The Difference Between Functional and Organic Disease
Much confusion concerning the curability of chronic diseases by the
various methods of treatment arises because people do not understand
the difference between functional and organic chronic disease.
For instance, there is a close resemblance between pseudo-and true
locomotor ataxy. Often it is difficult to distinguish functional
lung trouble from the organic type of the disease. In our practice,
several cases of mental derangement which had been diagnosed as true
paresis proved to be of the functional type and under natural
treatment recovered rapidly.
Functional diseases may present a very serious appearance and may be
labeled with awe-inspiring Greek or Latin names, and yet yield
readily to natural methods of living and treatment.
In diseases of an organic nature, however, right living and
self-treatment are usually not sufficient to obtain satisfactory
results. In such cases all forms of active and passive treatment
must be applied, and even then it is frequently difficult and
sometimes impossible to produce a cure.
Chronic diseases of a functional nature develop when an otherwise
healthy organism becomes saturated and clogged with food and drug
poisons to such an extent that these encumbrances interfere with the
free circuation of the blood and nerve currents, and with the normal
functions of the cells, organs and tissues of the body.
Such cases resemble a watch which is losing time because its works
are filled with dust. All that such a waste-encumbered watch or body
needs, in order to restore normal functions, is a good cleaning.
Pure food diet, fasting, systematic exercise, deep breathing, cold
bathing and the right mental attitude are usually sufficient to
perform this physical housecleaning and to restore perfect health.
Functional disorders yield readily to the various forms of
metaphysical treatment. Remove such patients from the weakening and
destructive effects of poisonous drugs and of surgical operations,
supplant fear and worry by courage and faith, and the results often
seem miraculous to those who do not understand the power of the
purifying and stimulating influence of clean living and of the right
mental attitude.
In diseases of the organic type, however, good results are not so
easily achieved. A body affected by organic disease resembles a
watch whose mechanism has been injured and partly destroyed by rust
and corrosive acids. If such be the case, cleaning and oiling alone
will not be sufficient to put the timepiece in good working order.
The watchmaker has to replace the damaged parts.
This is easy enough in the case of the watch, but it is not so
easily accomplished in the human body. Besides, in many instances
the corroding acids are the very medicines which were given to cure
the disease and the injury and destruction of vital parts and organs
is only too often the direct or indirect result of surgical
operations.
The watchmaker may remove those parts of the watch which are
suffering from organic trouble, and replace them by new ones. This
the surgeon cannot do. He can extirpate, but he cannot replace.
Operative treatment leaves the organism forever after in a mutilated
and therefore unbalanced condition, and often prevents and
frustrates Nature's cleansing and healing crises.
The Limitations of Metaphysical Healing
In the writings of metaphysical healers we often meet the assertion
that they can cure organic diseases as easily and quickly as
functional ailments. If they understood better the difference
between functional and organic disorders as explained in the
foregoing pages, they would not make such deceptive and extravagant
claims. They would then realize the natural limitations of
meta-physical healing.
I do not underestimate the great value of mental, metaphysical
and spiritual healing methods. Of these I shall speak more fully in
subsequent chapters. But I do claim that we can and should aid
Nature's healing efforts not only by the right mental attitude and
the prayer of faith, but also by natural living and many different
methods of physical treatment.
Mental attitude alone will not clean the watch. To concentrate on
the work of housecleaning without using broom, soap and water is not
sufficient. Reason and common sense teach us that the removal of
physical, material encumbrances can be, to say the least,
accelerated by the use of physical or physiological agents. Anyone
who has observed or himself experienced the efficacy of natural
diet, cold-water treatment, massage and osteopathy in dealing with
the morbid accumulations in the system will never again
underestimate the practical value of these "brooms."
In our study of the nature and purpose of acute diseases we have
found that Nature tries to purify the system from its morbid
encumbrances through inflammatory, febrile processes (acute
diseases) and that these cleansing efforts of Nature are generally
prevented, checked and suppressed by allopathic methods of medical
and surgical treatment, and thus changed into chronic disease
conditions.
The metaphysical healers do away with these suppressive methods of
treatment and allow Nature's acute cleansing and healing efforts to
run their natural course. Thus they profit by the fundamental laws
of cure without understanding them. The acute disease, whose very
existence they deny, is in reality the cure.
Furthermore, rational mental and metaphysical treatment supports
Nature's efforts actively by supplanting the weakening and
paralyzing fear vibrations with relaxing and invigorating vibrations
of hope, confidence and faith in the supremacy of Nature's healing
forces. Under these favorable conditions, the organism will arouse
itself to the purifying and constructive healing crises (the
chemicalizations of Christian Science) and through these eliminate
the morbid encumbrances and restore normal structure and functions.
While functional disorders, in nearly every case, yield
readily enough to the natural methods of living and of treatment and
to the right mental attitude, it is different with organic diseases.
When waste matter, ptomaines or poisonous alkaloids and acids
produced in the body as a result of wrong diet and other violations
of Nature's laws have brought about destruction and corrosion in
vital parts and organs--when dislocations and subluxations of bony
structures, or new growths and accumulations in the forms of tumors,
stones or gravel obstruct the blood vessels and nerve currents, shut
off the supply of the vital fluids and thus cause malnutrition and
gradual decay of the tissues--when, in addition to this, the
organism has been poisoned or mutilated by drugs and surgical
operations, then its purification and repair becomes a tedious and
difficult task.
Not only must the mechanism of the body be cleansed and freed from
obstructive and destructive materials, but the injured parts must be
repaired, morbid growths and abnormal formations dissolved and
eliminated and lesions in the bony structures corrected by
manipulative treatment.
In organic diseases, the vitality is usually so low and destruction
so great that the organism cannot arouse itself to self-help. Even
the cessation of suppressive treatment and the stimulating influence
of mental and metaphysical therapeutics are not sufficient to bring
about the reconstructive healing crises. This can only be
accomplished by the combined influences of all the natural methods
of living and of treatment.
It is in cases like these that metaphysical healing and hygienic
living find their limitations. Such organic defects require
systematic treatment by all the methods, active and passive, which
the best Nature Cure sanitariums can furnish. It may be slow and
laborious work to obtain satisfactory results, and if the vitality
is too low or the destruction of vital parts and organs has too far
advanced, even the best and most complete combination of natural
methods of treatment may fail to produce a cure.
However, this can be determined only by a fair trial of the natural
methods. The forces of Nature are ever ready to react to persistent,
systematic effort in the right direction and when there is enough
vitality to keep alive there is likely to be enough to purify and
reconstruct the organism and in time to bring about improvement and
cure.
This, then, explains why, in the organic types of diseases,
metaphysical methods of treatment alone are insufficient. At least
one-half of the patients that come to the Nature Cure physician have
faithfully tried these methods without avail, but the failures are
easily excused by lack of faith, wrong mental attitude or something
wrong with the patient or his surroundings.
In our experience with patients who had formerly tried metaphysical
methods of healing faithfully, but without results, we sometimes
come face to face with a curious and amusing phase of human nature.
As our patients improve under the natural regimen and treatment,
they gradually return to their first love and ascribe the good
effects of natural treatment to a better understanding of "the
Science." As health and strength return, they say: "Formerly I did
not know just how to apply the Science, but now I know, and that is
why I am growing better."
I suppose this form of self-deception which we have frequently
observed is due to the fact that people feel flattered by the idea
that Providence has taken a special interest in their case and cured
them by miraculous intervention. It is so much more interesting to
be cured by some occult principle than by diet and cold water.
Undoubtedly it is this miracle-loving element in human nature that
makes metaphysical healing so much more popular than plain,
commonsense Nature Cure.
Not long ago Professor Munsterberg investigated the claims of
Christian Scientists that they were constantly curing diseases of
the organic type. He reported his findings in a series of articles
in McClure's Magazine (1908), stating that he inquired personally
into one hundred cases said to have been cured by Christian Science
and found that ninety-two of them had been of the functional type,
while eight were claimed to have been organic, but that in no
instance could this be proved beyond doubt.