CONVULSIONS.
Old Phrases--Results of Stoppage of Fluids--Old Theory of
Fits--What the Real Cause may be--Listen for the Cause--What is a
Fit--Sensory System Demanding Nourishment--The Causes--The
Remedy--Dislocation of Atlas and of Four Upper Ribs.
OLD PHRASES.
As old phrases that have long been in use as names for the various
diseases have almost grown to the degree of disgust, I laid them aside
and have been trying and have succeeded in unfolding natural laws to a
better understanding, which do and should be our guide and action in
treating all diseases that mar the peace and happiness of the human race
by misery and death. By such old systems with their foolish and
unreliable suggestions, of how to guide the doctor in treating diseases
which have proven unworthy of respect, if merit is to be our rule of the
weights and measures of intelligence. I have become so disgusted with
such verbiage with the sense that follows the pens that have written
treatise on disease, that I have concluded to do like Adam of old, give
names that may appear novel to the reader when I wish to draw the
attention of the student who is trying to obtain a knowledge of the
mysteries hitherto unsolved and unexplained. We have panned and washed
by their suggestions and have obtained no gold. There are two very large
and powerful rivers passing their fluids in opposite directions over a
territory that I will call the Klondike of life. This territory is
bounded on the east by a great wall, which according to the old books
has been called the diaphragm, through which comes forth a great river
of life that spreads all over the plains of the anterior lumbar region.
On that plain we find a great system of perfect irrigation of cities,
villages, and fertile soils of life.
RESULT OF STOPPAGE OF FLUIDS.
This region of country covers one of the greatest and most fertile
fields of life producing elements, and places them on the thoroughfares,
and sends them back over the great central railroad, the thoracic duct,
from lymphatics of the whole abdomen, to the heart and lungs to be
converted into a higher order of living matter. When finished it is
called blood, to sustain its own machinery, and all other machines of
the body, giving rise to the mental question: "What would be the effect
produced to life and health, if we should cut off, dam up or suspend the
flowing of the aorta as it descends close by the vena cava and thoracic
duct as they return with contents through the diaphragm on their journey
to the heart and lungs for manufacture and finish. And after having
supplied the plain, what would be the effect if the vena cava and its
system of drainage, and the thoracic duct should be dammed up so that
chyle and blood could not be carried to the heart and lungs for renewal,
purification, and finish. How much thought would be required to see that
by stopping the arterial flow or that of the vena cava an irritating and
famishing condition would ensue, with congested veins, lymphatics and
all organs of the abdomen, to that condition called fermentation,
congestion and inflammation, which in time is thrown off by sloughing
away the substances of the lymphatics of the whole abdominal system of
glands that belong to a liver, a kidney, the uterus and the bowels, to
the condition that has long since been a mystery, and called typhoid
fever, dysentery, bilious fever, periodical spasms, and on through the
whole list of general and special diseases of winter and summer. I would
advise the practicing Osteopath to do some very careful panning up and
down the rivers of this Klondike, for if you fail to find gold, and much
of it, you had better spend the remainder of your life where reason
dwelleth not. Ever remembering that ignorance of the geography and
customs of this country is the wet powder of success."
OLD THEORY OF FITS.
We often see a woman or man afflicted with fits or falling sickness
which the doctor has failed to cure. What is a fit? For want of a better
knowledge we have an established theory that "hysteria" is purely her
imagination and as we must respect old theories, we will call it a fit
of meanness. This is what we have had for breakfast, dinner and supper
and we are asked to respect such trash because of the "established
theories."
We are instructed by the universal "all" of the graduates of various
medical schools to call her a criminal and proceed to punish her with a
wet towel, well twisted, and administered freely--more comprehensively
expressed by the term "spanker" and "spank her" very much--late from
Scotland with all Europe, and schools in America, except the American
School of Osteopathy, which recommends to "wallop" and "wallop" very
freely the empty headed schools and theories that have no more sense
than to torture a sick person and do so to disguise their ignorance of
the cause of her disease, which is shown by the spasmodic effect that
has been named by a little book of guess work, generally called and
universally known as symptomatology.
WHAT THE REAL CAUSE MAY BE.
Not a single author has hinted or in any way intimated that the cause of
her disease is a failure of the passing of the blood, chyle and other
substances to and from the abdomen to nourish and renovate the abdominal
viscera caused by a prolapsed diaphragm, which would cause resistance to
the passing of the aorta, through which passes the arterial blood
through the crura, and the vena cava that returns the venous blood, and
through which crura the chyle is conducted from the receptaculum chyli
before decomposition by fermentation sets up.
LISTEN FOR THE CAUSE.
The afflicted is intoxicated. Here is where she gets a poisonous alcohol
and will never be relieved permanently until the "wet towel" of reason
has slapped on both sides of the attending physician's head, so he can
hear the squeezing and rattling of regurgitation, and straining and
creaking of the fluids in their effort to pass through that great and
strong towel called the diaphragm. Until he learns this I would apply
the wet towel of reason to the doctor, for fear he becomes lukewarm in
his studies and gives his patient a hypodermic injection of morphine,
which is the advice as given at the last council of medical men who
practice "old established" theories rather than be honest enough to say:
"The woman is sick and I know it, but I do not know the cause of her
trouble."
WHAT IS A FIT?
What is a fit? If God's judgment is to be respected a fit is the
life-saving step and move, perfectly natural, perfectly reasonable, and
should be so respected and received as divinely wise, because on that
natural action which is produced on the constrictor nerves first, then
the muscles, nerves, veins and arteries with all their centers. It
appears at this time that the vital fluids have all been used up, or
consumed, by the sensory system, and in order to be temporarily
replenished, this convulsion shows its natural use by squeezing vital
fluids from all parts of the body to nourish and sustain the sensory,
which has been emptied by mental and vital action, until death is
inevitable without this convulsing element to supply the sensory system,
though it may be but a short time.
SENSORY SYSTEM DEMANDING NOURISHMENT.
The oftener the fits come, the oftener the nutrient system of the
sensory cries aloud in its own, though unmistakable language, that it
must have nourishment, that it may run the machinery of life, or it must
give up the ghost and die. In this dire extremity and struggle for
life, it has asked the motor system to suspend its action, use its power
and squeeze out of any part of the whole body though it be the brain
itself, a few drops of cerebro-spinal fluid, or anything higher or
lower, so it may live.
Those of you acquainted with the fertile fields of the Klondike referred
to, will be enabled to furnish the sensory system with such nutriment,
as will not make it necessary to appeal to you through the language used
by the unconscious convulsions with all their horrible contortions.
THE CAUSES.
Thus you surely see with the microscope of reason that the sensory
nerves must be constantly nourished, and that all nutriment for the
nerves must be obtained from the abdomen, though its propelling force
should come directly from the brain.
THE REMEDY.
The nerve courses from the brain must be unobstructed from the cerebrum,
cerebellum, the medulla oblongata, and on through the whole spinal cord;
with a normal neck, a normal back, and normal ribs, which to an
Osteopath means careful work, with power to know, and mind to reason
that the work is done wisely to a finish. I hope that with these
suggestions you will go on with the investigation to a satisfactory
degree of success.
DISLOCATION OF THE FOUR UPPER RIBS.
I wish to insert a short paragraph on a few effects following a down,
front, and outer dislocation of the four upper ribs of either side. We
have been familiar with asthma, goitre, pen-paralysis, shaking palsy,
spasms, and heart diseases of various kinds. We have been as familiar
with the existence of those abnormal variations as we are of the rising
and the setting of the sun. Our best philosophers on diseases and causes
have elaborately written and published their conclusions, and the world
has carefully perused with deep interest, what they have said of all the
diseases above named, also diseases of the lung, and to-day we are by
them left in total darkness as to the cause of the above named diseases,
also fits, insanity, loss of voice, brachial agitans, and many other
diseases of the chest, neck and head. As the field is open and clear for
any philosopher to establish his point of observation, note and report
what he observes, I will avail myself of this opportunity, and say in a
very few words, I have found no one of the diseases above indicated to
have an existence without some variation of the first few of the upper
ribs of the chest. With this I will leave farther exploration in the
hands of other persons; and await the report of their observations pro
and con.