[Sidenote: Superacidity a primary cause]
Nearly all stomach and intestinal troubles begin with superacidity.
This is caused by the wrong combinations of food, or overeating.
Food passing from the stomach, thus supercharged with acid, causes
irritation of the mucous lining of the alimentary tract. This results
in nervousness, insomnia, intestinal congestion (constipation),
fermentation, and intestinal gas, while the excess of acid in the
stomach causes irritation of the mucous surface of that much-abused
organ, which develops first into catarrh, then ulceration, and sometimes
into cancer. The accumulation of gas from the fermenting mass in the
intestines causes irregular heart action, and sometimes heart failure.
The great number of sudden deaths from this cause is pronounced by
physicians "heart failure." In this the doctors and the writer agree--I
know of no other way to die except for the heart to fail. The primary
purpose of this work, however, is to ascertain _why_ the heart fails,
and, if possible, to remove the causes. From the fermenting food toxic
(poisonous) substances, such as carbon dioxid, are generated, which,
when taken into the circulation, become a most prolific source of
autointoxication (self-poisoning).
From long experience gained by scientific feeding, in treating stomach
and intestinal trouble, it became apparent that a great many disorders,
very remote from the stomach, completely disappear when perfect
digestion and assimilation of food, and thorough elimination of waste
are effected. This has led to a very searching investigation of causes,
and to the preparation of the following chart, which is designed to show
how a great many so-called diseases can be traced back to one original
cause--superacidity.
[Illustration: CHART, SHOWING THE NUMBER OF SO CALLED DISEASES CAUSED BY
SUPERACIDITY]
[Sidenote: Power to resist disease depends upon correct feeding]
Aside from emotional storms, great nervous shocks, inoculation
(vaccination), and violent exposure, nearly all diseases can be traced
back to the stomach, or errors in eating. Even in cases of exposure,
vaccination, or contagion, if the digestion and the assimilation of
food, and the elimination of waste are perfect, the body will have the
power to resist nearly all these causes of disease. Curing disease,
therefore, by scientific feeding, is merely a method of removing causes
and _giving Nature a chance_ to restore normality.
[Sidenote: Foods that ferment make inferior flesh]
Food that sours, ferments, or that does not digest within Nature's
time-limit, cannot make good bone and brain. A defective digestion that
converts food into poisonous gases in the intestinal canal will make
inferior flesh and blood, just as any other defective machine will turn
out inferior work. This is the natural law governing all animal life.
[Sidenote: Nature's protest against unsuitable building material]
Millions of learned people admit that good specimens of men and women
can be constructed only out of good building material. They admit that
the quality of a man, like that of a house, or a machine, depends upon
the kind of material used in his construction; and yet they allow this
important material to be selected and prepared by the most ignorant
and unlearned, and they take it into their bodies with a childish
thoughtlessness that is amazing; and when Nature imposes her penalty for
violating her laws, they seek a remedy in drugs and medicines, and these
are applied only to the symptoms which are merely the protest Nature is
uttering. Thus a powerful drug silences or kills the friendly messenger
who brought the timely warning, but the cause still remains. Suppose
houses, ships, and machinery were constructed and repaired after this
plan!