Chronic Diseases
The "Old School" of medical science defines acute diseases as those
which run a brief and more or less violent course and chronic
diseases as those which run a protracted course and have a tendency
to recur.
Nature Cure attaches a broader and more significant meaning to these
terms. This will have become apparent from our discussion of the
causes, the progressive development and the purpose of acute
diseases in the preceding pages.
From the Nature Cure viewpoint, the chronic condition is the latent,
constitutional disease encumbrance, whereas acute disease represents
Nature's efforts to rectify abnormal conditions, to overcome and
eliminate hereditary or acquired morbid taints and systemic poisons
and to reestablish normal structure and functions.
To use an illustration: In a case of permanent or recurrent itchy
psoriasis, the "Old School" physician would look upon the itchy skin
eruption as the chronic disease, while we should see in the external
eczema an attempt of the healing forces of Nature to remove from the
system the inner, latent hereditary or acquired psora, which
constitutes the real chronic disease.
It stands to reason that the exterior eruptions should not be
suppressed by any means whatever, but that the only true and really
effective method of treatment consists in eliminating from the
organism the inner, latent psoric taint. After this is accomplished,
the external "skin disease" will disappear of its own accord.
As another illustration of the radical difference in our respective
points of view, let us take hemorrhoids (piles). The regular
physician considers the local hemorrhoidal enlargements in
themselves the chronic disease, while the Nature Cure practitioner
looks upon hemorrhoids as Nature's effort to rid the system of
certain morbid encumbrances and poisons which have accumulated as a
result of sluggish circulation, chronic constipation, defective
elimination through kidneys, lungs, and skin and from many other
causes.
These constitutional abnormalities, which are the real chronic
disease, have to be treated and corrected. After this has been done,
the hemorrhoidal enlargements and discharges will take care of
themselves.
It is, therefore, absolutely irrational, and frequently followed by
the most serious consequences, to surgically remove the piles or to
suppress the hemorrhoidal discharges and thereby to drive these
concentrated poison extracts back into the system.
In a number of cases we have traced paralysis, insanity,
tuberculosis, cancer and other forms of chronic destructive diseases
to the forcible suppression of hemorrhoids.
Chronic disease, from the viewpoint of Nature Cure philosophy, means
that the organism has become permeated with morbid matter and
poisons to such an extent that it is no longer able to throw off
these encumbrances by a vigorous, acute eliminative effort. The
chronic condition, therefore, represents the slow, cold type of
disease, characterized by feeble, ineffectual efforts to eliminate
the latent morbid taints and impediments from the system. These
efforts may take the form of open sores, skin eruptions, catarrhal
discharges, chronic diarrhea, etc.
If acute diseases are treated in harmony with Nature's laws, they
will leave the body in a purer, healthier condition. But if the
treatment is wrong, if under the "Old School" methods fever and
inflammation (Nature's methods of elimination) are checked and
suppressed with poisonous drugs, serums and antitoxins or if,
instead of purifying and invigorating cells and tissues, the
affected parts and organs are removed with the surgeon's knife,
Nature is not allowed to get rid of the disease matter, and the
poisonous taints and morbid encumbrances remain in the organism.
In this way originate the worst forms of chronic diseases which now
afflict civilized races.
The truth of this assertion is proved by the fact that chronic
diseases we know are rare among the primitive peoples of the earth,
such as the early indiginous people of Africa and Australia or the
Eskimos of the arctic regions. They are not found among people who
do not use drugs. All the different forms of venereal disease,
chronic rheumatism, chronic indigestion, etc., are unknown in those
countries whose inhabitants live in harmony with Nature. The reason
is that these people have not learned to suppress Nature's acute
purifying and healing efforts by poisonous drugs and surgical
operations.
The Cell
Let us now study the actual condition of the cells, tissues and
organs of the body in chronic disease.
We know that the human body is made up of billions of minute cells
of living protoplasm. Though these cells are so small that they have
to be magnified under the microscope several hundred times before we
can see them, they are independent living beings which are born,
grow, eat, drink, throw off waste matter, multiply, decline and die
just like the large conglomerate cell which we call Man.
Each one of these little cells has its own business to attend to,
whether it be assimilation, elimination, nervous activities and
functions, etc.
If these little beings are well individually, the man is well. If
they are starved or ailing, the entire man is similarly affected.
The whole depends upon the parts. In the human body as well as in a
nation or a city, the welfare of the entire community depends upon
the well-being of its individual members.
If governing bodies would realize and apply these truths, and pay
more attention to providing wholesome surroundings and proper
conditions of living for their subjects, to an adequate supply of
pure food and a normal combination of work and rest, instead of
concentrating their best efforts upon restrictive and punitive
measures (allopathic treatment), there would be no social problems
to solve.
It is our duty to provide the most favorable conditions of living
for the little cells that make up the individual human organism. If
we do that, there will be no occasion for disease. Natural immunity
will be the result.
Herein lies the vital difference between the attitude of Nature Cure
and that of the allopathic school toward disease. The latter spends
all its efforts in fighting the disease symptoms, while the former
confines itself to creating health conditions in the habits and
surroundings of the patient, from the standpoint that the disease
symptoms will then take care of themselves, that they will disappear
on account of nonsupport. It is the application of the injunction
"Resist not Evil" to the treatment of physical disease.
Under the influence of wrong habits of living and the suppressive
treatment of diseases, all forms of waste and morbid matter (the
feces of the cells), together with food, drink and drug poisons
accumulate in the system, affect the cells and obstruct the tiny
spaces (interstices) between them. These morbid encumbrances impinge
upon and clog the blood vessels, the nerve channels and the other
tissues of the body. This is bound to interfere with the normal
functions of the organism, and in time lead to deterioration and
organic destruction.
In this connection we wish to call attention to a difference in
viewpoint between the school of osteopathy and the Nature Cure
school. Osteopaths and chiropractors attribute disease almost
entirely to "impingement" (abnormal pressure) upon nerves and blood
vessels due to dislocations and subluxations of the vertebrae of the
spine and of other bony structures. They do not take into
consideration the impingement upon and obstruction of nerve channels
and blood vessels all through the system caused by local or general
encumbrances of the organism with waste matter, morbid products, and
poisons that have accumulated in cells and tissues.
The Life of the Cell
Every individual cell must be supplied with food and with oxygen.
These it receives from the red arterial blood. The cells must also
be provided with an outlet for their waste products. This is
furnished by the venous circulation, which represents the drainage
system of the body. If this drainage is defective, the effect upon
the organism is similar to the effect produced upon a house when the
excretions and discharges of its inhabitants are allowed to remain
in it.
Furthermore, every cell must be in unobstructed communication with
the nerve currents of the organism. Most important of all, it must
be in touch with the sympathetic nervous system through which it
receives the Life Force which vivifies and controls all involuntary
functions of the cells and organs in the human body.
Each individual cell must be supplied with nerve fibers which convey
its sensations and needs to headquarters, the nerve centers in brain
and spinal cord. Also, each cell must be connected with other nerve
filaments which carry impulses from the cranial, spinal and
sympathetic centers to the cell, governing and directing its
activities.
For instance, if the cell be hungry, thirsty, cold or in pain, it
telegraphs these sensations to headquarters in the brain or spinal
cord and from there directions necessary to comply with the needs of
the cell are sent forth in the form of nerve impulses to the centers
controlling the circulation, the food and heat supply, the means of
protection, etc.
This circuit of communication from the cell over the afferent nerves
to the nerve centers in the brain or spinal cord, and from these
centers over the efferent nerves back to the cell or to other cells
is called the reflex arc.
Let us use an illustration: Suppose the fingers come in close
contact with a hot iron. The cells in the finger tips experience a
sensation of burning pain. At once this sensation is telegraphed
over the afferent nerves to the nerve centers in the brain or spinal
cord. In response to this call of distress the command comes back
over the efferent nerve filaments: "Withdraw the fingers!" At the
same time the impulse to withdraw the fingers is sent over the motor
nerves to the muscles and ligaments which control the movements of
the hand.
If the means of communication between the different parts of the
organism are obstructed or cut off entirely, the individual cell is
bound to deteriorate and to die, just like a person lost in a barren
wilderness and cut off from his fellowmen must perish.
In warfare it is a well-known fact that if one of the contending
armies succeeds in cutting off the telegraphic communication of the
other army with its headquarters, the activities of that other army
are seriously handicapped. So the waste materials in the system, the
disease taints, narcotic and alcoholic poisons, etc., obstruct the
nerve passages, and thus interfere with the functions of the cell by
cutting off its means of communication.
What has been said will serve to elucidate and emphasize the
necessity of perfect cleanliness, inside as well as outside of the
body. It justifies the dictum of Kuhne, the apostle of Nature Cure:
"Cleanliness is Health." Anything that in any way interferes with or
obstructs the circulation of vital fluids and nerve currents in the
system is bound to create the abnormal conditions and functions
which constitute disease.
When the morbid encumbrances and obstructions in the organism have
reached the point where they seriously interfere with the
nourishment, drainage and nerve supply of the cells, the latter
cannot perform their activities properly, nor can they rid
themselves of the impediment. They may be compared to people who are
forced to live in bad, unwholesome surroundings and who cannot do
their best work under these unfavorable conditions from which they
cannot escape.
In this way originates chronic disease, which means that the cells
have become incapable of arousing themselves to acute eliminative
effort in the form of inflammatory febrile reactions.
In my lectures I sometimes liken the cell thus encumbered with
morbid matter and poisons to a man buried in a mine under the debris
of a cave in such a manner that it is impossible for him to free
himself of the earth and timbers which are pinning him down. In such
a predicament the man is unable to help himself. His fellow workers
or his friends must come to his aid and remove the obstructing
masses until he can assist them and free himself.
This is a good illustration of the condition of the cells of the
body in chronic disease. They also have become unable to help
themselves and need assistance until they can once more arouse
themselves to self-help by means of an acute eliminative effort.
What can we do to help them? We must endeavor in the first place to
furnish the cells with the right nourishment. We must abstain from
everything that may be injurious to the body in food and drink, so
as to relieve the cells of all unnecessary work.
Whatever one may think of vegetarianism as a continuous mode of
living, a little consideration will make it plain that a rational
vegetarian diet is the ~sine qua non~ in the cure of chronic
diseases. It builds up the blood on a normal basis, excludes all
food and drink poisons and thereby gives the organism an opportunity
to throw off the old accumulations of waste and morbid materials.
In chronic disease, every drop of blood and every cell of the
organism is affected. In order to produce a cure, the old tissues
must be broken down and removed and new tissues built up. The more
thorough the change in diet, the greater and more rapid will be the
changes for the better in cells and tissues, especially if only pure
and eliminating foods are used.
For these reasons it is advisable to omit most red-blooded meat
while under the natural treatment. All animal flesh contains the
morbid secretions and other waste products of the animal organism,
and this means additional work for the cells already overburdened
with systemic poisons.
Then we must work for elimination. Cold water applied to the surface
of the body is the most powerful stimulant to the circulation. It
actually pumps and pushes the blood through the system. One feels
the blood rushing through the arteries and veins with greater force.
The cold-water treatment makes the skin more alive and active, stirs
up and accelerates the circulation throughout the system and thus
promotes the elimination of systemic poisons through the skin.
This stimulating effect of cold water upon the organism has been
proved by counting the number of red blood corpuscles in a drop of
blood before and after the application of the cold "blitzguss." They
were found to have doubled in number. That does not mean that in an
instant again as many red blood corpuscles had come into existence,
but it does mean that before the cold "guss" one-half of them were
dozing lazily in the corners. The cold water stirred them up, forced
them into the circulation, made them travel and attend to business.
Another powerful means to promote elimination is thorough,
systematic massage. The kneading, rolling, twisting and clapping
actually squeezes the stagnant morbid matter and the waste products
out of the tissues into the circulation, to be carried off through
the venous drainage and allows the red blood with its nourishment
and fresh supply of oxygen to flood the cells and organs.
Massage is also very effective as a means of regulating the blood
supply in the system. In every chronic disease there is obstruction
or congestion in some part of the organism, causing high blood
pressure in the interior of the body and insufficient blood supply
to the external parts, especially the extremities. Massage
distributes the blood quickly and evenly.
Of great importance is osteopathy. All dislocations, luxations and
subluxations of bones and ligaments should be corrected by expert
manipulation. As a matter of fact, hardly a person can be found
today whose spine is not abnormal in one way or another, just as
there is hardly a single normal human eye [as far as iridology
markings are concerned].
Manipulative treatment adjusts the lesions of the spine and other
bony structures, thus removing abnormal pressure upon the nerves and
blood vessels and establishing a free and abundant flow of nerve and
blood currents.
Air and light baths, by stimulating the skin in a natural manner to
increased activity, also contribute to the attainment of the various
good results just described.
Next comes physical exercise. Corrective and curative movements
combined with deep breathing promote the combustion (oxidation) of
morbid materials and in this way facilitate their elimination from
the system.
Life itself is dependent upon breathing. The Life Force enters the
body with every breath we draw. Show me a man with well-developed,
full-breathing lungs, and I will show you a man with good vitality.
Last but not least among the natural methods of treating the cell in
chronic disease we mention the right mental and emotional attitude.
Fear, anxiety and all kindred emotions congeal the nerve matter and
thereby shut off the supply of nerve force. The cells and tissues
starve and freeze. On the other hand, the emotions of hope,
confidence and cheerfulness relax and open blood vessels and nerve
channels and allow the free and unobstructed inflow and circulation
of vital energy.
The different methods of natural treatment and their practical
application in chronic diseases will be discussed in detail in
subsequent chapters.
When through natural methods of living and of treatment the morbid
encumbrances have been removed sufficiently to provide and maintain
normal blood supply, better venous drainage and the unobstructed
flow of the nerve currents, when lesions of the bony structures have
been corrected by skilful adjustment, and when, through right mental
attitude, a free and abundant inflow of Life Force has been
established, then the cells and tissues of the body become once
again able to arouse themselves to an acute eliminative effort, and
the organism is ready for a healing crisis.