup, pneumonia, cholera,
rheumatism, diphtheria, measles, small-pox, dysentery, and typhoid
fever, and that in every case where they have abandoned
all medicine, abjured all drugs and potions, their success has been
marvellously increased.
Professor B. F. Parker, of the New York Medical College, once said to
a medical class: "I have recently given no medicine in the treatment
of measles and scarlet fever, and I have had excellent success."
Dr. Snow, Health Officer of Providence, R. I., reported for the
information of his professional brethren, through the Boston Medical
and Surgical Journal that he had treated all the cases of small-pox,
which had prevailed endemically in that city, without a particle of
medicine, and that all of the cases some of which were very grave ones
recovered.
Dr. John Bell, Professor of Materia Medica in one of the Philadelphia
Colleges, and also in the Medical College of Baltimore, testified in a
work which he published ("Bell on Baths"), that he and others had
treated many cases of scarlet fever with bathing, and without
medicines of any kind, and without losing a patient.
Dr. Ames, of Montgomery, Alabama, some years since published in the
New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, his experience and
observation in the treatment of pneumonia. He had been led to notice
for many years, that patients who were treated with the ordinary
remedies--bleeding, mercury, and remedies--breeding certain
complications which always aggravated the malady, and rendered the
convalescence more lingering and recovery less complete. Such patients
were always liable to collapses and re-lapses; to "run into typhoid";
to sink suddenly, and die very unexpectedly.
He noticed particularly that patients who took calomel and antimony
were found, on post-mortem examinations, to have serious and even
fatal inflammation of the stomach and small intestines, attended with
great prostration, delirium, and other symptoms of drug poisoning.
These "complications" were nothing more or less than drug diseases.
And Dr. Ames found, on changing his plan of treatment to milder and
simpler remedies, that he lost no patients.
The late Professor Win. Tully, M.D., of Yale College, and of the
Vermont Academy of Medicine at Gastleton, Vt., informed his medical
class, that on one occasion the typhoid pneumonia was so fatal in some
places in the valley of the Connecticut River, that the people became
suspicious that the physicians were doing more harm than good; and in
their desperation they actually combined against the doctors and
refused to employ them at all; "after which," said Professor Tully,
"no deaths occurred." And I might add, as an historical incident of
some pertinency in this place, that regular physicians were once
banished from Rome, so fatal did their practice seem, so far as the
people could judge of it.
The great Magendie, of France, who long stood at the very head of
Physiology and Pathology in the French Academy which, by the way, has
claimed to be, and perhaps is, the most learned body of men in the
world performed this experiment. He divided the patients of one of the
large Paris hospitals into three classes. To one he prescribed the
common remedies of the books. To the second he administered only the
common simples of domestic practice. And to the third class he gave no
medicine at all. The result was, those who took less medicine did
better than those who took more, and those who took no medicine did
the best of all.
Magendie also divided his typhoid fever patients into two classes, to
one of whom he prescribed the ordinary remedies, and to the other no
medicines at all, relying wholly on such nursing and such attention to
Hygiene as the vital instincts demanded and common sense suggested. Of
the patients who were treated the usual way, he lost the usual
proportion, about one-fourth. And of those who took no medicine, he
lost none. And what opinion has Magendie left on record of the popular
healing art? He said to his medical class, "Gentlemen, medicine is a
great humbug."
In the face of such damaging testimony from prominent representatives
of the medical profession, it becomes exceedingly difficult to place
any reliance on the drug remedies prescribed by them.
The melancholy truth is, that drug medication has become an integral
part of our domestic economy. At no time in history has the
consumption of drugs even approximated the present rate. Enormous sums
of money are invested in manufacturing and distributing them, and the
physicians of the various schools, being educated to prescribe them, a
mutual bond of interest has grown up between doctor and druggist,
which is not at all surprising. The medical profession, as a whole is,
and ever has been eminently conservative, and this fact, in connection
with its traditional predilection for drugs causes its members to
resolutely set their faces against any remedial process that runs
counter to the theories they imbibed at college. They look askance
at all such things and regard them as dangerous experiments, and
assert that their dignity will not permit them to recognize any
irregular practice, or any form of quackery.
Dignity! When was dignity ever known to save a life? Most humanity
continue to suffer because the medical profession (blindly following
in the rut of custom) fail to see anything superior to the antiquated
system of treating disease by drugging, which many of its ablest
members condemn as unreliable?
It is with all schools of medicine as it is with each individual
practitioner of the healing art the less faith they have in medicine,
the more they have in Hygiene; hence those who prescribe little or no
medicine, are invariably and necessarily more attentive to Hygiene,
which always was, and ever will be, all that there is really good,
useful, or curative in medication. Such physicians are more careful to
supply the vital organism with whatever of air, light, temperature,
food, water, exercise or rest, etc., it needs in its struggle for
health, and to remove all vitiating influences all poisons,
impurities, or disturbing influences of any kind. This is hygienic
medication, the natural and rational method of cure, and the more
closely it is examined, the more strongly it will commend itself to
reason.
It is a lamentable fact that the preservation of health is not taught
in the medical schools, neither is it explained in their books, and
judging from general practice not much regard is attached to it in
their prescriptions. But when the inevitable typhoid or malaria
appears as an inevitable consequence of neglected precautions, the
physician can drug without mercy, and, as we contend, on most
illogical grounds.
Who imagines for one instant, that quinine is a poison? Who is not
aware that arsenic is a deadly poison? And yet physicians and medical
journals calmly and gravely assert that arsenic is the better article
of the two, and recommend it as a substitute for quinine. Can any
intelligent person believe that a comparatively harmless tonic, and an
intense poison are perfect equivalents for each other?
It is stated on reliable authority, that during the civil war,
hundreds of sick soldiers implored the nurses to throw away their
medicine. They feared drugs worse than bullets, and not without
reason.
It is a curious fact that young physicians prescribe more medicine
than the older ones.
Said the venerable Professor Alexander H. Stevens M.D., of the New
York College of Physicians and Surgeons: "Young practitioners are a
most hopeful class of community. They are sure of success. They start
out in life with twenty remedies for every disease; and after an
experience of thirty years or less they find twenty diseases for every
remedy." And again: "The older physicians grow, the more skeptical
they become of the virtues of medicine, and the more they are disposed
to trust to the powers of Nature."
The effect of drugging a person, is to lock up the actual causes of
the disease in the system; thus producing permanent and worse
diseases. It is in accordance with common sense that they should be
expelled, not retained. What is known as disease, is nothing more or
less than the struggle of Nature, to cast out impurities, and this
remedial effort should be regulated, and assisted, not obstructed by
administering drugs, which only complicate the situation, by producing
more disease.
No man can fight two enemies better than one, and, to give drugs to a
system already struggling to regain its normal condition, is like
tying the hands of a man who is beset by enemies. The truth is, that
the real nature of disease is misapprehended by the popular schools of
medicine, and until broader views obtain a lodgment among them, it is
useless to hope for any alteration or improvement in the antiquated
system of drugging. "Who shall decide, when doctors disagree ?" is an
oft Quoted sentence, and, the following conflicting opinions from
prominent physicians show conclusively how little is actually known of
the action of drugs upon the human system, by those who administer
them right and left.
Says the "United States Dispensatory," "Medicines are those articles
which make sanative impressions on the body." This may be important
if, true. But, per contra, says Professor Martin Paine, M.D., of the
New York University Medical School, in his "Institutes of Medicine":
"Remedial agents are essentially morbific in their operations."
But again says Professor Paine: "Remedial agents operate in the same
manner as do the remote causes of disease." This seems to be a very
distinct announcement that remedies are themselves causes of disease.
And yet again: "In the administration of medicines we cure one disease
by producing another." This is both important and true.
Professor Paine quotes approvingly the famous professional adage, in
good technical Latin,
"Ubi virus, ibi vitus,"
which, being translated, means, "our strongest poisons are our best
remedies."
Says Professor Alonzo Clark, M.D., of the New York College of
Physicians and Surgeons: "All of our curative agents are poisons, and
as a consequence, every dose diminishes the patient's vitality."
Says Professor Joseph M. Smith, M.D., of the same school: "All
medicines which enter the circulation poison the blood in the same
manner as do the poisons that produce disease."
Says Professor St. John, of the New York Medical College : "All
medicines are poisonous."
Says Professor B. R. Peaslee, MD., of the same school: "The
administration of powerful medicines is the most fruitful cause of
derangements of the digestion."
Says Professor H. G. Cox, M.D., of the same school: "The fewer
remedies you employ in any disease, the better for your patients."
Says Professor E. H. Davis, M.D., of the New York Medical College:
"The modus operandi of medicines is still a very obscure subject. We
know that they operate, but exactly how they operate is entirely
unknown."
Says Professor J. W. Carson, M.D., of the New York University Medical
School: "We do not know whether our patients recover because we give
medicines, or because Nature cures them."
Says Professor E. S. Carr, of the same school: "All drugs are more or
less adulterated; and as not more than one physician in a hundred has
sufficient knowledge in chemistry to detect impurities, the physician
seldom knows just how much of a remedy he is prescribing."
The authors disagree in many things; but all concur in the fact that
medicines produce diseases; that their effects are wholly uncertain,
and that we know nothing whatever of their modus operandi.
But now comes in the testimony of the venerable Professor Joseph M.
Smith, M.D., who says: "Drugs do not cure diseases; disease is always
cured by the vis medicatrix naturae."
And Professor Clark further complicates the problem before us by
declaring that, "Physicians have hurried thousands to their graves who
would have recovered if left to Nature." And again: "In scarlet fever
you have nothing to do but to rely on the vis medicatrix naturae."
Says Professor Gross: "Of the essence of disease very little is known;
indeed, nothing at all." And says Professor George B. Wood, M.D., of
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia ("Wood's Practice of
Medicine"): "Efforts have been made to reach the elements of disease;
but not very successfully; because we have not yet learned the
essential nature of the healthy actions, and
cannot understand their derangements."
On the other side of the Atlantic the claims of the existing medical
schools to popular favor, do not appear to rest upon any surer basis
than they do here, if we may judge from the following opinions
expressed by some of the most eminent authorities in the British
Kingdom:
"The medical practice of our days is, at the best, a most uncertain
and unsatisfactory system; it has neither philosophy nor common sense
to commend it to confidence." DR. EVANS, Fellow of the Royal College,
London.
"There has been a great increase of medical men of late, but, upon my
life, diseases have increased in proportion." JOHN ABERNETHY, M.D.,
"The Good," of London.
"Gentlemen, ninety-nine out of every hundred medical facts are medical
lies; and medical doctrines are, for the most part, stark, staring
nonsense." Prof. GREGORY, of Edinburgh, author of a work on "Theory
and Practice of Physic."
"It cannot be denied that the present system of medicine is a burning
shame to its professors, if indeed a series of vague and uncertain
incongruities deserves to be called by that name. How rarely do our
medicines do good! How often do they make our patients really worse! I
fearlessly assert, that in most cases the sufferer would be safer
without a physician than with one. I have seen enough of the
malpractice of my professional. brethren to warrant the strong
language I employ." Dr. RAMAGE, Fellow of the Royal College, London.
"The present practice of medicine is a reproach to the name of
Science, while its professors give evidence of an almost total
ignorance of the nature and proper treatment of disease. Nine times
out of ten, our miscalled remedies are absolutely injurious to our
patients, suffering under diseases of whose real character and cause
we are most culpably ignorant." Prof. JAMEISON, of Edinburgh.
Assuredly the uncertain and most unsatisfactory art that we call
medical science, is no science at all, but a jumble of inconsistent
opinions; of conclusions hastily and often incorrectly drawn; of facts
misunderstood or perverted; of comparisons without analogy; of
hypotheses without reason, and theories not only useless, but
dangerous." Dublin Medical Journal.
"Some patients get well with the aid of medicine; more without it; and
still more in spite of it." SIR JOHN FORBES, M.D., F.R.S.
"Thousands are annually slaughtered in the quiet of the sick-room.'
Governments should at once either banish medical men, and proscribe
their blundering art, or they should adopt some better means to
protect the lives of the people than at present prevail, when they
look far less after the practice of this dangerous profession, and the
murders committed in it, than after the lowest trades." Dr FRANK, an
eminent author and practitioner.
"Our actual information or knowledge of disease does not increase in
proportion to our experimental practice. Every dose of medicine given
is a blind experiment upon the vitality of the patient." Dr. BOSTOCK,
author of "History of Medicine."
"The science of medicine is a barbarous jargon, and the effects of our
medicines on the human system in the highest degree uncertain; except,
indeed, that they have destroyed more lives than war, pestilence, and
famine combined." JOHN MASON GOOD, M.D., F.R.S., author of "Book of
Nature," "A System of Nosology," "Study of Medicine," etc.
"I declare as my conscientious conviction, founded on long experience
and reflection, that if there were not a single physician, surgeon,
man midwife, chemist, apothecary, druggist, nor drug on the face of
the earth, there would be less sickness and less mortality than now
prevail." JAS. JOHNSON, M.D., F.R.S., Editor of the Medico-
Chirurgical Review.
So it comes to this, that during three thousand years remedies have
been accumulating until between two and three thousand drugs are
recorded in the archives of the medical profession, and yet we have
the admission of some of the highest authorities on the subject that
the nature of disease is still a mystery, that the "modus operandi" of
drugs is equally obscure, and that in consequence there is profound
uncertainty as to the relation of drugs to the diseases for which they
are prescribed.
Can one cause cure another. Can a poison expel a poison? Can the human
system throw off two burdens better than one? If such a proposition
were submitted to us in any other domain we would indignantly resent
it as an insult to our intelligence.
There can be no question but that the public are largely responsible
for the existing condition of things, for whatever they demand they
can obtain, in obedience to the inexorable law of supply and demand:
which accounts for the rapidly increasing interest in hygiene. An
eminent authority on therapeutics says:
"The medical profession holds a most false relation to society. Its
honors and emoluments are measured, not by the good, but by the evil
it does. The physician who keeps some member of the family of his rich
neighbor on a bed of sickness for months or years, may secure to
himself thereby both fame and fortune; while the other who would
restore the patient to health in a week or two, will be neither
appreciated nor understood. If a physician, in treating a simple
fever, which if left to itself or to Nature would terminate in health
in two or three weeks, drugs the patient into half a dozen chronic
diseases, and nearly kills himself half a dozen times, and prolongs
his sufferings for months, he will receive much money and many thanks
for carrying him safely through so many complications, relapses, and
collapses. But if he cures in a single week, and leaves him perfectly
sound, the pay will be small, and the thanks nowhere, because he has
not been very sick!
"I know many of you will say, 'My physician is a very excellent man and
a good scholar I have all confidence in him.' But what if his system
is false? Is your confidence in him or in his system? If in his
system, you are to be pitied. If in him, take his good advice and
refuse his bad medicine."
The Caucasian has not much to learn from the Mongolian, it is true,
but the public might safely imitate the Chinese in dealing with their
physicians. A Chinaman of rank pays his physician a retaining salary
so long as he remains in health, but, the instant he gets sick, the
salary ceases. Manifestly, it is a common sense proceeding. The doctor
has a vital interest in preserving the health of his client, since
sickness entails a pecuniary loss; and best of all, the patient
escapes having his system drenched with drugs. There is no valid
reason why there should be any such thing as serious sickness; nor
would there be if Hygiene were taught, and practised, and the whole
materia medica consigned to oblivion. As Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes
said, "If all drugs were thrown into the sea, it would be so much
better for man, but so much worse for the fishes."
Now, the remedies of the Hygienic system, which I advocate, comprehend
everything except poisons. The drug system rejects almost everything
but poisons. My system rejects only poisons, and adopts everything
else. I welcome anything that possesses remedial value, provided it is
in accordance with the laws of Nature, and am equally ready to accept
suggestions from the laity, as from fellow practitioners. I am ready
to submit everything thus presented, to the test of experiment, and
employ it if found worthy.
In this regard I may, without vanity, lay claim to the possession of a
more progressive spirit than the members of the drug schools, for
their disincilination to adopt anything new in the treatment of
disease has passed into a proverb. It might naturally be supposed that
any one who should come forward with a discovery by which the
suffering portion. of the human family would be benefited, would be
welcomed with open arms by the medical fraternity, or, that at least
he would be allowed a hearing, but unfortunately it is not so.
Even if the discoverer be one of themselves, they are apt to regard
his proposition with a certain amount of distrust, but if he happens
to be a layman they instantly stand upon their dignity denounce all
irregular practice and raise the cry of quack.
In justice, however, it must be said that there are members of
liberal, broad minded men in the medical profession who recognize the
fact that brains are not monopolized by physicians, and who are
perfectly willing to accord credit where it is due, as the following
opinions will show.
Dr. A. O'Leary, Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, says:
"The best things in the healing art have been done by those who never
had a diploma the first Caesarian section, lithotomy, the use of
cinchona, of ether as an anaesthetic, the treatment of the air
passages by inhalation, the water cure and medicated baths,
electricity as a healing agent, and magnetism, faith cure, mind cure,
etc."
Prof. Waterhouse, writing to the learned Dr. Mitchell, of New York,
says:
"I am, indeed, so disgusted with learned quackery that I take some
interest in honest, humane, and strongminded empiricism; for it has
done more for our art, in all ages and all countries, than all the
universities since the time of Charlemagne."
Professor Benj. Rush, of the greatest and oldest Allopathic College in
America, says:
"Remember how many of our most useful remedies have been discovered by
quacks. Do not therefore be afraid of conversing with them, and of
profiting by their ignorance and temerity. Medicine has its pharisees
as well as religion. But the spirit of this sect is as unfriendly to
the advancement of medicine as it is to Christian charity. In the
pursuit of medical knowledge let me advise you to converse with nurses
and old women. They will often suggest facts in the history and cure
of disease which have escaped the most sagacious observers of nature.
By so doing, we may discover laws of the animal economy which have no
place in our system of Nosology, or in our theories of physic. The
practice of physic hath been more improved by the casual experiments
of illiterate nations, and the rash ones of vagabond quacks, than by
all the once celebrated professors of it, and the theoretic teachers
in the several schools of Europe, very few of whom have furnished us
with one new medicine, or have taught us better to use our old ones,
or have in any one instance at all, improved the art of curing
disease."
Dr. Adam Smith says:
"After denouncing Paracelsus as a quack, the regular medical
profession stole his `quack-silver' mercury; after calling Jenner an
imposter it adopted his discovery of vaccination; after dubbing Harvey
a humbug it was forced to swallow his theory of the circulation of the
blood."
Professor J. Rodes Buchanan, Boston, says:
"Mozart, Hoffman, Ole Bull, and Blind Tom were born with a mastery of
music, as Zerah Colburn with a mastery of mathematics, as others are
born with a mastery of the mystery of life and disease, like
Greatrakes, Newton, Hutton, Sweet and Stephens, born doctors, and
score of similar renown."
Professor Charles W. Emerson, M.D., the well known resident of the
Monroe Conservatory of Oratory, of Boston, says:
"The progress in therapeutics has and still continues to come from the
unlearned. Common people give us our improvements and the school men
spend their time in giving Greek and Latin names to these
improvements, and building metaphysical theories around them."
This is a heavy indictment against the medical profession, as a body,
but truth and justice compel me to state that most of the foregoing
statements were made some years ago, and that intolerance can no
longer be charged against them as it could, even in the last
generation. Nor can we close our eyes to the fact that thousands of
highminded physicians are devoting their time and energies
to the amelioration of disease. Scarcely a month passes in which some
convention of physicians is not held to consider the best means of
dealing with some particular malady, and a large number of the
attending physicians at those conventions contribute their time and
experience at considerable financial loss to themselves.
In the ranks of the medical body there are able and honorable men who
would adorn any profession--men who have sacrificed health, wealth and
happiness in their devotion to the cause of suffering humanity the
pages of history are full of instances of such heroism. But of what
avail is it to have the most perfect examples of humanity for
physicians, if the system they practice is an erroneous one? It is
impossible to secure good results with bad methods. We must have a
sure foundation, if we expect to raise an abiding structure. And that
is why I am in opposition to the existing method of treating disease.
Not because of any feeling against the physician individually, but for
the reason that I consider their system based upon error upon a false
conception of the true nature of disease, and of the relation of drugs
to the human system.
There is a tradition in the orthodox medical schools, that all
curative processes are dependent upon, and act only in accordance
With, an established law the "Law of Cure."
But although all the schools are a unit in believing in the existence
and operation of such a law, no two of them agree upon a definition of
it. Their theories concerning this all important law are as
diametrically opposite as the poles. For instance, the Allopaths
define it as "contraria contrariis curantur," which is simply the law
of opposition. But the Homeopaths take a widely different view of the
matter, their definition of it being "similia similibus curantur,"
which is, practically, the law of agreement; while the Eclectics
declare that "sanative medication" is the law.
This diversity of opinion is not by any means unique, for the tendency
to disagreement among physicians is proverbial; but the unfortunate
layman who is the person most vitally interested in the matter, is at
a loss what to believe among this conflict of definitions, and
naturally asks, Who is right?
I answer, unequivocally, not one! They are all wrong. This so-called
"Law of Cure" is a purely imaginary affair; one of the many
misconceptions peculiar to the medical schools, originating in a false
conception of the true nature of disease. There is no such thing as a
law of cure! There is a condition of cure, and that is, obedience.
Nature has provided penalties for disobedience, and is inexorable in
exacting payment; but she does not provide remedies. If there is one
thing absolutely certain in nature, it is the unfaltering sequence of
cause and effect. Nature never stultifies herself. It is impossible to
imagine nature providing penalties for violation of her laws, and then
furnishing remedies to make those penalties negatory.
It is a lamentable fact that the medical profession, as a body,
entertain a totally erroneous conception of the true nature of
disease, and its legitimate function in the economy of nature. Instead
of recognizing it as a beneficent remedial process, which, if properly
aided, will work out the salvation of the patient, they antagonize it
at every turn, and endeavor to suppress the symptoms, which are its
legitimate expressions.
The whole thing is a huge misconception, the failure to understand the
true relation between living and dead substances. According to the
United States Dispensatory, medicines are those substances That make
sanative impressions on the body.
A false definition of a word leads to a false system of remedial
practice, based upon that definition. What is an impression? Is it the
action of a dead substance, which cannot act upon a living substance
that can? Assuredly not! Is it not rather the recognition by the
living substance of the lifeless one? The whole theory of drug action
is easily explainable on this hypothesis. Drugs--inert substances--do
not act upon the living organism, but are acted upon, with a view to
their expulsion from the living domain. If it were not so, if drugs
really acted upon the various organs, then their action should be
equally as effective after death as before. But no, nature resents the
introduction of foreign substances into the human economy, and exerts
all her powers to cast out the intruders.
Now, as all substances incapable of physiological use are foreign,
such as particles of worn out tissue, the waste products of digestion,
etc., and their presence in the animal economy inimical to the general
welfare, the depurating organs are called into active play to expel
the offending substances; and the increased physiological activity,
and (in the case of actual lesion) the increased flow of blood to the
parts, for the purpose of repair, cause a rise in temperature,
commonly known as fever, which is one of the most frequent symptoms of
what is generally recognized as disease; thus establishing the fact,
indisputably, that disease is purely and simply a remedial process,
either for purposes of repair or purification.
The practice, therefore, of increasing the deposits in the physical
system by the introduction of drugs (foreign substances) is in direct
opposition to physiological law, and has no scientific foundation
whatever.
From the countless remedies of the pharmacopceia we can select
substances that if administered to a healthy person will produce
almost any known form of disease thus: brandy, cayenne pepper and
quinine, will induce inflammatory fever; scammony and ipecac will
cause cholera morbus; nitre, calomel and opium, will provoke typhoid
or typhus fever; digitalis will cause Asiatic, or spasmodic cholera;
cod liver oil and sulphur promote scurvy, and all the cathartic family
inevitably cause diarrhcea, the disease in each case being nothing
more than the effort of Nature to get rid of these troublesome
intruders.
Drugs do not, as their advocates claim, select their special organ
with a view of acting upon it, but are acted upon by that particular
organ for the purpose of ridding the system of the drug.
It follows, therefore, as a perfectly legitimate and logical
deduction, that, if the system of administering drugs is founded upon
a wrong conception of their relation to the human organism, then any
theoretical "law of cure" predicated upon drug action must necessarily
be equally fallacious and untrustworthy.
As stated before, the simple fact is, that there is no law of cure,
only a condition and that condition--obedience, by which is meant a
course of treatment in harmony with Nature.
The older physicians grow the more they rely upon the vis medicatrix
naturae, which is, after all, the only remedial force, and one totally
beyond their control. The physician can no more perform cures than the
farmer can make his crops grow. In each case, all that can be done is
to employ all the methods that cumulative wisdom can suggest to make
the conditions as favorable as possible, and leave the rest to Mother
Nature, who is not in the habit of making mistakes, and whose unerring
methods would cure ninety per cent. of all diseased conditions, if her
beneficent intentions were not frustrated by well-meant, but
nevertheless pernicious, drug interference.
PART II.
THE TRUE CAUSE OF DISEASE.
At this point the reader will doubtless be tempered to exclaim: "Well,
you have demonstrated to your own satisfaction that the medical
profession entertains erroneous opinions as to the true nature of
disease, and also that drugs are absolutely useless--nay, injurious--in
such conditions: but is this all? Having destroyed our trust in drugs,
what have you to offer in their stead?" To which perfectly natural
query, I gladly reply, I have a system of treatment to propound, a
system that has triumphantly stood the test of years, a system that
must commend itself to every intelligent reader, because it is
strictly in accordance with natural law.
But before I proceed to explain it, I desire to announce my own theory
respecting disease--a theory essentially radical in its character, and
of which I am the originator, and that is:
THERE IS ONLY ONE CAUSE OF DISEASE.
This may sound strange, for the majority of people imagine that there
is a different and specific cause for every ailment, and physicians
generally do not combat the opinion. But as a matter of fact, there is
only one disease, although its manifestations are various, and there
is only one cause for it, and that is the retention of waste matters
in the system. These substances may be in the gaseous, liquid or solid
form, but they are foreign bodies, inimical to the welfare of the
organism, and their presence must result in derangement of bodily
function.
The great need of the present day is adequate instruction in
physiology and hygiene, that humanity may not only know how to secure
the restoration of health, when lost, but by attention to
physiological and sanitary laws may retain good health indefinitely.
The body is the theatre of constant change. The process of tearing
down and building up proceed without intermission during life. If
construction exceeds destruction, the result is health; but just as
surely as destruction exceeds repair, disease is the result. But
during every moment of life waste is being formed by the destruction
of tissue, and this effete material must be promptly removed if the
individual would enjoy health. Nature has provided adequate means for
the removal of these substances which are valueless to the economy,
the retention of which obstructs and irritates the complex mechanism
of the system, the principal avenues for its expulsion being the
lungs, the skin and the intestinal canal. The latter is infinitely
more important than the others, since by it the waste products of
digestion are expelled. If it fails to promptly fulfil its office,
every vital function is interfered with; and in addition the fluid
portion of the semi-liquid waste is re-absorbed directly into the
circulation, redepositing in the very fountain of life, matter which
the system has thrown off as worthless. Should the system be exposed
to a chill, while in this condition, a congestion of the surface
excretory vessels takes place; and practically the whole work of
elimination is thrown upon the already hard-worked kidneys, frequently
resulting in uraemic poisoning and death.
The presence of a grain of sand in a watch will retard its movements,
if not arrest them altogether. What, then, must be the result of an
accumulation of impurities in the physical system? The finely adjusted
balance that is capable of weighing the thousandth part of a grain,
is carefully protected under a glass cover, for even impalpable dust
would clog its movements. Reflect, then, upon the amount of friction
that must be perpetually going on in the human organism owing to the
retention of effete matter! And since not even the most cunning
product of man's handiwork can compare with the intricate mechanism of
the body, the importance of eliminating the waste becomes manifest.
Here, in a nutshell, lies the secret of disease.
Let us now consider how the retention of waste affects the system--how
the deleterious effects are produced. There are three factors at work
in this process, mechanical, gaseous and absorptive, the last named
being infinitely the most pernicious. We will first consider the
mechanical.
Nature has beautifully apportioned the space in the abdominal cavity,
each part of the viscera having ample room for the performance of its
special function, but any abnormal increase in size of any part of the
contents of the cavity must necessarily create disturbance. Now, when
the food leaves the stomach, where it has been churned into a
pulpaceous mass, it passes into the duodenum or second stomach, where
it receives an augmentation of liquid material from the liver and
pancreas; consequently, when it reaches the small intestine, where
absorption takes place, it is in a well diluted condition. During its
passage through the small intestine, the nutrient portion of the
ingesta is abstracted from it by the villi (small hair-like processes)
with which the small intestine is thickly studded, so that at the end
of its journey of about twenty-two feet (if digestion is normal) all
that is of value to the organism has been appropriated--the remainder
being refuse. This waste product passes into the colon, or large
intestine, and should be promptly expelled. If prompt expulsion does
not take place, this is what happens: The fluid portion of this semi-
liquid waste is re-absorbed through the walls of the colon directly
into the circulation, a percentage of the solids being deposited on
the walls of the intestine. This process of accretion goes on from day
to day, week to week, month to month, until it not infrequently
happens that the colon becomes distended to several times its natural
size. Instances are on record, where these abnormal accumulations of
faecal matter in the colon have been mistaken for enlargement of the
liver, and even pregnancy. A surgeon in London has a preparation of
the colon measuring some twenty inches in circumference, containing
three gallons of faecal matter, and even larger accumulations have
been reported. The foregoing instances are, of course, exceptional
ones, but it is safe to assert that seventy per cent. of the colons of
the human family (living under civilized conditions) are impacted, and
some of them terribly so. It is impossible to estimate the amount of
evil caused by an engorged colon monopolizing two or three times its
allotted space in the abdominal cavity, crowding and hampering the
other organs in their work.
But the effects of direct mechanical pressure are not the only ones.
The accumulations in the colon necessarily arrest the free passage of
the product of the small intestine, and that, in turn, causes undue
retention of food in the stomach, with consequent fermentation; while
the irritation, due to pressure on the nerve terminals by the
distension, and by the encrusted matter adhering to the intestinal
wall, is simply incalculable.
The effects of gaseous accumulations in the alimentary canal are not
thoroughly understood at present--that is--the pathological effects. The
more direct effects, as manifested in abdominal distension, and the
terrible distress that frequently follows eating, are unfortunately, but
too well known. The reader does not need to be told that during the
decomposition of organic substances, gases are evolved, and no matter
where the process goes on, the results are always the same. Owing to the
causes previously mentioned, the intestinal canal usually offers special
facilities for the production of gases, owing to the retention of
partially digested food, in a medium highly favorable to fermentation. A
moderate amount of sulphuretted hydrogen, and also carburetted hydrogen
is always present in the colon, normally, to preserve moderate
distention of the walls, while the gases usually found in the stomach
and small intestine, are oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbonic acid.
What functional disturbances may arise from the presence of these
gaseous substances in excess in the system is, at present, largely a
matter of conjecture, but it is known that a stream of carbonic acid
gas, or hydrogen continuously directed against a muscle will cause
paralysis of that structure. The expansive force of gases is too well
known to need comment, and the force with which they will at times
distend the abdominal wall points irresistibly to the conclusion that
such an amount of force exerted against vital organs cannot be otherwise
than productive of serious harm. It is not at all improbable that many
cases of hernia and uterine displacement may be due to this hitherto
unsuspected cause. That they penetrate the neighboring tissues is an
established fact, and it is quite conceivable that their action upon the
nervous system though the medium of the circulation may lie at the root
of many of the cases of neurasthenia that are now so prevalent.
But the auto-infection that results from the absorption of the liquid
waste into the blood supply is by far the most serious feature. The
blood is the life. From it the system obtains all the material for the
formation of fresh tissue, and it is a practical impossibility for
good, healthy structures to be built up from a tainted blood current.
Why is it that the vegetation on the banks of a stream, on which a
manufacturing town is located, is invariably stunted and withered?
Because the water that should nourish it is polluted by the refuse
poured into it, and no amount of deodorants or disinfectants will
prove of any avail to restore the devitalized vegetation, but will
rather aggravate the trouble. But cut off the source of pollution, and
in an incredibly short space of time the vegetation will take on a new
1ease of life.
This liquid refuse in the colon is composed of substances for which
the system has no further use--it has rejected them; consequently they
are foreign bodies, and as such, are the equivalent of poisons. The
colon, in this condition, is a perfect hot-bed for the breeding of all
kinds of poisonous germs, and the action of cathartics aggravates the
condition by filling the pouched portions of the colon with a foul
liquid which facilitates the absorption of the ptomaines and
leucomaines through the mucous coat of the intestine. It is known now,
that as much as three-fourths of this foul putrid substance may be
absorbed, carrying into the system poisonous germs and excrementitious
matter. Dr. Murchison states, "that a circulation is constantly taking
place between the fluid contents of the bowel and the blood, the
existence of which, till within the last few years, was quite unknown,
and which even now is too little heeded." And Dr. Parker says, "It is
now known, that in varying degrees there is a constant transit of
fluid from the blood into the alimentary canal, and as rapid
absorption." It is also stated on reliable authority, "that every
portion of the blood may, and possibly does, pass several times into
the alimentary canal in twenty-four hours." Prof. I. I. Metchinkoff
recently stated in a lecture at Paris: "Particularly injurious are the
microbes of the large intestines. Thence, they penetrate into the
blood and impair it alike by their presence and the products they
yield--ptomaines, alkaloids, etc. The auto intoxication of the organism
and poisoning through microbes is an established fact."
Having shown that the average colon is a fertile breeding ground for
all kinds of poisonous germs, and that they are conveyed into the
circulation by the interchange of fluids in that organ, it may be
interesting to explain how these germs are conveyed to, and deposited
in the various organs of the body.
We have in our bodies a system of canals called arteries and veins,
having their head at the heart, which is the main pump that keeps the
blood in motion. The arterial circulation consists of those channels
which convey the blood--supposed pure blood--away from the heart to the
different parts of the body, loaded with the life-giving principle of
sustenance, invigoration and heat, while the veins or venous
circulation conveys to the heart and lungs the impure blood, loaded
many times with disease-breeding germs.
Now, in the blood, as it courses through our bodies, are myriads of
little vessels called corpuscles; these are what give the blood a red
color. There are also a smaller number of white corpuscles, that are
known as phagocytes, whose mission is to destroy micro-organisms that
are prejudicial to life. In order that you may know their use, I, for
convenience sake and to make my meaning better understood, will call
them little war vessels, loaded with soldiers, and the soldiers have
in their vessels a furnace whose fire never goes out. These vessels
and their little warriors are continually sailing through our bodies,
hunting for germs of disease, that they catch and throw into their
furnace and burn them up. Now, suppose we take a violent cold, thus
closing the pores of the skin, and that at the same time the colon is
engorged, two of the most important outlets for the filth and decayed
matter of our bodies are closed up--for the life of our bodies is one
continual process of building anew and tearing down; these two most
important sewers are now closed. These little vessels now have their
hands full, catching disease-bearing germs that nature cannot throw
out through the colon or pores of the skin--both being closed--and we
call this condition of things fever. The white corpuscle has but two
dumping places now, the lungs or kidneys. Suppose that in the colon is
the tubercular ulcer, breeding the bacillus of consumption, and they
are absorbed into the circulation. Ordinarily the white corpuscles
would be able to destroy them, but now they are so overworked that the
tubercular germ lands in the lung tissue alive and well, ready to
commence his work of destruction and death. The person developes a
hacking cough, and finally goes to the doctor, and he, if he knows his
business, probably finds tuberculosis well established. Typhoid fever
has its nursery solely in the colon, and gets possession of the
citadel of life in the same way as any other germ or contagious
disease. What a terrible battle there must be going on in us between
our life-preservers and the germs of disease.
Is it any wonder that people die of premature old age, of apoplexy,
paralysis, dropsy, consumption, and the thousand and one maladies that
scourge humanity? And is it not unreasonable to pour a few grains of
diluted drugs into the stomach to purify the blood--even granting for
the sake of argument that such a purpose could be accomplished by that
means--when occupying nearly one-half of the abdominal cavity is an
engorged intestine reeking with filth so foul that carrion is as the
odor of roses compared to it, and which is being steadily absorbed
into the circulation? If a man were to act as foolishly as that in his
business, his friends would quickly petition the courts to appoint a
guardian for him.
It may be asked, why has not this discovery been made before? In the
first place, the colon has had but scant attention paid to it in the
dissecting room, until of late years the appendicitis craze has
awakened some interest in it. Its importance was not realized--the
circulatory and nervous systems receiving the lion's share of
attention. In the second place, in holding post-mortems the
organ was avoided, cut off, if in the way, and thrown into the slop
bucket. It was known to be always full, but no one ever asked whether
or not it was natural in its fullness of faecal matter, and as a
result, probably the profession knows the least about this important
organ, of any in the human body. Strange, is it not, that among the
seven thousand physicians ground out and polished in the mills of
wisdom each year, that there was not one who had originality enough to
ask the question, Is it natural that this scent bag of filth should
always be so full of putrid matter that we cannot abide one moment
with it? And, inasmuch as it is so, is it not a great detriment at
least to our health to carry this mass of filth around with us, from
day to day, from week to week, and from year to year--absorbing its
poison back into the circulation? Strange that these questions did not
present themselves to some one of the enterprising youths of our
original young America.
The muscular fibres of the intestines are circular and longitudinal.
In the large intestine the longitudinal fibres are shorter than the
tube itself, which length permits the formation of loculi (cavities).
These become the seat of faecal accumulations, only too often
unnoticed by the physician. It is undoubtedly a fact that the loculi
of the colon contain small faecal accumulations extending over weeks,
months, or even years. Their presence produces symptoms varying all
the way from a little catarrhal irritation up to the most diverse, and
in some instances serious, reflex disturbances. When the loculi only
are filled, the main channel of the colon is undisturbed. The most
common parts of the colon to become enlarged are the sigmoid flexure
and the caecum (see diagram in beginning of book), but accumulations
may occur in any part of the colon. The ascending colon is much more
often filled in life than the books would lead us to believe; indeed,
it may be said that chronic accumulations are oftener to be found in
the ascending than in the descending colon, which is also contrary to
the assertions of the authors. This is due partly to the fact that the
contents of the colon have to rise in opposition to gravity, and
partly to the semi-paralyzed condition of the muscular coat of the
colon through inactivity. When the accumulations are large, the
increased weight of the colon tends to displace it; and if in the
transverse colon, that portion may be depressed, even into the pelvis.
The mass may be so enormous as to press upon any organ located in the
abdomen, interfering with its functions; thus we may have pressure on
the liver that arrests the flow of bile; or, upon the urinary organs,
crippling their functions.
Of course, such excessive accumulations occur only exceptionally, and
it is not to these that attention is particularly drawn, because when
they are so excessive, any physician can detect them by palpation
(touch).
It is to the minor accumulations particularly, that I wish to draw
attention--the accumulations that we see in the majority of patients
who visit our offices. Such patients assure us that the bowels move
daily, but the color of their complexions, and the condition of their
tongues, are enough to assure us that they are the victims of
costiveness.
Daily movements of the bowels are no sign that the colon is not
impacted; in fact, the worst cases of costiveness that we ever see are
those in which daily movements of the bowels occur. The diagnosis of
faecal accumulations is facilitated by inquiring as to the color of
the daily discharges. A black or a very dark green color almost always
indicates the faeces are ancient.
Prompt discharge of food refuse is indicated by more or less yellow
color. It would be interesting to inquire why fresh faces are yellow
and ancient faeces are dark.
Such patients have digestive fermentations to torment them, resulting
in flatulent distension which encroaches on the cavity of the chest,
which in excessive cases may cause short and rapid breathing,
irregular heart action, disturbed circulation in the brain, with
vertigo and headache. An over-distended caecum, or sigmoid flexure,
from pressure, may produce dropsy, numbness or cramps in the right or
left lower extremity.
The reports of the Post-mortem examination of the colons of hundreds
of subjects reveals a series of horrors more weird and ghastly than
were ever penned by Eugene Sue, or Emile Zola. The mind shrinks in
dismay at the appalling revelations, and shudders at the possibly of
the "human form divine" becoming such a peripatetic charnel house.
Is it any wonder that the average human system, being thus saturated
with impurities, should succumb to the first exciting cause? Is it
not, in fact, a greater marvel that the rate of mortality is not even
higher than at present?
My object in publishing this book is to point out the true cause of
disease, together with the means for its prevention and cure, and
that, too, by a simple and inexpensive method of hygienic treatment,
which has proved eminently successful in tens of thousands of cases,
which is perfectly harmless and natural in its action, and absolutely
free from even the suspicion of a drug.
PART III.
RATIONAL HYGIENIC TREATMENT.
Having striven to explain in an intelligible manner the true nature
and cause of disease, and to point out the inadequacy of the drug
system of treatment to combat pathological conditions successfully
(not from any lack of intention on the part of the drug practitioners:
but from the unreliability of their methods), I shall now proceed to
lay before you the system of treatment which it is proposed to
substitute in its stead, and I unhesitatingly affirm that it will be
found so simple, so inexpensive and so obviously based on common sense
and true hygienic principles, that the thoughtful reader cannot fail
to give it his unqualified endorsement, and will be lost in wonder
that any one should fail to adopt it, when made acquainted with its
simplicity and its marvellous results.
In an old comedy, which used to delight our fore-fathers, the hero,
Felix O'Callaghan, defines the practice of medicine as "the art of
amusing the patient while Nature performs the cure." In that sentence,
the dramatist (unwittingly perhaps) embodied a great truth. Nature,
and Nature only, can effect a cure. Fresh air, sunlight, pure water,
diet and exercise are the great curative agents provided by Nature,
and all that the physician can do, no matter to what school be
belongs, is to remove as far as possible all existing impediments, and
to see that the hygienic conditions are made as favorable as possible.
For the rest, Nature, the marvellous builder, will, in her own
mysterious way, build up fresh tissue, and, slowly but surely, repair
the ravages made by disease. No one would dare to say that the farmer
made the corn grow. He does all that the science of agriculture tells
him is needful to furnish proper conditions for growth, but there he
must stop--the rest must be left to Nature. Then, since disease is a
wasting of tissue, and recovery a building up, it is a palpable
absurdity to credit a physician with a cure. All that he can do is to
cooperate with Nature, by seeing that none of her laws are violated,
and insisting that nothing whatever shall obstruct her beneficent
functions.
Whether for the preservation of health, or the treatment of disease,
when present, the chief thing is to cleanse the colon. It is useless
to attempt to get rid of the effects while the cause is present.
If the principal drain in a dwelling becomes choked, what is the
consequence? The noxious and pestilent gases generated by the
accumulated filth having no outlet, are forced back into the building,
poisoning the atmosphere, and breeding contagion among the
inhabitants. Deodorizing and disinfecting will simply be a waste of
time and material, until the drain is cleared. The colon is the main
drain of the human body, and if it be necessary, for sanitary reasons,
to keep the house drains clean, how vitally important is it to keep
the main outlet of the physical system free from obstructions.
Or, to use another homely illustration, when your coal stove has been
run continuously for a long time, as a natural result it becomes clogged
with cinders and ashes, causing the fire to burn badly. You encourage it
with fresh fuel, rake it and shake it but without avail--the
accumulations of debris are too great. You remove a portion, but its
place is taken by more substance from above. At length you resort to the
measure you should have employed at first--you "dump the grate" and start
a fresh fire. The moral is obvious: dump the grate of the human
system--in other words, empty the colon.
It has been previously shown that an impacted colon is neither more
nor less than a prolific hot-bed for the wholesale breeding of disease
germs--microbes--those infinitesimal organisms which science has
demonstrated to be the cause of many phases of disease, or rather, the
toxins (poisons) they produce, cause disease. Of course, there are
harmless micro-organisms as well as hurtful ones; in fact, a large
proportion of them are beneficial rather than otherwise; but some of
them (notably the tubercle bacillus) are so intimately associated with
disease that it is next to impossible to doubt their responsibility.
The sphere of the microbe is absolutely without limit. He is equally
at ease in the air, the earth, and the water. He makes himself at home
in our beverages and our foods. Our mouths furnish desirable lurking
places for him, our hair, and finger-nails are favorite posts of
vantage; while he delights to disport himself in our blood. He is the
active agent of decay, and the prime cause of disease. He is the most
selfish of parasites. The world for a long time disregarded him, but
now acknowledges him as one of the mightiest of conquerers; for while
other devastators have slain thousands, millions have fallen beneath
his insidious attacks. He is a foe to be dreaded, for he is forever
lying in ambush for fresh victims.
Microbes breed in fermentation, consequently, every particle of
undigested food remaining in the stomach or intestines becomes an
ideal nursery for their propagation. It has been demonstrated that
food that has been subjected to the action of the gastric juice
decomposes far more rapidly than that which has not--hence, with
imperfect digestion, fermentation quickly takes place. If microbes are
now introduced into the system, either by contact with sick persons,
inhaling impure air in crowded public buildings, or breathing in the
dust on ill-kept streets, there is danger ahead; for if the recipient
is not in a sound, physical condition, the microbes (finding congenial
lodgment), multiply with the most marvellous rapidity, permeating
every portion of the tissue--causing, in fact, DECOMPOSITION WHILE
STILL ALIVE.
Every particle of animal or vegetable matter, even if only a single
grain in weight, by exposure to the air, putrefies, breeds, and
attracts to itself thousands of microbes, and becomes a center of
infection. Thus, in a piece of street dirt containing organic matter,
we may find upon examination, the germs of typhoid fever, diphtheria,
scarlet fever, or consumption. When this piece of dirt is dried by the
sun and pulverized by horses' hoofs, the particles of dirt are caught
up by the wind, and sent whirling through the air, to be drawn into
the lungs by those within reach, Of course, every one who breathes in
the microbes of some particular disease does not catch it, or we
should soon all be dead, but those who have not the resisting power of
sound bodies to kill these germs, before they have time to set up
their peculiar inflammation, are apt to realize the evil effects, a
week, a month, or even a year afterwards.
It is evident then that to cure disease we must get rid of all
fermentation in the system, and thus prevent the further breeding of
microbes and to prevent disease we must get the system into such a
sound, healthy condition that disease germs cannot obtain a lodgment
in it.
Now, this can only be accomplished by thoroughly cleansing the colon,
and keeping it absolutely clean, thus preventing further contamination
of the blood current--the fountain of life.
The intelligent reader, recognizing the absolute correctness of the
foregoing proposition, will naturally ask, "Can such a thing be
accomplished, and how?" We beg to assure the reader, most
emphatically, that it can, but not by the means usually employed. It
is perfectly plain that the cleansing process cannot be effected by
cathartics, for at the best, they only afford temporary relief
(witness the growth of the cathartic habit), while on an impacted mass
such as is commonly present in the colon, the influence they can exert
is practically nil. The common experience of those afflicted with
constipation is, that they commence with a laxative, gradually
increasing the quantity and frequency of the dose until it fails to
act at all. Then they resort to a cathartic, with a similar
experience, when it is exchanged for a more powerful one, and then for
another still more powerful, until at last, it becomes impossible to
move the bowels without a powerful dose.
That this is no overdrawn picture many of my readers will bear
witness, and my brother practitioners can amply corroborate the
statement, for they fully recognize the vital importance of removing
the waste from the system. The pity of it is that they still persist
in employing such a crude and ineffective method.
Do any of my readers know how a cathartic acts?
It is popularly supposed that the drug passes from the stomach into
the small intestines, rendering their contents more liquid; then
passes into the colon, producing the same effect upon its more solid
contents, thus causing an evacuation. Many people have no conception,
whatever, of the modus operandi of a purgative drug, simply believing
that it acts in a certain mysterious manner, but the above described
process is generally believed to be the correct one by those who have
thought upon the matter, but lack physiological knowledge. It is a
huge mistake.
Any purgative drug, whether aperient, laxative or cathartic, is
dissolved in the stomach by the action of the gastric juice--in fact,
goes through the same digestive process as the food that is eaten,
that is, it passes into the small intestines and is there absorbed
into the circulation.
By its irritation of the nerves, the secretory and excretory processes
of the system are stimulated into abnormal action, and an extra quantity
of fluid is poured into the colon to dissolve the accumulated mass;
which is about as scientific a proceeding as pouring a quart of water
into a washbowl on the upper floor of a dwelling to clear away an
obstruction in the main drain of the building. And, again, as previously
stated, the action of laxatives and cathartics, especially the variety
known as hydrogo-cathartics (watery), fill the ano-rectal cavity and the
loculi, or folds of the colon, with a foul watery solution that is a
perpetual source of irritation to the sensitive mucous surface,
hastening and intensifying the process of auto-infection by absorption,
that is constantly going on.
And what about the enormous drain upon the vital forces? Who is not
familiar with the feeling of exhaustion when the reaction sets in
after the employment of such methods of relief? How can it be
otherwise? These stimulants to defecation are like the applications of
the whip to the jaded horse-they excite the system to make a supreme
effort in the required direction, but the reaction is disastrous in
the extreme. With the repeated demands upon the delicate nervous
system incidental to constant catharsis is it any wonder that we are
so constantly confronted with cases of nervous collapse? The wonder
would be if it were otherwise.
Nor are these the only objections to be urged against purgative
medication. Its effects upon the digestive functions is, in the
highest degree, destructive. It would be next to impossible to find an
individual addicted to the use of cathartics whose digestion was not,
practically, a wreck. It is true, that a large part of the digestive
disturbance in such cases is due to the obstructed condition
of the colon, and the consequent undue retention of food in the
stomach, until fermentation sets in; but no inconsiderable share of
the trouble is due to the action of the drugs, by repeated over-
stimulation of the nervous system, and perpetual irritation of the
delicate absorbent vessels.
Viewed from whatever standpoint we may choose, the employment of drugs
to relieve an overcharged colon is both unsatisfactory and
unscientific.
And yet there is a simple and effective method of dealing with this
trouble; of removing the accumulations, no matter how large they may
be; of thoroughly cleansing and purifying that important organ, the
colon, without the least demand upon the vital forces, and that is by
WASHING IT OUT.
In plain English, the preservation and restoration of health depends
entirely upon cleanliness, especially internal cleanliness, and to
attain that condition which we are told is next to godliness, there is
nothing equal to water--especially "hot water, which is the great
scavenger of nature."
Strange, that such an obviously common-sense proceeding should not be
universal, is it not? I do not claim to be the discoverer of this
method of internal purification, for it is in reality of ancient
origin, as we have it on good authority that it was practised by the
ancient Egyptians, who, it is believed, acquired their knowledge from
observing a bird called the Ibis, a species of Egyptian snipe. The
food of this bird, gathered on the banks of the Nile, was of a very
constipating character, and it was observed, by the earliest
naturalists, to suck up the water of the river and using its long bill
for a syringe, inject it into its anus, thus relieving itself. Pliny
says this habit of the Ibis first suggested the use of clysters to the
ancient Egyptian doctors, known to be the first medical practitioners
of any nation, not excepting the Chinese. [See Naturalis Historia,
Lib. VIII., Dap. 41, Hague 1518.
Another writer, viz., Christianus Langius, says, that this bird when
attacked with constipation at some distance from the river, and not
able to fly from weakness, would be seen to crawl to the water's edge
with drooping wings and there take its rectal treatment, when in a few
minutes it would fly away in full vigor of regained strength.
Nor do I even claim to have rediscovered this system of treatment,
although it is a common practice in these days to revamp old theories
and discoveries, and try to foist them upon the public as entirely new
propositions. The credit for the resuscitation of this ancient
remedial practice belongs, without doubt, to Dr. A. Wilford Hall, of
New York, who practiced the treatment on himself for forty years
before giving its principles to the public, thereby fully proving its
merits.
The following experience from the pen of Dr. H. T. Turner, of
Washington, affords incontestable proof of the allegation made, that
the colon is the seat of disease, and his testimony should be read
with extreme care. It is no fanciful, theoretical statement, but the
ghastly revelation of an appalling reality. While reading his
statement, the reader will do well to refer to the engraving,
representing the digestive apparatus, at the commencement of this
book, as it will greatly facilitate his comprehension of the matter.
"In 1880 I lost a patient with inflammation of the bowels, and
requested of the friends the privilege of holding a post-mortem
examination, as I was satisfied that there was some foreign substance
in or near the Ileo-coecal valve, or in that apparently useless
appendage, the Appendicula Vermiformis. (See explanation of
engraving.)
"The autopsy developed a quantity of grape seed and popcorn, filling
the lower enlarged pouch of the colon and the opening into the
Appendicula Vermiformis. This, from the mortified and blackened
condition of the colon alone, indicated that my diagnosis was correct.
I opened the colon throughout its entire length of five feet, and
found it filled with faecal matter encrusted on its walls and into the
folds of the colon, in many places dry and hard as slate, and so
completely obstructing the passage of the bowels as to throw him into
violent colic (as his friends stated), sometimes as often as twice a
month, for years, and that powerful doses of physic was his only
relief; that all the doctors had agreed that it was bilious colic. I
observed that this crusted matter was evidently of long standing, the
result of years of accumulation, and although the remote cause, not
the immediate cause of his death. The sigmoid-flexure (see engraving),
or bend in the colon on the left side, was especially full, and
distended to double its natural size, filling the gut uniformly, with
a small hole the size of one's little finger through the center,
through which the recent faecal matter passed. In the lower part of
the sigmoid-flexure, just before descending to form the rectum, and in
the left hand upper corner of the colon as it turns toward the right,
were pockets eaten out of the hardened faecal matter, in which were
eggs of worms and quite a quantity of maggots, which had eaten into
the sensitive mucous membrane, causing serious inflammation of the
colon and its adjacent parts, and as recent investigation has
established as a fact, were the cause of his hemorrhoids, or piles,
which I learned were of years' standing. The whole length of the colon
was in a state of chronic inflammation; still this man considered
himself well and healthy until the unfortunate eating of the grape
seed and popcorn, and had no trouble in getting his life insured in
one of the best companies in America.
"I have been thus explicit in this description, from the fact that
recent investigation has developed the fact that in the discovery
described above, I had found but a prototype of at least seven-tenths
of the human family in civilized life--the real cause of all diseases
of the human body, excepting the grape seed and popcorn. That I had
found the fountain of premature old age and death, for, as surprising
as it may seem, out of 284 cases of autopsies held of late on the
colon (they representing in their death nearly all the diseases known
to our climate), but twenty-eight colons were found to be free from
hardened, adhered matter, and in their normal healthy state, and that
the 256 were all more or less as described above, except, perhaps, the
grape seeds and popcorn. In many of them the colon was distended to
double its natural size throughout its whole length, with a small hole
through the center, and as far as could be learned, these last cases
spoken of had regular evacuations of the bowels each day. Many of the
colons contained large maggots from four to six inches long, and
pockets of eggs and maggots, while blood and pus were frequently
present."
The question is often asked, and naturally so, why this unnatural
accumulation is in the colon? The horse and ox promptly obey the call
of nature; they know no time or place, and are blessed with clean
colons. So are the natives of Africa. But the demands of civilized
life insist upon a time and place. Business, etiquette, opportunity,
and a thousand and one excuses stand continually in the way, and
nature's call is put off to a more convenient time and place.
How many people are not presentable to themselves or friends, owing to
the putrid smell of their bodies, so that in polite society strong
colognes and other perfumes are used. Show me a woman who girts her
waist with corsets or any tight clothing, and I will warrant you that
the smell from her body will be sickening in the extreme. The special
reason for this is, that the lacing comes immediately where the
transverse colon crosses her body. Now, if the sigmoid-flexure becomes
loaded, because of its folding upon itself, how much more will the
transverse colon become clogged if unnaturally folded upon itself by
compression from each side folding it, as demonstrated in some
instances, almost double the whole length, into two extra elbows,
where it, if natural; is straight (see engraving on next page). Many
reasons have been given by physiologists and humanitarians, why it is
injurious for the lady to lace, but this reason outweighs them all.
Wear the clothing loose, clean out the colon and heal it up, and you
will smell sweet, and life will be a continual blessing; for if the
main sewer in the body is closed or clogged, nature has but three
other outlets: the capillaries or pores of the skin, the lungs in
exhalation, or the kidneys. If the colon is clogged, the penned-up
acid permeations of the stomach and duodenum will have to seek other
outlets, which is indicated by the putrid smell of the body and a foul
breath with finally dyspepsia, and what is usually termed biliousness,
torpid liver, etc.
The condition of the colon (the physiological sewer) in the average
adult having been demonstrated, does it need any argument to convince
the intelligent thinker that the most rational and practical manner of
dealing with this hot-bed of filth and breeding place of disease, is
to wash it out?
With me, it has passed beyond the theoretical stage, for I have in my
office fully 15,000 grateful letters from patients who have used this
process, under my direction, with the most astounding results;
scarcely a disease known to humanity, but has been relieved, and in
ninety-five per cent. of cases, cures effected; while tens of
thousands of gratifying messages have reached me from time to time;
nor is the testimony in its favor confined to the laity, for hundreds
of physicians (including some of the most prominent authorities)
testify to the wonderfully beneficial results achieved by its use.
We now come to the most important feature of the subject--the means for
putting it into practice, for it will readily be admitted that such an
admirable and common-sense method of treatment should have the most
perfect means procurable for its application, but until the present
time the available means have remained crude and undeveloped. This,
however, is scarcely to be wondered at. It is the history of all
important discoveries.
Those great natural forces, steam and electricity, although their
value was recognized, yet required the aid of inventive genius to
develop their possibilities; in fact, it has required three-fourths of
a century to bring the locomotive to its present state of perfection,
while the potentialities of electricity are as yet only surmised. This
being so in matters that offer a rich pecuniary harvest to the
inventor, it is little matter for surprise that improvement in a means
of combating disease should progress slowly. In the first place, it
was a new departure, unheralded to the world, and frowned upon by the
members of the orthodox medical schools; consequently there was no
tempting bait of a handsome profit to encourage the inventor, and
until lately the indifference to matters pertaining to health was
proverbial.
When Dr. Hall commenced his famous experimentation upon himself, the
only appliance available for the purpose was the old-fashioned bulb
syringe, which is simply a flexible rubber tube with an egg-shaped
receptacle in the center. One end of the tube is inserted in the
rectum, while the other end is immersed in a vessel of water, the
injection of the fluid being accomplished by alternately compressing
and relaxing the bulbous portion. It is needless to say that the
process of "flushing the colon" copiously, the only effectual way, was
a tedious, inconvenient and imperfect matter with such a crude
appliance. After the lapse of a great number of years the "gravity" or
"fountain" syringe was invented, which consisted of a rubber bag with
a long flexible tube attached to its lower end. The bag was suspended
from a nail or hook several feet above the individual, the water being
forced into the body by gravity, the pressure being increased or
diminished by raising or lowering the bag. This was a distinct advance
upon the bulb syringe, but it still left a great deal to be desired.
In the first place, they are both exceedingly tedious, a serious
objection in the case of weakly or elderly people; secondly, both
methods necessitate the uncovering of the lower portion of the body,
which is decidedly unpleasant; and, most serious of all, it is
impossible to prevent the admission of air into the intestine, and
that is a fruitful source of pain and discomfort. It should, however,
be borne in mind that both of these appliances were devised for an
entirely different class of operation (namely, vaginal douching),
and were only used for intestinal treatment because there was nothing
better at hand.
Another method, sometimes employed by progressive physicians, consists
in using, in connection with the fountain syringe, a tube from
eighteen to twenty-four inches in length, made of a firm but flexible
variety of rubber. This was introduced (its entire length) into the
body, the theory being that it was necessary to get behind the
impacted mass and force it out ahead of the water, which was
theoretically correct, but in practice found sadly wanting. In the
first place, the opening in the eye of the tube became clogged with
the faecal matter, and, secondly, with the double tube employed for
the return flow, the opening was too small to allow of the passage of
solid substances. The introduction of the catheter is a process
requiring considerable skill, and a perfect acquaintance with the
anatomy of the parts, so that personal use of it is practically
impossible, or, at least, attended with considerable danger. An
examination of the diagram of the digestive apparatus at the beginning
of the book will enable the reader to understand the difficulties
attending its introduction, since it has to pass the sigmoid flexure
(No. 12), and the splenic flexure--that angle of the colon where the
transverse portion turns to descend. With such a tortuous road to
travel, the risk of injury to the sensitive mucous membrane is
excessive--hence this instrument should never be used by the patient
upon himself.
The author, however, felt that there must be an easier and more
effective method of irrigating that important organ--the colon--and one
unattended with any risk, and determined, if possible, to devise some
better way. After much patient and tireless experimenting he invented
and perfected the "J. B. L. Cascade," a mechanical appliance which
completely rids the process of all its objectionable features, and
enables young and old, weak and strong, to use the treatment without
the possibility of danger. It achieves the desired result far more
effectively than any other known apparatus, with the least possible
inconvenience to the patient, and yet so gently and easily that the
operation, so far from being distressing or disagreeable, becomes a
positive gratification.
The letters J. B. L. are the initials of the words Joy, Beauty, Life,
which aptly indicate its purpose and effects, for we confidently claim
that its use will infallibly confer these three great blessings, it
being the one safe and sanative method of regaining and preserving
health. Without health there is no joy in life, and perfect beauty
cannot possibly exist, while with health life becomes indeed worth
living.
One of the gravest objections to all the hitherto existing appliances
is the construction of the nozzle, or tube, that is inserted in the
body, and through which the water is conveyed. These are all (without
exception) made with an aperature in the end, or extreme tip, the
consequence being that a small jet of water is continuously directed
upon one spot in the delicate and sensitive mucous membrane. With
water at the necessary temperature this is a source of grave danger,
and likely to result in serious injury, by causing a separation of the
various layers of which the membrane is composed. When this separation
occurs little slits occur in the rectal lining, in which faecal matter
lodges, ultimately forming what are known as pockets, causing, first,
irritation, then inflammation, and, finally, results in "proctitis"--
chronic inflammation of the intestinal canal. The best authorities
agree in condemning the direct jet, while rectal specialists regard it
as one of their chief aids to income.
With these facts in view, the construction of my "injection point," or
entering tube, engaged the special attention, finally, with the result
that a most successful means of overcoming this dangerous objection
has been provided. Instead of the opening in the end, the tip is made
absolutely solid, so that the impact of the entering water is not felt
at all, while it is provided with six rows of perforations on the
sides, through which the water is evenly diffused over the walls of
the rectum, which is a most desirable thing in cases of hemorrhoids or
rectal inflammations. It is also so constructed that the natural
constriction of the sphincter muscles holds it firmly in position in
the rectum, and while affording the water free passage into the colon,
it prevents the escape of the fluid externally, thus rendering soiled
garments impossible.
But the simplicity of the operation is one of its chief advantages,
for the patient sits upon the appliance in ease and comfort while
receiving the cleansing stream, and by following the directions the
time occupied in the operation need not exceed fifteen minutes, or
about one-fourth of the time required by other methods--an unmistakably
valuable saving of time and strain to busy or weakly people. The
faucet is considered by experts as a most valuable feature, on account
of the "dome" portion, which accurately fits the natural arch formed
by the limbs when the body is in the seated position.
Many people are accustomed to use the bulb and fountain syringes in a
reclining position and some physicians recommend the patient to kneel
in the bath tub, with the body bent well forward: an irksome,
disagreeable position and quite unnecessary. The theory is, that the
water will flow into the body by gravitation, but they overlook the
fact that the ascending and descending portions of the colon, being
parallel in the body, the water, while flowing readily into the
descending portions, would have to flow uphill in the ascending
portions and by the time it reached there, the force would be
exhausted. The weight of the body furnishes greater force, which is
proportioned to the size and bulk of the patient, but is not
perceptible to him, on account of the solid construction of the tip of
the "injection point," while the steady, uniform pressure exerted
serves to distend the walls of the colon and thus liberate adherent
matter. By far the great majority of people, however, use these crude
appliances while seated over a vessel, which is decidedly injurious.
By reference to the diagram of the digestive organs it will be seen
that the "descending colon," that portion which terminates in the
rectum, is larger than either of the other divisions of that organ. In
fact, its capacity (in the average adult) is about three pints,
equivalent to three pounds. Now this weight, in a flexible organ like
the colon, must cause a sagging down, exerting a serious strain upon
its attachments to the abdominal wall, and by its pressure upon the
sphincters will induce prolapse of the rectum. That is one reason why
so many people find it almost impossible to receive enough water to
make the treatment successful. When a physician, or trained nurse, is
administering a high enema, it is a common practice to hold a folded
towel against the rectum, to guard against this pressure and its
possible results. The "dome" portion of the faucet (previously
referred to) affords the desired support, automatically and
effectually prevents any prolapse; while the handle of the faucet,
projecting forward, between the limbs, may be manipulated with the
greatest ease in controlling the flow of water; and, being seated on a
warm cushion, the patient experiences a pleasant, soothing sensation,
which completely allays any nervousness.
Moreover, realizing the immense advantage to be obtained by attacking
the germs of disease in their chief breeding place, an antiseptic
preparation is introduced into the water used in this remedial
process, which completely and speedily destroys the germs of disease;
but although so potent in its action upon micro-organic life, it is
perfectly harmless, even though a hundred times the necessary quantity
should be forced into the intestinal canal. But it is not alone a germ
destroyer, for it possesses admirable tonic properties, which act upon
the muscular coat of the colon and speedily restores it to its normal
condition.
Defecation, or the expulsion of waste substance from the bowel is
accompanied by the contraction of the circular fibres of the said
muscular coat, but when constipation has existed for any length of
time, the accumulated matter adhering to the walls of the colon
renders that organ partially, if not wholly rigid, hence the
difficulty of evacuation; consequently, through disuse, the
muscles become to a certain extent atrophied, and require stimulation
to resume their natural function even after the colon has been
cleansed. It is largely owing to the use of this antiseptic "tonic"
that the "Cascade Treatment" has been so successful in cases of
obstinate constipation, as by its use the intestine speedily regains
tone and power.
I unhesitatingly assert that if the colon be regularly cleansed and
disinfected by this means, any bacilli or bacteria that may have
obtained a lodgment in the system will be quickly destroyed and
expelled--it cannot be otherwise.
And once the germs of disease are destroyed and their chief breeding
place kept clean by this simple process, and the re-absorption of
poisonous liquid waste into the system thus prevented, Nature, the
great physician, will speedily assert itself and effect a restoration
to health.
NOTE.
If the water is not readily expelled do not attempt to force it out by
straining. Instead, flatten in the abdomen by forcibly contracting the
abdominal muscles.
PART IV.
HOW TO USE IT.
Having endeavored to show the true nature of disease, the rational
method of treating it, and the superiority of the "Cascade" over all
previously existing methods for carrying the treatment into effect, it
may be well to explain the actual manner of using the "Cascade."
In the first place, the reservoir should be thoroughly washed out with
slightly warm water, to get. rid of the factory dust. At one time it
was the practice to cleanse them all thoroughly before fitting them,
but purchasers got the impression that they had been used by other
persons, so it was decided to abandon that practice and send them out
with the dust of the factory in them, in proof of their newness.
Having cleansed the reservoir, the faucet should be shut off and a
level teaspoonful of the antiseptic tonic dissolved in a little warm
water in a cup or glass and poured into the reservoir, which should
then be completely filled with water as hot as the hand can
comfortably bear; not to simply dip the fingers in and withdraw them,
but so that you can immerse the hand and allow it to remain without
discomfort. If tested with a thermometer the water should be from 100
to 105 degrees Fahr., but the hand is a safer guide, as it prevents
any possible danger from a thermometer out of order, or mistaking a
figure in a poor light. If tested by the hand you are absolutely safe,
since water can he used twenty degrees hotter internally than
externally, but in its passage from the body it would he painful to
the external parts. Hot water is the best solvent for impacted faecal
matter, and, on the other hand, water below the temperature of the
body is likely to cause pain. If the hands are impervious to heat, an
excellent plan is to test the water with the tip of the elbow, which
is a most sensitive part of the body.
It is necessary that the reservoir should be absolutely full to insure
the exclusion of air, as that is also likely to cause pain, and, in
addition, its presence is likely to prevent the proper reception of
the water, as, according to an established law in physics, two bodies
cannot occupy the same space at the same time. For this reason it is
advisable to solicit the bowels before taking the treatment, as, if
even no faecal matter is expelled, pent-up gases are frequently
liberated.
The reservoir having been filled as directed and the above directions
carefully observed, the "Cascade" should be laid down and the
"injection point" screwed in. It is then ready for use. Being all
ready, the stick of rectal soap should be dipped in water--to moisten
it--inserted in the rectum and withdrawn. This is simply to lubricate
the passage and facilitate the admission of the "injection point."
Then, standing in front of the seat on which the "Cascade" is lying
(as if preparing to sit down), pass the left hand between the lower
limbs and grasp the handle of the faucet, to guide the "injection
point" into the rectum, and then carefully sit down upon the
"Cascade." When the "injection point" has been completely introduced
and you are comfortably seated, relax the muscles and allow the whole
weight of the body to rest freely on the "Cascade," and turn on the
faucet, partially at first, then, after a few seconds, turn it on
fully and you will readily receive the water.
The most convenient place to use the "Cascade" is in the bathroom,
placing it on the closet seat; or you will find the ordinary bedroom
"commode" a suitable article for the purpose, but if neither of these
are available, then any firm seat, such as a wooden-seated chair, will
do, but taking care to have a vessel at hand in which to discharge the
contents of the bowel.
As soon as the faucet is turned on and the water begins to flow into
the body, proceed to practise the following movements: Commencing in
the right groin; stroke firmly but gently, right across the pelvis, or
lower edge of the abdomen, to the left groin, then directly upward
with the hands to a point just above the umbilicus, or navel, then
straight across the body and down to the right groin. These movements
are directly over and along the course of the colon, and if they are
made gently but firmly, the water will be assisted on its course. A
study of the diagram of the digestive apparatus at the commencement of
the book will be of great assistance in enabling you to understand the
reason for and the method of these movements.
It sometimes happens that after a small quantity of water has been
injected there is a strong desire to expel it, which is sometimes due
to nervousness, induced by the novelty of the operation. If this be
so, shut off the faucet at once and resist the inclination, when, in a
few minutes, the desire will have passed away, then turn on the faucet
again. Be sure to allow the full weight of the body to rest on the
"Cascade," and have no fear. It is the weight of the body itself that
furnishes the motive power and to ease up the pressure defeats the
object.
As soon as all the water has entered that you feel it possible to
receive, turn off the faucet, rise from the "Cascade," sit over the
closet, or vessel, and allow the contents of the bowel to escape. At
the same time repeat the stroking movement previously described, but
this time reverse it, commencing in the right groin, up, across and
down to the left groin. These movements have a three-fold object: they
assist the water in its passage backward and forward, thus shortening
the time of the treatment; they force along the accumulated matter in
the colon with the current of water, and help to dislodge adherent
matter from the walls of the colon.
As we proceed on the assumption that the colon is more or less
impacted (which experience shows), we do not anticipate that more than
two quarts will be received at the first treatment, but as the
accumulations are removed by successive treatments, the capacity of
the colon is increased, so that at the end of the second week enough
should be received to completely fill the colon. The amount of water
varies, of course, with the bulk of the individual, but the capacity
of the colon, in the average well-grown adult, is about four quarts,
but even in the case of a person below the average size, it may safely
be assumed that three quarts of water are absolutely necessary for a
successful treatment.
The presence of from three to four quarts of water in the body will
naturally distend the abdomen and produce a little discomfort, but no
apprehension of any harmful result need be entertained. Rest assured
of this: it is absolutely impossible to rupture the colon, unless you
were to use a force pump, and even then, before the point of rupture
could be reached, the pain would be so intense that you would be
compelled to desist. Again, as we have pointed out, the colon is a
wonderfully elastic organ, and it would be an impossibility to distend
it with water to the same extent that it is frequently distended by
faecal accumulations.
Whenever pain is present during the treatment it is usually due to one
of two things: either the water has not been sufficiently hot, or the
reservoir has not been completely filled, but, if in spite of these
precautions, pain should be present, it will be found advisable, after
a small quantity of water has been injected (say from a pint to a
quart) to shut off the faucet, rise from the "Cascade" and expel it;
then, upon returning to the "Cascade," it will usually be found that
the cleansing of the lower portions of the bowel has removed the
trouble. The same method of procedure holds good when there is any
difficulty in injecting the water. In cases where pain is persistent,
even although all precautions are taken (although such are extremely
rare), a decoction of anise seed made by steeping a tablespoonful of
the seed in a pint of boiling water, added to the water used for
flushing (omitting the antiseptic tonic), will act as an anodyne on
the intestine, and completely subdue the pain.
The frequency with which the treatment is used will depend upon the
nature of the trouble and the length of time it has existed. In the
great majority of cases it is recommended to be used as follows when
commencing the treatment: The first week use it every night; the
second week every alternate night; after that use it twice a week, or
as occasion seems to demand it. For the simple preservation of health,
twice a week will be found amply sufficient. After using the "Cascade"
it will be found extremely beneficial to inject from a half pint to a
pint of cool water and retain it. This will be found not only a
valuable rectal tonic, but an excellent diuretic as well, as it will
pass off by way of the kidneys, cleansing and purifying those organs.
The "Cascade" should not be used within three hours after eating a
full meal, as, if both the stomach and transverse colon are distended
at the same time they press upon each other, and the stomach, being
the more sensitive of the two, nausea is likely to be produced; but
although (with the above proviso) the treatment can be used with
benefit at any period during the twenty-four hours, yet, just before
retiring at night is by far the best time to take it, for several
reasons. Firstly, it is usually the most convenient time for the
majority of people. Secondly, it invariably induces a good night's
rest; for no sleeping potion can equal its effects in that direction.
Thirdly, night is Nature's repairing season, when she is busy making
good the ravages of the day--replacing the waste by building fresh
tissue and by putting the system into a cleanly condition and
purifying the blood current; at that season you are co-operating with
Nature and may confidently expect, and will undoubtedly secure, the
best results.
After using the "Cascade" it is quite possible that there may not be a
movement of the bowels until late the following day. This must not be
considered as evidence of constipation, but simply a lack of matter to
discharge. In a perfectly natural condition of existence there should
be at least two movements of the bowels during the day, but it must be
remembered that the human system has acquired bad habits, and it will
require some time before perfect conditions are re-established. If,
however, from a half pint to a pint of hot water is sipped in the
morning, certainly not less than half an hour before breakfast, it
will stimulate the bowels to action, even though the "Cascade" had
been used the night before, while its cleansing effect upon the
stomach will assist the digestive functions in a marked degree.
It may be accepted as a truism that success invariably excites envy,
therefore, it is but reasonable that the astounding results that have
attended this method of treatment should have aroused a certain amount
of antagonism. The hardy individual who dares to propose a new
departure in the method of treating disease must be prepared to hear
his theories ridiculed, his system denounced, and, possibly, his
motives impugned. Consequently, it is not surprising that the "Cascade
Treatment" has some objections urged against it.
The first objection I am confronted with is, "it is not natural." I
willingly concede that point, and will add that neither is an
obstructed and engorged colon natural.
We are living (in a large measure) an artificial life. In his barbaric
state man obeyed the calls of nature without regard to time or place,
and it is safe to assert that under those conditions an obstructed
colon was an unknown quantity. But in deference to the demands of
civilized life we disregard Nature's calls and defer the response
until a convenient opportunity presents itself, and for this violation
of natural law, a penalty is inflicted.
An obstructed colon, therefore, being itself unnatural, man is
obviously justified in using the brains that Nature has endowed him
with to cleanse it. An artificial limb is unnatural, but would the
same objection hold good that because a man has had the misfortune to
suffer amputation, he must, therefore, limp through life on crutches,
rather than use the mechanical substitute that man's ingenuity has
devised?
Common sense teaches us, and experience has amply confirmed the
teaching, that flushing is not only the easiest, but the most
effectual means of accomplishing this purpose; and it is unmistakably
the most harmless, inasmuch as we use Nature's most simple and
effective cleansing agency in the process--pure water. Sickness is in
itself unnatural, and until the system can be restored to its natural
condition reason plainly shows us that we must co-operate with Nature
and assist in removing these impurities from the system, a task which
our disregard of her warnings has prevented her from accomplishing.
Cathartics simply excite the excretory processes, and stimulate Nature
to a violent effort to expel them, the unnatural exertion being
followed by a feeling of languor, for all purgative action is
debilitating. Flushing, on the contrary, acts directly on the
accumulated matter in the colon (which cathartics never do), and,
instead of causing an unnatural excitation of any of the natural
processes, it induces a calm, restful feeling and a sense of profound
relief.
"It is a debilitating practice," the objectors urge. Here, again, I
join issue. I am in a position to prove a decided negative.
I have the evidence of thousands of people to the contrary--people who
have tested the treatment, and, setting aside the weight of testimony,
even the most prejudiced mind must admit, that actual, personal
experience is more to be relied on than unsupported theory.
Dr. Contrary--people said that his patients who had used the treatment
for months, and even years, had steadily gained in strength and flesh
all the time.
Another favorite objection is that "it causes the intestines to become
weakened and dependent upon this unnatural method." To this I reply
that it is a well known fact that at least fifty per cent, of people
in civilized (?) communities are slaves to the purgative habit, the
system refusing to fulfil its functions without this unnatural
excitation; therefore, if dependence must be placed in something, we
should unhesitatingly give the preference to water, as against
cathartics, but the whole weight of evidence shows that the objection
has no foundation in fact.
On this subject Dr. Forrest said: "Flushing the colon does not cause a
weakening of the intestines. When this procedure is no longer
necessary, owing to restored health, the intestines have also been
restored and improved in tone and will carry on their functions
unaided."
Dr. Stevens, who has used the treatment upon himself and patients for
over twenty years, says that it in no wise interferes in his case with
the normal movement of the bowels. To test it in this respect he has
frequently discontinued its use for a week, with the result of a
regular movement, as soon as enough faecal matter had accumulated to
demand it.
He recommends flushing every two or three days as a preventive of
disease. For over twenty years he has practiced flushing upon himself
as a precaution, and, although now between seventy and eighty years
old, since beginning its use he has never known a day of sickness.
It is contended by some people, including a percentage of physicians
(who should know better), that the frequent use of this treatment will
so stretch the colon that it will remain permanently distended. This
argument is so totally opposed to physiological law, to say nothing of
experience and common sense, that it is almost laughable. The veriest
tyro in the matter of exercise knows that exercise develops a muscle;
that repeated flexion and extension of the arm, for instance, will
strengthen the muscles of that limb, not cause them to lose their
contractibility. All muscle fibres are alike in structure, except that
some are voluntary, others involuntary, but that difference is simply
due to the difference in the source of nerve supply. There is no
reason that can be shown why the muscles of the colon should lose
their elasticity through exercise in contra-distinction to all the
other muscles of the body, since they are not subjected to any
extraordinary strain, the extreme tension only lasting for a few
seconds, while as soon as the water commences to escape, relaxation
follows, and, in addition, heat acts as a stimulant. The objection
does not even merit serious consideration.
"It operates against peristalsis," we are told. I deny it, for the
energy evinced by the intestine in expelling the water is proof of
increased peristaltic vigor, if it is proof of anything. And even if
it did suspend peristalsis for a few minutes, is it not a fact that
other natural functions can be suspended for a much longer period,
only to be resumed with unabated vigor?
Equally absurd, and destitute of foundation, in fact, is the objection
frequently advanced that the washing of the interior surface of the
colon is injurious; as it washes away the fluid that Nature secretes
for the purpose of lubrication.
Where, in the name of common sense, do they get their authority for
such a statement? Do they not know that such a contention is in direct
opposition to physiological law? Does bathing the external surface of
the body prevent the further excretion of perspiration; or bathing the
eyes destroy the functions of the Meibomian glands? Does the drinking
of water prevent any further discharge of saliva into the mouth, or of
gastric juice into the stomach? If the washing away of a secretion
destroyed the power of the secreting gland, human existence would be
brief indeed.
The truth is that not one in ten thousand has any practical knowledge
of the subject. They may possess a smattering, and in the endeavor to
make it show to advantage, they draw upon their imagination to supply
the deficiency. On the other hand, I have been making this subject a
constant study for the past twenty years, having had experience in
thousands of cases, and, therefore, contend that my opinion is of more
value than that of the average man--whether physician or layman--and is
at least entitled to respectful consideration.
Whether the practice of the treatment is to be persisted in will, of
course, depend upon the nature and habits of the patient. If the
pernicious habits that caused the trouble are not abandoned, a
constant resort to the treatment will be necessary. If the patient is
naturally of a costive habit, and has thoroughly weakened his
intestines by a reckless and indiscriminate use of cathartics, it will
require a long persistence in reformed habits before the weakened
bowels will have gained sufficient strength to fulfil their functions
normally.
It is advisable for elderly people to use it more or less continuously
throughout life, for with advancing years the bowels naturally become
less active, and this simple process offers a valuable means of
assistance to flagging nature at the cost of little, if any, exertion;
in fact, after a, little experience no more will be thought of using
the "Cascade" than of taking a meal.
I would strictly impress on the minds of those who propose to give
this treatment a trial that, like every other undertaking in life,
thoroughness and persistence are absolutely indispensable to success.
No great end was ever yet achieved except by hard work,
conscientiousness and perseverance, and these three factors are in the
highest degree necessary to restore health to a system from which it
has long been estranged:
If a chronic, deep-seated disease can be cured in a year, by a home
process, so simple that a child can understand and practise it, the
individual so benefited should consider himself or herself most
fortunate; and few will deny that the end in view--restoration to
health--is a full and ample recompense for the thorough and persistent
effort necessary to attain it. If it were a question of large
pecuniary profit to the patient, it is scarcely necessary to say that
every nerve would be strained to its utmost tension to bring the
coveted prize within his grasp; yet here the reward is of infinitely
greater value, a prize compared with which riches are as dross in
comparison with gold. It is Health, without which the acquisition of
Wealth, is well-nigh impossible, and its possession as profitless to
the possessor as Dead Sea fruit.
I write thus strongly on this point because there is a large class of
people who dabble in every new system of treatment projected, and toy
with every medicinal device that is placed upon the market. They are
the class from whom the patent medicine vendor draws his enormous
annual profits. Like a bee in a garden of roses, they flit from one
remedy to another, but, unlike that energetic and acquisitive insect,
they do not gather the golden reward they are in search of--health. It
is the purveyor of the nostrum that secures whatever there is of gold.
They seem to be utterly incapable of continuity of effort, and, unless
they can discern a marked improvement within a week after commencing a
fresh method of treatment, get discouraged and abandon it. To this
class of people I say, in the most emphatic manner, that if they
propose to give this great remedial process a trial and expect to
derive benefit from it, that the cure rests entirely in their own
hands.
They must persevere. They must be thorough. They must not expect
miraculous results in a few days. Their diseased condition is the
growth of months, perhaps years, and it is the height of unreasoning
folly to expect to be cured in a few weeks. A merchant whose business
has been crippled and who starts in to rebuild it, will consider
himself an extremely fortunate man if, by watchful and untiring
endeavor, he can restore it to a sound and healthy condition in a few
years. Growth is necessarily slow--and this is especially the case with
the human system. Nature will not be hurried. But of one thing they
may rest assured, and that is that if they conscientiously and
persistently practise this simple hygienic treatment they will find
Nature a responsive and willing coadjutor.
"Heaven fights on the side of the strongest battalions," is a military
aphorism, and Nature ranges herself on the side of the individual who
co-operates with her most faithfully, who, in the struggle for the
regaining of health, brings the greatest amount of determination and
perseverence to the encounter.
What these irresolute dabblers in "medical fads" need most of all is
to be inoculated with good, sound common sense, but until some method
is discovered for the accomplishment of that psychological feat, they
will continue to run hither and thither after every new remedy,
dallying with all, and deriving benefit from none.
Here is the testimony of an intelligent man who realizes that the cure
of a chronic disease must necessarily be a gradual process:
"I was a great sufferer from kidney disease of long standing. The
doctors and the various remedies recommended for this complaint
afforded me no relief. I have now used your treatment for nearly six
months. It is working wonders. While I am not yet entirely cured, I am
a great deal better than I was, and am sure, with the rate of progress
made, in six months more I shall be entirely cured."
Perseverence in the treatment will achieve results that seem little
short of miraculous to those accustomed to the "hit or miss" methods
that have so long been in use. And best of all, the benefit attained
will be permanent, for the system being thoroughly cleansed, and kept
so, nothing but fresh, firm, healthy tissue is formed, so that after a
year's conscientious treatment the person practising it will be
practically a new being.
PART V.
PRACTICAL HYGIENE.
Of all the dangers by which we are menaced, none is so greatly to be
apprehended as ignorance. This is especially true with reference to
health. The majority of people fall easy victims to disease, simply
through ignorance of the fundamental principles that govern health. It
is because they do not rise superior to this ignorance concerning the
health of their bodies that they become the prey of the unscrupulous
charlatans who thrive upon the maladies of humanity, and the patent
medicine vendors whose specious advertisements beguile them of their
money. The humiliating part of it is that these same imposters (in a
large majority of cases) possess but little more knowledge of these
subjects than their dupes, but are absolutely devoid of conscientious
scruples. It behooves every intelligent individual to see that this
reproach is lifted from him. Knowledge is held to be a valuable
possession in every department of life; but in no instance will it yield
greater returns for the investment than in the field of hygiene--in
learning how to keep well.
It must not be imagined that because the treatment previously
described is such a wonderful curative and preventive of disease that
nothing more is necessary that all other hygienic measures can be
ignored. These bodies of ours were given us for a nobler purpose than
to be the sport of our caprice or neglect. It is our duty to treat
them as a divine trust.
There is no reason why any human being should die before eighty at
least. With proper care the century mark should be reached in the
majority of cases. This may sound like an extravagant assertion, but
it is absolutely true. It all depends upon taking care of the human
machine. Ask an engineer how long a locomotive would last if drawn at
express speed every day, or if left standing idly on a siding! He will
tell you that over work or disuse are fatal to mechanism, so far as
its capacity for lasting is concerned. Well, the most finished product
of man's handiwork in machinery cannot begin to compare with that
wonderful, complex piece of mechanism--the human body; and if care will
prolong the life of the lifeless machine, the veriest dullard cannot
fail to perceive that the same rule applies with ten-fold force to the
human organism, which possesses within itself the power of
recuperation--a living machine, every atom of which is being daily
replaced as fast as the friction of life disintegrates it. If the
locomotive were capable of being reproduced in like manner--of having
the daily waste of substance replaced during rest by proper attention
to its needs--do you think its owners would ever allow it to wear or
rust out? Would they not bend every energy to prolong its existence
indefinitely? Most assuredly they would. And is the body, the earthly
habitation of the real man, of less importance to himself than the
creations of his own hands? Common sense says, "No!" But daily
experience shows us that the bulk of humanity are far less careful of
the earthly husk that shelters the divine ego than of the machinery
that ministers to their wants. We repeat, there is no reason why man
should not live to be a hundred, or even more, if only proper care be
exercised. The hurry of modern life is fatal to the expectation of
longevity, so also is over-indulgence in the pleasures of the table,
which is one of the besetting sins of the present generation. If from
childhood the care of the human body was made the subject of constant
instruction, the second generation from now would see such a marked
change in the personnel of the race as would astound even the most
sanguine. What if a few less dollars were piled on each other? "Which
is the more to be desired, a perfect, healthful physique, or a full
purse?"
To preserve the body in health is an easy matter, if the individual
will only bring the same thoughtful intelligence to bear on the
subject that he does on the ordinary affairs of life. The natural
agencies for the preservation of health are, as previously stated,
Pure Water, Sunlight, Fresh Air, Diet and Exercise. he first three
are furnished "without money and without price" by the all-wise
mother, while the two last simply require a slight exertion of will
power, tempered with intelligence.
Of the quintette of agencies mentioned above, water is one of the most
important. Water is the original source of all animal life. From it
the earliest species were evolved, and by the natural law of
correlation, it continues to be one of the most important factors in
sustaining existence. Water enters more largely into the composition
of all organic substance than the majority of people dream of, and
this is notably true of the human body. Few people realize that
seventy per cent. of their earthly tenement consists of the fluid in
which they perform their ablutions, yet such is the fact.
This important physiological truth should be carefully laid to heart,
for it accentuates the vital necessity of imbibing a sufficient
quantity of fluid daily to preserve the proportion in the system
requisite for health! Water is the only known substance that possesses
the power of permeating every cell and fibre of the living organism,
without creating disturbance or irritation. Water is, in
fact, an indispensable necessity for physical existence its excess or
deficit creating abnormal conditions; but the latter is the more
common condition. Being universally present in all the tissues of the
body, water is the principal agent in the elimination of waste
material from the body, according to Nature's plan--hence, for the
preservation of health, every adult should drink from two to three
quarts of water per day, certainly not less than two quarts. One of
the remedial factors in the copious use of water in "flushing the
colon" is that a liberal percentage of it is absorbed through the
walls of the colon, directly into the circulation, thus increasing the
amount in the tissues, and causing more fluid to pass through the
kidneys--cleansing them.
Hot water is, in reality, a "natural scavenger," but its virtues are
only imperfectly known. As a therapeutic agent it is almost without a
peer, and yet it is so little used that it is practically a dead
letter. Chemists are burning the midnight oil in their laboratories
searching for new weapons with which to fight sepsis, while hot,
boiled water, which is one of the best antiseptics in existence, is
almost ignored. It may be asked why (if it is such an invaluable
remedial agent) it is not more extensively used and advocated? In the
first place, its merits are not generally known. In the second place,
physicians who know of its value hesitate to prescribe it, for the
reason that the majority of patients expect the doctor to prescribe
drugs, and are disappointed if he does not. There is a tendency on the
part of the majority of people to slight that which is near at hand
and easily obtained, in favor of those things which are designated by
mysterious titles, or are difficult of attainment. Man has been so
long accustomed to regard with a species of awe the hieroglyphics on
orthodox prescriptions, that he finds it difficult to dissociate from
it the idea of talismanic power.
But to return to its uses. Hot water used as a stomach bath (see
description in the appendix at end of book) is a valuable auxiliary in
the preservation and restoration of health.
By its means the stomach is cleansed of mucous accumulations and
particles of undigested food, thus enabling it to perform its
functions satisfactorily. If, as is often the case (more especially
with dyspeptics) undigested food remains in the stomach, it ferments,
causing what is known as sour stomach, and is productive of many
evils. If we keep the ferment out of the stomach by occasionally
washing it, and prevent the generation of foul gases in the colon, by
regularly flushing it, the bile will effectually prevent any
fermentation in the intestines; and with the body in this cleanly
condition, sickness is well-nigh impossible. But there are external
applications of water, which are equally important for the
preservation of health, and first and foremost is the bath.
It is a matter of authentic history that the most highly enlightened
and prosperous people of the world have been celebrated for their
devotion to the bath as a means of securing health and vigor as a
means of curing disease, and preventing it, by promoting the activity
of the skin. The excavations at Pompeii show the devotion of the
people to luxurious bathing. The Romans are famous to this day for the
magnificence of their lavatories and the universal use of them by the
rich and poor alike. In Russia the bath is general, from the Czar to
the poorest serf, and through all Finland, Lapland, Sweden and Norway,
no hut is so destitute as not to have its family bath. Equally general
is the custom in Turkey, Egypt and Persia, among all classes from the
Pasha down to the poorest camel driver. Pity it is that we cannot say
as much for the people of our own country.
Most people are familiar with the aphorism, "cleanliness is next to
godliness," a statement that by implication relegates cleanliness to
the second place, but we would transpose this stated sequence of
conditions, and assign the premier position to cleanliness; for we
contend that purity of soul presupposes purity of body. It is true
that we sometimes find a "jewel in an Ethiop's ear," but it is the
exception that proves the rule.
But it is not from the moral standpoint that we wish to consider the
subject of physical cleanliness, but from the hygienic. How few people
there are who are really physically clean! The outward semblance of
cleanliness too frequently poses as the real article. Even people who
pride themselves on their cleanliness are frequently guilty of the
unclean practice of sleeping in the underwear they have worn during
the day, and would feel aggrieved if their unclean habit was called by
its right name. Yet, what can be more repulsive to the truly cleanly
individual than the retention, next the body, of garments saturated
with the constant exhalations from the system? Those who think this a
trifling matter, should turn their underwear wrong side outward (after
removing it) when retiring for the night, and in the morning shake it
thoroughly, when they will receive an object lesson in the form of a
cloud of dried effete matter, consisting largely of particles of the
epidermis, removed by abrasion, through the friction of the clothing.
This, being visible, appeals to the sense of sight; but gives no
evidence of the gaseous and liquid refuse matter which was deposited
in the material, and has been allowed to evaporate by the removal of
the clothing. Thus we may see how many so-called cleanly people fall
hopelessly short of true cleanliness. If the individual keeps the
surface of the body clean, by frequent ablutions, the evil is
lessened; but how many people bathe the body daily? As Hamlet says:
"It is a custom more honored in the breach than the observance." Among
the white races of the earth, the English are the greatest devotees of
the daily tub, to which custom their ruddy complexions are largely
due; but Japan is preeminently in the lead in the matter of daily
bathing, for it is doubtful if there could be found in the land of the
"little brown people" a single individual who does not bathe the whole
body daily, unless physically incapacitated.
The skin is such an important excretory organ that the importance of
keeping its innumerable infinitesimal outlets free from obstruction
cannot be overestimated. As the structure of the skin may not be
understood by the average reader, we will briefly describe this
wonderful depurating organ, that the paramount importance of its
functions may be properly appreciated.
The skin consists of two layers, the derma, or true skin, and the
epidermis, or cuticle. It is the principal seat of the sense of touch,
and on the surface of the upper layer are the sensitive papillae,
which receive and respond to impressions; and within, or imbedded
beneath it, are organs with special functions, viz., the sweat glands,
hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Its value as a means of
depuration is incalculable, as by it, vast quantities of the aqueous
and gaseous refuse matter is conveyed from the body. By the aid of a
four diameter magnifying glass applied to the skin of the palm of the
hand, the curiously inclined will observe that it is divided into fine
ridges, which are punctured regularly with minute holes. These are the
mouths of the sweat glands, and generally known as the pores of the
skin. Their function is to bring moisture to the surface of the skin;
which is secreted from the blood, and chemical analysis reveals the
fact that this moisture is always more or less loaded with worn-out
and effete matter. It is estimated that there are 3,800 of these
glands in each square inch of skin, and that their total length, in an
ordinary person, if placed end to end, would be ten miles. Then there
are the sebaceous, or oil glands, which oil the skin and keep it
flexible. Now, as the processes of destruction and upbuilding are
perpetually going on in the body, and the skin being one of the
principal avenues by which the refuse is removed, the vital necessity
of keeping this organ perfectly clean becomes apparent at once; for
this refuse matter, if retained in the system, acts as a poison, and
furnishes food for disease germs to feed upon.
It has been demonstrated by experiment upon dogs from which the hair
had been shorn, that a coat of varnish applied to the body (thus
effectually closing the pores), will cause death in a very short
while. No better object lesson could be given of the imperative
necessity of keeping the skin perfectly clean, if you wish to enjoy
good health.
It is an easy matter to keep all these miles of tubing in a perfectly
natural and active condition, by a strict observance of the
fundamental principle--cleanliness. Bathe the body daily, complete
immersion, if practicable; if this is not possible, then sponge the
body thoroughly, all over; but if both methods are rendered out of the
question by circumstances, then adopt the best substitute,
namely, vigorous friction with a coarse towel.
We know it will be urged that the majority of people have not the time
or convenience for this daily process; but when sickness overtakes
them, they have to find time to submit to medical treatment, and in
this, as in other matters of everyday life, the cleanly individual who
is thoroughly in earnest, will "find a way, or make it."
As to the temperature of the bath, that must, to a great extent,
depend upon the conditions of life, and the predisposition and
susceptibility of the individual; but the cold bath should always be
employed in preference to the warm bath, when conditions permit. The
cold bath is a powerful stimulant to the sympathetic nervous system.
and as that is the great regulator of nutrition, the value of cold
bathing to those afflicted with digestive disturbances will be readily
understood, since all the digestive and assimilative processes are
quickened by it. The glands of the stomach secrete more hydrochloric
acid on account of this stimulus, and a better quality of gastric
juice being thus formed, not only is the digestion improved, but the
system is better enabled to resist microbic invasion. The cold bath
also stimulates the vaso-motor system, which regulates the
circulation, by contracting and dilating the vessels, and increases
the activity of the capillaries or small blood vessels. It thus
increases the resisting power of the skin, by enabling it to reheat
the surface after a chill, and this is the reason why people who
habitually use the cold bath are practically proof against "colds."
People employed in sedentary occupations are especially benefited by
the cold bath, but should employ a hot bath for three or four minutes
beforehand. It is also especially beneficial to women, as, being an
excellent nerve tonic, it successfully combats all forms of nervous
weakness, and is an admirable preventive of hysteria.
Children under seven years of age do not bear the application of cold
water very well, and it is advisable not to use the water at a lower
temperature than 700 Fahr., and to employ friction constantly while
administering it; but after that age the temperature may be gradually
lowered. In old age the neutral bath, from 75 to 850 Fahr. will be
found the best for general use, accompanied
by friction.
The bath, to be thoroughly beneficial, should be taken at one of the
three following portions of the day, immediately upon rising, about
ten o'clock, or just before going to bed. The early morning bath is,
however, immeasurably the best, and if cold, will be found a wonderful
aid in promoting health and vigor, and being such a necessity,
especially in the preservation of health, and the constant practice of
it, strongly urged, we append the following useful suggestions for
guidance:
A full meal should not be taken in less than half an hour after
bathing. Nor should a bath be taken in less than an hour and a half
after eating a full meal.
You can bathe with impunity in cold water when the body is perspiring
freely, as long as the breathing is not disturbed, nor the body
exhausted by over-exertion.
Never bathe in cool or cold water when the body is cold. First restore
warmth by exercise.
Always wet the head before taking a plunge bath, and the chest also,
if the lungs are weak.
In cases of sickness, where it becomes necessary to assist Nature in
ridding the system of impurities through the medium of the sweat
glands, the "wet sheet pack" will be found invaluable. It is usually
regarded by those imperfectly acquainted, with its action as simply the
chief factor in a sweating process, but it is more than that. Not only
does it open up the pores and soften the scales of the skin, but it
"draws" the morbid matter from the interior of the body, through the
surface to the pores. It is of immense value in all cases of fever,
especially bilious fever.
It should be borne in mind that "flushing the colon" should always
precede the use of the "pack."
If any one doubts the purifying efficacy of this process he can have a
"demonstration strong" by the following experiment: Take any man in
apparently fair health, who is not accustomed to daily bathing, who
lives at a first-class hotel, takes a bottle of wine at dinner, a
glass of brandy and water occasionally, and smokes from three to six
cigars per day. Put him in a pack and let him soak one or two hours.
On taking him out the intolerable stench will convince all persons
present that his blood and secretions were exceedingly befouled and
that a process of depuration is going on rapidly.
Full directions for the use of the pack will be found at the end of
this work.
It will be necessary to take into consideration the vitality of the
patient and regulate the temperature of the sheet accordingly. The
best time to use it is about ten in the morning, or nine in the
evening.
The Turkish bath (see last page) is another important factor in
treating disease, also the hot foot bath, for all disturbances of the
circulation, cramps, spasms and affections of the head and throat. Hot
fomentations, which draw the blood to the seat of pain, thereby
raising the local temperature and affording relief, and wet bandages
for warming and cooling purposes will likewise be found valuable aids.
Humanity at large has never estimated water at its true value, yet all
the gifts in Pandora's fabled box could never equal that one
inestimable boon of the Creator to the human race. Apart from its
practical value, there is nothing in all the wide domain of Nature
more beautiful, for in all its myriad forms and conditions it appeals
equally to the artistic sense. In the restless ocean, now sleeping
tranquilly in opaline beauty beneath the summer sun, now rising in
foam-crested mountainous waves beneath the winter's biting blast, its
sublimity awes us, In the mighty river, rolling majestically on its
tortuous course, impatient to unite itself with mother ocean, its
resistless energy fascinates us. In the gigantic iceberg, with its
translucent sides of shimmering green, its weird grandeur enthralls
us. In the pearly dew drop, glittering on the trembling leaf, or the
hoar frost, sparkling like a wreath of diamonds in the moon's silvery
rays: in the brawling mountain torrent, or the gentle brook--meandering
peacefully through verdant meadows, in the mighty cataract or the
feathery cascade, in the downy snowflake, or the iridescent icicle--in
each and all of its many witching forms it is beautiful beyond
compare. But its claims to our admiration rest not alone upon its ever
varying beauty. When consumed with thirst, what beverage can equal a
draught of pure, cold water? In sickness its value is simply
incalculable especially in fevers; in fact, the famous lines of Sir
Walter Scott, in praise of woman, might be justly transposed in favor
of water to read thus:
"When pain and sickness wring the brow,
A health-restoring medium thou."
And, if we admire it for its beauty and esteem it as a beverage, how
inconceivably should these feelings be intensified by the knowledge
that its remedial virtues are in nowise inferior to its other
qualities!
The next in importance of the great health agencies is Fresh Air.
Perhaps we ought to class it as the most important, for although
people have been known to live for days without water, yet without air
their hours would be quickly numbered. Air is a vital necessity to the
human organism, and the fresher the better--it cannot be too fresh. The
oxygen gas in the air is the vitalizing element. The blood corpuscles
when they enter the lungs through the capillaries are charged with
carbonic acid gas (which is a deadly poison), but when brought into
contact with the oxygen, for which they have a wonderful affinity,
they immediately absorb it, after ejecting the carbonic acid gas. The
oxygen is at once carried to the heart, and by that marvelous pumping
machine sent bounding through the arteries to contribute to the animal
heat of the body.
When it is taken into account that the lungs of an average sized man
contain upwards of six hundred millions of minute air cells, the
surface area of which represents many thousands of square feet, the
danger of exposing such a vast area of delicate tissue to the action
of vitiated air can be readily estimated. No matter how nutritious the
food may be that is taken into the stomach, no matter how perfect the
processes of digestion and assimilation are, the blood cannot be
vitalized without fresh air.
It is estimated that the blood is pumped through the lungs at the rate
of eight hundred quarts per hour, and that during that period it rids
itself of about thirty quarts of carbonic acid gas, and absorbs about
the same amount of oxygen. Think for a moment of the madness of
obstructing this interchange of elements which is perpetually going on
and on which life depends!
It is more especially during the hours of sleep that fresh, pure air
is needed, for that is when Nature is busiest, repairing and building
up, and calls for larger supplies of oxygen to keep up the internal
fires, but her efforts at repairing waste are rendered futile if you
diminish the supply of the vitalizing element and compel her to use
over again the refuse material she has already cast off.
The late Prof. Willard Parker, in a lecture delivered before a class
of medical students, made a very forcible illustration of how the air
of a room was vitiated, in the following impressive words: "If,
gentlemen, instead of air you suppose this room filled with pure,
clean water, and that instead of air you were exhaling twenty times a
minute a pint of milk, you can see how soon the water, at first clear
and sparkling, would become hazy and finally opaque; the milk
diffusing itself rapidly through the water, you will thus be able,
also, to appreciate how, at each fresh inspiration you would be taking
in a liquid that grew momentarily more impure. Were we able to
see the air as we see the water, we would at once appreciate how
thoroughly we are contaminating it, and that unless there be some vent
for the air thus vitiated, and some opening large enough to admit a
pure supply of this very valuable material, we will be momentarily
poisoning ourselves, as surely as if we were taking sewage matter into
our stomachs." Don't leave the matter of a good supply of air to
servants. See to it yourself and see that you are not robbed of it. It
would be better to trust your eating to an attendant than your
breathing. Do that yourself.
In spite of the amount of literature devoted to sanitary matters, it
is astonishing how little is understood of the principles of
ventilation, and its supreme importance to the general welfare. We do
not, of course, refer to ventilation in its broadest scientific sense,
such as the securing of an adequate air supply in large auditoriums,
for it is a melancholy fact that even our prominent architects not
only display a pitiably deficient grasp of that phase of the subject,
but of the simple, yet fundamental principles of the science, which
every intelligent adult should be familiar with. How many heads of
families, for instance, can intelligently ventilate a sleeping room?
They will open a window for a few minutes in the morning, without
opening the door also, to create a current, and think that is amply
sufficient to displace the accumulated carbon dioxide and other
substances inimical to health. No wonder so many people are tormented
by bad dreams! In sleeping apartments the bed should be in the center
of the room--never near a wall. A current of air should be maintained,
but without a draught upon the bed. It is better to open the window
two inches at the bottom, and the same distance at the top, than to
have it open for a foot either at the top or bottom only. If, through
inclemency of the weather, or other causes, the window can only be
opened for a few minutes, then by waving the door back and forth
rapidly ten or a dozen times, the displacement of the vitiated air
will be infinitely more rapid and thorough. Considering the length of
time that is spent in the sleeping apartment, the paramount importance
of a constant supply of fresh air is readily perceived. No matter how
perfect digestion and assimilation may be, if the blood is not
thoroughly oxygenated, the best of foods fail of their intended
effect. Even the least fastidious would object to drinking water that
had been used for washing purposes by others; yet it is quite as
objectionable to breathe air that is charged with the waste products
of bodies that may even be diseased. It is impossible to overestimate
the importance of ventilation.
Better let in cold air and put on more bedclothes, as long as you do
not sleep in a draught.
Oxygen keeps up the animal heat of the body, and you can really keep
warmer in a room with plenty of fresh air than in a close room where
the air is vitiated.
But in the sick room fresh air is of paramount importance, not only
for the patient, but for the attendants, who are otherwise compelled
to inhale the poisonous exhalations from the diseased body.
Let no consideration blind you, either in sickness or in health, to
the imperative necessity of plenty of fresh air.
The next great natural agency, and one to which scant attention is
paid, compared with its hygienic importance, is Light, but more
especially Sunlight.
Light is essential to life. If by some monstrous cataclysm the sun was
suddenly extinguished, it is impossible to conceive the misery that
would follow. In the event of such a fearful calamity it would require
but a very short time to depopulate the earth. We repeat, light is a
necessity of existence, and it behooves us all to allow it free access
to our dwellings. What if it does bleach carpets and draperies! Its
beneficent effects are not to be measured by yards of wool and silk.
Love of light is as instinctive as the aversion to darkness. Plants
growing in a dark cellar, where but one struggling ray of light
enters, will instinctively grow in the direction of that ray. It is
questionable whether defective lighting is not productive of as much
physical deterioration in the crowded tenement districts as defective
ventilation--certainly it is only secondary in degree. Light is
necessary. Light is free to all, and why human beings endowed with
reason should attempt to exclude it from their dwellings is a thing
that passes comprehension. Give the light free access to your
dwelling. "Let there be light," is as imperative now as when the fiat
went forth at the dawn of creation.
But Sunlight is the great health-giving agent. The sun is the great
source of life. Its rays stimulate the growth of every living
organism, and there is no doubt but they exert a chemical action upon
living tissue with which we are as yet but imperfectly acquainted.
This fact has been recognized of late years, hence our winter resorts
are liberally supplied with sun parlors, in which those in quest of
health may enjoy the rejuvenating effect of solar heat without
exposing themselves to the inclemency of wintry weather. This is a
revival of an old Roman custom, for the more opulent of that nation
had sun baths on the roofs of their dwellings. Sunshine is as
necessary to robust, vigorous health as either air or water. Then
seize the full enjoyment of it whenever opportunity offers! It is a
stimulant and tonic that has no superior. Go forth into the sunlight
on every possible occasion! It is one of Nature's greatest therapeutic
agents, and she bestows it ungrudgingly, without money and without
price. If you are wise you will avail yourself of her bounty.
Do not be afraid to let the sunlight penetrate your dwellings,
especially the morning sun. Thrifty housewives are prone to regard the
actions of the sun's rays on their carpets and draperies as disastrous
in the extreme, but its exclusion from their dwelling is far more
disastrous to the health of the inmates. There is, of course, a happy
medium in all things, and, therefore, it is not necessary to have the
sun's rays streaming in through every door and window during the whole
day; but the entire dwelling should be (as far as possible) thrown
open to the vivifying beams of old Sol for a couple of hours in the
morning, which at the same time will thoroughly ventilate the
building. There is more virtue in sunlight than most people are aware
of. Its bactericidal effects are only just beginning to be understood;
but if you desire a healthful dwelling, let God's bright sunshine
freely and frequently penetrate every corner of it.
It is astonishing how few people there are who properly estimate the
hygienic value of the sun's rays. A valuable lesson on this point may
be learned by observing the lower animals, none of which ever neglect
an opportunity to bask in the sun And the nearer man approaches to his
primitive condition the more he is inclined to follow the example of
the animals. It is a natural instinct which civilization has partially
destroyed in the human race.
The effect of sunshine is not merely thermal, to warm. and raise the
heat of the body; its rays have chemical and electric functions. As a
clever physician lately explained, it is more than possible that
sunshine produces vibrations and changes of particles in the deeper
tissues of the body, as effective as those of electricity. Many know
by experience that the relief it affords to wearing pain, neuralgic
and inflammatory, is more effective and lasting than that of any
application whatever.
Those who have faceache should prove it for themselves, sitting in a
sunny window where the warmth falls full on the cheek.
For nervous debility and insomnia the treatment of all others is rest
in sunshine. Draw the bed to the window and let the patient lie in the
sun for hours. There is no tonic like it--provided the good effects are
not neutralized by ill-feeling. To restore a withered arm, a palsied
or rheumatic limb, or to bring a case of nervous prostration up
speedily, a most efficient part of the treatment would be to expose
the limb or the person as many hours to direct sunlight as the day
would afford. With weak lungs let the sun fall on the chest for hours.
If internal tumor or ulceration is suspected, let the sun burn through
the bear skin directly on the point of disease for hours daily. There
will be no doubt left in the mind that there is a curative power in
the chemical rays
of the sun.
For the chilliness which causes blue hands and bad color, resort to
the sun; let it almost blister the skin, and the circulation will
answer the attraction. It is a finer stimulous than wine, electricity
or massage, and we are on the verge of great therapeutic discoveries
concerning it.
Some years ago a London surgeon, by using the sun's rays (presumably
with a lens), removed a wine mark from a lady's face, and destroyed a
malignant growth in the same way.
Says Dr. Thayer, of San Francisco:
"During a practice of more than a quarter of a century I have found no
caustic or cautery to compare with solar heat in its beneficial
results. Unlike other caustics, it can be applied with safety on the
most delicate tissues and the system receives this treatment kindly.
The irritation and inflammation following are surprisingly slight and
of short duration, the pain subsiding
immediately on removal of the lens. There is a curative power in the
chemical rays of the sun yet unexplained."
Women especially need to make systematic trial of the sun's healing
and rejuvenating rays. The woman who wants a cheek like a rose should
pull her sofa pillows into the window and let the sun blaze first on
one cheek and then on the other, and she will gain color warranted not
to wash off.
Thus it will be seen that the curative properties of sunlight are in
nowise overestimated, but in cases of sickness its beneficial action
is purely supplementary. The system must first be thoroughly cleansed
by "flushing the colon," then, the ground work of improvement being
laid, Fresh Air and Sunlight will prove themselves worthy and
efficient colleagues in the task of restoring health.
Singly, each is of intrinsic value, but inadequate to cope with
disease single-handed (although they may mitigate it), but combined
they form a Trinity so powerful that disease can never successfully
oppose them.
The other two factors in Nature's great Health curriculum, namely,
Exercise and Diet, will be considered under separate headings.
PART VI.
EXERCISE.
Motion is life. The health of both body and mind depend upon it.
Inaction means stagnation, a condition fatal to health. Hence the
necessity of exercise. As before stated, disuse is as fatal to a piece
of machinery as excessive use; in fact, it is far more likely to rust
out than to wear out. Activity is essential to life and health and can
never be prejudicial, provided that moderation is observed and the
muscular system not strained or overworked.
There are thousands of miles of minute tubing in the human body--the
arterioles, veins, capillaries and lymphatic vessels. They ramify
through every portion of the body tissues, the first carrying the
vitalized blood for nourishment of the parts, the second returning the
impure blood, charged with the waste of the structures, the third
being the intermediate stage between the first and second, while the
fourth and last, the lymphatic vessels, collect the surplus nutrition
and return it to the circulation. In addition the lymphatics assist in
the conveyance of effete matter. Whenever disease germs are present in
the system, they first manifest themselves in the lymph, but this
fluid being densely populated with phagocyctes (white blood
corpuscles), the micro-organisms are speedily destroyed, if the body
is in a healthy, vigorous condition.
In view of the vital character of the fluids, activity of motion is
indispensable for the best performance of their separate functions and
exercise supplies the desired stimulus. Whenever a muscle is
contracted the blood is wholly or partially expelled from it
proportionately to the force of the contraction, and in its escape it
carries with it the waste material; but as soon as the muscle is
relaxed fresh blood from the arterial supply re-enters the structure,
bearing fresh nutrition.
By a wise provision of Nature, the amount of nutrition supplied is
always in excess of the waste products removed; that is, all things
being equal, so that the more exercise a part is subjected to the more
nutrition it receives. This explains the unusual development of
certain parts of the body which are called into excessive use in
certain occupations. But this unsymmetrical development is a thing to
be avoided, as it is usually productive of certain deformities, such
as stoop shoulders and certain peculiarities of gait, which are
plainly noticeable in men employed in certain avocations.
The reason for this is perfectly simple, and may be expressed in two
words--unequal nutrition--for the muscles that are unduly exercised
appropriate the nutriment that should be equally distributed, so that
the neglected muscles become weakened and stiff. Hence, any system
of exercises designated to develop the body should be so arranged as
to call into play every muscle in the individual, thus insuring
harmonious development in every direction.
Muscular activity stimulates all the functions of the body. It has a
most beneficial effect upon all the vital processes, digestion,
assimilation and nutrition. The digestive powers work more briskly to
prepare the needed nourishment, and the blood circulates more rapidly
to carry the material for repair to the parts that need it, so that by
moderate physical exercise, judiciously distributed, the whole body is
built up and strengthened, and the result is a suppleness of frame and
a clearness of head that makes life indeed worth living.
To the invalid it is, of course, idle to talk of active exercise, but
there are certain forms of passive exercise accessible to such people.
Massage, for instance, which, judiciously administered, will do for
the sick, in a modified degree, what active exercise does for the
comparatively well. It will stimulate the circulation in the deeper
tissues, and set the various fluids of the body moving in a beneficial
manner. There is also a mild form of active exercise which may be
practised by those who have the misfortune to be confined to bed, and
that is by tensing the muscles; such as clenching the hands and
contracting the toes, also by gentle contraction of the arms and legs
alternately.
But one of the most important factors in quickening and stimulating
the movement of the fluids is exercising the lungs, and that can be
accomplished with a fair measure of success even by the bed-ridden.
Every time the chest cavity is emptied by the expiration of the breath
a partial vacuum is created which exerts a tremendous suction power.
It is one of the principal forces concerned in the return of the
venous blood to the heart, but it also exerts a like effect upon the
lymphatic current, hence deep breathing is a valuable exercise for
those unable to take any other.
In commencing the development of the body by any system of physical
culture, the first and most important thing to do is to develop the
lungs. Good lungs and good digestion go together. Before food can be
assimilated it must undergo oxygenation, which is neither more nor
less than chemical combustion. For this oxygen is necessary, which,
uniting with the carbon of the food, results in oxidation, and as the
amount of oxygen inhaled depends upon the capacity of the lungs, it
will readily be seen how much depends upon those organs. We cannot
inhale too much oxygen, while we can take too much food; therefore,
the greater the lung capacity the better the digestion.
We referred to the suction power of the empty chest cavity and its
stimulating effect upon the fluids of the body. Now, the greater the
lung capacity the greater the chest expansion and the vacuum produced
by expiration; consequently the stimulating effect upon the fluids is
correspondingly augmented.
Test your lungs by inhaling a full breath--inflate them to their full
capacity--if it makes you dizzy you are in danger and should proceed at
once to strengthen them. The following simple exercises will speedily
result in improvement and are easy to practice:
HOW TO EXERCISE THE LUNGS.
1. When in the open air, walk erect, head up, chin drawn in, shoulders
thrown back, thoroughly inflate the lungs and retain the air for a
second or two, then expel it gently. Practice this several times a
day, and if your employment keeps you in, make time and go out.
2. The first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, when
you have nothing on but your underclothing, stand with your back
against the wall and fill the lungs to their utmost capacity, then,
retaining the breath gently tap the chest all over with the open
hands. Do this regularly every morning and night, gently at first, but
gradually increasing the length of time for holding
the breath and the force of the blows as the lungs grow stronger.
3. Stand upright, heels touching, toes turned out. Place the hands on
the hips, the fingers resting on the diaphragm, the thumbs in the soft
part of the back. Now, inflate the lungs and force the air down into
the lower back part of the lungs, forcing out the thumbs. Do this half
a dozen times at first, gradually increasing the number. Women seldom
use this part of the lungs--tight dresses and corsets prevent them.
4. While in the same position, fill the upper part of the lungs full,
then force the air down into the lower part of the lungs and back
again by alternately contracting the upper and lower muscles of the
chest. Do this repeatedly, for, besides being a good lung developer,
it is an excellent exercise for the liver.
5. Stand erect, the arms hanging close by the sides, then slowly raise
the arms until they are in
the same position, at the same time gradually taking in a full breath
until the lungs are completely filled, then, after holding the breath
for a few seconds, gradually lower the arms, at the same time
gradually expelling the breath. After doing this a few times while the
lungs are full raise and lower the arms several times quickly.
6. Hold the arms straight out, then slowly throw them back behind you
as far as possible, at the same time taking a full breath, then bring
them slowly back to the front, as at first, expelling
the breath while doing so. Do this several times, then fully inflate
the lungs, and while holding the breath move the arms backward and
forward, in the same way, but quickly. It is important to inflate and
empty the lungs fully and completely during this exercise.
COMBINATION LUNG AND MUSCLE EXERCISES.
7. First rotate the right arm in a circle, downward in front of you a
few times, then reverse the movement. Next, thrust the shoulder back
as far as it will go and rotate the arm in the same
manner. Follow with the left arm in the same manner, then both
alternately, but at the same time relax the arms completely, allowing
them to become perfectly limp, at the same time filling and emptying
the lungs completely.
8. Lie flat on the floor, face downward, with the elbows bent and the
palms of the hands flat on the floor by the sides, body fully
extended. Then, keeping the body perfectly rigid, raise it up by the
muscles of the arms alone, until it only rests on the arms and toes,
then lower the body gradually until the chest touches the floor, at
the same time exercising the lungs to their fullest extent. This may
be practiced on a bed or couch to commence with, and should be taken
slowly at first, until it can be done half a dozen times without
discomfort.
9. Stand with the lungs completely and force the air down into the
lower part of the lungs. Then, keeping the lower limbs perfectly
stiff, with muscles tensed, bend the body forward from the middle of
the trunk and while doing this empty the lungs quickly. Then
straighten up again, at the same time filling the lungs. This should
be repeated from 6 to 12 times. Then repeat the operation, but bending
backward instead of forward, paying careful attention to the emptying
and filling of the lungs. Then, with the lungs full and breath
retained, move the body backward and forward quickly several times.
10. Retaining the same position as in last exercise, move the upper
part of the body to the right a few times, then a few times to the
left, after each movement returning to the upright position. Then move
in the same manner from right to left, alternately. Study and you will
readily understand the nature of these movements, which not only
benefit the lungs, but impart grace
and suppleness to the body.
11. Still retaining the attitude press the arms and elbows forward as
far as possible, at the same time expelling the breath; then press
them backward as far as possible to force them, at the same time
inflating the lungs to their fullest extent.
ARM AND FINGER EXERCISES.
Completely relax the muscles of the fingers and hands, letting the
hands hang limply from the wrists, then shake them up and down and
from side to side, as if cracking a whip. Then rotate them from the
wrists. These movements should all be made with great rapidity, the
hands being rendered as near lifeless as possible.
12. Next, with the upper part of the arm held out at a right angle
from the body, and the forearm hanging downward, completely relax the
muscles of the elbow. Then shake and rotate the whole of the forearm
in the same manner as described for the hands.
13. Allow the arms to hang by the side, now press the shoulder as far
back as it will go, then as high as it will go, then forward as far as
it will go, and drop it again, then rotate it several times. Do the
same with the left, then both together. Strike out with the right
hand, tightly clenched, then the left, then both together. Repeat
horizontally, right and left, then straight up overhead, then down by
the sides.
EXERCISES FOR THE NECK.
14. The principal thing to be observed is to keep the body rigid and
use the muscles of the neck only. It is a most valuable exercise and
should be carefully and faithfully practiced.
15. Now, without bending the knees, bend the body forward as far as
you can several times, then backward several times, then to each side
successively. Make bending movements several times in each direction,
and be careful not to relax the muscles other than those of the hips;
and to conclude the exercise rotate the hips round and round.
16. Relax the muscles of the right leg, keeping all the other muscles
firmly tensed. Then swing the leg from the hip joint, like a pendulum,
backward and forward. Try to do this without support, balanced on the
one leg, as it materially assists in developing the muscles. Then
repeat with the left leg. Next, relax the muscles of the leg from the
knee downward, keeping the muscles of the thigh rigid, and swing the
leg backward and forward from the knee only, and increase the number
of movements each day, as the muscles gain strength and you gain
experience.
ANKLE AND FOOT EXERCISE.
17. Stand upright, holding yourself firmly and stiffly, then raise
yourself up and down on your toes.
WHOLE BODY EXERCISE.
1. Raise the arms above the head, alongside the ears, then bring them
down with a steady sweep, without bending the knees, until the fingers
touch the floor. Be sure to relax the muscles of the neck and allow
the head to hang.
2. Place the hands upon the breast and drop the head backward, a
little to one side, then bend the body backward as far as possible.
3. Curve the right arm above the head, toward the left shoulder, and
allow the weight of the body to rest on the left leg, the right foot
being carried slightly outward. Allow the body to bang down as far as
possible on the left side, without straining too much. Then verse the
movement.
STRETCHING.
Is quite a luxury, but few people know how to do it.
Stand upright in position, then raise raise yourself on the tips of
your toes and try your best to touch the ceiling. You will appreciate
this exercise as a relaxation.
THE ART OF STANDING PROPERLY.
Is only imperfectly understood by the majority of people, and yet it
is the key to a graceful carriage, an accomplishment that most people
desire to possess, especially ladies. Observe the difference between
the correct and the incorrect methods.
THE ART OF GRACEFUL WALKING.
Is the natural sequence of correct attitude in standing and may be
readily acquired by attention. Stand against the wall, with the heels,
limbs, hips, shoulders and head all touching and draw the chin inward
to the chest. When in this position you will find it uncomfortable,
mainly because it is incorrect. Gently free yourself from the wall by
swaying the body forward, from the ankles only, keeping the heels
touching. You will then be in the correct position, and should walk
off, carefully maintaining it. This exercise, if constantly practiced,
will give you an easy and graceful carriage that will be the envy of
your less fortunate acquaintances.
In the foregoing list of exercises we have carefully omitted all those
requiring apparatus of any kind, selecting only such as can be
practiced in the privacy of your own room, without assistance from an
instructor or paraphernalia of any kind. Dumb bells, Indian clubs,
etc., are valuable after a certain degree of muscular improvement has
been attained, but when that point is reached we should advise the
individual to join a gymnasium and practice further development under
a competent instructor.
All the exercises given have been proved of great value in building up
the system, and are designed as aids to the preservation of health and
the upbuilding of weakly people--not to develop trained athletes. These
exercises bring into play a number of muscles that are not called into
general use, and thus promote harmonious development of the whole
body.
PART VII.
THE DIET QUESTION.
As we have already stated, the human system is in a state of constant
change. Disintegration of tissue is taking place during every moment
of existence, and the preservation of health depends upon the prompt
elimination of the waste material. But the destruction of tissue, due
to the daily friction of life, must be made good, and this replacement
of substance is effected by the food we eat. It becomes a matter of
vital importance, therefore, to every individual to consider the
question of eating from the rational standpoint. Owing to the
increased prosperity of recent years and the luxurious mode of living
rendered possible by it, people have been betrayed into many
reprehensible gastronomic practices. In the olden days, when man
toiled hard for existence, food was produced within his own immediate
radius and luxuries were unknown; but now, with rapid ocean
transportation, the ends of the earth are ransacked and laid under
tribute to furnish delicacies to tempt the palate. The ease with which
food may now be procured and the almost illimitable variety offered to
man for his selection has tempted him into indulgences that have been
productive of much evil. Although over indulgence in eating is a very
ancient offense, yet, as before stated, the multiplicity of foods has
given an impetus to this injurious habit, in combination with the
cunningly devised methods of preparation which the modern cook has
evolved.
It is a grave mistake to suppose that it is necessary to eat a large
quantity of food to become healthy and strong. The system only needs
sufficient nourishment to repair the waste that has taken place.
Besides, the digestive fluids are not secreted in an indefinite
quantity, but in proportion to the immediate need. Hence, food taken
in excess of requirements, being only partially digested, acts as a
foreign substance; i. e., a poison, and in addition unduly taxes the
system to dispose of the unnecessary waste.
Hunger is the natural expression of the needs of the system for
nutrition. Appetite is the index as to the quantity of food that
should be taken to replace the loss by waste. It should never be
overruled. Appetite is a wise provision of Nature. Gluttony is a
degrading habit. Yet numbers of people attempt to justify the
gratification of their gluttonous proclivities by the statement that
they are "blessed with a good appetite," while the truth of the matter
is, they are cursed with an inordinate lust for food. If people were
more temperate in the pleasures of the table, the purveyors of
remedies for dyspepsia would find their incomes considerably lessened.
Satisfy your hunger, by all means, but do not pander to the vice of
gluttony.
Instead of "eating to live," a large proportion of people simply "live
to eat." But sooner or later Nature exacts the penalty for violation
of one of her cardinal laws, which is "temperance." An outraged
stomach will not always remain quiescent, and when the reaction comes,
the offender realizes that "they who sow the wind shall reap the
whirlwind."
But people may, and do, continually do violence to that long suffering
organ, the stomach, without being gluttons--we refer to the habit, so
universally practiced in this country, of bolting the food without
properly masticating it. So long as this iniquitous practice is
persisted in, and the equally hurtful one of swallowing large
quantities of liquids with the meals, and so long as sufficient time
is not given the food to digest, just so long will you suffer from a
disordered stomach. Speaking generally, Americans are a nation of
dyspeptics, because they are perpetually in a hurry. The acquisition
of wealth, in moderation, is a commendable pursuit, but it is the
height of folly to sacrifice the priceless jewel of health to acquire
it. But it is a fact, nevertheless, that the average American
considers eating an unprofitable interference with business, without
stopping to weigh the advantages of sound health against the almighty
dollar.
This habit must be abandoned by those who are addicted to it, before
they can expect to regain health or preserve it. Strange, is it not,
that a race, proverbial for having an eye to the main chance, should
fail to recognize the financial wisdom of husbanding their health, a
factor so important in successful business enterprises! They might,
with advantage, copy the example of John Bull in the matter of eating.
The average Englishman regards his meals as a solemn responsibility,
and tarries long at the table. The consequence is that with them
dyspepsia is the exception and not, as with Americans, the rule.
What to eat, when to eat and how to eat are questions more nearly
involving the health and happiness of humanity than is generally
recognized.
WHAT TO EAT.
From the days of Pythagoras down to the present time it has been a
moot question whether a vegetable or meat diet was best for man. Each
side can present equally strong arguments; each can point to
exceptional instances of physical development under the different
methods; each can point to ill results that follow rigid adherence to
one method or the other, so that the natural inference would be that a
happy mean between the two extremes presents the only rational
solution of the question.
Even the most rabid partisan of the meat diet will readily admit that
the flesh of animals is not indispensable to existence; while, on the
other hand, the fact that the Indians in this country would subsist
for months (without apparent discomfort) solely upon a diet of
"pemmican" (dried buffalo flesh) affords ample proof that a meat diet
is not without its advantages.
Diet is largely a matter of latitude. The whale blubber diet of the
Esquimaux would be impossible at the equator, while the fruit and
pulse diet of the tropics would prove totally inadequate to support
life at the North Pole. Nature always prompts the individual to select
the articles of food best adapted to his bodily needs, according to
the climatic conditions; hence, when a man endeavors to live on the
same dietary in the tropics that he has been accustomed to in the
temperate zone, digestive disturbances are sure to follow.
It is one thing to sit at home theorizing about dietetics and settling
all the food problems (on paper) to one's entire satisfaction; but it
is quite a different matter to practically test the effects of
different dietary tables under varying climatic conditions. The writer
does not claim to be an expert dietetician, but there are few spots on
the habitable globe that he has not visited; scarcely an edible
article that he has not partaken of; scarcely a known species of human
being that he has not eaten with, except the Patagonians and the
Esquimaux; so that he is not entirely without experience, and it may
be just possible that practical experience thus gained may be as
valuable as statistics compiled in an from data collected from
different sources.
We often have the Eastern peoples (notably the Japanese and Hindoos)
quoted as examples of physical health and endurance, and the adoption
of a vegetarian diet urged on those grounds; but these extremists seem
to lose sight of the fact that these peoples are the descendants of
vegetarians for centuries past; that they have inherited the tastes of
their progenitors, and have evolved their present physical condition
through a long period of development along those lines. To say nothing
of the impracticability of suddenly converting a nation to the
principles of vegetarianism, radical changes abruptly undertaken are
always productive of ill effects.
It will help us to a proper understanding of the food question to
consider right here what causes old age, or, rather, the physical
signs of bodily infirmity that almost invariably accompany it. We are
all familiar with the wrinkled body surface, the shrunken limbs and
the stiffness of joints that particularly affect the aged, and are so
accustomed to regard these outward manifestations of infirmity as
inevitable, that few stop to inquire whether it is natural that this
should be so. Undoubtedly, these are natural effects, being the result
of the operation of natural law, but if mankind lived more in harmony
with Nature, these symptoms should not manifest themselves before the
age of ninety or a hundred, if even then.
What is termed old age is simply ossification (solidification of the
tissues), and this is due to the constant deposition in the system of
earthy substances. The result of these deposits being retained in the
system is: that there is an excess of mineral matter in the bone
tissue, which renders it brittle, and accounts for the susceptibility
to fracture in advanced life; it causes a change in the structure of
all the blood vessels, great and small, thickening their walls and
thus reducing their calibre and also rendering them brittle. With
diminished capacity the blood vessels fail to convey the requisite
nutrition to the tissues, and a general lowering of the vitality
follows. The capillaries no longer supply the skin with its needed
pabulum, hence it loses its elasticity and color--grows yellow and
forms in furrows. The circulation being sluggish, the deposition of
these earthy substances in the neighborhood of the various joints and
the muscular structures is facilitated, and we have the stiffness of
joints and muscular pains that usually accompany age. The supply of
blood to the brain and nerve substance is curtailed in the same
manner, and for lack of sustenance these structures commence to decay,
which accounts for diminished mental activity and sensory impressions.
As the process continues there may be almost complete obliteration of
the capillaries, while the larger vessels may become so thickened that
their capacity is sometimes reduced three-fifths. Then comes death.
Then, since old age is due to the cause just described, it follows, as
a perfectly logical deduction, that if we can prevent the introduction
of these substances into the system, or even check them, then the
duration of life and preservation of function should be
proportionately prolonged.
What are these substances and whence are they obtained? They consist
of carbonate and phosphate of lime, principally, with small quantities
of the sulphates of lime and magnesia, and a small percentage of other
earthy matters. These substances are taken into the system in the food
we eat and the water we drink, and it has been estimated that enough
lime salts are taken into the system during an average lifetime to
form a statue the size of the individual. Of course, the greater part
is eliminated by the natural processes, but enough is retained to make
ossification a formidable fact. Of the disastrous effects of a
preponderance of these mineral salts in the system we have a notable
example in the Cretins, a people in the Swiss Alps, who are the
victims of premature ossification, their bodies being stunted, rarely
attaining a greater height than four feet, and exhibiting all the
signs of old age at thirty years; in fact, they seldom live longer
than that. In this case the cause is directly traceable to the excess
of calcium salts in the drinking water, for although heredity plays an
important part in this matter, yet children from other parts, if
brought into the region at an early age, soon manifest the symptoms
and speedily become Cretins in fact.
Most people are familiar with what is known among housewives as the
formation of "fur" in the common tea kettle. This is nothing more nor
less than the precipitation of the lime salts by evaporation. Four and
five pounds' weight of this substance has been known to collect in
this manner in a single vessel in twelve months. Many people are under
the mistaken impression that boiling the water removes the lime. Not
so. The precipitation only relates to that proportion of the water
that has been evaporated; the remainder (in all probability) possesses
a slightly higher percentage of solids than it originally did. So
great is the proportion of mineral substance taken into the system in
drinking water that it is safe to assert that, if after maturity was
reached only distilled or other absolutely pure water was partaken of,
life would be prolonged fully ten years. Up to the mature age it would
be inadvisable, as the salts are necessary for bone formation. Good
filtered rain water, or melted snow, are entirely free from mineral
deposits, but if they have stood for any length of time it is
advisable to boil them before using, to destroy any organic matter.
But it is not in water alone that these pernicious earthy matters are
found. All food substances contain them to a greater or lesser extent.
The order in which foods stand in the matter of freedom from earthy
impurities is as follows: Fruits, fish, animal flesh (including eggs),
vegetables, cereals; so that the advocates of a strictly vegetable
diet find themselves confronted by the formidable fact that their
mainstay is that class of foods that contain the largest proportion of
those substances that hasten ossification. Ample proof is at hand that
a strictly vegetable diet results in what is known as atheroma (chalky
deposit), an affection of the arteries. Dr. Winckler, an enthusiastic
food reformer, who wrote extensively on the subject under the nom de
plume of Dr. Alanus, and practised a strict vegetarian diet for some
years, was compelled to abandon it, on account of the above disease
manifesting itself. Numerous similar cases were observed by Raymond,
in a monastery of vegetarian friars, and among the poorer Hindoos, who
live almost exclusively on rice, this trouble is of frequent
occurrence.
The reason of this is obvious. Vegetable food is richer in mineral
salts than animal food, and consequently, more are introduced into the
blood. There are exceptions, for instance, fruits, which are an ideal
food, for several excellent reasons. To commence with, they contain
less earthy matter than any other known organic substance; they
contain upward of 70 per cent. of the purest kind of distilled water--
distilled in Nature's laboratory; and distilled water is an admirable
solvent, and is ready for immediate absorption into the blood, and,
lastly, the starch of the fruit has, by the sun's action, been
converted into glucose, and is practically ready for assimilation.
in order as follows: Dates, figs, bananas, prunes, apples, grapes.
Bread has long been known as the "staff of life," and although it
forms the main dietary staple for large numbers of people, that does
not in any way prove its eligibility as an article of food. We have
seen that cereals contain a very large proportion of inorganic matter
(the mineral salts), and wheat is as richly endowed in this respect as
any of its fellows. Wheat is rich in heat producing
qualities, which is due to the quantity of starch it contains. Now,
this starch must be converted into glucose before the system can
appropriate it, and as exhaustive experiments have shown that not more
than four per cent. of the starch is converted by the ptyalin in the
saliva, the principal work of dealing with the starch devolves upon
the duodenum, or second stomach, the fluids of the main stomach having
no action upon it.
Now, this extra and unnecessary work falling upon the duodenum entails
a delay in the process of digestion, and a corresponding delay in
assimilation, so a habit of intestinal inactivity is induced, and the
seeds of constipation are sown, because the starchy foods, being slow
in giving up their nutritive elements, the refuse is proportionately
backward in being eliminated. Fruits, on the contrary, although
equally rich in heat producing qualities, yet on account of the
previous natural transmutation of starch into glucose, are in a
condition for immediate appropriation by the system, and consequently
absorption of nutrition and elimination of waste are equally prompt.
This partially explains the aperient action of fruits, although there
is a chemical reason also. For the reasons above stated, lightly baked
bread should never be eaten; it should be toasted thoroughly brown
first, by which the first step in the conversion of the starch is
accomplished.
Regarding the relative digestibility of white and brown (whole wheat)
bread there is considerable diversity of opinion, but in a series of
experiments described by Dr. John B. Coppock, in the "Herald of
Health," England, it was shown that in equal portions of 100 ounces,
1/4 ounce more of the white bread was digested, than of the brown; but
the proportion of Proteids (muscle and tissue forming constituents)
digested, was as follows: white bread, 85 1/2 ounces; brown bread, 88
3/4 ounces, or 3 1/4 ounces more nutrition obtained from the brown
bread than from the white. In any event, we are forced to the
conclusion that as an article of food, bread has hitherto had a value
placed upon it to which it was not legitimately entitled.
Nature has designed albumen as the staple of nutrition for man, and
primarily, vegetable albumen; hence fruits form as nearly as possible
a perfect food, containing, as they do, this important constituent in
addition to the advantages previously mentioned.
Nuts are an excellent article of diet, as they contain a large
percentage of proteid (muscle-forming) substance, and fats--both in a
state of almost absolute purity, but are somewhat deficient in starch.
To those who feel that they really cannot do without meat, nuts
certainly offer the best substitute. There are preparations of nuts on
the markets now, called nut-meats, but our advice would be, to eat all
nuts without preparation, only being careful to masticate them
thoroughly. The peanut is the first in rank for nutritive value, next
comes the chestnut, and third, the walnut.
Our objection to nut-meats applies to all forms of concentrated foods,
that is, that they do not give the digestive functions the proper
amount of exercise. They do not afford sufficient opportunity for
mastication, hence the food is not properly insalivated. And, again,
in normal conditions, Nature demands a certain amount of bulk, that
the digestive organs may have something to contract upon. It is the
nature of the muscular structures to grow if exercised, and there is
no reason to doubt that the stomach and intestinal muscles respond to
this stimulus. Bulk is especially necessary in the intestinal canal,
to supply a certain amount of irritative stimulation, for the purpose
of exciting peristalsis. That is one reason why whole wheat bread is
preferable to white, on account of the bran, which not only supplies
the bulk, but favors elimination by its irritative action.
Before proceeding any further we would call attention to the following
table, showing the nutritive ingredients in food substances, and their
several functions. The ingredients are classified in four divisions:
1, Proteids; 2, Fats; 3, Starches, or carbohydrates; 4, Mineral
matters. This is the main classification; but to enable it to be
better understood, we subdivide it as follows:
Protein.
a. Albuminoids: e. g. albumen (white of egg); casein (curd) of milk;
myosin, the basis of muscle (lean meat); gluten of wheat, etc.
b. Gelatinoids: e. g. collagen of tendons; ossein of bones, which
yield gelatin or glue. Meats and fish contain very small quantities of
so-called "extractives." They include kreatin and allied compounds,
and are the chief ingredients of beef tea and meat extract. They
contain nitrogen, and hence are commonly classed with protein.)
Fats.
e. g. fat of meat; fat (butter) of milk; olive oil; oil of corn,
wheat, etc.
Carbohydrates.
e. g. sugar, starch, cellulose (woody fibre).
Mineral Matters.
e. g. calcium phosphate or phosphate of lime; sodium chloride (common
salt).
In this classification, water is not taken into account, for the
reason that it is not a true nutrient, although of vital importance to
the body. Now, let us consider what ultimately becomes of these
substances--how Nature utilizes them in the physical economy. Protein
is used to build up the solid tissues of the body, the muscles and
tendons. It is also a source of nutrition for brain and nerve
substance, and partially serves as fuel. Fats simply form fatty tissue
and serve as fuel to maintain the heat of the body, by combustion or
oxidation. Carbohydrates mainly serve as fuel, owing to the large
percentage of carbon they contain, which readily unites with the
oxygen. The mineral matters, which are also largely obtained from
water, are employed in the formation of bone, and are also utilized in
the blood and in other ways.
Thus we see that each constituent of the food substance fulfills a
specific purpose, and the secret of a correct and nutritious diet lies
in the selection of such foods as will furnish the proper proportion
of each constituent to serve the purpose for which it is designed. Any
deviation from this rule must of necessity result in digestive
disturbance, more or less, and although one or two digressions from
the path of correct alimentation may not result in anything worse than
a slight inconvenience, yet persistence in dietetic errors will
inevitably terminate in physical demoralization.
Authorities differ as to the actual proportion the nutritive
ingredients should bear to each other in the daily ration; but after
comparing the statements advanced by different food experts. We think
the following figures will represent a fair average of the various
tables. The reader will see that 100 parts of carbo-hydrates is taken
as the basis of calculation, the figures opposite the other
ingredients representing the proportion they should bear to the basic
figure.
Carbo-hydrates (carbonaceous material, starch, sugar, etc.), fat, and
heat formers, 100 parts.
Proteids (nitrogenous material) muscle, tissue and brain formers 40
parts.
Fats (animal fats, butter, etc.), fuel formers 32 parts.
Mineral salts, 6 parts.
Water 670 parts.
With the above table in mind, it will be easy to select foods that will
furnish, when combined, the proper proportion of each ingredient--that
is--approximately, and to assist in the selection, we subjoin a
condensed list of the more important articles of food, showing the
percentage of each ingredient, as proved by analysis. We would call
attention to the fact that animal foods may slightly differ in the ratio
of the ingredients, owing to the food upon which the animal has been
raised, and its physical condition; and, owing to peculiarities of soil,
vegetable foods may differ in like manner, but for practical purposes it
will be found sufficiently correct.
IN 100 PARTS.
*Lean Beef
Proteids. 20.2
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 3.6
Salts. 2.0
*Fat
Proteids. 16.9
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 3.6
Salts. 2.0
*Mutton
Proteids. 17.1
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 5.7
Salts. 1.3
*Veal
Proteids. 18.8
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 4.4
Salts. 0.5
*Pork
Proteids. 14.5
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 37.3
Salts. 0.8
*Poultry
Proteids. 21.0
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 3.8
Salts. 1.2
*Smoked Ham
Proteids. 24.0
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 36.5
Salts. 10.1
*Mackerel
Proteids. 23.5
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 6.7
Salts. 1.0
*Cod
Proteids. 27.0
Starches.0.0
Fats.0.3
Salts.22.0
*White of Egg
Proteids. 20.4
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 0.0
Salts. 1.6
*Yolk of Egg
Proteids. 16.0
Starches. 0.0
Fats. 30.7
Salts. 1.3
*Cow's Milk
Proteids. 4.2
Starches. 4.5
Fats. 3.7
Salts. 0.7
*Cheese
Proteids. 28.0
Starches. 1.0
Fats. 23.0
Salts. 7.0
*Butter
Proteids. 2.0
Starches. 1.0
Fats. 85.0
Salts. 1.0
*Cabbage
Proteids. 5.0
Starches. 7.8
Fats. 0.5
Salts. 1.2
*Asparagus
Proteids. 1.9
Starches. 2.7
Fats. 0.2
Salts. 0.5
*Mushrooms
Proteids. 2.5
Starches. 4.7
Fats. 0.2
Salts. 0.7
*Potatoe
Proteids. 2.2
Starches. 21.8
Fats. 0.2
Salts. 1.0
*Sweet Potatoe
Proteids. 1.0
Starches. 25.2
Fats. 0.2
Salts. 2.7
*Celery
Proteids. 1.5
Starches. 0.8
Fats. 0.4
Salts. 0.8
*French Beans
Proteids. 23.7
Starches. 55.6
Fats. 2.2
Salts. 3.7
*Lima Beans
Proteids. 21.9
Starches. 60.0
Fats. 1.9
Salts. 2.9
*Green Peas
Proteids. 6.3
Starches. 12.0
Fats. 0.5
Salts. 0.8
*Lentils
Proteids. 24.8
Starches. 54.7
Fats. 1.8
Salts. 2.4
*Wheat Flour
Proteids. 11.6
Starches. 71.0
Fats. 1.3
Salts. 1.6
*Barley Flour
Proteids. 10.5
Starches. 66.7
Fats. 2.4
Salts. 2.6
*Oatmeal
Proteids. 12.8
Starches. 65.6
Fats. 5.6
Salts. 3.6
*Lentil Flour
Proteids. 25.4
Starches. 57.3
Fats. 1.8
Salts. 2.6
*Arrowroot
Proteids. 0.8
Starches. 83.5
Fats. 0.0
Salts. 0.3
*Chestnut
Proteids. 14.6
Starches. 60.0
Fats. 2.4
Salts. 3.3
*Sweet Almond
Proteids. 23.5
Starches. 7.8
Fats. 53.0
Salts. 3.0
*Peanut
Proteids. 28.3
Starches. 1.8
Fats. 46.2
Salts. 3.3
*Walnut
Proteids. 15.8
Starches. 13.0
Fats. 57.4
Salts. 2.0
*Apple
Proteids. 0.4
Starches. 7.2
Fats. 0.0
Salts. 0.5
*Cherry
Proteids. 0.7
Starches. 10.2
Fats. 0.0
Salts. 0.7
*Grape
Proteids. 0.6
Starches. 14.2
Fats. 0.0
Salts. 0.5
*Banana
Proteids. 4.9
Starches. 19.2
Fats. 0.6
Salts. 1.1
*Dates
Proteids. 6.6
Starches. 54.0
Fats. 0.2
Salts. 1.6
*Figs
Proteids. 6.1
Starches. 60.5
Fats. 0.9
Salts. 2.3
*Honey
Proteids. 0.8
Starches. 74.6
Fats. 0.9
Salts. 0.2
TABLE A.
Showing the relative digestibility of various foods.
* Beef, round
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 23.0
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 8.1
Undigestible. 0.9
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.0
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 1.3
WATER. 66.7
* Beef, sirloin
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 20.0
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 17.1
Undigestible. 1.9
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.0
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 1.0
WATER. 60.0
*Pork, very fat.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 3.0
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 74.5
Undigestible. 6.0
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. -
Undigestible. -
MINERAL MATERS. 6.5
WATER. 10.0
*Haddock.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 17.1
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 0.3
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.0
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 1.2
WATER. 81.4
*Mackerel
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 18.8
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 7.4
Undigestible. 0.8
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.0
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 1.4
WATER. 71.6
*Hen's eggs
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 13.4
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 9.4
Undigestible. 2.4
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.7
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 1.0
WATER. 73.1
*Cow's Milk
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 3.4
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 3.6
Undigestible. 0.1
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 4.8
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 0.7
WATER. 87.4
*Cheese, whole milk
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 27.1
Undigestible. 0.0
FATS.
Digestible. 34.6
Undigestible. 0.9
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 2.3
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 3.9
WATER. 31.2
*Butter
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 1.0
Undigestible. -
FATS.
Digestible. 85.8
Undigestible. 1.7
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.5
Undigestible. -
MINERAL MATERS. 2.0
WATER. 9.0
*Oleomargarine
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 0.4
Undigestible. -
FATS.
Digestible. 83.9
Undigestible. 3.3
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 0.0
Undigestible. -
MINERAL MATERS. 2.1
WATER. 10.3
*Sugar
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 0.3
Undigestible. -
FATS.
Digestible. -
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 96.7
Undigestible. 0.0
MINERAL MATERS. 0.8
WATER. 2.2
*Wheat flour (very fine).
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 7.6
Undigestible. 1.3
FATS.
Digestible. 1.0
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 74.4
Undigestible. 0.8
MINERAL MATERS. 0.3
WATER. 14.6
* Wheat flour (Medium)
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 9.5
Undigestible. 2.1
FATS.
Digestible. 0.8
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 70.4
Undigestible. 1.8
MINERAL MATERS. 0.4
WATER. 15.0
*Wheat flour (coarse whole wheat)
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 8.2
Undigestible. 2.7
FATS.
Digestible. 1.8
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 66.4
Undigestible. 5.3
MINERAL MATERS. 1.2
WATER. 14.4
* Wheat Bread.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 7.7
Undigestible. 1.2
FATS.
Digestible. 1.9
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 54.9
Undigestible. 0.6
MINERAL MATERS. 1.0
WATER. 32.7
*Black bread.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 4.5
Undigestible. 1.6
FATS.
Digestible. 1.8
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 43.3
Undigestible. 5.3
MINERAL MATERS. 1.5
WATER. 43.8
*peas.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 19.7
Undigestible. 3.2
FATS.
Digestible. -
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 55.7
Undigestible. 2.1
MINERAL MATERS. 2.5
WATER. 15.0
*Corn (maize) Meal.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 7.9
Undigestible. 1.2
FATS.
Digestible. 3.8
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 68.7
Undigestible. 2.3
MINERAL MATERS. 1.6
WATER. 14.5
*Rice.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 6.2
Undigestible. 1.2
FATS.
Digestible. 0.4
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 78.7
Undigestible. 0.7
MINERAL MATERS. 0.4
WATER. 12.4
*Potatoes.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 1.5
Undigestible. 0.5
FATS.
Digestible. 0.2
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 19.7
Undigestible. 1.6
MINERAL MATERS. 1.0
WATER. 75.5
*Turnips.
PROTEIN.
Digestible. 0.7
Undigestible. 0.3
FATS.
Digestible. 0.2
Undigestible. -
CARBOHYDRATES.
Digestible. 5.6
Undigestible. 1.3
MINERAL MATERS. 0.7
WATER. 91.2
Since the elements are seldom, if ever, found in the proper proportion
in any food substances, it becomes necessary to exercise judgement in
selecting them, so that something like a well balanced diet may be
obtained; so as a further aid to enable the reader to make his
selection judiciously, we would call attention to Table A and Table B
below. Table A shows the proportion of various foods that is
ordinarily digested, while Table B points out the time required for
different articles of food to digest.
TABLE B.
LENGTH OF TIME REQUIRED FOR DIGESTION OF DIFFERENT ARTICLES OF FOOD.
Hours.
Apples, raw, 2:00
Barley, boiled, 2:00
Beef, roasted, 3:00
Beefsteak, broiled, 3:00
Beef, broiled, 4:00
Beets, boiled, 3:45
Brains, animal, boiled, 1:45
Bread, corn, baked, 3:15
Bread, wheat, baked, 3:30
Butter, melted, 3:30
Cabbage, raw, 2:30
Cabbage, with vinegar, 2:00
Cabbage, boiled, 4:30
Cake, corn, baked, 3:00
Cake, sponge, baked, 2:30
Catfish, fried, 3:30
Cheese, old strong, 3:30
Chicken, fricasseed, 2:45
Corn and beans, boiled, 3:45
Custard, baked, 2:45
Duck, roasted, 4:00
Dumpling, apple, boiled, 3: 00
Eggs, hard boiled, 3:30
Eggs, soft boiled, 3:00
Eggs, fried, 3:30
Eggs, roasted, 2:15
Eggs, raw, 2:00
Fowls, boiled, 4: 00
Fowls, roasted, 4: 00
Goose, roasted, 2: 30
Lamb, boiled, 2: 30
Milk, boiled, 2: 00
Milk, raw, 2: 15
Mutton, roasted, 3:15
Mutton, broiled, 3:00
Mutton, boiled, 3:00
Oysters, raw, 2:55
Oysters, roasted, 3:15
Oysters, stewed, 3:30
Pig, roasted, 2:30
Pigs' feet, soused, 1:00
Pork, roasted, 5:15
Pork, salted and fried, 4:15
Potatoes, Irish, boiled, 3:30
Potatoes, Irish, roasted, 2:30
Rice, boiled, 1:00
Salmon, salted, 4:00
Soup, barley, boiled, 1:30
Soup, bean, 3:30
Soup, chicken, 3:00
Soup, mutton, 3:30
Soup, oyster, 3:30
Tapioca, boiled, 2:00
Tripe, soused, 1:00
Trout, salmon, boiled, 1:30
Trout, salmon, fried, 1:30
Turkey, roast, 2:30
Turkey, boiled, 2:30
Turnips, boiled, 3:30
Veal, broiled, 4:00
Veal, fried, 4:30
Vegetables and meat hashed, 2:30
Venison steak, 1:35
We have seen that certain elements are necessary in our food for the
proper replenishment of the waste that is perpetually going on, and
that they must be combined in proper proportions, so that no one part
of the body shall be over-nourished at the expense of the others--no
organ overtaxed, but that all may be harmoniously developed.
Opinions may, and do, differ as to the source from which this
sustenance for the body should be obtained whether from the animal or
vegetable kingdoms, or both, and while admitting that vegetarianism
and flesh-eating both have their advantages and disadvantages, our own
conscientious conviction is, that the true solution of the question is
to be found in the happy medium--that a mixed diet is the best for
mankind under existing conditions.
The main argument of our vegetarian friends against the practice of
flesh-eating is the humanitarian one. We are familiar with all the
objections urged--the brutalizing effect upon the human mind of so much
ruthless bloodshed--of the sacredness of life, and of man's presumption
in daring to deprive a living creature of existence; but with all due
respect to the sensibilities of these worthy people, we are inclined
to think that the argument is scarcely tenable. We do not wish to be
understood as defending the cruelties that are said to be practised in
the abattoirs; but the taking of life is inseparable from existence.
It is simply a question of degree. There is a sect in India, the
members of which are so scrupulous regarding the sanctity of life that
they carefully brush every step of the path in front of them, lest
they should inadvertently step upon any creeping thing. In this, they
lift the burden of responsibility from themselves for any wanton
injury; but the microscope has shown us that there is a countless
world of infinitesimal life all around us, and that it is practically
impossible to draw a breath, or drink a mouthful of water, without
destroying some living thing. If we accept the teaching of the
Scriptures, that not a sparrow falls to the ground without the
knowledge of the Creator, then we must conclude that the life of the
ant is of as much importance in His eyes as that of the ox or sheep.
We repeat, we are not posing as advocates of indiscriminate and wanton
slaughter, but on utilitarian grounds, we consider the use of the
flesh of animals, as a food, justifiable.
If we needed any scriptural authority for the practice, we could point
to the Hebrews, who (according to Holy Writ) received through Moses
not only permission to use meat as an article of diet, but
instructions for the killing of the selected animals, together with
injunctions to avoid the flesh of certain kinds; and they may be cited
as a striking example of the value of a mixed diet.
Here we have one of the most ancient races of the earth--a race that
has endured the most terrible persecutions that ever befell a people,
yet have survived it all, and are to-day a robust and unusually
prolific race; while intellectually and morally they are surpassed by
none. They are a greater power in the world than any other race, by
reason of their finance and business instincts. There is no question
but that the sanitary system of living established by Moses has been
the principle factor in perpetuating this hardy race; and a mixed diet
was and is an integral part of that system. It may also be confidently
claimed that the teachings of the Bible, along these lines, have been
in a large degree responsible for the position occupied by the
Christian nations in the world to-day.
However, we have no desire to impose our views upon our readers, and
having given expression to our sentiments, we return to the main
question.
Having disposed of the question, "what to eat," we will consider
another matter, almost equally important, and that is:
How To Eat.
The one fundamental principle underlying this question is thorough
mastication, and we cannot too strongly impress upon our readers the
necessity for its proper observance. We have already stated that
digestion cornmences in the mouth--that by the action of the saliva,
the starchy matter in food is converted into glucose. It is therefore
necessary that the saliva should be brought into intimate contact with
every part of the bolus; and for that purpose thorough mastication is
absolutely necessary. In addition, the separation of the food into
small fragments, by the teeth, assists stomach digestion, by
permitting the gastric juice freer access to the food. It is stated
that Mr. Gladstone formed the habit of thorough mastication by making
it a rule to count thirty two while masticating each mouthful.
Mastication need not be slow to be thorough, although there is an
impression to that effect, for, as a matter of fact, quick and
vigorous chewing excites the salivary glands to more energetic action.
Drinking at meals should be avoided as much as possible, and whenever
any digestive trouble is present, not only should no liquids accompany
the meal, but nothing in the form of fluids should be partaken of
within half an hour preceding or following a meal, The philosophy of
this is apparent, when we reflect that all digestive disturbances are
accompanied by imperfect secretion of the gastric juices, and to
dilute them with an excess of fluid is to weaken its power of action
on the food. It is as if a man, when attempting to dissolve a piece of
metal in a powerful acid, should deliberately add water to the acid,
and thereby arrest, wholly or in part, the process of decomposition.
It is plain, therefore, that although the practice of drinking at
meals may help the food to pass more easily down the aesophagus, yet
it must inevitably retard digestion when it reaches the stomach.
But the most pernicious practice of all is that of drinking ice water
at meals, since, in addition to the ill effects described above, it
temporarily paralyzes the stomach-driving the blood away from that
organ when it is needed most of all. A fact which should not be lost
sight of is, that no physical operation, however slight, can be
accomplished without the expenditure of force (nervous energy), even
though it be only the winking of an eyelid; and the labor entailed
upon the system, of raising the temperature of the stomach to normal
figures, after deluging it with ice water, involves a ruinous waste of
vital force, in addition to the other reasons urged against it.
It cannot be doubted that this essentially American habit is
responsible for a large proportion of the dyspepsia that sits like an
incubus upon the nation. Every substance taken into the stomach,
whether fluid or solid, should be about the same temperature as the
body, to be in harmony with natural principles.
All condiments promote indigestion. They over stimulate the stomach,
exciting the secreting glands to abnormal action, and irritating the
sensitive mucous surface. In addition, they overheat the blood, excite
the nervous system, inflame the passions, and are largely responsible
for many of the excesses into which men plunge under this unnatural
stimulation.
WHEN TO EAT
Is a question that has excited a great deal of discussion of late
years. The publication of Dr. Dewey's book, extolling the no-breakfast
plan, caused the subject to be debated, with considerable fervor for a
time, but the matter remains practically where it was. It is
impossible to lay down a hard and fast rule that shall govern all
cases, a fact that most theorists seem to lose sight of--hence the
collapse of so many promising and alluring schemes. For people in
health, we strongly advise the three meals a day system, which
experience has shown to be successful. They should be moderate in
quantity, and should be eaten as follows: The first, from half an hour
to an hour after rising (having previously bathed and exercised); the
second, not less than four hours afterwards; the third, not less than
five hours later.
This gives the stomach time to rid itself of one meal before the next is
introduced, otherwise the undigested food remaining in the stomach
prevents that organ from acting properly on the fresh food. It is for
this reason that it is unwise to eat between meals, as, when the stomach
is occupied by articles of food in various stages of digestion,
undigested portions will pass out with the digested food; not only
entailing a serious loss of energy and nutrition, but irritating the
intestinal canal and creating unnecessary waste to be eliminated.
The above rules, as stated, apply to people in ordinarily good health.
In wasting disease it may be necessary to supply nutrition even as
often as every half hour; and in all serious digestive troubles it is
wiser to eat six times a day than three, the meals to be light,
nutritious in quality, and small in quantity, so as not to impose too
great a burden at one time on the weakened digestive apparatus.
We will now consider the action of several substances, in common use,
that are inimical to health, and that have an especially demoralizing
effect upon digestion.
The first of these is alcohol, which only serves as fuel, but does not
form tissue. Its best friends in the medical profession no longer
claim anything for it but a stimulating effect. Its action on the
digestive organs (especially the stomach) is disastrous in the
extreme. It destroys the appetite, although it temporarily sustains
vigor by unnatural excitation.
Without going so far as to say that a man is lost to all sense of
decency because he takes an occasional drink, we will say that it is
in nowise necessary to the system--that the habit, indulged in to
excess, is the most fatal that can be contracted, and that inasmuch as
the majority of people have not sufficient will-power to curb their
appetites, the wisest plan is to avoid the use of alcoholic beverages
altogether.
The man who is addicted to the excessive use of alcoholic stimulants
is over-taxing the vital organs of his body in the most outrageous
manner, and although Nature incessantly enters protest against being
overworked, he either ignorantly fails to recognize the warnings, or
wantonly disregards them. Let us for a few moments consider the work
which the heart is called upon to do, and the amount of extra labor
imposed upon it by the unwise use of alcohol. The average life of a
man is thirty-eight years, and, in a healthy man, the number of heart-
beats per minute is seventy, or during an average life,
76,536,740,000. Now, the use of alcohol in anything like an excessive
quantity increases the action of the heart ten beats per minute,
making 600 extra beats per hour, 14,400 per day, 482,000 per month,
9,784,000 per year, 195,568,000 in twenty years, and 372,793,000 in a
lifetime of thirty-eight years. Or, supposing a man should live fifty
years, the number of pulsations of the heart during that period, at
the normal rate, would be 917, 239,680. Now, if ten extra beats be
added to this, for, say the last twenty-five years, we find that the
heart is called upon to make 91,840,000 extra beats. Think of that
enormous amount of additional work imposed upon a delicate, complex
piece of mechanism like the human heart!
But that is not the worst of it. The heart should rest and sleep when we
do. During sleep, the character of the beats is different from what it
is during our waking hours--the beats are made singly and deliberately,
with a pause between, for the heart is taking its necessary rest, to fit
it for its functions on the morrow; but, if we take alcohol into the
system before retiring, then the heart works harder during sleep than a
healthy man's when he is awake.
Is it any wonder that we hear of so many cases of heart failure? Is it
strange that the average duration of human life is steadily and surely
growing shorter? Three-score and ten was the average number of years
for man to sojourn here, it is now thirty-eight, and will inevitably
become still less someday if man persists in wilfully violating the
laws that govern his being.
Tea and coffee are substances which neither form tissue nor serve as
fuel, and may be banished from the table with decided advantage. Few
people realize that the difference between the drinking of alcohol and
tea is simply a question of degree. It is true that the consequences of
excessive tea drinking are not as severe as those from over-indulgence
in ardent spirits, but the pernicious effects of the constant drinking
of strong infusions of tea justify us in calling the practice a serious
menace to health. Tea leaves contain from 2 to 4 per cent. of caffeine,
or theme, which is an alkaloid, and always found in combination with
tannin. They also contain a volatile oil, which is the source of the
aroma, and in addition possess a sedative quality. Tannin is a powerful
astringent, and hence is strongly provocative of constipation. Its
action upon the mucous surface of the stomach is highly detrimental to
that organ, as it arrests the excretion of the gastric juice by its
contractile effect upon the glands. Its constant use will almost
invariably result in digestive disturbances, and will certainly
aggravate such troubles, if previously existing. It is true that a cup
of hot tea is a refreshing beverage, but not more so than a cup of hot
milk--in fact, it is the heat that imparts the sense of comfort
experienced on drinking it. Children should never be allowed to drink
either tea or coffee, as the seeds of a baneful habit may be sown, for
in tea, as in dram drinking, it is a habit easily acquired.
The above remarks apply in a less degree to the frequent use of coffee.
The constant use of these substances produce the following
results--first, increase of circulation, rise in pulse, a desire to
frequently pass urine, and an exhilaration resembling intoxication. Tea
tasters, as is well known, are subject to headache and giddiness, and
prone to attacks of paralysis. The votaries of the tea and coffee cup by
far outnumber those of Bacchus, so that granting that the drinking of
these beverages is a little less severe in its constitutional effects,
yet the greater prevalence of the habit renders them equal to alcohol in
their destructive effects.
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS.
One of the causes that conduce to digestive disturbances is that of
solitary eating. Owing to the strenuousness of modern city life, many
people, of both sexes, are compelled to practice the most rigid
economy, which, in a large proportion of cases, involves what is known
as "light housekeeping," or preparing a part, if not all of their
meals over a gas jet in their room. In the case of the male
housekeeper, this generally means that when he seats himself to eat he
places his book or paper in front of him, to beguile the time; the
consequence being that he not only calls the blood away from the
stomach, where it is needed, but, engrossed in his reading, he
masticates imperfectly, or suddenly coming to himself, he finds that
he has been so intent on his reading that his food has become cold,
whereupon he devours it in haste. Women are not such great sinners in
this respect as men; but are equally culpable in another direction. It
is a pretty well-known fact that a woman would just as soon not eat at
all as to eat alone, and as a result frequently deprives herself of
the necessary amount of nutrition. In fact, she impairs her digestion
by not giving it sufficient work to do, while the man ruins his by
spasmodically overtaxing it. For the above reasons, the boarding house
(much as it leaves to be desired) is preferable as an abiding place
for hundreds of men and women who are too busy by day and too tired at
night to pay proper attention to the physical needs of the system.
Companionship at meals is a most desirable thing, especially if it is
congenial, and light, cheerful conversation, with a little hilarity
intermingled, is an excellent aid to digestion.
This is, no doubt, due to mental influence. The whole of the
alimentary process is under the control of the nervous system, which
has its seat in the brain, consequently, a cheerful mental attitude
favors digestion. It is well known that a fit of anger may temporarily
stop digestion. The mind exerts such a vast influence over every
function that it is impossible to set bounds to it. We are the
creatures of habit. We eat so many times a day, from sheer force of
habit. We habituate ourselves to partake of articles of food against
which, at first, the senses rebel, by the same force; but it is left
wholly to mans reasoning powers whether his habits shall be cultivated
according to the needs of the system. If they are, perfect nutrition
will be established; if they are not, he is worse off than the animal
who knows only to follow the instincts of the original habits of the
species. A man can exercise his will power to partake of a diet which
his taste had not been able to appreciate, yet no will power can ever
provide good nutrition out of a diet against which taste constantly
rebels. Consciousness of the digestive organs is an offense to them.
The more a man is conscious of his stomach, the less will be its
capacity for performing good service; therefore, a dyspeptic should
never attempt to follow a course of experimental dietetics with
himself, for if he watches his stomach after his carefully selected
meal, to see how it will serve him, he will always find abnormal
symptoms. It is never wise to expect anything but good results from
anything which has been allowed to pass beyond the palate, for that is
Nature's infallible safeguard, its province being to reject every
objectionable thing.
We would again remind the reader that one of the most important
offices of the lungs is to promote the movement of the blood and lymph
currents throughout the body. Active respiration assists all forms of
lymph absorption, but gives special aid to the absorption of food
substances from the stomach and intestines, because these particular
lymph vessels are situated so close to the chest cavity that they are
more directly under the influence of the suction action of the chest.
A few minutes spent in vigorous deep breathing exercise after each
meal is one of the best means of remedying the sense of heaviness and
weight of which so many complain after eating.
Thus we see that deep breathing, by favoring absorption, promotes the
nourishment of the body will assist in building tissue, in fact.
Oxygen is a vital necessity for the body, and it is necessary to
absorb a large quantity for the actual needs of the system, while all
absorbed over the quantity means added nutrition. Now, deep, or
diaphragmatic breathing, infallibly increases the lung capacity, so
that the possibility for absorption of oxygen is increased, and health
and strength promoted. Deep breathing is as necessary for the proper
absorption and assimilation of nutrition as the selection of a well-
balanced diet. It has saved thousands of lives, and is a factor in
promoting health that cannot be disregarded.
"Order is Heaven's first law," and nowhere is this law better
exemplified than in the human body. Order, or regularity, is an
essential for success in human affairs--moral, mental, or physical; but
especially in the latter. The successful conduct of large business
organizations is only possible by regularity in the performance of
every detail of duty.
If this be so when only physical results are involved, how much more
so is it where vital interests are at stake? The human body is a
wonderfully complex piece of mechanism, and if left to itself or
rather to natural guidance, its manifold functions are performed with
unfailing regularity; and regularity in function means health--
irregularity, disease.
Mark the rhythmic regularity of respiration, or of the heart's
contractions! Long continued regularity begets habit, which is a form
of automatism; hence the necessity of regularity in action along fixed
lines, and in consonance with physiological law, that good habits only
may be formed.
Good habits are absolutely essential to health, which is equivalent to
saying that regularity in living is an imperative necessity to that
end. Regularity in rising and retiring; regularity in eating and
drinking; regularity in exercise, all are equally important.
Not only does this regularity of conduct conduce to the attainment and
maintenance of perfect health, but it enables the individual to
accomplish more within the limits of the day, partly by economizing
time, and partly by the added vigor due to improved health.
First, regularity in the hours of rising and retiring, namely,
regulating the minimum period to be devoted to sleep. There is much
conflict of opinion as to the amount of sleep necessary for the
average adult. We have in mind an old saying which runs as follows:
"Six hours' sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool."
This is somewhat arbitrary, and, moreover, is not in harmony with
physiological law. In the first place, no hard and fast rule can be
laid down that will cover all cases. Apart from the difference of sex,
there are temperamental conditions which vary with every case. We are
decidedly of the opinion that eight hours' sleep is necessary for the
adult individual. It has been affirmed by some authorities that the
more the individual sleeps the longer he will live, which is a
perfectly rational claim, in view of the fact that night is Nature's
repair time, when she is busy at work replacing the ravages committed
by wear and tear during the day. It is a well known fact that nearly
all growth takes place during sleep.
Again, it is a fact not generally known that the heart receives no
nourishment during the period of contraction, owing to the pressure
upon the arteries which supply it with nutriment. It is only during
the infinitesimal pause between the contractions that these arteries
can carry blood to the heart tissue; hence during sleep the heart-
beats differ from those of our waking hours, being fewer in number,
and with a more decided pause between. Now, the heart being to the
body what the mainspring is to a watch, the necessity of affording it
ample time for recuperation becomes apparent.
Having stated that eight hours' sleep is the minimum amount for the
individual, the question of regularity presents itself, and this
should be understood to refer especially to the time of rising, which,
unless the individual is in ill health, should be at 6 A. M. This not
only proves invaluable in economizing time, but paves the way for
regularity in eating, which we will now consider.
There is much diversity of opinion as to the number of meals that
should be eaten during the day, and recently the practice of eating
only two meals a day has largely obtained. This, although preferable
to the practice of eating four and five meals a day, or of
indiscriminate lunching between meals, is yet (we consider) running
into the other extreme. Unless an exceedingly hearty breakfast is
eaten, the tax upon the vitality before the next meal hour arrives is
too severe. Our rule, which we commend to our readers, is as follows:
Rise at six, then take your bath, either plunge or sponge bath,
followed by ten to fifteen minutes of moderate exercise. This, we will
say, occupies until seven; then eat a light meal of juicy fruit, such
as oranges, grapes or berries, followed by the perusal of the morning
newspaper, or, if you are a student, devote an hour to study. At eight
o'clock take your proper breakfast, which should consist of some
preparation of wheat (with milk or fruit juice), followed by toast,
boiled or poached eggs, and a glass of milk. Take a light lunch at 1
P. M., and a moderately good dinner at 7 P. M.
If regularity in the hours for meals be strictly observed, and the
quantity and character of the meals carefully considered, the system
will rapidly acquire the habit of expecting sustenance at those hours,
and regularity, like virtue, will be its own reward.
Next comes the question of exercise. Too little attention is paid to
this matter, more especially by those engaged in sedentary
occupations; yet it is in the highest degree important that the
balance between the mental and physical energies should be maintained.
To preserve this balance while the mind is active and the body
untaxed, artificial exercise must be practiced, for physical strength
cannot be promoted without some kind of bodily exercise. Unused
muscles soon become flabby, as athletes and their trainers well know.
The best time for taking exercise is, as stated above, just after the
morning bath, and it is astonishing what results can be obtained from
fifteen minutes of intelligently directed exercise each morning. Here,
again, regularity will work wonders. It may be a week or two before
you will notice any marked improvement in the muscular condition, but
you will be amply repaid by the glow of health which pervades the
system as the result of stimulated circulation.
Last, but by no means least, comes the matter of solicitation of the
bowels. In this case regularity in solicitation will invariably
produce regularity in movement The bowels should be solicited every
morning, soon after rising, and every night just before retiring. We
only wish that we could impress every one of our readers with the
importance of this practice, and of the immense benefit of regularity
in the pursuance of it. Just as the stomach acquires the habit of
expecting food when regularly supplied to it at stated intervals, even
so will the bowels respond to solicitation if regularity be persisted
in.
Nature is inexorably opposed to caprice. She executes all her
processes in an orderly manner, and if not interfered with, with the
greatest regularity, and if man will only co-operate with her by
strict regularity in the important duties previously mentioned, the
result will be a surprise to him in the form of renewed health and
vigor. He will have an unclouded mind, and be ready to face the trials
of everyday existence with a courage that nothing can daunt.
But Nature demands an accurate accounting. Man thinks but little of
the drafts he is continually making upon his vitality, but sooner or
later the account will be presented, and payment exacted in full.
There is no such thing as vicarious payment. The debtor must pay in
person, and it therefore behooves every man to watch the debit side of
his life's ledger, and make a daily balance of his account with
Nature.
PART VIII.
TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
HEART DISEASE.
There are numerous affections of the heart, divided into two classes--
organic and functional, the former being the more serious; but it is
safe to say that seventy-five per cent. of cases belong in the latter
class. The most common, and at the same time most serious, of the
organic troubles, are pericarditis (inflammation of the heart-
envelope), and valvular insufficiency (imperfect closure of the
valves). The functional disturbances are (almost without exception)
due to digestive difficulties. In the first class, if the case is well
advanced and the patient past the meridian of life, recovery is
improbable, although life may be considerably prolonged. The second
class of cases can be cured, with reasonable certainty, by removing
the cause.
TREATMENT.
In pericarditis--the symptoms of which are fever and sharp pain under
left nipple, radiating to the armpit, use the "Cascade" daily while
the condition is acute; the wet sheet should also be employed daily,
the temperature varying with the degree of fever. It is usually the
sequel of rheumatism. In valvular insufficiency, which is caused by
deposits upon the valves of the heart, the symptoms of which are
principally difficulty of respiration, not much pain, but a feeling of
uneasiness in the heart region, and a peculiar sound termed "the
murmer," to be detected by the stethoscope, the use of the "Cascade"
will sometimes effect wonders. It arrests all further deposition of
impurities in the blood, thus preventing any further accumulation on
the valves, while the increased liquidity and purity of the blood
enables it to re-absorb the existing deposits and thus restore normal
action. Functional difficulties, as stated, chiefly result from
digestive troubles, due to fermentation of food in the stomach and the
consequent formation of gas, which frequently collects in large
quantities, and by actual pressure impedes the heart's action. The
chief symptoms are shortness of breath, palpitation, and great
irregularity of the heart's action; sometimes the heart appears to
miss a beat altogether. In such cases, a faithful observance of
the formula of treatment for dyspepsia (see index) will accomplish
surprising results.
ANEMIA.
This is a disease of the blood, characterized by a deficiency of
albumen and red corpuscles. It is a disease that more frequently
affects women than men; the very young and the very old are most
subject to it, and especially, if of a nervous, irritable or
hysterical disposition Among the exciting causes are defective
hygiene, poor diet, want of, or excessive exercise, grief, or other
strong emotions. The symptoms are great pallor, muscular weakness
frequent pulse, dizziness, breathlessness on slight exertion and
fainting. There is another form of this trouble, known as Essential
Anaemia, or Progressive Pernicious Anaemia, which almost invariably
terminates in death; while in the first form, or simple anaemia, there
is no reason whatever for a fatal result,
if treated judiciously.
TREATMENT.
The condition of the blood must be improved, and as the blood is only
formed from the food that is eaten, the importance of getting the
digestive function into good working order is apparent. Also to supply
those elements to the system that the condition of the blood shows to
be necessary, all of which can be furnished in properly selected
articles of food. The body must be cleansed internally, by means of
the "Cascade," using it as frequently as the condition of the patient
will permit, without unduly taxing the system. The skin should be kept
active by frequent warm or tepid baths, followed by gentle friction
with a soft towel. A half pint of hot water should be slowly sipped
soon after rising, and no nourishment partaken of for at least half an
hour. Gentle exercise should be employed, to promote circulation; or
if too weak, substitute massage. Eggs and milk should be freely
partaken of. The eggs are preferable raw, beaten in milk, if not, then
lightly boiled or poached. Milk should only be taken in quantities of
from two to four ounces at a time. Some good preparation of whole
wheat should be partaken of once daily for the benefit of the
phosphates contained in it, but iron is the element most, needed, and
this is to be obtained in the following articles: first and foremost,
spinach, then beets, tomatoes, dark skinned grapes and ditto plums.
Lastly, and most important, is the practice of deep breathing to
thoroughly oxygenate the blood.
BLOOD POISONING.
This may arise from various causes, such as the infection of a wound,
contact with some irritating vegetable substance like the poison ivy,
or by inhaling noxious gases, or handling certain metals, such as
copper and lead; but the most common cause is the re-absorption into
the blood, through the intestinal walls, of the waste products of the
system; in fact, it may be confidently asserted that ninety-nine per
cent. of such cases are due to this cause. When it is considered that
a virulent poison introduced in the rectum has been known to cause
death in a rabbit within two minutes, the absorptive character of the
walls of the colon may be faintly estimated. True, the toxic
substances generated in the body are not so rapid in their action, but
they are none the less deadly. It is to this that all skin diseases,
together with rheumatism, gout, neuralgia and a host of other
troubles, are undoubtedly due.
TREATMENT.
Clean out the human cesspool by frequent use of the "Cascade," thus
preventing any further deposition of these impure substances in the
blood, and keep it clean by more or less constant use. In acute cases,
take frequent Turkish baths, to help elimination by way of the skin, and
keep that organ active by frequent warm baths and vigorous friction with
a moderately coarse towel. Let the diet be plain and moderate, never
eating to excess, and drink freely of water, to keep the blood liquid,
and practice the habit of breathing deeply, to oxygenate the blood.
CONSUMPTION.
Of all diseases, consumption is the most widespread and destructive to
human life. Over 3,000,000 people die annually from this disease. It
is not only an acquired disease, but surely preventable, and in its
early stages, curable. In the majority of cases it commences just
beneath the collar bone, because here is the part of the lung that is
least used, the reserve portion, not much used in ordinary breathing.
In most of the avocations of life the shoulders are drawn forward,
thus cramping the lungs, and weakening them, then the consumption
bacillus finds lodgment. A person with healthy lungs might inhale
millions of tubercle bacilli daily with impunity, hence the inference
is plain--to prevent consumption, distend the lungs fully, by deep
breathing, hundreds of times daily.
TREATMENT.
The first thing to be done (if it is in your power) is to go to some
quiet country place where you can be sure of the three following
essentials--a dry location, pure air, and a plentiful supply of fresh,
rich milk. There is an almost universal consensus of opinion now that
the open air treatment is of the greatest benefit; therefore, live as
much as possible out of doors and sleep with the doors and windows of
your room wide open. Never mind, if you have to pile on bed clothing
to keep warm--the prime essential is unlimited fresh air. You will soon
get used to it, and you are playing for a big stake--health. If it is
impossible to go to the country, then carry out this treatment as
closely as possible at your home. It is absolutely necessary to
improve the nutrition of the body, that is, to stimulate the digestion
and absorbent functions of the stomach and intestines, therefore
dispense with all so-called cough medicines. The drugs used to stop a
cough are invariably sedatives. Now, no sedative or nauseant is known
that does not lock up the natural secretions, and thus lessen the
digestive powers. Flushing the colon with the "Cascade" is
the first step to improve nutrition. This unlocks the secretions and
prepares the stomach for food.
Next, flush the stomach. Then give the stomach food that the organs
can digest and assimilate.
For this purpose nothing equals good, rich, fresh milk. Live on milk
exclusively for a month at least, taking a tumbler full every half
hour--the object being to supply the body with food easily digested,
quickly absorbed, and highly nourishing; yet at the same time, in
small quantities, that will not overtax the stomach. You will quickly
gain in weight, and after a month or two you may commence on solid
foods partly, choosing such articles as the Salisbury steak (see
treatment for obesity), pure cod liver oil, sweet cream, eggs, toasted
whole wheat bread, etc. Ten drops of beechwood creosote morning and
night, on a fifty cent respirator, is all the drug treatment
necessary, or useful. An external bath for those able to walk about,
and a "sponge off" for those confined to bed, must not be neglected.
The skin exudes more matter and is more likely .to become clogged in
disease than in health. Practise deep breathing assiduously. Improved
nutrition is your salvation, and that must come through exercise, diet
and fresh air. Spend all the time possible in the open air and in the
sun's rays whenever practicable, and pay special attention to the use
of the "Cascade." Remember, the cure is in your own hands--depends upon
your own courage and perseverance.
CATARRH.
This is a disease resulting from cold. It is the exception rather than
the rule, to meet with individuals in our Northern climate who are not
afflicted with it in some form or other. It is easier to prevent than
cure. Strong, well developed lungs, a clean colon and skin, and
catarrh, are seldom found together in the same body. Perfect lung
development and a clean colon will alone effect a permanent cure. Keep
the feet warm and dry, never go into a hot room and sit or lie, but
sleep in a cool, dry atmosphere. The disease takes two different
forms, nasal and throat. Nasal catarrh is first caused by inflammation
of the membrane of the nasal cavities and air passages, which is
followed by ulceration, when Nature, in order to protect this delicate
tissue and preserve the olfactory nerves, throws a tough membrane over
the ulcerated condition. At this stage it is designated chronic
catarrh.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" regularly every day, with water as hot as can be
borne, and guard scrupulously against taking cold. The membrane must
next be removed, and for this purpose we most unhesitatingly
recommend the J.B.L. Catarrh Remedy.
Half a lifetime of careful research has been devoted to perfecting
this admirable preparation, which to-day stands first as an effective
agent in removing this membraneous obstruction. It is composed of
several kinds of oils, and gently but effectually removes the membrane
that Nature has built over the inflamed parts, while its emollient
character soothes and allays the inflammation. These oils are not
absorbed into the system, but act only locally.
The method of application is as follows: A small quantity is placed in
a glass douche (especially manufactured for the purpose) and inhaled,
allowing the fluid to pass up the nostrils and into the throat, using
the nostrils alternately.
There is no case of catarrh so obstinate but will readily yield to
this treatment. But as a preventive of all this keep the colon clean
and pay attention to lung development.
ERYSIPELAS.
This disease arises from impure blood. A peculiar poison is generated,
which declares itself in the form of a red, puffy swelling, closely
resembling a blister, and very much like it to the touch. If the
finger is pressed upon the inflamed part, it will leave a white spot
there for an instant. It most usually attacks the face and head. In
the majority of cases it arises from an obstructed colon, a
fermentation being generated there from the long retained faecal
matter, consequently a positive and sure cure is to thoroughly cleanse
that organ. As a local application take loppered sour milk and apply
it to the inflamed parts, or, if not this, the next best thing is hop
yeast mixed with charcoal to the thickness desired. The lactic acid in
sour milk is a direct antidote to the poison of erysipelas.
DYSPEPSIA.
This disease does not come by chance. Infection or contagion can never
be held responsible for it. It is the penalty which Nature inflicts
upon you for violating physiological laws. Do not be deluded by
extravagantly worded advertisements into the belief that any nostrum
has been or ever will be invented that can possibly effect an
immediate cure. You must entirely abandon the habits that induced it.
You must masticate your food thoroughly--allowing the saliva to mix
with it, not bolt it, and then wash it down with copious draughts of
tea, coffee or water. This superabundance of fluid only serves to
distend the stomach and impede digestion. A change of diet is
necessary, but not so essential as a change in the habit of eating.
Dyspepsia is more or less catarrh of the stomach. Its lining becomes
coated with a slimy mucus that arrests the action of the glands, coats
the food and prevents the gastric juice from acting upon it.
TREATMENT.
For the first week, use the "Cascade" every night, the second week,
each alternate night; thereafter, as occasion seems to demand. Drink a
glass of hot water, not less than half an hour before each meal,
especially before breakfast. The breakfast should commence with a
liberal amount of good, ripe fruit, preferably oranges or grape fruit.
This may be followed by a small quantity of some good preparation of
whole-wheat: possibly, a lightly boiled or poached egg and a slice of
crisp, dry toast, or whole-wheat bread. Drink nothing with the food,
but take a glass of hot milk half an hour later. Good, lean beef or
mutton, broiled or baked, is easily digested, and may be eaten
moderately at midday. If faint between meals, take a glass of hot
milk, with a raw egg beaten in it. If the stomach is very sensitive,
it is better to eat five or six meals a day, of a few ounces, than to
overtax the stomach. Masticate every mouthful of food thoroughly, and
practice deep breathing assiduously, it is an important aid to
digestion. This method of treatment, if faithfully persisted in, will
cure the worst case of dyspepsia, with all its attendant misery.
RHEUMATISM.
Both chronic and acute rheumatism are diseases of the blood, due to an
excess of uric acid. The presence of this acid is due to excessive and
imperfect action of the liver. Imperfect nutrition and deficient
excretion are the primary causes, and the result is that the blood
becomes loaded with poisonous matter. The trouble manifests itself in
the joints, toes, ankles, knees or hands, but the seat of the disease
is elsewhere.
TREATMENT.
The first thing to be done is to promote the conversion of acid by
oxidation and increased activity of the liver. The best way to
accomplish this is by the daily use of the "Cascade," first with hot
water, then with cool water, doubling the antiseptic tonic. Do this
twice a day for a week, then once a day for a month. Take a Turkish
bath daily for a time to restore the functions of the skin. Rub the
disabled joints with hot, oily applications, followed by massage and
pressure movements. The diet should consist largely of green
vegetables, mutton and whole wheat bread, or toast, eggs, milk and
fruit. Avoid pastry and starchy food, such as potatoes, beans and
white bread. A cup of hot water, not less than half an hour before
breakfast, should not be omitted.
This treatment will speedily cure the worst cases.
TYPHOID FEVER.
The chief seat of this terribly prevalent disease is in the stomach
and intestines, particularly the colon. It is a foul, bacterial
disease, and originates in filth. The germs may be taken into the
system in impure water or milk, inhaling the gases from defective
drains or by eating food which has absorbed such gases. Once in the
system, the bacteria must have decayed matter to feed upon, therefore
it is impossible for a person who is clean both inside and out to take
typhoid fever, there being no facilities for the germs to breed and
multiply. A peculiar secretion from the colon, mixed with the faecal
matter of long standing, induces a fermentation that generates a
putrid smelling gas. This fermenting gas is the home of the bacillus,
and from it millions of germs are multiplied and pass into the
circulation. In this fermentation a peculiar worm is bred, which is
the cause of ulceration in the bowels of typhoid patients.
TREATMENT.
To give physic in a typhoid fever case is a grave mistake. Instead of
assisting Nature, it more probably hastens the death of the patient.
Knowing the cause of the disease, common sense tells us that the first
thing to do is to check the multiplication of the germs by removing
the putrid matter in which they breed. When the symptoms first appear
give the patient a warm water emetic. Drink until the stomach throws
it back. Do not be afraid to drink. If the stomach is obstinate, use
the index finger to excite vomiting. This washes out the contents of
the stomach, which will be found fermenting and full of bacteria. Then
give him a large cup of hot water--very hot--with a little salt in it.
Let the patient rest for an hour or so after vomiting, then use the
"Cascade" with water just as hot as the hand will bear, so it will not
scald. Let him retain the water from ten to fifteen minutes if he can.
Next, the patient must be sweated, to open up the pores of the skin,
and for this nothing equals the wet sheet pack. Roll the patient in a
sheet wrung out of cold water, on top of this a couple of blankets and
a comfortable. At his feet place hot bricks in flannel, on his head a
towel, wrung out of cold water. Give him plenty of fresh air. When he
has perspired freely take him out of the pack, wash him with warm
water and soap, rub him down, give him a drink of cold water and put
him to bed. Repeat the injections daily, using tepid water. In cases
of extreme weakness the treatment must be modified. Let the patient
have all the cold water he wants to drink and give him plenty of fresh
air. Use flushings daily, also the external bath, remembering in the
latter to use cold water when the fever is high, and he will speedily
be restored to health. Let him eat nothing until Nature calls for it.
The best test of hunger is a piece of stale dry Graham bread.
BILIOUS FEVER.
This disease generally makes its appearance with one or more chills,
sickness of the stomach and more or less fever. The tongue has an ill-
looking yellow coat and food is unacceptable. The cause of all this,
to an intelligent mind, is perfectly clear. The colon is clogged and
the acids in the stomach and the duodenum, together with an abundance
of secretions from the liver, have no outlet. In this condition a
slight cold will close up the already overworked pores of the skin and
turn the tide of corruption into the stomach, lungs and kidneys, and
bilious fever is the result, for, Nature being unable to get rid of
the filth by the ordinary methods, resorts to her last expedient, of
burning it up.
TREATMENT.
The remedy is obviously simple. Use the "Cascade" and open the pores.
Wash the stomach, take two or three hot injections daily, and a hot
sheet pack. This treatment, with baths and rubbing, will cure an
ordinary case of bilious fever in about three days. Avoid all drugs.
Nature will call for food when it needs it.
LA GRIPPE.
This is the modern name for influenza. It resembles an ordinary cold
in its symptoms, but is far more violent in its effects. Acute pains
in the head and kidneys are symptoms that are usually present. If
neglected, it may develop into pneumonia, or consumption. It is both
epidemic and contagious, and thousands of victims were left in its
trail when it swept over the United States and Europe during the
winters of 1890, 1891 and 1892.
TREATMENT.
Possibly you are not aware that this disease is almost invariably
accompanied by constipation, but it is a fact, nevertheless,
consequently, the internal bath is the first remedial process to be
resorted to. Make them hot and copious, and use them daily, for three
days at least. Next, relieve the internal congestion by opening the
pores of the skin. To do this, use the Turkish bath (see end
of book), take it at night, drink a glass of hot lemonade, and go to
bed. Tuck yourself up warm. Doubtless it will make you sweat, but you
need that. In the morning take a bath and a good rub down. Drink a cup
of hot water half an hour before breakfast, and let that meal consist
of plain food, soft-boiled eggs, oatmeal, Graham bread and fruit--
oranges, if procurable. Two days of this treatment will put La Grippe
to flight, but the better plan is to prevent it by keeping the colon
cleansed.
DYSENTERY.
This is a disease of the colon. The retention of faecal matter in the
folds of the colon inflames the parts until they become dry, then the
soft evacuations dry on the sensitive mucous membrane. These secretions
produce a peculiar acid, which in its turn breeds worms, and these, in
the early stages of their existence, eat into the foreign matter and
even into the mucous membrane itself, causing what is known as
dysentery.
TREATMENT.
In either the acute or chronic cases, the patient must be treated
lying down, with the hips elevated above the shoulders. For this
purpose our Fountain attachment is necessary with the "Cascade." This
will relieve the pain and congestion in the lower part of the colon.
In acute cases do not let the patient sit up a moment. Use a bed pan
always. Flush the colon with hot water, letting it flow gently, and
add a little salt to the water. After the discharge, follow with an
injection of two ounces of vaseline oil, which should be retained as
long as possible. This is an emollient, and will soothe and heal the
ulcerations.
During the past seven years we have been instrumental in curing uses
of dysentery contracted during the Civil Ware and solely by the
foregoing treatment.
DIARRHOEA
Is simply Nature's method of getting rid of undigested substances in
the alimentary tract. After a time the irritation excites the glands
to abnormal action to wash out the offending substances, resulting
from excessive fermentation. If not relieved, ulceration sets in, and
worms breed in the intestines--then we have what is known as chronic
diarrhoea.
The treatment in both varieties is the same. Use the "Cascade" until
the colon is thoroughly emptied and cleansed. Take a warm bath before
retiring, and follow it with a brisk rub down. Be careful in your
diet--the better plan being to fast for a day or two, until the worst
symptoms are past.
DISEASES OF THE NERVES.
Most people imagine that nervousness is the result of too much nerve
force, but the opposite is the case. The trouble is a too sensitive
battery and inadequate nerve force. The batteries, or nerve centres,
are too easily discharged. It is nervous irritability, therefore, that
we have to deal with.
The causes are manifold, the restless American nature, the stimulating
climate, neglect of physical training, giving too little time and
attention to eating and sleeping, concentrating too much attention on
money getting and business to the neglect of recreation and repose.
One of the gravest causes is a constipated colon, which promotes
indigestion, and through it, lack of nutrition, thus cutting off the
supply of nerve food. The habit of tea and coffee drinking, and the
use of tobacco, are also fruitful causes of this distressing
affliction.
TREATMENT.
You must apply a brake to that restless motor within you that is
driving you too fast. You must step out of the busy stream of life for
awhile, let it rush past you and take things easy. Flush the colon
regularly--remove that great source of nervous irritation, for we have
yet to hear of a nervous person that was not constipated.
If you suffer from nervousness, you are dyspeptic, your whole course
of life tends to render you so. Follow the treatment, especially the
diet, given under the head of "Dyspepsia." Practice deep breathing,
for lung development, for strong lung power is never associated with
nervousness. Take plenty of exercise in the open air, but not to
excess.
Be moderate in all things, except sleep, you cannot sleep too much.
Cultivate the sleeping habit, and don't give up until you can sleep
ten hours a day.
THE MATTER OF FOOD
is important, for, as before stated, nervous people eat and sleep too
little. Fatty foods, or those that are easily converted into fat, are
what is necessary. Olive oil is one of the best nerve foods in
existence. Take a teaspoonful at a time, and gradually increase the
quantity until you can take a tablespoonful at each meal. If you
really can't take olive oil, the best substitute is sweet cream.
Celery is also good, and lettuce.
Cultivate slow and measured movements, avoid undue activity, take life
easy and be moderate in all things.
To sum up. Flush the colon, sleep long, eat slowly, and plenty of oily
or fat food, exercise freely, but in moderation, develop the lungs by
breathing exercises, and take life easy.
This line of treatment, faithfully carried out, will cure the very
worst cases in time.
HEADACHE.
There are many causes for this distressing complaint. Generally the
cause is to be found in the stomach. Something that has no right there
is in that organ, and irritating the pneumogastric nerve that connects
the stomach with the brain. It is a common symptom of dyspepsia.
An engorged colon is one of the most common causes, on the same
principle that it causes paralysis and apoplexy. Stimulants invariably
promote headache.
To prevent the attacks, live regularly, avoid late hours and excessive
brain work, shun alcoholic beverages and tea and coffee, avoid sweets
and pastries, and anything fried in fat. Eat good, plain food,
including fruit (especially oranges), but never eat late at night.
Develop the lungs. Never let a day pass without gently exercising all
the muscles. Massage the abdomen each night before retiring. Keep the
colon clean by the use of the "Cascade," and bathe at least three
times a week.
To relieve an attack, flush the colon thoroughly. Take a hot foot-bath,
and while taking it, take a cup of hot lemonade--without sugar--so hot
that you have to sip it.
DROPSY.
In this disease the outlet to the intestinal canal has become clogged.
The kidneys wear out trying to evacuate the bowels through their
delicate tubular network, and the capillaries have become helpless
through misuse in trying to do the work of others. So the tissues and
muscles of the extremities are loaded with this cast off material, and
we call it bloat. This is dropsy.
TREATMENT.
Empty and cleanse the colon with the "Cascade." Take the following
injection every night, and retain it: To a pint of hot water add ten
drops of the homeopathic tincture of Indian Hemp. If that is not to be
had, use the fluid extract of Merrill's preparation. Use every night
until a decided improvement is seen. If you do not get the desired
effect, double the dose--even forty drops will do no harm. It is not a
poison, but an excellent diuretic for dropsical effusions.
Take a Turkish bath (see end of book) to open up the pores of the
skin, but if the patient is too weak use the hot wet sheet pack. Use
the "Cascade" at least twice a week, following it with the injection
mentioned above. Eat as little as possible, and let that consist of
dry toast well masticated, and do not take any tea or coffee.
APPENDICITIS.
This complaint was formerly known as inflammation of the bowels, and
may be caused by injury. It was generally believed to be due to the
presence of foreign substances, such as grape seeds, etc., in the
vermiform appendix, but this idea is exploded. It is an inflamed
condition of the appendix, but the inflammation may have extended from
the colon or from the peritoneum. The most frequent cause is the
caecum (the lower pouch of the colon) getting filled with hardened
faecal matter, in which case the ileo caecal valve is obstructed, and
the natural passages of the bowels stopped. With a clean colon
appendicitis is practically an impossibility.
The accepted medical practice is to remove the appendix by operation,
regardless of conditions; but the mortality in such cases is high.
Others put the patient to sleep with tincture of opium, or veratrum
viride, and let Nature right herself, if possible. If Nature can
maintain herself against the doctor and his drugs from seven to nine
days, the patient may get round, but not well.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" promptly on the first sign of an attack, injecting
all the water possible (at a temperature of not less than 102 Fahr.),
so as to reach the caecum, where the trouble is located. If the attack
is an acute one, use the "Cascade" every third hour until relieved. If
the obstruction (which is usually present) does not give way, inject a
pint of hot water and a pint of castor oil mixed; but before injecting
it (with a bulb syringe) raise the patient's hips several inches
higher than his head; then turn the patient on his right side, and
stroke the reverse way of the colon, applying a firm but gentle
kneading movement in the region of the appendix. This injection should
be retained at least half an hour--longer if necessary. If this does
not break loose the obstruction, resume the use of the "Cascade." Hot
fomentations over the appendicular region are valuable. Give no
medicine, it can do no good, but may do infinite mischief. After the
bowel has been emptied let the patient have absolute rest, and if
there is much pain and inflammation present, apply cracked ice, in a
rubber bag, over the affected part. The diet should be absolutely
liquid until all danger has passed. This is of the highest importance.
DISEASES OF THE LIVER.
Liver complaints are always closely related to other diseases of the
digestive organs. The colon being clogged, the intestines are rendered
sluggish, which in turn acts upon the duodenum, or second stomach, and
prevents the food from properly passing out--then fermentation takes
place. Bile is poured out on the accumulated food again and again, for
the presence of anything in the duodenum is a demand for the secretion
of bile. As a result too much bile is mixed with the food to be
absorbed--the blood becomes tainted with biliary secretions showing
itself in a yellow skin, dizziness of the head, dull, sleepy condition
and lack of ambition. This overtaxing of the organ results in what is
known as acute congestion, the symptoms of which are tenderness to
touch and a feeling of painful tension on right side just above the
edge of the ribs, slight jaundice, furred tongue, loss of appetite and
scanty high colored urine.
TREATMENT.
Open the colon by the use of the "Cascade," when the intestines and
duodenum will be in turn relieved, then open up the pores of the skin
with baths and allow Nature to expel the waste from the system in that
manner. The wet sheet pack will he found specially valuable for that
purpose.
An unnatural appetite often accompanies bilious attacks, but it should
be resisted. Eat sparingly of bread and milk, slightly salted, for two
or three days, then take more solid food, but do not eat meat more
than once a day for a week or two. Any exercises that call the muscles
of the stomach into play are beneficial and should be practiced daily,
especially horseback riding and rowing. Exercise by bending forward,
trying to touch the toes without bending the knees; at the same time
taking a deep breath--you then have the liver as in a vise, thus
inducing active circulation.
The "Bear" walk, or walking about the room on all fours without
bending the knees, is one of the best exercises for a torpid liver
that can be imagined, but it should be practised in private, or your
friends may question your sanity.
DISEASES OF THE SKIN.
These diseases usually have their origin in constipation, therefore
tile first tiling to be done is to relieve this condition of the colon
by daily use of the "Cascade." Bathe the body daily in tepid water,
being careful not to use soap that will irritate the skin.
Never use common soap nor any of the highly perfumed varieties. A pure
soap will float in the water. An occasional wet pack sheet is of great
value. Attend care fully to the diet and avoid all foods fried in fat,
especially buckwheat cakes and food of that description.
DISEASE OF THE KIDNEYS.
This is caused by irritation of the kidneys, brought about by those
organs being forced to do work which does not properly belong to them.
Congestion is the first step towards chronic or acute inflammation.
The second stage is a breaking down or degeneration of the kidney
cells. If degeneration has passed a certain point, there is no hope.
TREATMENT.
The only possible cure is to remove the cause. The colon, intestines,
stomach and skin must be got into good working order, so that they
will do their own work and relieve the poor scapegoat the kidneys--of
unjust burdens. The colon should be constantly and copiously flushed
with the "Cascade," and warm baths frequently taken. The Turkish bath
is valuable, especially the home bath described in this book, as the
patient's head, being free, the hot air is not drawn into the lungs.
Every night after flushing the colon inject a pint of warm water and
go to bed. It will pass off through the kidneys, cleansing them. If
there is acute pain, repeat the injection every two hours until
relieved. Hot fomentations applied to the back, over the region of the
kidneys, will relieve the pain, and gentle massage in the same
locality will be found beneficial.
Avoid sweets, pastries, starchy foods, like potatoes, alcohol,
tobacco, tea, coffee and overfat foods. The diet recommended for
dyspepsia is good. Skim milk, buttermilk and whey should be used
freely, as they exercise a very beneficial influence on the kidneys. A
wet compress worn over night will help draw out the poisonous waste
matters.
ASIATIC CHOLERA.
This disease is caused by the presence of a microbe, known as the
"comma bacillus," which manufactures a virulent poison, called a
ptomaine. Although the germs are taken into the system through the
medium of the mouth and stomach, they only multiply in the bowels,
which is proved by the fact that the vomit from a cholera patient
contains none, while the discharges from the bowels abound with them.
If the system is in perfect condition the germs are destroyed by the
gastric juice in the stomach as soon as inhaled. If the stomach is out
of order the bacilli escape into the intestines, where the fluids are
alkaline (in which they thrive) and cholera is the result. The
symptoms are, first a slight diarrhcea, almost painless, then tremors,
vertigo and nausea. Griping pains and repressed circulation follow,
then copious purging of the intestines, followed by discharges of a
thin watery fluid, lividity of the lips, cold breath and an
unquenchable thirst.
TREATMENT.
First flush the colon thoroughly with warm water every few hours. Next
induce perspiration by means of the Turkish bath, but if the case has
set in violently, and vomiting and cramps appear, use the "Cascade"
promptly, and get the patient into bed as quickly as possible. Then
take two heavy sheets, dip them in water as hot as can be borne, fold
them and lay them over the chest and abdomen and cover up with
blankets, tucking them in closely at the sides. Put a jug of hot water
to the feet. In about ten minutes redip the sheets quickly and
reapply. In fifteen or twenty minutes the perspiration will appear and
the cramps will vanish. Take nothing into the stomach during the
duration of the disease except moderate sips of cold water or pieces
of ice, to quench the burning thirst.
Use simple strengthening food (milk is best) until health is restored.
All water should be boiled before using.
CHOLERA MORBUS.
The symptoms are similar to those of Asiatic cholera, but not so
violent. The treatment is the same in principle. If there is a feeling
of nausea take a warm water emetic.
PERITONITIS
Is an inflammation of the membrane covering the bowels, and is
frequently caused by concussion or injury; sometimes it extends from
adjacent organs, but in many instances it is caused by the breeding of
worms in the hardened faecal accumulations in the colon.
No matter what the cause may he, flush the colon vigorously with
injections as hot as can be borne, and place bags of hops, steeped in
hot vinegar, on the outside. This will soon reduce the inflammation
and effect a cure.
PNEUMONIA,
Sometimes called Lung Fever, is an acute inflammation of the lungs,
usually caused by a cold, and commencing with a chill and feverish
symptoms. At first there is a dry cough and what is known as the brick
dust sputum, and in the advanced stages a peculiar dark tint in the
cheeks, known as the mahogany flush. The breathing becomes very
hurried, rising as high as forty respirations per minute. It is an
exceedingly rapid and frequently fatal form of disease.
TREATMENT.
Promptitude in dealing with the case is of the highest importance. If
the colon had been kept clean and the lungs developed by exercise it
could not have attacked you; therefore the first thing to be done is
to use the "Cascade." Then the circulation must be equalized by
drawing the blood to the skin and extremities--away from the congested
lungs. A hot foot-bath will draw the blood to the extremities and a
Turkish bath (see end of book) will do the same to the skin. If too
weak to endure the Turkish bath, substitute a hot bath. Put the
patient to bed immediately and apply a hot compress over the lungs,
wrung out of hot brine, changing it as often as it gets cool. Give
little, extremities-away any, food during the continuance of the
disease; if any is given it should be light and nutritious. The above
treatment, if employed in time, will save any case.
BRONCHITIS.
This is an acute inflammation of the bronchial tubes, or air passages,
and the treatment is almost identical with that for pneumonia; only
applying the hot compress to the throat or chest, according to which
part exhibits the most soreness. If the throat is very sore use the
following gargle: Bichromate of potash (pulverized), one drachm;
tincture capsicum, half ounce; pure water, two tablespoonfuls. Shake
until dissolved. Add one teaspoonful of this mixture to
three-fourths of a tumbler of water and gargle the throat every hour
until relieved--then every two hours until well.
ASTHMA.
A mast distressing complaint, and hitherto imperfectly understood. It
has been attributed to innumerable causes, but our contention is that
it is due to an engorged transverse colon, which, interfering with the
free action of the diaphragm, withdraws that amount of impetus from
the lungs, so that they fail to respond to nerve stimulation. Through
inaction, the diaphragm becomes practically a fixed instead of a
movable partition. This contention is borne out by the fact that in
numerous cases where the colon was emptied, the trouble disappeared
and no trouble was experienced so long as the colon was kept clean. In
all cases of asthma the last meal should be a light one, if taken at
all; in fact, it would be well to follow the dietary rules for
dyspepsia, and in addition omit the evening meal.
UTERINE DISPLACEMENT.
This prevalent complaint among the women of America is due, in ninety
per cent. of the cases, to constipation, and that is mainly
attributable to tight lacing. In the majority of our countrywomen the
sigmoid flexure (see diagram beginning of work) is distended to nearly
double its natural size, pressing upon the womb, which necessarily
displaces it, but in addition the colon, through impaction, frequently
becomes highly inflamed and communicates the inflammation to the womb,
making it heavy and relaxed.
The ascending and descending colon lie immediately behind the ovaries,
and if (as is often the case) it becomes distended to double its size,
it stretches the broad ligaments and ovarian connections, frequently
breaking them away from their peritoneal attachments or carrying the
peritoneum downward with them.
The Fallopian tubes, which penetrate and are attached to the
peritoneal sack, together with the uterine broad ligaments, are
designed to hold the womb in place, but if the womb and ovaries are
crowded down into the pelvic cavity and the womb doubled upon itself,
dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation, or amenorrhea, with convulsions,
is the result. Perhaps there may even be a complete stoppage, so that
Nature menstruates vicariously and casts it off through the lungs or
bowels.
TREATMENT.
Empty the colon and keep it clean by regular use of the "Cascade," and
wear your clothing as loose as your husband's or brother's, and the
womb will go back into its place, and all the bad symptoms disappear.
It may be, though, that the tendons and ligaments have become
partially paralyzed through the uterus having been so long out of
place.
After emptying the colon, if there is pain in the back, with a bearing
down sensation, sit in half a tub of hot water for fifteen or twenty
minutes once every other day. Throw yourself on your back with the
hips raised as high as possible, then rub up from the pelvic bone.
This will reduce the displacement of the sigmoid flexure, besides
giving relief. Should the womb not go back into
place, call in a physician to replace it.
Painful menstruation and leucorrhea, which are caused by displacement
of the womb, inflammation and hypertrophy, or hardening of the womb,
enlarged and sensitive ovaries, can all be speedily cured by flushing
the colon.
ANTEVERSION,
Which affects nine out of every ten women, is the womb falling forward
on the bladder (causing frequent desire to urinate) and downward,
which, with the falling of the sigmoid flexure, produces obstruction
of the bowels and great straining at stool.
RETROVERSION
Is a falling down, with the body of the womb thrown backward.
Frequently it is doubled upon itself, when it becomes hardened and
inflamed, and adhesion often takes place. Doctors frequently call this
spinal disease, but it is the displaced organs pressing on the great
sympathetic nerve, which produces partial paralysis of the lower limbs
and loss of memory, sometimes causing insanity. In retroversion, after
emptying the colon, assume the following position: Kneel on the bed,
or sofa, with the body thrown forward until the chest also touches.
Retain this position as long as possible, and repeat it frequently
during the day. Sleep with the foot of the bed raised eight inches.
These positions all facilitate the return of the womb to its normal
position.
Eat nutritious, easily digested food, and avoid all stimulants.
COMMON COLDS
Are very disagreeable things, and, though not dangerous in themselves,
yet are frequently the cause of serious complications and the
forerunners of consumption, pneumonia and catarrh. Colds are commonly
due to sudden changes of temperature, and are caused by the sudden
closing of the pores of the skin, thus preventing the escape of those
waste matters of the body which Nature has designed should be expelled
in that direction. The blood is thus driven inward, causing congestion.
If the system is in a sound, healthy condition, with respiration good
and the colon clean, it should be next to impossible to take cold. If,
however, there is a weak spot in the body, be sure the cold will find
it, when, if not promptly dealt with, serious results may ensue.
TREATMENT.
Constipation is the invariable primary cause of a cold, hence the
first thing to do is to flush the colon. Use the "Cascade" daily for
at least three days. Do not eat any supper the first night. The next
thing to be done is to take the Turkish bath (see end of book). It
should be taken at night, after which drink a glass of hot lemonade
and go to bed, covering the body thoroughly. No doubt you will
perspire profusely, but that is what you need. In the morning take a
good bath and rub down, following the directions given for bathing,
drink a cup of hot water an hour before breakfast and let that meal be
light, such as Graham bread, boiled eggs, oatmeal and oranges. You are
then ready to attend to your daily business, and if you take another
flushing at night, the next morning your cold will be only a memory.
CONSTIPATION.
This condition of the system has been so frequently referred to
already that further comment upon it may be deemed unnecessary. Its
causes are varied, insufficient exercise in the open air, hastily
eaten and imperfectly masticated food, also many articles of food tend
to induce the evil of habitual constipation.
Whatever you may do, avoid everything in the form of drugs, for they
are injurious in the highest degree. The continual excitation of the
excretory processes by the use of cathartics is a most pernicious
practice and should be shunned. A constant indulgence in the
"purgative habit" often renders the coating of the stomach so
sensitive that even the presence of food in that organ irritates it
and is frequently hurried out half digested.
The "Cascade" should be used each alternate day, for at least two
weeks, then, twice a week, until improvement is assured. Drink a
tumblerful of hot water, not less than half an hour before breakfast
and eat freely of fruit at that meal. Also partake liberally of good,
green vegetables at other meals. Eating whole-wheat bread is of
decided assistance, and make it a rule to drink from two to three
pints of water each day.
PILES OR HEMORRHOIDS.
This is a disease of the rectum and muscles of the anus, and is the
direct result of constipation. The accumulation of hardened faecal
matter distends the sigmoid flexure, causing inflammation, until from
its own weight it falls down, producing prolapse of the bowels.
Frequently ulceration follows and the bowel is pressed out, tumors
forming on the protruding portion.
Bleeding piles are caused by congestion of the rectal blood vessels.
The constant nerve irritation causes muscular contraction,
consequently circulation is interfered with, producing a condition of
engorgement. Owing to lack of nutrition the structures become brittle
and quantities of the varicosed capillaries unite to form pile tumors.
The methods of treatment usually employed are, injecting astringents
into the tumors to dry them up; to ligate the tumors, that they may
die or drop off, or to amputate the portion of the rectum in which the
tumors form (known as the radical operation), none of which prevent a
return of the trouble. The only rational plan is to remove the cause.
TREATMENT.
First empty the colon, using the "Cascade," thus removing the cause,
then the inflammation will subside and the protruding bowel go back
into its place. Tumors will soon absorb if they are put back when they
protrude. Sitting in a tub of hot water will cause the bowel to go
back immediately. Hot water is Nature's astringent and never fails.
The following salve has been found of great value in facilitating
recovery: Two heaped tablespoonfuls of vaseline or cosmoline, willow
charcoal, one teaspoonful; canadies pinus canadensis, twenty-five
drops; sulphate morphia, five grains. Mix well and apply up the rectum
with the fingers as far as possible. But the most effective aid to a
cure is to follow the use of the "Cascade," by inserting in the rectum
a small piece of ice, about the size of the tip of the little finger
(previously immersed in water to render it smooth), which will be
found a most admirable rectal tonic, driving the blood away from the
congested parts, and producing a bracing effect on the structures. In
bad cases, it may be used with good effect several times during the
day, and will be found equally beneficial in cases of prolapse of the
rectum. The ice is to be retained in the rectum.
PARALYSIS OR PALSY.
These two terms signify one and the same disease; that is, a condition
of the system in which the power of voluntary motion is lost. It is
the outward manifestation of a deep-seated disease that can usually be
traced to an obstructed colon and consequent disordered circulation.
The same causes promote apoplexy. A blood vessel is ruptured in the
brain, causing a clot to form, which presses upon the nerves that
convey the will of the mind to the muscles, thus stopping their
action. It is not, as is usually supposed, an affection of the
muscles, but of the nerves that control the muscular movements.
Sometimes one entire side of the body becomes affected and completely
deprived of voluntary motion. Congestion of the brain is a preliminary
of paralysis, and congestion of the brain are invariably due to an
enlarged transverse colon.
One form of paralysis affects only certain parts of the body, such. as
the lower limbs, or the reproductive organs, and is caused by pressure
upon some large nerve communicating with the paralyzed portion. This
is doubtless due to the pressure of an enlarged ascending or
descending colon upon some of the lumbar plexus nerves, or their
branches. This, however, refers to what may be termed local paralysis,
or paralysis of certain parts.
Paralysis of an entire side of the body is due to pressure on the
brain, and this is caused by defective circulation, induced by an
unnaturally distended colon. While in this condition some severe
physical exertion or mental strain increases the pressure beyond the
power of resistance and a rupture is the result--when the patient
falls, wherever he may happen to be.
TREATMENT.
Prevention of paralysis is very easy, for with a clean colon it is an
impossibility, and the remedy is too plainly indicated to need
pointing out. You have but to remove the cause--the accumulation in the
colon. Massage is a most valuable part of the treatment. To prevent
the muscles from stiffening, and to retain the suppleness of the
affected parts, frequent rubbings are necessary, and the mind should
be stimulated to resume its control over the refractory muscles.
During an attack it is necessary to pay particular attention to diet--
easily digested, nonconstipating food only. You may have to revert to
a spoon diet for awhile--and, as the liability to a second attack is
great during the period of recovery, special attention must be given
to diet to guard against it.
When power begins to return to the affected parts, a system of
graduated exercises should be arranged, gradually increasing in force
with the return of strength and normal control. These exercises will
gradually educate the mind and restore its harmonious working with the
body.
EPILEPSY, OR FALLING SICKNESS,
Is distinguished from apoplexy, or paralysis, by the convulsive action
and foaming at the mouth. One prime cause of this most distressing
complaint is the action of worms in the colon. In a number of cases
treated by us, knots of worms were expelled, and the exciting cause
being removed, complete recovery followed. The preventive treatment is
simple. Use the "Cascade" and out antiseptic tonic until the worms are
entirely expelled. During a fit loosen the clothing at the throat and
place something in the mouth, a cork, for instance, to prevent the
patient from biting his tongue. Some fine salt thrust into the mouth
will shorten the duration of the fit.
Another prolific cause is masturbation, in which case nothing but the
abandonment of the habit and a cleanly life, both physically and
morally, will effect a cure.
GONORRHEA.
This is a contagious disease, and its victims usually become the prey
of unprincipled charlatans, who drive the disease inward by
suppressing the symptoms. It affects the male much more seriously
than the female. It commences with a slight uneasy sensation at the
mouth of the urethra, between the second and seventh day after
exposure to infection. The natural discharge of mucus is increased,
and is more viscid, followed by acute inflammation. The discharge
becomes thick and greenish and urination is painful. Swelling of the
glands in the groin is common, called a bubo. Orchitis or swelling of
the testicle is also a frequent accompaniment. Under the best of
treatment it will require from four to six weeks to effect a cure, but
if neglected it may mean
months.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" every night for the first two weeks, then twice a
week for at least two months, to get the poison out of the system, and
keep the parts scrupulously clean by bathing them two or three times a
day. Carefully avoid everything in the form of a stimulant, especially
alcoholic drinks, also tobacco, and let the diet be largely vegetable.
Use the following injection twice every day after urinating. Colored
fluid hydrastis, two drachms; fluid extract canadies pinus canadensis,
two drachms; bromo chiorellum, half a drachm; water, six ounces. Shake
well and inject twice a day until a marked improvement can be noticed,
then once a day, and, finally, every other day.
HERNIA OR RUPTURE
Is the escape of some portion of the viscera through an abnormal
opening and takes its particular name from the locality in which the
protrusion occurs, although the inguinal is the most common form. The
dynamic force of foul gases engendered in the system is a prolific,
though generally unsuspected cause; but the mechanical pressure
exerted by an overloaded colon in the limited space of the abdominal
cavity is responsible for seventy-five per cent, of all cases. The
treatment is obvious--use the "Cascade" faithfully, and, the cause
being removed, reduction is easy, and if the colon be kept clean, a
properly adjusted truss will soon completely cure it.
INEBRIETY
Is responsible for many of the ills of the present generation, in the
form of transmitted constitutional weakness, not to mention the
functional derangements and organic destruction, of which it is a
potent and direct cause.
There are two grave reasons why alcohol should not be taken into the
system, or, if at all, in very minute quantities and at distant
intervals. The first is the moral reason, because it undermines and
destroys the finer part of man. It has the peculiar effect upon the
brain of stimulating the baser qualities and blunting the finer ones.
The second is the physical reason, see "The Diet Question." When
alcoholism becomes a fixed habit, it must be treated as a disease, for
it is one in reality. In many cases the large intestinal or tapeworm
is at the root of the trouble. Now, worms cannot exist in a perfectly
clean body, with every function working properly. Few, if any, animals
can resist the solvent power of the gastric juice if it is secreted in
normal quantity, and in full health and vigor, consequently, to
cleanse the body of all superabundant filth and restore it to a sound
working condition, will prevent their growth. But if they are present
and developed (as they sometimes are) to an enormous size, the vital
forces are unable to dislodge them, unaided, and recourse must be bad
to a "vermifuge" diet. This may be found in two articles--the crusts of
good, sweet wheat-meal bread and good, ripe uncooked apples. It is
important that the food be hard, so that it be well masticated and
that it be eaten slowly, so that the stomach is not overloaded.
TREATMENT.
First get the alcohol out of the system by flushing the colon daily.
This will help you to stop drinking (which is so much easier advised
than accomplished), then proceed to sweat it out by a daily Turkish
bath (see end of book) or a Turkish bath one day and a wet sheet pack
the next.
Second, sip a cupful of hot water not less than half an hour before
each meal and use the wheat bread crusts and apple diet mentioned
before for one week certain, two weeks is better (if possible). Then
use the "cascade" thoroughly, to expel the worm; and for a month at
least follow the diet laid down for dyspepsia, when the alcoholized
blood in your veins will have been replaced with good, rich blood, and
your cure practically effected.
OBESITY.
The condition of the body, to which nosologists have applied this term,
is that of general engorgement, or, over-fullness, and is the result of
excessive eating, or imperfect deputation, or both. Over-eating and
inactivity are the chief producing causes. It is the especial
prerogative of children to be fat, but when too great an accumulation
comes, with advancing years, it brings discomforts, disadvantages, and
oftentimes fatal diseases, among which are Apoplexy, Fatty Liver,
Diabetes, Bright's Disease and Fatty Heart. The sanguine or entonic
variety is distinguished by florid skin, full strong pulse, turgid
veins, with firm and vigorous muscular fibres, and the serous or atonic,
is denoted by a full, but frequent and feeble pulse, smooth and soft
skin, plump but inexpressive figure, and general languor or debility of
the vital functions.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" regularly, and take as much exercise as is possible
without fatigue. A brisk three mile walk daily will work wonders in
reducing weight, especially if you perspire freely. Drink a pint of
hot water an hour before each meal and half an hour before retiring,
to wash the sour ferments and bile from the stomach before eating and
sleeping. Live principally on roast or broiled meat, fish, poultry or
game, boiled rice, green vegetables, and brown bread. When people are
unable to take the necessary amount of exercise, the dieting process,
known as the "Salisbury system," is very effective. This consists of
the lean part of good beef, from which every particle of fat and sinew
is removed, then chopped to a pulp, made into small cakes and broiled--
then eaten hot. The reduction of adipose tissue demands a certain
amount of self-sacrifice, but the above method, if faithfully
followed, never fails to effect the purpose.
LOST MANHOOD
Is the term now generally employed to describe impotence, or physical
inability to perform the sexual function. It is frequently due to
conjugal excesses, but the principal cause is the baneful widespread
practice of masturbation, or self-pollution. It manifests itself in
what is known as Spermatorrhea, or involuntary emissions of the
seminal fluid, and if allowed to continue unchecked, speedily depletes
the vitality of the sufferer, and renders him a physical wreck. Do not
be deceived by the lying advertisements of unprincipled charlatans,
that any drug can help you. The treatment must be hygienic and
thorough, and may necessitate a change in your whole mode of life.
TREATMENT.
Firstly, the colon must be kept clean, as the faecal accumulations
there irritate the sensitive nerves. So it is advisable to use the
"Cascade" every night for two weeks at least, then every second night.
Secondly, practice the breathing and bodily movements described under
the head of Exercise, and take all the exercise you can in the open
air, as these things are important factors in strengthening the
nervous system and hastening a cure. Thirdly, special attention must
be paid to diet. If you can practice strict vegetarianism for a time,
so much the better, choosing those articles most easily digested. Only
plain roast or boiled beef should be eaten (if any meat be taken at
all), shun all hot condiments, also tea, coffee, tobacco and alcohol--
especially the latter, for nothing can help you while you use these
articles. Fourthly, after flushing, take a cold bath every night, or,
if this is impracticable, bathe the genital organs, and the spine (up
to the base of the brain) in cold water, and rub down vigorously with
a crash towel. Fifthly, resolutely form cleanly habits of mind, as
well as body; take up a course of good reading to occupy the mind, and
divert it into healthy channels, and shun all reading of a sensational
nature. Sixthly, avoid thinking impure and lascivious thoughts, and do
not allow your mind to dwell upon your condition, but cultivate self-
control. The above treatment has cured hundreds of bad cases, and will
cure you, if steadily persevered in, but a strict abstinence from
sexual indulgence, and an absolute abandonment of the pernicious vice,
is an indispensable condition.
Frequently quite aged men write us, complaining of their sexual
disability--to all such, we say that the restoration of lost power
after fifty years of age is in the highest degree improbable, and
after the grand climacteric (63) is passed--it is practically
impossible.
DIABETES OR DIABETES MELLITUS
Is a peculiar and troublesome disease, characterized by an excessive
discharge of urine, which is heavily charged with grape sugar, which
is the saccharine principle of grapes and honey, hence the term
mellitus. This substance is manufactured in excess by the body, and
eliminated by the kidneys. The discharge of urine is abnormally large,
sometimes reaching as high as several gallons daily. Owing to the
presence of sugar in the blood and the secretions, nutrition is
affected, and other disturbances manifest themselves in the system. It
is a disease, which, if not taken in time, usually proves fatal, and
it therefore behooves the individual to keep the body in
thorough order, and to carefully watch any abnormality in the urine.
TREATMENT.
The "Cascade" should be used regularly, also the wet sheet pack, to
promote the action of the skin, for that organ usually exhibits a
marked dryness; and its temperature should be varied to suit that of
the body. If fairly vigorous, the morning cold bath should be used,
for its tonic qualities, or, if weak, then the tepid bath, followed,
in either case, by a brisk rubbing, to promote circulation. Diet is
most important. All sweets and starchy foods, which are converted into
sugar by digestion, should be shunned, while whole wheat bread, lean
beef, mutton and fish, together with salads made from herbs, should be
eaten. Acid fruits, such as oranges and lemons, are beneficial. Soft
boiled eggs and milk (in moderation) may be taken. All food should be
eaten slowly and a little at a time. The only drink should be pure
water, and that never at meal times, but a cup of hot water half an
hour before meals will be found of service. Tea, coffee, cream, and
especially alcoholic drinks, must be absolutely avoided.
LOCOMOTOR ATAXIA
Results from what is known as sclerosis, a hardening of the gray
matter in the motor centres of the spinal cord. Its special symptom is
the peculiar high-stepping gait, the power of locomotion not being
properly under the control of the will, and when the eyes are closed,
it seems impossible for the afflicted person to walk forward without
falling. Like other diseases of its class, it is primarily due to
innutrition, the result of imperfect elimination, and has hitherto
defied regular medical treatment. If a cure is to be effected, it is
by regular use of the "Cascade," perfect rest, strict attention to
diet, and judicious massage; but if the case is well advanced, it is
doubtful whether restoration to health can be affected.
NURSING MOTHERS.
Under the above heading, we class the following troublesome
complaints: Inflammation of the Breast, Milk Fever, Sore Nipples,
Puerperal Swelled Leg, and Puerperal Fever, or Peritonitis, all of
which complaints are practically unknown, under intelligent hygienic
treatment.
We would point out that a simple hygienic mode of life (including
careful diet and the regular practice of the "Cascade Treatment"
during pregnancy), will not only have the effect of making the labor
easy, and the recovery rapid, but will almost preclude the possibility
of any of the above complaints manifesting themselves.
During pregnancy the "Cascade Treatment" should be regularly used
twice a week, by which means the absorption of the poisonous waste
matters of the system into the circulation is completely avoided, and
the future health of the infant assured. The body should be bathed
daily, or, if impracticable, then a brisk rubbing from head to foot,
with a towel, and exercise--more or less--taken every day. The diet
should consist largely of vegetables and fruit, especially after the
fourth month, avoiding farinaceous foods as much as possible, such as
wheat, peas, beans, barley, and especially fine wheaten flour. These
foods contain the bony constitutents, and their avoidance tends to
deossify the systems of both mother and child, and make childbirth
what Nature intended it to be, a comparatively painless proceeding.
Careful attention to the foregoing hygienic mode of life, during
pregnancy, will effectually prevent the appearance of those
distressing complaints (before mentioned), pecu1iar to Nursing
Mothers.
INFLAMMATION OF THE BREAST
Would never occur, if the "Cascade" had been regularly used, and the
treatment for it, when present, is to use the "Cascade" thoroughly,
and apply cool wet clothes, well covered with dry ones, to the
breasts. If there is a surplus of milk, draw it off with the breast
pump, or the more convenient method--the mouth.
SORE NIPPLES
Do not require anything but a little cream or olive oil applied to
them, with occasional applications of cold, wet cloths when they are
hot and painful, and occasional fomentations when they are cracked and
sore--but do not fail to "flush the colon."
MILK FEVER
Is principally due to over-heated, or ill-ventilated rooms, and should
be treated by at once flushing the colon, and if the patient is not
too weak, use the wet sheet pack, otherwise tepid ablutions should be
frequently used.
PUERPERAL SWELLED LEG
Should be treated as an acute inflammation. The colon should be
thoroughly flushed, the wet sheet pack or tepid bath used frequently,
and cold wet compresses applied to the afflicted limb. The patient may
drink cold water freely, and the diet should consist mainly of Indian
or wheat-meal gruel.
FISTULA.
There are two distinctly recognized forms of fistula, the complete and
the incomplete: the latter, having only one opening, either external
or internal; if the opening is internal, it is termed, "blind
fistula." The complete fistula has two openings, usually, one external
and one internal, but in some cases, both openings are external.
Fistula is almost invariably the sequel to a neglected abscess,
therefore, any form of gathering in the buttocks, should be promptly
attended to. Fistula may result from an injury; but the large majority
of cases are due to a congested or diseased condition of the sigmoid
flexure and rectum.
TREATMENT.
It need scarcely be said, that scrupulous care and cleanliness are
indispensable factors in promoting recovery, therefore, the colon must
be kept absolutely clean, by the use of the "Cascade" and the parts
`thoroughly bathed with warm water, at least, once daily, and the pipe
of the fistula should be thoroughly cleaned three times a day, with
the following solution: To half a cupful of warm water, add twenty-
five drops of fluid hydrastis and one teaspoonful of finely pulverized
willow charcoal. This should be mixed thoroughly and injected into the
opening of the fistula, the whole of it, with a small piston syringe.
If the opening is not external, then, double the quantity should be
injected into the rectum. This practice should be persisted in until
the discharge ceases. In some cases, operations are absolutely
necessary. All stimulants should be avoided and all highly seasoned
foods.
DISEASES OF CHILDREN.
The following simple methods of treating the ailments of childhood
will be found remarkably efficacious, easy of application, and may be
used with confidence.
CROUP.
This disease often runs in families, and is most frequently caused by
sudden alterations of temperature. The symptoms are usually a harsh
cough, hoarseness, sore throat, and slight fever. A croupy child needs
watching. To prevent it, keep the colon clean.
The treatment cannot be too prompt. Use the "Cascade" quickly, and
place the child immediately in a hot bath, and rub the lower limbs
thoroughly. Wring a cloth out of cold water, and place it on the
throat and chest, covering it with a thick flannel to exclude the air.
Change the cloth as often as it gets dry.
SCARLET FEVER.
This is a bacillus disease. The colon being clogged, Nature is trying
to cast out the impurities by way of the pores of the skin, and when
these become congested we have fever. First flush the colon, then use
the hot sheet pack (see end of book), if the fever is not very high,
or if the child has chills. If the fever is high, use the cold sheet
pack. With this treatment the rash will soon come out, and the child
be easy. If fever appears again, give another injection and a sponge
bath. Feed the body with water outside, and give it all it wants to
drink. Give no food until Nature calls for it, then a raw egg beaten
in milk. When the appetite comes back, give soft-boiled rice, or
oatmeal with milk. Keep a cool head, and this treatment will save your
child.
CHOLERA INFANTUM
Is a disease that can be readily cured by flushing the colon--adding a
little antiseptic tonic to the water. It is purely a disease of the
alimentary canal, consequently, cleansing that passage affords relief.
A tepid bath, covering the legs and abdomen, is of wonderful benefit
when fever is present. Be very particular with the diet. A raw egg,
well beaten, in boiled milk is very nourishing.
DIPHTHERIA
Is a terribly fatal complaint, the result of a poison or germ produced
in the body during the illness. The symptoms being difficult to
identify, all cases of sore throat, if accompanied by fever, loss of
strength, and white spots on the tonsils, should be regarded as
diphtheretic.
Give full hot water flushings twice or four times every twenty-four
hours. If the throat is of a grayish color, add a teaspoonful of borax
to every quart of water. If it is of a dark red color, add a
teaspoonful of acetic acid to every quart of water. If the child
cannot retain it, place it in a hot hip bath, and then it will. After
the discharge, induce perspiration with the hot sheet pack (if
chilly), if not, in the cold pack, and apply a cold compress to the
throat. Give the child all the cold, pure
water it wants.
To treat the throat locally, take equal parts of fine salt, borax and
common soda, pulverize, mix well, and by means of a quill blow well
down the throat, using one quarter or half a teaspoonful.
SMALL-POX.
Is a very contagious eruptive fever, caused by a bacillus and fever,
with aching of the limbs, in from nine to twelve germ peculiar to the
disease. It commences with chills days after exposure.
After forty-eight hours the eruption usually appears. When rightly
treated, it is not a dangerous disease.
In the case of a young person or child, the treatment is the same as
for scarlet fever. Let the patient have all the water it wants in
frequent drinks--a little cold water at a time.
After the eruption appears, no further treatment is necessary, except
a daily flushing of the colon and a daily sponge bath in tepid water.
If there is pain in the head, apply a cold compress. There is no
appetite during the progress of the disease, but when the stomach
demands food, great care should be exercised. Milk may be given
safely. When strength returns, toasted Graham bread, mush, boiled or
broiled chicken may be given.
TO PREVENT POCKMARKS.
The marking is caused by exposure to dry air and light, therefore
paint the hands and face with a mixture of glycerine and charcoal--the
glycerine keeps the skin soft, and the charcoal shuts out the light.
It should be washed off every morning, and re-applied. Under no
circumstances must the patient be allowed to scratch off the pocks.
MEASLES
Is an eruptive disease peculiar to children, slightly contagious, but
not dangerous. It may commence with a slight chill, or not. The fever
is usually attended with a slight cold, swollen watery eyes, and
sneezing.
The first thing to be done is to bring out the rash, which is quickly
done, by flushing the colon, followed by a wet sheet pack, as in
scarlet fever. When the eruption is out, nothing is needed but to keep
the colon clean, and wash down daily with tepid water. In all eruptive
diseases guard against taking cold--for a cold closes the pores of the
skin, shutting up Nature's vent through
which she is expelling the disease germs.
WORMS IN THE INTESTINES.
This exceedingly prevalent and troublesome complaint may be quickly
and effectually relieved by colon injections, coupled with the J. B.
L. antiseptic tonic. It should be retained until the preparation has
time to destroy or loosen the hold of the worms. Its action may be
greatly accelerated by rubbing and churning the bowels.
INFANTILE CONVULSIONS OR FITS.
These spasms sometimes indicate the approach of one of the eruptive
fevers, but usually the cause is the irritation of teething, or worms
in the intestines. Although the appearance of a child under such
conditions is painful, yet the danger is much less than appears.
Get the little sufferer into a hot bath as quickly as possible, and
draw the blood to the skin, which will afford relief. Next, direct
your attention to the bowels. If, as is exceedingly likely, worms are
the cause, treat as for worms.
GALL STONES
Are the result of arrested secretion of bile, usually through
congestion of the liver. Then the substances that form bile accumulate
and solidify in granules. Hundreds of these continually pass off
through the bowels unnoticed; but prolonged congestion causes them to
cohere and form larger masses, that, in passing through the bile duct,
cause intense pain, which is sometimes mistaken for appendicitis.
TREATMENT.
It is only in passing, that their presence becomes known, when all
that can be done is, to favor their passage by copious fomentations of
hot water and diligent use of the "Cascade." Sometimes it is
impossible for the stone to pass, when it has to be removed
surgically. The regular use of the "Cascade" will prevent their
formation. At the first symptoms of pain in the region of the liver,
follow the directions for treatment of that organ, especially the
exercises, and drink freely of olive oil.
MASSAGE, SHEET-PACKS, ETC.
MASSAGE,
Which is the application of motion and pressure to the body, is a most
important factor in preserving or restoring health. It affords a sick
person all the benefit to be obtained from exercise without the
physical effort, which he is unable to exert. The sweat glands,
capillaries, and lymph channels, which constitute thousands of miles
of tubing, in the body of a grown person, are, by carefully and
systematically applied massage, stimulated to action. The currents in
these vessels are a necessity of life. When they are obstructed,
weakness is the result; when they cease, decay and death ensue.
When we rub our hands or feet, we say the friction warms them; in
reality it is the inner vessels which are stimulated, and bring more
warm blood to the parts. If this process is extended over the whole
available surface of the body, the most beneficial results will
follow.
There are three recognized methods of application.
First--Rubbing, to stimulate the skin to action.
Second--Rolling, and pinching gently, also a kneading movement, used
principally to stimulate. the stomach, bowels, and muscular tissues.
Third--Percussion, or tapping with the ends of the fingers, softly-most
effiacious in stimulating the action of the lungs.
Rub the surface first with a little palm oil, or vaseline. Use the
tapping movement for the chest and back, the rubbing movement for the
stomach and bowels, and the pinching or kneading movement for the
limbs. In dyspepsia and constipation, great benefit is derived from
massage treatment of the stomach and colon--starting the movements in
the right groin, where the colon commences, and following its course
to its rectal extremity, (consult diagram). For rheumatism, sprains,
etc., commence with hot oily applications.
Most people find massage treatment to have a gentle, soothing effect.
Nearly all find their appetite increased.
THE STOMACH BATH.
The first method is simplicity itself, and consists in drinking from
half to a pint of hot water, as hot as can be drank with comfort, in
the morning after rising, or half an hour before breakfast. It loosens
up the mucus in the stomach, and in half an hour it will have passed
out.
The second consists in drinking tepid water until nauseated, then the
stomach will throw it back, with its contents. This thoroughly empties
and cleanses the stomach. From a pint to a quart is usually
sufficient, although two quarts will do no harm. If the stomach does
not reject it readily, thrust the forefinger down the throat to the
end of the glottis.
The third method is by the stomach tube.
THE TURKISH BATH.
Provide a wooden bottomed Chair, and having stripped the patient of
all Clothing, except a pair of woolen drawers to protect his legs from
the heat, let him sit on it, with his feet ankle deep in a hot foot
bath, just as hot as he can bear. Wrap him about first with a blanket,
tucking it close around the neck, but letting it hang loose over the
chair and vessel containing the foot bath, but so arranged as to
exclude the air from his person. Over the blanket wrap one or two
heavy comfortables, the object being to prevent the escape of the heat
and exclude the outside air from the body. Raising one side of the
comfortables and blanket, place under the chair an old tea cup half
full of alcohol. Set it on fire and again close the opening. Give him
a drink of cold water, and if the head feels oppressed, apply a wet
towel wrung from cold water. Add more hot water to the foot bath once
or twice, keeping it as hot as he can bear it during the continuance
of the bath. Keep him in the bath until the alcohol is all burned out.
Then wash him down with soap and tepid water, sponge off with cool
water, rubbing the flesh and working the muscles vigorously the
meanwhile. Then dry off by patting the skin with the towel (not
rubbing it), leaving a little moisture on it; dress quickly and let
him lie down for an hour or put him to bed.
It should not be taken either immediately before or after a meal.
There are excellent bath cabinets to be obtained, but in their absence
the above will be found excellent.
THE WET SHEET-PACK.
Spread over the bed or cot two or more heavy cornfortables, over these
a pair of blankets, then, if for a person of strong vitality, wring a
sheet out of cold water just dry enough not to drip, and spread it
over the blanket; lay the patient stripped of all clothing on the
sheet with his arms by his sides, tuck the sheet around him, then the
blankets and comfortables, leaving his head out but tucking it close
around the neck and over his feet--making a mummy of him, so to say. If
the head is hot or aches, apply a towel wrung from cold water and
renew it as often as it gets warm. To the feet apply a jug of hot
water. Let him lie in the pack from twenty to forty minutes, or even
longer if he is comfortable. He will soon get warm and sweat freely.
This is the end desired. If he goes to sleep, as is often the case,
don't be in a hurry to wake him up. He will take no harm so long as he
keeps warm. See that there is plenty of fresh air in the room. When he
has been in the pack a sufficient length of time close the windows,
then take him out and wash him down thoroughly with soap and soft,
tepid water, then sponge off with cooler water, rubbing him down
vigorously and working the flesh the meanwhile. If not too weak he
should assist in this operation. Then dry off by patting the skin with
the towel (not rubbing it), leaving a little moisture on the skin.
Then, if in the day time, and the weather is not too cold, a little
exercise in the open air will be beneficial. If he is too weak to
exercise put him to bed again.
Before and during the pack let him have all the cold water he wants to
drink, in small quantities at a time. If the patient has but little
vitality, wring the sheet out of tepid water instead of cold water.
The hot sheet-pack is used in the same manner, the only difference
being that the sheet is wrung out of water as hot as can be borne.
CARE OF THE "CASCADE."
What is worth having is worth taking care of; and the "Cascade" is so
likely to be called into emergency service, that it should be always
in order--hence the following suggestions:
After using it, hang it up by the eyelet, until it ceases to drip;
then put in the stopper. The small amount of moisture left in will
help to keep it flexible. It should be kept hanging, if possible, as
folds in the rubber predispose it to crack. It should be kept in an
even temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
Never pour boiling, or very hot water into it--it is not designed to
withstand such a degree of heat, and do not let grease, in any form,
come in contact with it, as grease decomposes rubber.
PART NINE.
SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS.
If there is one thing in particular that I desire to impress upon my
readers, it is, don't dread disease. It is a beneficial agent, for it
is Nature's method of re-adjusting matters in the human economy. There
are only two conditions, health and disease. Mark the etymology of the
word! Whenever there is any departure from the normal, it is bound to
manifest itself in the organ or structure most in need of repair; but
as disease is a tearing down, and its cure a process of building up,
it does not need the wisdom of Solomon to recognize the fact that all
assistance toward recovery must come from within. Disease is just as
natural a condition as health; both are the result of the operation of
natural law. Disease, being Nature's method of cure, any attempt to
suppress it must of necessity invite disaster.
This is one of the chief reasons why I am opposed to drug medication,
because its sole aim seems to be the suppression of symptoms. Pain,
the chief symptom, is not disease, but simply the messenger bringing
warning of the disease to the brain. To silence this messenger, yet
leave the disease unchecked, is folly. It would be just as reasonable,
if the house were on fire, to cut the cord of the alarm bell, and to
conclude because you could no longer hear the bell that the danger was
past. Disease, therefore, being beneficial, should be welcomed as a
friend, and every assistance given to Nature to assist her in
restoring normal conditions.
Prevention is better than cure, you will all agree, and the great
elements of prevention are, knowledge of self, cleanliness, physical,
mental and moral; hygiene and sanitation. I contend that physiology is
the most important subject that can engage the attention of the
individual. Nothing is so essential as a knowledge of the functioning
of the body in which he dwells, for it is the vehicle through which
the real self is to find expression; through which he is to achieve
success or failure, according to the condition of its mechanism.
No engineer can obtain from the machine under his control the highest
results, unless every part of the mechanism is in perfect working
order. How much more important, then, that the human organism should
be in perfect adjustment, since through it the mentality is to find
its highest expression? Without a knowledge of its construction and
its working principles, how is the individual to raise the human
machine to the highest plane of excellence and maintain it there? No
one is allowed to run an engine without first passing an examination,
which necessitates a certain amount of study and knowledge of the laws
of mechanics; yet men undertake to run that complex machine, the human
body, in utter ignorance of physiological law! Is it any wonder that
there are so many breakdowns? What I contend for is the study of the
fundamental facts concerning the ordinary functions of the body: of
diet, dress and exercise in their relation to health, and the relative
effects of good and bad air upon the system. It is of infinitely more
consequence to understand the basic principles of digestion and the
proper combination of foods, or to understand thoroughly the baneful
effects of sleeping in a badly ventilated room, than to be the
greatest living expert in conic sections. Practical physiology is the
crying need of the times, especially for our children, if we expect
them to be well developed--mentally morally and physically.
With such an equipment of knowledge the individual is prepared to
withstand the wear and tear of life, and I may remark here that it is
the tear more than the wear that figures in physical breakdown. All
human beings are not endowed alike with nervous force; it is largely a
matter of heredity, but what we have may be cultivated and developed.
Failure to do so renders the individual liable to nervous breakdown,
or neurasthenia, as it is popularly termed, a widespread disease,
especially in America, where the strain of life is greater than
elsewhere. Competition, a desire to go beyond one's fellows in
achievement, working beyond the strength, together with lack of care
of the physical system, all conspire to keep constant the undue
excitement of the nerves that ends in exhaustion. Children born of
nervous parents, with weak nervous systems, should be fortified
against the risks of inheritance by hygienic measures, during their
developmental period, strengthening in every way their physical and
mental endowments. Even those well developed in this respect should
husband his or her resources--always keeping a reserve fund by avoiding
undue fatigue, spending plenty of time in sleep, taking care of the
body, and arranging for intervals of rest that shall include change of
scene and environment.
Remember that mind and thought have their effect on the bodily health,
no less than material and physical conditions; and that although a
healthy body needs a sane mind, it is none the less true that a sane
mind needs a healthy body; therefore maintain perfect equilibrium
between the two. It may surprise you to hear your body compared to a
bank; but the analogy is perfect, as I shall proceed to show. No
living organism is precisely the same for sixty consecutive minutes.
There are perpetually losses from within and gains from without;
losses in the form of broken down tissue, gains in the form of food or
air, which is the most essential form of food. So, in a bank, there is
a constant interchange of deposits and withdrawals. No bank could
exist if the depositors insisted upon their money being hoarded up
there. It is the money, and not the bank, that is the fixed
consideration, money being the medium of exchange. In the human
system, food is the medium, and for the same reason that a bank cannot
exist by hoarding up money, it is impossible for a living organism to
exist by simply storing up food. There must be a continual
interchange, otherwise the human bank cannot pay dividends in the form
of health and energy.
And even as some banks, that appear solid and substantial from the
outside, may be on the verge of ruin, owing to the lack of supervision
over income and expenditure; so many apparently robust bodies may be
on the verge of physical collapse, owing to the mistaken belief that
the body is simply a depository for food. Energy may be stored up in
the system for future use, that being the dividend resulting from
judicious interchange; but to force the system to receive more food
than it can use and assimilate, is to invite disaster and pave the way
to physical bankruptcy. A knowledge of banking is valuable in any walk
of life, and I feel that the most valuable advice I can give my
readers is to study Nature's bookkeeping, as manifested in the human
bank, and to see that the balance is strictly drawn between income and
expenditure. The world will yet see the day when it will be considered
a disgrace to be sick; but in the meantime, humanity suffers for lack
of that important knowledge--knowledge of self.
Above all, cultivate the habit of happiness. Whatever else you may
neglect, do not neglect that, for the happy habit is the greatest
treasure that any individual can possess. Happiness depends largely
upon physical conditions. With poor health, perfect happiness rarely
exists; therefore it is your duty to be healthy, and the possession of
health is in the majority of cases a matter of personal endeavor. But
although the physical is important in health, yet the physical is
dominated by the mental, and if you resolve to be happy, you can
succeed. Commence this day, by saying to yourself, I am happy; I will
be happy. Start out with the resolve that you will at least do some
one thing to-day that will bring happiness to another, in the form of
some simple service. Even if no such opportunity presents itself
(although opportunities are never lacking), you can at least bestow
cordial and cheerful greetings on those with whom you come in contact.
No surer road to personal happiness can be found than endeavoring to
make others happy. If you find it difficult to be cheerful, there is
more need to look to your surroundings. Read none but cheerful books;
cultivate cheerful acquaintances. You will be amply repaid for your
endeavors to cultivate the habit of happiness. From the standpoint of
health, it is a profitable proceeding, for joy quickens the
circulation. You can get the happiness habit if you wish to, and it is
your duty to yourself and those around you to do so. If the clouds are
lowering, do not give way to depression. Rouse yourself. Look for the
rift in the clouds, disclosing the little patch of blue, and hope for
the triumph of fair weather over foul. Even if you do not attain the
degree of happiness you anticipated, you will find yourself improved,
mentally, morally and physically. Get the habit, remembering that "a
happy and contented mind is a continual feast."
And now, in conclusion, I would ask the reader to carefully consider
the facts herein set forth relating to disease and its treatment, to
weigh the testimony AGAINST the old system, and FOR the new, and let
sober reason decide which of the two is the more rational. Bring the
same dispassionate judgment to bear on this question that you would on
a matter involving your financial welfare. It will amply repay you to
do so, for the matter at stake is a weighty one. The preservation of
health is a DUTY that each member of the human family owes to self and
friends.
Without health, existence is as torpid and lifeless as vegetation
without the sun. And yet it is frequently thrown away in thoughtless
negligence, or in foolish experiments on our own strength: We let it
perish without remembering its value, or waste it to show how much we
have to spare. It is sometimes given up to levity and chance, and
sometimes sold for the applause of jollity and looseness. Some there
are, who inherit weak constitutions, and fall an easy prey to
sickness; while others, who are neither thoughtless or naturally weak,
invite disease through simple ignorance of the laws that govern their
being. Owing to these manifold causes sickness is rife, and the
medical profession has come to be regarded as an exceedingly lucrative
one.
This would not be a matter so much to be deplored, if so-called
"medical science" had kept pace with the other sciences; but the
lamentable truth is that the practice of medicine (so far as healing
value is concerned) has not advanced one jot since the days of
Esculapius. Surgery has made wonderful strides, but medicine has stood
still. True, they have increased the number of remedies, aye, a
hundredfold, but the only result has been to complicate the system,
without improving it.
What people need is fewer doctors, and more instruction in the art of
preserving health.
Hygiene should form a part of our school curriculum. Children should
be taught the mysteries of their own bodies, then the future
generation would have little need of medical men--they would know what
to do to regain their health, when assailed by sickness, instead of
feeing a professional man to order them what to take.
My purpose in this work has been to show the people that they can, if
they will, be their own physicians, and that in doing so, their
chances of recovery are immeasurably greater--that the preservation of
their health is in their own hands. The administering of drugs in
sickness is illogical in its reasoning, unsound in its theory, and
pernicious in its practice. Thoroughly cleansing the system by
flushing the colon is a simple, common sense method of treatment, easy
of application, thoroughly hygienic in theory, and, beyond all
question, immensely beneficial in practice.
Thousands of grateful people can testify to its efficiency, frequently
in cases where the "faculty" had abandoned all hope, and why? Because
it assists Nature instead of thwarting it. The principal drawback
under which the system has labored hitherto, has been the lack of
perfect apparatus for the introduction of the cleansing stream, but I
now have the satisfaction of introducing to the public a means for
that purpose that leaves nothing to be desired. The J. B. L. Cascade
is the most satisfactory and effective appliance for flushing the
intestinal canal that has yet been invented.
It is the outcome of years of patient toil and thought, but the
thoroughly satisfactory results obtained by it, and the enthusiastic
encomiums lavished upon it by its beneficiaries are regarded by the
inventor as an ample and commensurate reward (not wholly undeserved)
for the mental labor involved in its successful evolution.
Its simplicity is such that it can be manipulated by any intelligent
child, and its price, by comparison with its remedial virtues, is
insignificant. With this perfected apparatus, and the J.B.L.
antiseptic tonic, any parent can constitute himself the physician of
his family, and by following the directions for the treatment of the
various diseases described in this work, can successfully combat them--
and all at a trifling cost. But more than that, he can, by periodical
use of it, so improve the physical condition of himself and family,
that they will forget what sickness is, and rejoice in that
exhilaration of spirit that only comes with perfect health.
My system of treatment is true in philosophy, in harmony with nature,
and thoroughly rational in practice.
End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Royal Road to Health, by C.A. Tyrrell
