diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/40184-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/40184-0.txt | 9721 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 9721 deletions
diff --git a/old/40184-0.txt b/old/40184-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1cd123d..0000000 --- a/old/40184-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9721 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Natural Cure of Consumption, -Constipation, Bright's Disease, , by Charles Edward Page - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Natural Cure of Consumption, Constipation, Bright's Disease, Neuralgia, Rheumatism, - How Sickness Originates, and How to Prevent It. A Health - Manual for the People. - -Author: Charles Edward Page - -Release Date: July 9, 2012 [EBook #40184] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NATURAL CURE *** - - - - -Produced by Bryan Ness, Henry Gardiner and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - - - - - - * * * * * - -Transcriber’s Note: The original publication has been replicated -faithfully except as shown in the TRANSCRIBER’S AMENDMENTS near the end of -the text. To preserve the alignment of tables and headers, this etext -presumes a mono-spaced font on the user’s device. Words in italics are -indicated like _this_. Text emphasized with bold characters or other -treatment is shown like =this=. The FOOTNOTES: section is located near the -end of the text. - - * * * * * - - - - - THE - - NATURAL CURE - - OF - - CONSUMPTION, - - CONSTIPATION, BRIGHT’S DISEASE, NEURALGIA, - RHEUMATISM, “COLDS” (FEVERS), ETC. - - _HOW SICKNESS ORIGINATES, AND HOW TO - PREVENT IT._ - - A HEALTH MANUAL FOR THE PEOPLE. - - BY - - C. E. PAGE, M.D., - AUTHOR OF “HOW TO FEED THE BABY,” ETC. - - NEW YORK: - FOWLER & WELLS CO., PUBLISHERS, - 753 BROADWAY. - 1886. - - - COPYRIGHT, 1883, BY - FOWLER & WELLS. - - EDWARD O. JENKINS, - _Printer and Stereotyper_, - North William Street, New York. - - - TO - - THE SICK AND SUFFERING, - - EVERYWHERE, - - THE HOPELESSLY SICK WHO WOULD DECLINE IN COMFORT, - - AND - - THE THOUSANDS, WHO, NOW DYING, BUT, HAVING THE WAY - POINTED OUT, - - MAY PROVE THEMSELVES STILL “FIT TO SURVIVE” - - I Dedicate - - THIS - - NATURAL CURE OF DISEASE. - - - - - PREFACE. - - -The inexpert,——they who can not claim sufficient acquaintance with a given -subject to enable them to _think freely_ (“free thinking” being altogether -another matter),——find it sufficiently difficult to obtain an author’s -meaning, when they are really desirous of so doing, and devote some time -and patience to the work in hand; it is impossible, often, to arrive at -just conclusions otherwise. The liability to error is increased many fold -when the subject is not merely not popular, but is, in fact, _un_-popular. -It is a prevalent custom to “skim over” a volume, and then praise or -condemn it, according to the reader’s preconceived notion. - -Sick people searching for means whereby they may be made well, sometimes -fall into this error, and for want of thoroughness in their reading of a -health-book make blunders in carrying out the prescribed treatment. In -such cases, not only do the patients themselves suffer, perhaps lose their -lives, or fail in some way, but their failures exert an influence tending -to throw a sound method into disrepute. In this way it often happens that -what is termed “dieting” is either overdone, half done, or not done at all -in the manner designed by the author; “exercise” is taken under wrong -conditions, as, for example, in point of time in relation to meals, it is -conducted spasmodically or, perhaps, carried to excess, and the organism -thereby depleted instead of strengthened; if the prevailing habit of -over-wrapping the body is emphatically condemned, as is the case in the -present volume, the reader, if a convert and designing to “go by the -book,” may conclude that he is expected to go shivering about in -shirt-sleeves in all weathers; and the unfriendly critic is sure to make a -point——taking off the idea in a manner to send a chill along the spine of -an inquiring consumptive. In this way, too, has arisen the saying, as -applied to the supposed notion of food-reformers, “Whatever is good is -bad, and whatever is bad is good.” Whatever it may be worth, therefore, I -preface this volume with the simple request that the health-seeker, the -casual reader, and the critic, alike, shall examine it in a manner to get -the real meaning of the text before practicing, praising or condemning. - - CHARLES E. PAGE. - - BIDDEFORD, ME., _February, 1883_. - 47 RUTLAND ST., BOSTON, - _February, 1884._ - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - PAGE - - INTRODUCTION, 7 - - CHAPTER II. - - CONSUMPTION, 28 - - CHAPTER III. - - CONSUMPTION——(_Continued_), 50 - - CHAPTER IV. - - CONSTIPATION, 107 - - CHAPTER V. - - BRIGHT’S DISEASE——(ALBUMINURIA), CROUP, DIPHTHERIA, ETC., 116 - - CHAPTER VI. - - INSOMNIA——INSANITY, 133 - - CHAPTER VII. - - RHEUMATISM, FATTY DEGENERATION, ETC., 145 - - CHAPTER VIII. - - BILIOUSNESS, “HAY FEVER,” NEURALGIA, ETC., 152 - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE FLESH-FOOD FALLACY, 158 - - CHAPTER X. - - AIR-BATHS, DYSPEPSIA, SCROFULA, ETC., 166 - - CHAPTER XI. - - SALINE STARVATION——CAUTION, “FOSSIL LIVERS,” 177 - - CHAPTER XII. - - WHEAT-MEAL _vs._ “ENTIRE FLOUR,” 185 - - CHAPTER XIII. - - FRUIT, “SCROFULOUS HUMORS,” ETC., 191 - - CHAPTER XIV. - - THE ONE-MEAL SYSTEM, 197 - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE NATURAL DIET: ITS RELATION TO SCROFULA AND OTHER AFFECTIONS, - 206 - - CHAPTER XVI. - - MALARIA, SEWER GAS, “CHANGE OF AIR” AT HOME, ETC., 236 - - CHAPTER XVII. - - COFFEE, MEDICINALLY AND DIETETICALLY CONSIDERED.——THE TRUE - THEORY OF STIMULATION, 243 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - APPETITE——CONTINENCE, 262 - - CHAPTER XIX. - - CONCLUSION, 270 - - - - - AUTHORS CITED. - - - ALBERTONI, PROF. 60 - ARGYLE, DUKE OF 267 - BEALE, SIR LIONEL, M.D., ETC. 152 - BOSTWICK, DR. 21 - BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 244, 247 - BRUNTON, T. LAUDER, M.D., F.R.S. 59, 138 - BRYANT, WILLIAM CULLEN 110 - COMBE, ANDREW, M.D. 20 - COOPER, SIR ASTLEY. M.D., ETC. 21 - DAVIS, E. H., M.D. 21 - DICKINSON, W. HOWSHIP, M.D., F.R.C.P. 117 - EVANS, PROF., M.D. 21 - FARRAR, CANON OF WESTMINSTER 265 - FOTHERGILL, J. MILNER, M.D. 63 - FRANKLIN, DR. BENJAMIN 171 - FROTHINGHAM, REV. O. B. 256 - GOODE, J. MASON, M.D. 21 - GREGORY, PROF. JAMES, M.D. 21 - HALL, MARSHALL 39 - HALLER, ALBRECHT VON 210 - HOLMES, PROF. OLIVER WENDELL, M.D., ETC. 21 - HUNTER, CHARLES D., M.D., ETC. 178 - HUXLEY, PROF. T. H. 23, 97, 247 - HYGIENE OF THE BRAIN 110 - JACKSON, JAMES C., M.D. 9, 270 - LANCET, LONDON, 52 - LENNEN, M., M.D., ETC. 247 - MCCLINTOCK, DR. 21 - MOORE, THOMAS, M.D. 10 - NAGEL, RICHARD. M.D. 218 - NICHOLS, JAMES R., M.D. 171 - NICHOLS, T. L., M.D. 156, 205 - OSWALD, FELIX L., M.D. 29, 45, 47, 49, 51, 70, 188 - PARKER, PROF. WILLARD, M.D. 21 - POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 243 - PITCHER, ————, M.D. 69 - PRESCOTT, PROF. ALBERT B. 243 - RICHARDSON, PROF. B. W., M.D. 171, 240 - RUSH, ————, M.D. 133 - SARGENT, PROF. DUDLEY A. (HARVARD) 261 - SAVAGE, M. J. 156, 157 - SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 239 - SCHLEMMER, DR. 212 - SCHMIDT-MÜHLHEIM, PROF. 60 - SHAPTER, LEWIS, M.D. 244 - STEVENS, A. H., M.D. 21 - THOMPSON, SIR HENRY 53, 54, 55, 56 - VIREY, JULES, M.D. 202 - WELCH, PROF. (YALE) 51 - WOOD, PROF. CASEY A., M.D. 145 - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - INTRODUCTION. - - -Although it is evident to my mind that the world is growing more healthy -and more moral with every generation——speaking of civilized nations——it is -still, as all agree, in a most pitiful state as regards both moral and -physical health. The two are indissolubly associated, notwithstanding the -glaring exceptions which are, indeed, more apparent than real, and it is -difficult to appreciate which leads——whether man grows more healthy as his -moral tone improves or more moral as his physical state is exalted. Both -are, in fact, constantly acting and reacting upon each other. Few people -withdraw themselves from the influence of disease-producing habits, who do -not first come to hate disease as a symptom of disobedience to the laws -governing their organism. The pain of an aching head is not sufficient, -generally, although it may discount the tortures of the damned, to -determine the sufferer to live a better life; but when he comes to know -the fact that the disorder is needless, brought upon himself by violation -of law, and that it is the normal office of pain to warn of danger; then, -if he be conscientious, instead of cursing his suffering, he will feel -ashamed of his sin, and endeavor to learn the laws of life and obey them. - -“In days gone by and not far away, there was a very general impression -with the people that sickness and the death which so often follows it were -of divine origination and ordainment. No person who might be sick blamed -himself for it; certainly no one was held by the community of which he was -a member, as in any sense responsible or blameworthy because of his death -by sickness. It was believed that for reasons thoroughly justifiable, but -incomprehensible to the mind of man, the Supreme Ruler saw fit to manifest -His modes and methods of government, either providential or punitive, by -taking away the health or the life of those who became sick, or who being -sick died of their sickness. - -“This notion, though not so prevalent as formerly, still lingers in the -popular mind and lies hidden away in the select circles of religious -people, occasionally to be brought forth and urged upon public -consideration with emphasis, when some person is taken sick and remains -for many months and perhaps years an invalid, or when one taken sick -suddenly dies. - -“There is no basis in science nor in religion for this impression. It -never rose, it never can rise, to the dignity or worthiness of an idea; it -must always dwell, no matter who entertains it, on the low level of -irrational impression. Its basis is error, not knowledge; its -superstructure is superstition. By and by, when mankind shall reach such a -degree of rational development as to understand that human life has its -laws, and that human health is but the legitimate outcome of the operation -of these laws, and that every human being of every tribe and kindred and -tongue, is born to live on earth under such minute and careful -providential arrangements as to hold within him, at his starting, great -securities and guarantees of the very highest order, for the continuance -of his life up to a definite period, and that by reason of this inherent -capability, he is entitled to live to the full measure of his endowment, -this foolish, I may say wicked, notion, that God kills people will -disappear. When it shall be abandoned, the sickness which now is so common -everywhere, and the deaths which now so frequently result, will cease, and -human beings will live from birth to death by old age, casualties, and -accidents one side, as surely as the seasons come and go.”[1] - -[Footnote 1: “The Absurdity of Sickness,” by James C. Jackson, M.D.] - -Few people have any just conception of the prevalence of disease even in -their own midst——among their own kindred; and this is simply because it -never absurdly happens that all those who are subject to illnesses are -“attacked” at the same time. When any large proportion are down at once, -the doctors call it an _epidemic_, and it is attributed to a “wave”——an -epizootic or influenza wave, for example, according as the victims are -horses or men (the poor animals depend upon the elevated race for their -habits, and never have disease except these are unphysiological),——when, -in fact, the so-called epidemic, whether it be scarlet or yellow fever, -diphtheria, or what not, is the result chiefly of the uniformly bad living -habits of our people and their consequent predisposition to sickness. I do -not ignore the influence of contagion in certain disorders, but assert -that no person in _prime physical condition_ is ever made sick by -transient contact with the so-called contagious diseases. - -“There can be no doubt,” says Dr. Moore, “of the inherent effort of the -system to preserve its integrity and to resist and overcome the effects of -morbid influences. And when the system is properly organized and perfect -in its physiological functions, it has the power to accomplish this -(unless these obnoxious influences are so overwhelming as to destroy life -at once) in a prompt and complete manner, unaided by any external -influences whatsoever, so that health will be maintained and all injurious -action of disease-producing causes unconsciously and successfully averted. -But if instead of such a properly organized and healthy system, we have -formed an incomplete and inferior grade of structural organization, and -consequently an enervated nervous system, resulting from imperfect and -deficient nutrition, such as evidently exists in the scorbutic diathesis -(the effect of deficiency in vegetable food), or as must result from -habitual or frequent digestive disturbances, this endeavor to resist or -avert disease, will be necessarily so enfeebled that it will be impossible -for the system, by its own inherent and unaided energy, either to ward off -or to overcome the effects of disease-producing agents. This protective -and restorative effort, if not sustained by a high character of -structural organization and active nervous energy, must be followed, -therefore, as a natural consequence, by an exhaustion of vital power; in -which condition there would be evidently an increased susceptibility to -all morbific influences, and a marked predisposition to any exciting -causes of disease which might be brought to bear upon it. - -“It is well known that certain individuals are more severely affected by -any ascertained cause of disease than others; and also that the same -exciting cause may at one time produce serious disturbance of health, -while at another, and under precisely the same conditions, as far as -known, no injurious effect is produced. How frequently do we observe -during the same epidemic, as, for instance, scarlet fever, measles, -diphtheria (and even of sporadic forms of disease), a marked difference in -the character and severity of individual cases. Even in members of the -same family, under apparently similar conditions, some are stricken down -with the most malignant form of one of these diseases, while others may, -at the same time, be but slightly affected by it, or perhaps entirely -escape an attack. It can not be that they who are the most severely -affected receive a larger or a stronger dose of the morbific agent which -has produced the disorder, than the others, and that the disease-producing -influence, in consequence of larger quantity or greater strength and -power, acts with more severity and force on one than on another. For, -leaving out of consideration all effects of existing predisposition, we -know that a person unprotected by a previous attack or by vaccination, -would be, in all probability, just as severely affected by the contagious -influence of a case of small-pox, whether he was exposed for a few moments -or for several hours; and besides, it would make no difference whether the -case happened to be a mild one or of a more malignant form. - -“It is, therefore, difficult to account for this variable operation of -disease-producing agents, unless we admit the existence of such a latent -predisposition as that already mentioned, and acknowledge that the system, -at the time of exposure to disease-producing causes, is thereby made more -or less susceptible to their effects in proportion to the development of -such a predisposition. The less the power of resistance and the greater -the degree of impressibility, the more aggravated will be the character of -every disease which affect the system while it is thus predisposed; or, in -other words, the severity of the disease will be proportionate to the -degree of departure from the standard of health.”[2] - -[Footnote 2: “Predisposition and Typhoid Tendency,” by Thomas Moore, M.D. -Philadelphia.] - -Predisposition is that state of susceptibility produced by the continued -operation of the predisposing cause. _Exciting causes_ are those which -tend to the immediate development of diseases, especially in a system -already having a predisposition thereto. - -But in my opening remarks, I had in view, particularly, the common -sicknesses that prevail among us, and which are not classed as -contagious. Not one in the thousand of our population _so lives_ as to -feel an assurance of absolute health for, say, a single month, much less -for the coming twelve months. There are, however, among the class I shall -hold up as examples to my readers, further on, individuals who would be -willing to stake their lives on their ability to meet any engagement -depending upon a mental and physical state, equal to that enjoyed at the -present moment, on any day, week, or month, during the next year or ten -years; and every ordinarily healthy person, who can fairly be called a -free agent, ought to be able to feel such an assurance in his own case; -and if he be at middle-age, or under, and afflicted with ailments, other -than organic and incurable, he should be able to count with certainty on -being a better man, physically as well as morally, ten years hence than he -is to-day. - -But how is it in practice? Why, even our national salutation (which is, -also, about the same among all civilized nations) is significant in this -connection, as we shall observe, further on: if sickness was the exception -and not the rule, health would not be the stock question everywhere and -always——the principal theme of conversation——as it is now. People seem to -delight in a subject that they know nothing about, like a good old -Methodist preacher I once knew, who said on one occasion, at -prayer-meeting: “I love to talk about religion——I have so little of it.” - -We talk about enjoying good health, and some of my readers would, I dare -say, make the claim for themselves, although too well aware of occasional -lapses, and indeed the great proportion of our people, in spite of -heredity, might obtain, and rest secure in, a high state of health; but, -living as they do, a truly sound person is almost the rarest thing in the -world. - -“How are you?” is the question on meeting an acquaintance. “First-rate, -although I have my old sick headaches occasionally.” Another replies, -“Pretty well, _now_——have just had a touch of neuralgia——you know I always -had that now and then.” Another has a “bad cold in the head.” Smith enjoys -good health, although “troubled a good deal with dyspepsia, constipation, -etc.,” which means that he is constantly annoyed by symptoms inseparable -from his disease. Jones is “tip-top,” with an occasional “attack” of -cholera-morbus, or a bilious spell. Brown “never was better in his life,” -but could tell you of a fearful sickness last spring——“like to have died,” -and no wonder——he had three drug doctors and a gallstone! Robinson is -“tough as a knot”——just now——since getting cleaned out by erysipelas——an -eruption of the accumulated poison resulting from his bad habits. It was a -fearful “attack,” as he says! “The doctor called it the worst case he ever -saw——my head was swelled so I couldn’t see for weeks——used up a bushel of -cranberries in poultices, when I had counted on having cranberry sauce all -winter——did not get a spoonful.” Of course Robinson exaggerates about the -quantity of cranberries. - -Tom, one of the healthiest-looking specimens, recently had typhoid fever -and came near dying. Mrs. Dick had “slow fever” the past summer and -managed to keep it a-going for three months. She says it was a dreadful -“attack”; and she tries to explain it by saying that several years ago, -she had it every summer for three summers, and “it generally leaves the -seeds in the system!” Harry’s wife had stoppage and inflammation of the -bowels——a deadly sickness for six months, entailing infinite distress on -the large family that needed her about so much. “The doctor’s big bill -isn’t paid yet,” she mourns, “and mercy only knows when it will be.” She -has always been a well woman, so-called, has always seemed pretty well -until this terrible disease “attacked” her. - -The list is endless, of the so-called healthy ones who have been from time -to time “attacked” with one disorder or another and recovered,——while the -mortality reports from week to week tell the final story of the premature -taking off of thousands of men, women, and children who, although always -regarded by themselves and friends as healthy, have suffered the -death-penalty after a longer or shorter imprisonment. - -How often we hear such remarks as this: “I never was so surprised in my -life as I was to hear of Miss Blank’s death——perfect picture of -health——fat, hearty, red-cheeked——the last person in the world I would -have thought of dying.” This shows how much the people know about health. -Ninety-nine in a hundred would have called this young lady a specimen of -health, when, in fact, any expert would have known that she was a typhoid -subject——almost sure to be down with it sooner or later, and, with her -whole physical conditions so against her, that recovery would be almost a -miracle, _under the prevailing system of treatment_. Just recall the -scores of cases where you, my dear reader, have been surprised at the -death of this or that friend, “always so strong and well.” In fact, this -is so common that we expect to be surprised continually, and are not much -surprised when we are! - -How many healthy-born infants die before their first year is -reached——babies that for months are mistakenly regarded as pictures of -health——“never knew a sick day until they were attacked” with -cholera-infantum, scarlatina, or something else. They are crammed with -food, made gross with fat, and for a time are active and cunning, the -delight of parents and friends——and then, after a season of constipation, -a season of chronic vomiting, and a season of cholera-infantum, the little -emaciated skeletons are buried in the ground away from the sight of those -who have literally _loved them to death_. This is the fate of one-third of -all the children born. As a rule, babies are fed as an ignorant servant -feeds the cook-stove——filling the fire-box so full, often, that the covers -are raised, the stove smokes and gases at every hole, and the fire is -either put out altogether, or, if there is combustion of the whole body of -coals, the stove is rapidly burned out and destroyed. With baby, -“overheating” means the fever that consumes him, and, in “putting out the -fire,” too often the fire of life goes out also.[3] - -[Footnote 3: For a thorough discussion of this question see the author’s -work on Infant Dietetics, entitled “How to Feed the Baby” New York: Fowler -& Wells.] - -“For the preservation of life God has ordained certain laws to be -observed, the neglect of which necessarily brings disease and premature -death.” Hence it is that if any of us are sick——except from accidents or -congenital causes——it is our own fault. If we have dyspepsia, and the -endless afflictions resulting from this parent of diseases, it is our own -fault——either of ignorance or carelessness. If neuralgia, “sciatica,” -rheumatism, gout, or sick-headache afflicts us, we can thank ourselves; -for the simple question is——whether it will “pay” to keep clear of them? -It is all very fine to bowl along without thought; to eat, drink, and -breathe, without using our brains or consciences, and to shun the best -products of the brains of others who make this subject the study of their -lives, and when the inevitable sickness comes shift the responsibility on -to the Lord. It is rank blasphemy, nevertheless. - -In the struggle of life, when so many of His children are engrossed in the -vital question of bread-winning; when to obtain the mere necessities of -life, or, at most, these and the ordinary comforts, requires all the time, -early and late, of so large a portion of the human family, it is not to be -supposed that the Creator designed that the due and proper care of the -body——its development and the maintenance of a healthy state——should be a -matter of such complications as to be beyond the comprehension of ordinary -mortals, or require the expenditure of an amount of time that would prove -embarrassing to all, and totally impossible to many. Nor should Christians -conclude that an “all-wise, all-merciful, and all-powerful Father” -designed that the creatures formed in “His own likeness” should alone, of -all created beings, be necessarily subject to the multifarious forms of -disease, that in fact, under present conditions, do so continually afflict -them. Happily such conclusions are not borne out by rational experience; -for, in practice, it is found that not only is less trouble and expense -required to keep well, than to pursue a course that is promotive of -disease; and to get well when disease is really fastened upon us, than to -continue the general regimen that has worked the mischief, and seek to -counteract it by poisonous drugs; but in fact it has been clearly shown by -innumerable living examples, that neither much time, trouble, or expense -is necessary to maintain the body in a state of absolute health——perfect -ease and comfort——when once this state has been reached, or to restore to -comparative health a large proportion of “miserable sinners” who, without -a radical change in their mode of life, must continue to suffer from their -self-inflicted pains. - -It requires no more time to breathe pure than impure air——and no more time -or expense to obtain it: it is as free as air, and will fill our homes, -without money and without price, unless we seal them against its -admission. The poorest factory-operative that goes by the bell, can with a -pint of water and a single towel, if need be, take a three-minute bath any -or every morning, if he appreciates its importance and is conscientious in -his living. It costs no more to eat enough than to over-indulge the -appetite, as is the universal rule, high and low, until nausea and lack -of appetite compel abstinence or moderation. It costs money to poison the -system with beer or tobacco, and thus shorten one’s life and impair its -usefulness, and transmit evil moral and physical tendencies to his -offspring, but it is a ten-fold saving to keep clear of these evils. And -so it proves throughout the list: it is cheap to keep well, and dear to -get sick. - -“So to observe Nature as to learn her laws and obey them, is to observe -the commandments of the Lord to do them. It has so long been the habit to -exalt the mind as the noble, spiritual, and immortal part, at the expense -of the body, as the vile, material and mortal part, that, while it is not -thought at all strange that every possible care and attention should be -given to mental cultivation, a person who should give the same sort of -careful attention to his body would be thought somewhat meanly of. And yet -I am sure that a wise man who would ease best the burden of life, can not -do better than watchfully to keep undefiled and holy——that is, -healthy——the noble temple of his body. Is it not a glaring inconsistency -that men should pretend to fall into ecstasies of admiration of the -temples which they have built with their own hands, and to claim reverence -for their ruins, and, at the same time, should have no reverence for, or -should actually speak contemptuously of, that most complex, ingenious, and -admirable structure which the human body is? However, if they really -neglect it, it is secure of its revenge——no one will come to much by his -most strenuous mental exercises, except upon the basis of a good -organization; for a sound body is assuredly the foundation of a sound -mind.” (Maudsley). - -That there is need of a radical change in the study and practice of -medicine, is well known among those who have examined the subject with any -degree of thoroughness. A prominent defect is thus described by the -eminent Dr. Combe: “The little regard,” he says, “which has hitherto been -paid to the laws of the human constitution, as the true basis on which our -attempts to improve the condition of man ought to rest, will be obvious -from the fact, that, notwithstanding the direct uses, to which a knowledge -of the conditions, which regulate the healthy action of the bodily organs, -may be applied in the prevention, detection, and treatment of disease, -there is scarcely a medical school in this country (Great Britain)[4] in -which any special provision is made for teaching it.... The prominent aim -of medicine being to discriminate, and to cure _diseases_, both the -teacher and the student naturally fix upon that as their chief object, and -are consequently apt to overlook the indirect (!) but substantial aid, -which an acquaintance with the laws of health is calculated to afford, in -restoring the sick as well as in preserving the healthy from disease.” The -use of the word “indirect,” in this connection shows how far Dr. Combe, -himself, was from having a true comprehension of the importance of -hygienic knowledge. Although individuals, here and there, finally work out -this knowledge for themselves, it is generally late in life, when long -years of blundering practice have forced it upon them. Hear what some of -the wise old heads say on this point: - -[Footnote 4: Some advance has been made in this direction of late, but the -outlook is far from satisfactory; there is scarcely a college lecture-room -but in deficient ventilation, or a lecturer whose living habits, and, -consequently, personal health, do not cry aloud, “Physician, heal -thyself.”] - -A. H. Stevens, M.D.: “The older physicians grow, the more skeptical they -become in the virtues of their own medicines.” Prof. Willard Parker: “Of -all sciences, medicine is the most unreliable.” Prof E. H. Davis: “The -vital effects of medicine are little understood.” J. Mason Goode, M.D.: -“The science of medicine is a barbarous jargon.” Dr. Bostwick, author of -“History of Medicine”: “Every dose of medicine is a blind experiment.” -Prof. Evans, M.D.: “The medical practice of the present day is neither -philosophy nor common sense.” It was the well-known remark of Dr. James -Gregory, who added as much reputation to the medical school of the -University of Edinburgh, as any other individual——that, “ninety-nine in -the hundred medical ‘facts’ are medical lies, and that all medical -theories are stark, staring nonsense.” Dr. McClintock: “Mercury has made -more cripples than all wars combined,” and he might have added that the -abuse of soda or potassa in its present various forms is destroying -myriads of stomachs every year beyond redemption. Sir Astley Cooper, the -most famous physician and surgeon of the age: “The science of medicine is -founded on conjecture and improved by murder.” Oliver Wendell Holmes said -before a medical class in 1861: “The disgrace of medicine has been that -colossal system of self-deception, in obedience to which mines -have been emptied of their cankering minerals, the vegetable kingdom -robbed of all its growth, the entrails of animals taxed for their -impurities, the poison bags of reptiles drained of their venom, and all -the conceivable abominations thus obtained thrust down the throats of -human beings, suffering from some fault of organization, nourishment, or -vital stimulation.” - -That the practice of medicine to-day is not what it should be, is due -largely to the position of the laity on this point——their aversion to -taking advice instead of medicine. They will consider the question of -prevention, in the shape of anti-bilious pills, for example, but not at -the expense of their lawful follies. If indeed physicians, generally, knew -enough about the natural laws to retain their own health, how could they -all derive an income from teaching the simple method by which all their -neighbors would remain well? A patient, for example, is suffering pain, -and sends for the doctor, who comes, examines, and finally says, “I find -nothing serious here——this pain in the head will soon leave you——just keep -about if you can; if not, remain quiet. Coming in from the fresh air, I -observe that your room is very close, sufficient of itself to give you the -headache——change the air and keep it pure; eat nothing more to-day: you -are ‘ahead of your stomach,’ withal; in fact, that is the chief trouble. -Take a quick sponge bath on retiring, and you will find yourself all right -in the morning——you need no medicine.” Do you fancy he would get another -call from her, or from her friends through her influence? Her _head -aches_, and she is incensed at such heartless nonsense. She sends for -another doctor, who will probably be sharp enough to treat her -_disposition_, and endeavor to “control the symptoms” instead of teaching -her to remove the disease by removing its cause; he gives her a “quieting -medicine”——something to deaden her senses; she has several days’ illness, -he gets several fees——as he ought, to be sure——and the good-will of the -family; and so he rises in the profession, while the other falls into the -shade unless he drops his hygienic nonsense. Thus, we observe, a premium -on shrewdness and a tax on sincerity. - -“It is notorious that in proportion to people’s ignorance of their own -constitutions and the true causes of disease, is their credulous -confidence in pills, potions, and quackish absurdities, and while this -ignorance continues, there will, of course, be plenty of doctors who will -pander to it. And not the least of the benefits likely to follow the -better diffusion of physiological and sanitary information will be the -protection of the community from the numberless impostures of -charlatanism, and a better discrimination of the qualifications of -competent physicians.”[5] - -[Footnote 5: “Physiology and Hygiene,” Huxley and Youmans.] - -I take it that all are agreed as to the desirability of good health, -although it is often said of a certain class of chronic invalids, that if -they were to be deprived of the pleasure of croning over and detailing -their symptoms, life would have no charms for them. But this is a -provision of nature to prevent the meanest life from becoming altogether -an unmitigated burden: when a person becomes so disordered physically that -he has nothing else to enjoy, a certain depraved condition of mind is -induced which enables him to extract a little satisfaction from dwelling -upon and recounting his miseries! In contrast to such cases how gloriously -shines out the example of the old lady who, on being interviewed by the -minister, thus related her experiences: her husband had been long dead, -leaving her with eight children, whom, through her own labor, she reared -and educated. One after another all had died after lingering -illnesses——the last, a son, the only support of her old age, had been -recently buried; and, to crown all, the remnant of the little property -left by her husband, had just passed from her possession——the uninsured -buildings by fire, and the land by the foreclosure of the mortgage. “But,” -concluded the dear old soul, while her brow lightened and her eye kindled -with enthusiasm, “thank the Lord, I have two teeth left, and praise and -bless His holy name, they are opposite each other!” I pause to note an -important lesson——the influence upon health, of prevalent good nature, and -the habit, which may be cultivated, of looking on the bright side of -things. “People ask me,” says Old Sojourner Truth, “how I came to live so -long and keep my mind, and I tell them that it is ‘because I think of the -great things of God, not little things.’ I don’t fritter my mind away in -caring for trifles.” - -It has been elsewhere noted——the propensity of people in general for -preferring medicine to advice. If the world were convinced that the writer -possessed an unfailing remedy——a “medicine” that would cure every physical -ailment and prevent disease, it would be demanded faster than it could be -manufactured, though every gin-mill in the land were transformed into a -laboratory for its production. No price would be deemed exorbitant, and, -though the mixture were black as ink, and more nauseating than the vilest -drug in our vile Materia Medica, it would still be gulped down as a child -demolishes bon-bons, if it never failed in its efficacy. - -We have only to look over the newspaper advertising columns to find scores -of articles claiming to accomplish this, at the very reasonable price of -50 cents to $1.00 per bottle, “large bottles cheapest,” and very agreeable -to the taste; and evidence abounds in the shape of letters purporting to -have been written by such as have, although given up by the doctors, been -withdrawn from the grave (regardless of the rights of the heirs and -undertakers)——restored to the busy walks of life——“and no change of diet -necessary.” Thousands upon thousands of otherwise sensible people are -gulled into the belief that a few bottles of somebody’s pretended -“discovery,” advertised in a yellow-covered almanac, will cure whatever -ails them. There is something so fascinating about such literature that I -would almost as soon place a package of Paris-green within reach of a baby -as to put, say, a medical almanac, and more particularly a cookery-book -with fancy dishes and medical lies alternating, in the hands of the -average adult. There isn’t one in fifty proof against them. Let the most -robust Congressman spend one half-hour reading one of these “messages”, -with the endless variety of symptoms therein given, and the hundreds of -letters of the blest——fabricated in the proprietor’s office, or, at best, -written by his victims during a temporary suppression of the -symptoms——and, comparing his own feelings with those described, the -chances are that he would soon be pouring down the medicine——convinced -that it hit his case exactly. Why is this possible? Why, indeed, do we -have a drug-store on every other corner, with shelves packed with the -infamous “regular” and irregular remedies, simple and compound? Simply -because ninety-five in the hundred men, women, and children so treat -themselves that they do have, from day to day, or week to week, various -symptoms more or less severe, all indicative of derangement of the bodily -functions. And because of this the medicine-makers know that he who is the -keenest and boldest in prostituting the art of printing, will reap the -richest harvest, by reason of the ignorance and disease-producing habits -of the people. - -I will conclude these introductory remarks with the beautiful and -impressive language of Professor Maudsley, the eminent English physician, -especially celebrated in connection with the treatment of mental -disorders, and who, as shown by the paragraph already quoted, emphasizes -in the strongest manner, not only the intimate connection between the mind -and the body——their interdependence the one with the other——but, also, -the moral obligation of the _man_ to learn and obey the laws which tend to -exalt both: - -“Notably the best rules for the conduct of life are the fruits of the best -observations of men and things; the achievements of science are no more -than the organized gains——orderly and methodically arranged——of an exact -and systematic observation of the various departments of Nature; the -noblest products of the arts are Nature ennobled through human means, the -art itself being Nature. There are not two worlds——a world of Nature and a -world of human nature——standing over against one another, in a sort of -antagonism, but one world of Nature, in the orderly evolution of which -human nature has its subordinate part. Disease, hallucinations, -idiosyncrasies of whatever sort, are the product of disobedience to -law——discordant notes in the Divine harmony, which result from an -unskillful or careless touch. It should, then, be every man’s steadfast -aim, as a part of Nature, his patient work, to cultivate such entire -sincerity of relations with it, so to think, feel, and act, always in -intimate unison with it, that when the summons comes to surrender his -mortal part to absorption into it, he does so, not fearfully, as to an -enemy who has vanquished him, but trustfully, as to a mother who, when the -day’s task is done, bids him lie down to sleep.” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - CONSUMPTION. - - -Among the causes of consumption it is usually held that inherited tendency -is one of the most efficient. Considering, however, the fact that this is -a matter beyond our control; that is, a cause that we can not remove, it -is hardly worth while to devote further space, just here, to its -consideration. We can not create a new constitution; neither the mischief -of a defective inheritance, nor of years of disobedience to the laws of -life, can be atoned for——the future only is ours; the balance of vital -capital can be expended judiciously, good health regained, often, and life -made easy and extended to the utmost limit. Leaving the question of the -influence of the spiritual over the physical nature for later -consideration (see Conclusion), we have, practically, to take the body as -we find it, and aim to conserve its vitality and to improve its condition; -and when affected by disease, whether inherited or acquired, to seek its -removal by building up the constitution, so to say, by every means in our -power. - -Notwithstanding the prevalent belief among physicians and laymen to the -contrary, a belief based upon the result of a form of treatment as -irrational as it is uniform and universal, I agree with Dr. Oswald, who, -in his new work——the most entertaining, as well as the soundest -health-book extant——asserts that “_Pulmonary consumption_, in its early -stages, is perhaps the most curable of all chronic diseases. The records -of the dissecting-room prove that in numerous cases lungs, wasted to -one-half of their normal size, have been healed, and, after a perfect -cicatrization of the tuberculous ulcers, have for years performed all the -essential functions of the sound organ. Still, the actual waste of tissue -is never perfectly repaired, and fragmentary lungs, supplying the -undiminished wants of the whole organism, must necessarily do double work, -and will be less able to respond to the demands of an abnormal exigency. - -“But the lungs of a young child of consumptive parents are sound, though -very sensitive, and, if the climacteric of the first teens has been passed -in safety, or without too serious damage, the problem becomes reduced to -the work of preservation and invigoration: the all but intact lungs of the -healthy child can be more perfectly redeemed than the rudimentary organs -of the far-gone consumptive; the phthisical taint can be more entirely -eliminated and the respiratory apparatus strengthened to the degree of -becoming the most vigorous part of the organism. The poet Goethe, -afflicted in his childhood with spitting of blood and other hectic -symptoms, thus completely redeemed himself by a judicious system of -self-culture. Chateaubriand, a child of consumptive parents, steeled his -constitution by traveling and fasting, and reached his eightieth year. - -“By a relapse into imprudent habits, however, the latent spark, which -under such circumstances seems to defy the eliminative efforts of half a -century, may at any time be fanned into life-consuming flames; but in -ninety-nine out of a hundred cases it will be found that the first -improvement followed upon a change from a sedentary to an outdoor and -active mode of life.”[6] - -[Footnote 6: Oswald’s “Physical Education.”] - -Anything that constitutes a _tax_ upon the system beyond its ability to -extract an ultimate good therefrom——for we know that, within certain -limits, taxing the powers, the mental, physical and emotional, tends to -exalt them——or to put it squarely: anything that overtaxes the system in -any direction, tends to induce that state or condition commonly recognized -as consumption. No greater error can be made than that of considering this -disease as primarily affecting the lungs. The lungs are readily affected -by disorder of the digestive organs. While it may not at first be plain to -the ordinary reader how catarrh, sore throat, bronchitis and even -congestion of the lungs[7] could originate in this manner; it is -nevertheless true that they not only can and do thus originate, but this -is in fact the most available and constantly operative source of -respiratory affections. They may be affected directly by continuity of -tissue, or indirectly through the sympathetic system. All understand -something about the practical working of the telegraphic system, by which -a touch of the wire at Boston, for example, may not only be felt at any -point in our own country, but even in England or Europe. How often, in joy -or affliction, the wire constitutes a sympathetic connection between -friends, families, nations. The nervous system forms a sympathetic -connection between the different parts throughout the organism, only it is -more complete, ten thousand times over, than the telegraphic or telephonic -system. If in these cases the wires were to take on disease,——become -inflamed and so affected as to cause the same states, emotions, or -disasters, at the point where an unhappy message is received as at the -point of departure,——it would constitute for the nation and the world what -the sympathetic nervous system does for the animal organism. Should we -not, then, deplore its existence, and grieve that we are so “fearfully and -wonderfully made”? Nevertheless, it is directly a great boon, and but for -this intimate connection between the different portions of the body——for -want of this most efficient set of safety valves, so to say——the organs -primarily affected would more often become fatally diseased and life -speedily terminated. Indeed, in spite of this most wonderful provision of -nature, the violations of law are so constant and severe, or so -overwhelming upon occasion, that life is often destroyed with but a moment -of warning, as in apoplexy, “heart disease,” and sunstroke, so called. -Strictly speaking, however, even in these cases there have been -premonitions without number, dating afar back (see Bright’s Disease), -which would have prevented the disaster if only they had been known and -heeded. - -[Footnote 7: This disorder, which is supposed often to _cause_ -consumption, is rather a disease of indigestion, and is especially apt to -attack patients _already in consumption_, because of their chronically -disordered nutritive and respiratory organs.] - -Says Professor J. C. Zachos (_Studies in Science_): - -“... Such is the present system of telegraphing which if it were -multiplied so as to include every town and hamlet in the country, yea, -even be within the reach of every individual as an operator, would convey -but a feeble illustration of the complication, the number, the power, and -the perfect unity of a similar system in the human body. - -“We have first in each individual cell a galvanic battery. There are -countless millions of such cells in the human body, whose united force has -never been estimated, but doubtless a million of tons would not -approximate to the force they are exerting at any one instant of time. -Each of these cells is provided with two nerves; an afferent and an -efferent nerve, a carrier to, and a carrier from, that center; each, -endowed with different functions by reason of the duality of force -generated in each cell: a force of motion and a force of sensation. A -number of such cells and nerves may be combined and at a certain point of -the circuit they make there, a concentration and accumulation of power by -a plexus and convolution of these nerves, around a central substance -called ‘neureline’——a granulated collection of particles that seem to take -the place of the soft iron in the helix, for they are always found in the -midst of these convoluted masses of nerves; these masses are called -_ganglia_; they are the centers of nervous power and intelligence, -connected each with some special group of functions; associated by -connecting nerves with each other, and having their central and common -connection in the largest ganglion, called the brain. - -“No part of the system fails to be visited by these nerves, and although -they are not discoverable in every tissue, yet their presence is inferred, -because their function is there——sensation or motion, or both.[8] - -[Footnote 8: Is it possible to overestimate the importance of perfect -nutrition by which only this wonderful system can be preserved in health? -(See “Saline Starvation.”)] - -“We can not at present enter into details in enumerating the number, the -structure, the special functions of these several ganglia, which might -well be called the telegraphic stations of the body; they vary from the -size of a grain of sand, to that of the brain which fills the cavity of -the skull. - -“But what shall we say of that principle of intelligence which pervades -every part of this complicated system; which dwells in each of the -thousand millions of cells, where the chemical laboratories are furnishing -out of the crude materials of the food, the wonderful organisms of every -part of the body? Intelligence and contrivance reign in every cell; -combination and co-operation are carried on through the instrumentality of -the nervous system. At the centres of co-operation and power there seem to -be placed higher forms of intelligence that govern the whole of the -subordinate functions by some unitary plan governing thus the functions -of the heart, or the liver, or the lungs. Finally, for the moral and -social exigencies of man, there is provided an enormous centralization of -co-operative intelligences and powers, that seem to have their seat in the -brain; but it is a republic and not a monarchy; every individual cell in -the body has its representative there, mediately or immediately; every one -contributes to the welfare of the whole, and can not be denied its rights, -or be neglectful of its duties, without injury, in that proportion, to the -whole republic. - -“There is a subtle and indefinable health beyond that of the stomach and -muscular powers; a man may be torpid in moral brain and intellectual -functions, who yet has an excellent appetite and can do the work of an -ox.[9] This is not usually regarded as sickness, or needing any -physiological treatment. But it is as much so as the grossest form of -sickness. A man’s temper and disposition may be the only evidence that his -liver is out of order. A paroxysm of rage may come from a diseased spleen, -and many a murder, arson, and suicide, I doubt not, come from a defective -hygiene. - -[Footnote 9: Others, again, are physically as well as mentally impotent, -while eating enormously, “the digestion and excretion of superfluous food -almost monopolizing the vital energy.”] - -“Physiology is an integral part of theology. Sanitary reforms lie at the -foundation of moral reforms. Christianity is health, and the means of -escaping from disease. - -“No delusion is so vain as to suppose that this world is ever to be -Christianized, society purified and exalted, man saved and brought to the -divine likeness, while a thousand forms of disease prey upon his vitals, -cloud his moral perceptions, enfeeble or exasperate his will, overwhelm -him with pain and confusion, even in the midst of his noblest designs; and -all this, because he knows not, or respects not sufficiently, the laws of -his physical nature; the subtle powers and mechanism of which are as -divine in their origin and inflexible in their character as any that -govern the soul.” - -It is not necessary to know, precisely, how this sympathetic or -telegraphic system operates in the conservation of health, but all of this -knowledge that is essential to us is the understanding of the main fact, -to know the nature of a message and from whence it comes, or its probable -origin when doubt arises. It is owing to an imperfect knowledge of this -law which causes so general a belief in the theory that the internal -organism takes on disease readily from the action of cold upon the surface -of the body. But, in fact, the skin was especially designed to be played -upon by extremes of heat and cold, wind and wet; and human beings are not -necessarily such pitiable creatures as they are made to appear from the -general supposition that a transient exposure to a current of pure air, -whether wet, dry, cold or hot, is likely to bring on disease. “The -immediate effects of a displacement of blood from the surface, and its -determination to the internal organs, are not,” says the _Lancet_, “as was -once supposed, sufficient to produce the sort of congestion that issues -in inflammation. If it were so, an inflammatory condition would be the -common characteristic of our bodily state. When the vascular system is -healthy, and that part of the nervous apparatus by which the calibre of -the vessels is controlled performs its functions normally, any disturbance -of equilibrium in the circulatory system which may have been produced by -external cold will be quickly adjusted.” Nothing so readily promotes -disorder of the vascular system, and of the nervous apparatus which -controls it, as to interfere with the nutrition of the nervous system; and -in turn, no cause is more effectual, and none more speedy, among the -ordinary vicissitudes of life, in depriving the nerves and tissues of -their appropriate aliment, than an excessive or otherwise unwholesome diet -and the consequent disturbance of the organs of nutrition; and the excess -is increased relatively, and the disorder intensified, in proportion as -the body is sweltered with clothing and defrauded of the “breath of -life”——outdoor air. It is a very significant comment on the cold-air -fallacy, that people of all ages, sexes, occupations and social positions, -and in all conditions of _general_ health, catch cold, say to-day, from -the slightest exposures, often, indeed, they are totally at a loss to -account for them except upon one surmise or another, like that of the old -lady who “caught her death o’ cold _taking gruel out of a damp basin_”; -while next month, or next week, perhaps, the same individuals endure the -most extreme exposure, as, for example, riding for hours in face of a -driving rain or snow-storm, until wet and chilled through and through; or, -perhaps, being turned out at night in bitter cold, half clad, to find -their way from their burning dwelling to a distant neighbor’s——in short, -they may suffer the most taxing exposures and yet “catch” nothing more -than a good appetite for a warm dinner or a cheery fireside. The boy who, -as was supposed, caught a fearful cold one warm day last week, from merely -stepping to the door bareheaded, stole away yesterday, when the _mercury_ -was _twenty or thirty degrees lower_, and bareheaded and barefooted, -paddled in the frog-pond until his clothes were wet through and his lips -blue with cold, and yet he turned out this morning without a trace of -disease! Can we learn nothing from constantly occurring instances of this -character? The simple fact is, in such cases, in the first instance the -victims were in bad condition, they had found the end of their rope, so to -say, _i.e._, they had reached a point where from continued bad living the -system could no longer contain the accumulated impurities and the overflow -had to come, and come it would, sooner or later (and the later, the more -severe), without even the influence of the slightest current of air, or -any form of exposure. If a slight chill was experienced it arose from the -internal fever, and not, as was foolishly supposed, from the puff of pure -air that was felt _co-incidently_. But in the second instance, the “cold” -of last week had _cleansed the system_ more or less completely, and now, -owing to the improved condition, the really severe exposures give rise to -no symptoms of disease——the temporary inconvenience from the wet or the -cold is all. - -Personally, I have been a life-long sufferer from colds, and as with -every one (how many pass a year without “a cold” of some sort?) they came -in a variety of forms, from the “snuffles” of crammed infancy and the “hay -fever” of adult age, to neuralgia, rheumatism, and the like. No matter -what name may be settled on, finally, to describe the disease, whether -rheumatism, neuralgia, sick headache, kidney complaint, bilious fever, or -what not, the victim is sure to say: “I caught a severe cold some way, and -it settled”——wherever the uneasy symptoms are felt.[10] “A succession of -colds” is the commonly-named _excuse_, and the honestly-believed-in -_cause_ of lung affections, including consumption; but as the phrase is -usually understood, it is the veriest blunder——the most pernicious blunder -possible. Hence the space devoted to this subject. Some years ago I made a -change in my habits as to diet and clothing: I quite abruptly abandoned -the use of heavy-weight garments, heavy flannels, and the practice of -“bundling up” upon occasions of exposure, and I gave up the three-meal -system, and the fish, flesh, and fowl, and most of the accompaniments of -the flesh diet, and have since lived mainly on vegetable food. I eat twice -a day, nominally, but invariably skip a meal if there is any sign of -indigestion, or whenever I think I should be better off without eating. I -eat on an average about a dozen meals a week, each less in amount, though -more nutritious than formerly. This keeps my appetite always perfect, but -I am never “hungry,” as when I ate three meals every day, “work or play.” - -[Footnote 10: And so with non-healing wounds, cuts, bruises, “cold-sores,” -etc. Those people who have their bodies built up of impure material, who -are unsound through and through, always “catch cold in it” when they have -a wound of any kind or a sore; and their flesh is easily wounded and sores -come often, more or less mysteriously, and the most trifling wound that -would, in the case of a healthy man, woman, or child, heal readily, and in -a few days be entirely well, in their case “festers,” and may be -troublesome for weeks or months, perhaps necessitating the amputation of a -finger, hand, or a limb, or even causing death. Healthy people have no -occasion for sores, boils, etc; but if filth exists in the system, these -little volcanoes tend to eliminate it, and to the prevention of other -diseases. The suppression of catarrhal or diarrhœal discharges often -results in dangerous sicknesses, even fatal sicknesses, unless their cause -is first removed. (See Bright’s Disease.)] - -I was formerly hungry before every meal, and if any one of them was -delayed for a single hour there was sure to be a faint and languid -feeling——a disinclination for, and a seeming inability to, labor——which, -however, would usually disappear if I kept on working! From this I finally -learned a most valuable lesson, viz: that the craving appetite that tempts -one to forestall the regular meal hour is a species of “poison-hunger,” -akin to that which torments the inebriate if his customary dram is not -forthcoming. In either case, whether the congested stomach _seems_ to -crave solid or liquid stimulants, the only wise thing is to abstain, -remove or relieve the inflammatory state of the stomach by giving it rest -from digestive labor, and by judicious drinking of pure water, and then -eat and drink so as to prevent a recurrence of the disorder. So universal -is this disagreeable feeling with three-meal-flesh-and-pastry eaters and -coffee-drinkers that Marshall Hall, evidently himself ignorant of its -nature and cause, refers what he styles the “temper disease” to the -_mauvais quart d’heure_ before dinner! - -Since adopting the new plan I can truly say that when I live up to it, as -do most of the time, I _never_ have any of the symptoms of what is -commonly known as cold, nor, indeed, any kind of physical inconvenience -whatever. And yet, only twelve years ago, my physical condition was such -that I bade fair to follow my mother, an aunt, an uncle, a sister, and a -brother, all of whom died of tubercular consumption under the prevailing -general regimen and medical treatment, both of which I design in this -treatise to unqualifiedly denounce. - -In order, however, to see if I could, by exposure, cause the well-known -symptoms of cold, I have made many experiments, some of which I will name: -I have walked in snow and slop with low shoes until both shoes and socks -were soaked through, and have sat thus for an hour or more; after wearing -all-wool flannels during moderate weather, I have, upon the approach of -_colder weather_, removed my under-garments, and have then attended to my -outdoor affairs, minus the overcoat habitually worn; I have slept in -winter in a current blowing directly about my head and shoulders; upon -going to bed, I have sat in a strong current, _entirely nude_, for a -quarter of an hour, on a very cold, damp night in the fall of the year; I -have worn a flannel gown, and slept under heavy-weight bed-covers one -night, and in cotton night-shirt and light-weight bed-clothes the next. -These and similar experiments I have made repeatedly, and have never been -able to catch cold. I become cold, sometimes quite cold, and become warm -again, that is all. On the other hand, changing the form of my -experiments, returning to my old way, the prevalent style of living——a -“generous diet” and a full meal every five or six hours through the day——I -have found no difficulty in _accumulating_ a cold; and within a reasonable -length of time could count upon it, although, now, a part of the programme -consisted in taking the most extreme care to avoid what are commonly -reckoned as exposures——keeping my feet ever warm and dry, paying strict -attention to wraps,[11] etc. This is not simply my own individual -experience, but, also, of others who, either of their own accord or -through my suggestion, have carefully studied the matter; while rational -hygienists, generally, attest to the main fact, that they endure all the -ordinary vicissitudes of life without often being troubled with this most -disagreeable complaint. - -[Footnote 11: Said an observing friend to me: “I am apt to catch cold when -I _put on_ my winter flannels; why is that?” With those who may happen to -be already near the brink, this effect is likely to follow the addition of -an extra layer of flannel to the ordinary dress, unless they leave out a -layer of food, so to say, or the weather happens to be enough colder on -that day, to counteract the extra clothing.] - -In the course of my experimentation, whenever I have fed my cold as far as -I wished or dared to go, I have, in every instance, banished the disease -by abstaining from food and indulging in extra rations of outdoor -air——rain or shine. I have never known this remedy to fail of “breaking -up” a common cold in twenty-four to forty-eight hours, whatever the age, -sex, or occupation of the individual, and regardless of the supposed -origin of the disease. Of course the size of the “dose” must bear some -relation to the severity of the disorder. Whenever I have chosen to -prolong one of these experiments by continuing to eat heartily, as is -customary with people in general, I have found my experience identical -with that of others: the symptoms would increase in severity, and to acute -catarrh, headache, slight feverishness, and languor, would be added sore -throat, perhaps, with pressure at the lungs, hoarseness, increased fever, -and entire indisposition for exertion. In this case two, perhaps three, -days’ fasting (one, maybe two, in bed) would be required, with a little -extra sponging of the skin, to reduce the fever and completely restore the -balance. I have, to be sure, never been reckless enough to subject my -system to the influence of impure air——to the quality of air, for example, -that is the daily and nightly reliance of ninety and nine families in the -hundred, rich or poor, in the city or country——this I would never do; and -for this reason my “colds” would be less severe, other things equal, than -those of my neighbors, and more readily amenable to “treatment”; but the -principle holds good in all cases. There are all degrees of obtuseness -observable in the mental efforts of our fellow-creatures: I have had -persons reply to this, that they “couldn’t agree” with me entirely in my -position, for they had “tried the remedy,” when, in fact, as they would -more or less hesitatingly admit, they had kept up their three-meal -feeding, even after the appetite had passed the craving stage and the -fitful stage; and even after food became loathsome they had punished -themselves more or less _gruelly_; but, finally, driven to the wall, and -eating little or nothing for a few days or weeks, because it was -physically impossible to eat more, they have the assurance to declare, or -the sublime stupidity to believe, that they have tried the fasting-cure, -and that while “it might cure some,” it wouldn’t answer for them! And they -usually add——of all aphorisms the most foolish and misleading——“one’s -meat, another’s poison.”[12] It results, in such cases, that, if the -individual recovers, he does so as the effect of seven-eighths starvation, -involuntarily practiced, and extending over a period of weeks or months, -when a few days of total abstinence early enough in the contest, before -the appetite declined, would have saved the system from the depletion of a -long-continued strain. - -[Footnote 12: Were I to summarize the arguments against the saying, that -“what is meat for one is poison for another,” I would put it something -like this: Its author, and the people, have been deceived in that one -person can _bear_ what another can not. Some constitutions have withstood -the worst habits——violations of all the known laws of life——gluttony, -intemperance to the degree of almost constant drunkenness, the grossest -and most constant immorality in departments the most exhausting, until -passed what we call old age——and still have rounded out a full century of -life. Many, on the other hand, of frailer make, have, by reason of a tithe -of such misconduct, been swept into premature graves, at middle-age, early -manhood, or even in youth. Others, again, like the last named, and rapidly -following them to destruction, have been kept back, put on the mending -hand, and have lived fairly long lives, from renouncing their immoral -practices, or, perhaps, simply their “unhealthy” practices as to diet, -when these have been their only faults. As elsewhere remarked, thousands -of lives have been saved and robust health regained, or gained for the -first time, from adopting the vegetarian, as against the prevailing -“mixed,” diet. I believe that the reverse of this will not be even claimed -by any one who has a _right_ to claim expert knowledge. It may be relied -upon that no substance that is positively wholesome for one person, is, -_in and of itself_, injurious——speaking with relation to food. To this -rule, it must be admitted, there are a few, isolated and, as yet, not -fully explained exceptions——but the rule holds good; and it is equally -certain that whatever is, _in and of itself_, harmful for one person to -eat or drink, smoke, snuff, or chew, whether animal, vegetable, or -mineral, food or medicine, is not good, certainly not _best_, for any -other person to eat, drink, absorb, or take into the system in any manner. -It is true that there are many things transpiring before our eyes every -day which, to the superficial observer——and only the well-informed upon a -given subject can see beneath the surface——form apparent exceptions to -this rule——even to the degree of seeming to cast it aside as not a rule; -nevertheless, no rule holds more uniformly true than this.] - -Lest it be inferred that I design to intimate that any one could at once -imitate my cold air experiments with impunity, immediately upon changing -his method of living, I hasten to say that not all could do this, any more -than they could imitate the muscular feats of an athlete. As the depraved -muscular system has to be built up by degrees and by long practice, so the -life-long sweltered skin can become accustomed to extreme changes of -temperature only by a somewhat gradual change of habit. Besides, it takes -some time for the general system to come under the influence of a pure -diet; and, again, the best of remedies have to be graduated in amount to -the present condition of the patient. However, I am sure that most persons -who will accustom themselves to an out-door life and to light clothing, -have only to reform their eating-habits to make themselves virtually -disease proof; while _all_ classes may derive great benefit from a -rational application of the principle. - -That certain symptoms, popularly called cold, are often _excited_ by -exposure to fresh air, damp air, draughts, and the like, is true enough; -and we should be devoutly thankful for this provision of Nature. But it -is likewise true that these “exposures” do not, and can not, _originate_ -the disease that _in its exit_ manifests the well-known symptoms. _That_ -already exists, and has been for months, perhaps, accumulating in the -system; and now, an unusual amount of fresh air in the lungs and in -contact with the skin, has so _invigorated the organism_ as to enable it -to institute measures for thrusting out the real disease; hence catarrh, -cough, expectoration, _fever_——for the name, cold, is a complete misnomer, -and based upon a misconception as to the real nature of the disorder: the -patient may be never so chilly, but the thermometer placed under the -tongue at once shows that the temperature is above the normal standard. -Says Dr. Oswald:[13] “Rightly interpreted, the external symptoms of -disease constitute a restorative process that can not be brought to a -satisfactory issue till the cause of the evil is removed. So that, in -fact, the air-hater confounds the cause of his recovery with the cause of -his disease. Among nations who pass their lives out-doors, catarrh and -scrofula are unknown; not fresh air, but the want of it, is the cause of -countless diseases, of fatal diseases where people are in the habit of -_nailing down_ their windows every winter to keep their children from -opening them. The only objection to a ‘draught’ through a defective window -is, that the draught is generally not strong enough. An influx of fresh -air into a sick-room is a ray of light into darkness, a messenger of -Vishnu visiting an abode of the damned. Cold air,” he continues, “is a -disinfectant, and under the pressure of a high wind a modicum of oxygen -will penetrate a house in spite of closed windows. This circumstance alone -has preserved the lives of thousands whom no cough syrup, or cod-liver oil -could have saved.” - -[Footnote 13: “Physical Education,” by F. L. Oswald. M.D. New York: D. -Appleton & Co.] - -Referring once more to the sympathetic telegraph, we find, for instance, -that a small wound in the foot may produce lock-jaw; a blow on the elbow -makes the fingers tingle; touch the soft palate with the finger and the -stomach offers up its contents; and in the same manner, substantially, -irritation or congestion of the stomach or intestines will give rise to -tickling in the throat, itching of the nose,[14] etc., etc.; and if the -primary disease be severe or constant, or of frequent occurrence, acute or -chronic disease of the lungs may result. Indeed, I am led to the -conclusion that the lungs seldom become disordered in any other manner. -The pneumogastric nerve with its various branches forms a close “sympathy” -between the brain and the larynx, bronchi, lungs, liver, heart and -stomach. Is there, in reason and common sense, any necessity for argument -to prove that of all the organs the stomach is the most abused; or rather, -that of all our abuses of this wonderful temple of the body those -inflicted by the medium of the alimentary system are the most flagrant -and most constant? - -[Footnote 14: It is not from _habit_, simply, that children pick the nose, -and half the occupants of a drawing-room car, even, devote a sly moment to -the same inspiring occupation! Observe the prevalence of red noses, -enlarged nostrils, etc., among coffee drinkers and dyspeptics, as well as -liquor drinkers.] - -Consider for one moment that the food taken from day to day should be -plain and simple, and that in quality and quantity it should bear a close -relation to the following circumstances or conditions, viz.: (1) to the -season and the climate; (2) to the purity of the air habitually breathed; -(3) amount of clothing worn; (4) amount of mental and physical labor -performed; (5) the existing physical condition as to (_a_) -appetite——whether normal or abnormal, as for example, ravenous, fitful or -none at all; (_b_) strength——whether full, or exhausted from fatigue: (6) -mental state——whether the mind is at ease, or from one or another cause -distressed, as with grief, anger,[15] etc.; (7) the natural -constitution——whether delicate or robust. How many, let me ask, in any -community consider _any_ of these conditions, or are to any extent -influenced by them? Not that the question is, after all, as complicated as -would at first sight appear; on the contrary, it is very simple, indeed. -We have only to clothe ourselves in loose and comfortable garments; keep -clean; breathe out-door air——whether we are indoors or out, day and -night;[16] lead an active, useful life, rest when tired, never eat -without a good relish, nor, as a rule, when there is “gnawing” at the -stomach, nor when the body is exhausted with fatigue or the mind in a -badly disturbed state. Eat but twice daily and of the simplest and purest -food, _i.e._, the cereal grains, vegetables and fruits. Ordinarily, a -little animal food——unaccompanied by greasy or stimulating -condiments——will not affect a robust person seriously; but it is not -essential to health, speaking generally, and in depraved conditions of the -system it may be set down as detrimental; although lean beef or mutton, -plainly cooked, and served without “seasoning,” is doubtless preferable to -bolted flour or impoverished vegetables, whose dissipated salts are -mistakenly supposed to be “restored” in the form of artificial salt (see -“Saline Starvation.”) - -[Footnote 15: Few causes are more readily promotive of indigestion than -the indulgence of such emotions, and none presents a greater obstacle to -the recovery of a consumptive patient than the habitual subjection of the -mind to unhappy reflections of whatsoever character. It is especially -important for both patient and all who approach him to avoid, so far as -possible, every disquieting influence.] - -[Footnote 16: “Azotized air affects the lungs as the substitution of -excrements for nourishing food would affect our digestive organs: -corruption sets in; pulmonary phthisis is, in fact, a process of -putrefaction. - -“No ventilatory contrivance can compare with the simple plan of opening a -window; in wet nights a ‘rain-shutter’ (a blind with large, overlapping -bars) will keep a room both airy and dry. In every bedroom, one of the -upper windows should be kept open night and day, except in storms, -accompanied with rain or with a degree of cold exceeding 10° Fahr. In warm -summer nights open every window in the house and every door connecting the -bedroom with the adjoining apartments. Create a thorough draught. Before -we can hope to fight consumption with any chance of success, we have to -get rid of the _night-air superstition_. Like the dread of cold water, raw -fruit, etc., it is founded on that mistrust of our instincts which we owe -to our anti-natural religion. It is probably the most prolific single -cause of impaired health, even among the civilized nations of our -enlightened age, though its absurdity rivals the grossest delusions of the -witchcraft era. The subjection of holy reason to hearsays could hardly go -further. - -“‘Beware of the night-wind; be sure and close your windows after dark!’ In -other words, beware of God’s free air; be sure and infect your lungs with -the stagnant, azotized, and offensive atmosphere of your bedroom. In other -words, beware of the rock spring; stick to sewerage. Is night-air -injurious? Is there a single tenable pretext for such an idea? Since the -day of creation that air has been breathed with impunity by millions of -different animals——tender, delicate creatures, some of them——fawns, lambs, -and young birds. The moist night-air of the tropical forests is breathed -with impunity by our next relatives, the anthropoid apes——the same apes -that soon perish with consumption in the close though generally -well-warmed atmosphere of our northern menageries. Thousands of soldiers, -hunters, and lumbermen sleep every night in tents and open sheds without -the least injurious consequences; men in the last stage of consumption -have recovered by adopting a semi-savage mode of life, and camping -out-doors in all but the stormiest nights. Is it the draught you fear, or -the contrast of temperature? Blacksmiths and railroad-conductors seem to -thrive under such influences. Draught? Have you never seen boys skating in -the teeth of a snow-storm at the rate of fifteen miles an hour? ‘They -counteract the effects of the cold air by vigorous exercise.’ Is there no -other way of keeping warm? Does the north wind damage the fine lady -sitting motionless in her sleigh, or the pilot and helmsman of a -storm-tossed vessel? It can not be the _inclemency_ of the open air, for, -even in sweltering summer nights, the sweet south wind, blessed by all -creatures that draw the breath of life, brings no relief to the victim of -aërophobia. There is no doubt that families who have freed themselves from -the curse of that superstition can live out and out healthier in the heart -of a great city than its slaves on the airiest highland of the southern -Apennines.”——(“Physical Education.”)] - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - CONSUMPTION——(_Continued_). - - - The country boor says he must have meat to make muscle; and all - the while his vegetarian team is twitching him and his plow - along the furrow. Where does he suppose they get their muscles?-- - THOREAU. - -Stupidly ignorant, or unmindful, of the fact that there are, in this -country and Europe, hundreds of thousands of people of all ages, sexes and -social positions, who live year in and year out mainly, and a large -proportion strictly, on the vegetarian diet, and live in health, not only, -but found perfect health by abandoning the common mixed diet and coming -nearer to first principles——notwithstanding all this, still the farce goes -on among the scientists of “proving” by chemical analyses, pretty theories -and specious arguments, that man “can not subsist in health on a -vegetarian diet.”[17] - -[Footnote 17: Jules Virey estimates that four-tenths of the human race -subsist exclusively on a vegetable diet, and that seven-tenths are -practically (though not on principle) vegetarians. Virchow estimates the -total number at eighty-five per cent.——OSWALD.] - -“The matter is this: in a cold climate we can not thrive without a modicum -of fat, but that fat need not come from slaughtered animals. In a colder -country than England, the East-Russian peasant, remarkable for his robust -health and longevity, subsists on cabbage-soup, rye-bread, and vegetable -oils. In a colder country than England, the Gothenburg shepherds live -chiefly on milk, barley bread, and esculent roots. The strongest men of -the three manliest races of the present world are non-carnivorous: the -Turanian mountaineers of Daghestan and Lesghia, the Mandingo tribes of -Senegambia, and the Schleswig-Holstein _Bauern_, who furnish the heaviest -cuirassiers for the Prussian army and the ablest seamen for the Hamburg -navy. Nor is it true that flesh is an indispensable, or even the best, -brain-food. Pythagoras, Plato, Seneca, Paracelsus, Spinoza, Peter Bayle, -and Shelley were vegetarians; so were Franklin and Lord Byron in their -best years. Newton, while engaged in writing his ‘Principia’ and -‘Quadrature of Curves,’ abstained entirely from animal food, which he had -found by experience to be unpropitious to severe mental application. The -ablest modern physiologists incline to the same opinion. ‘I use animal -food because I have not the opportunity to choose my diet,’ says Professor -Welch, of Yale; ‘but, whenever I have abstained from it, I have found my -health mentally, morally, and physically better.’”——(“Physical -Education.”) - -With regard to the muscular vigor of vegetarians: if they have not become -noted as “winners of rowing, walking, or boxing matches,” it is chiefly -because they are rarely sporting men; besides, they are as yet in this -country——although their numbers are quite rapidly increasing——in a very -small minority; but, of late, since this objection has been so frequently -raised, vegetarians have entered the lists, notably in England, in -bicycle races, and have distanced their meat-eating rivals in long races, -showing greater staying powers. - -Says the London _Lancet_: “In the summer of 1872, it became necessary to -shift the rails on upwards of 500 miles of permanent way on the Great -Western line, from the broad to the narrow gauge, and there was only a -fortnight to do it in. The work to be got through was enormous. About -3,000 men were employed, and they worked double time, sometimes from four -in the morning till nine at night. Not a soul was sick, sorry, or drunk, -and the work was accomplished on time. What was the extraordinary support -of this wonderful spurt of muscular strength and energy? Weak oatmeal -gruel. There was no beer, spirits, or alcoholic drink in any form. Here,” -continues the _Lancet_, “is a very old and well-known agent, cheap enough, -and easily procured, capable of imparting ‘staying power’ better, -probably, than anything else, which is not employed to anything like the -extent it might be with advantage.” - -The principal part of the ration allowed in the above case was one and -one-half pounds of oatmeal. In view of the immense labor performed by -these men on that quantity of this cereal, can it be wondered at that the -sedentary dyspeptic who essays to “diet” on three full meals of such food -comes to grief? For him a single moderate meal of grain food, with fruit, -would be a generous ration. - -To very many the term “vegetarian” seems almost to imply one who is -restricted to a diet of turnips and water. But Epicurus, the god of -gluttons, was himself a vegetarian, for while he regarded pleasure as the -_summum bonum_, and placed the pleasures of the table first, still, he -knew that a simple fare was most conducive to health and comfort in this -life. As to variety: “with five kinds of cereals, three legumina, eight -species of esculent roots, ten or twelve nutritive herbs, thirty to forty -varieties of tree fruits, besides berries and nuts, a vegetarian might -emulate the Duc de Polignac, who refused to eat the same dish more than -once per season.” - -In view of the constant violations of natural law as to quality, quantity -and frequency of meals, I would say that it is from the nature of the case -impossible for people living in the prevailing manner to avoid digestive -disorders;[18] in practice I find _none_ altogether exempt from them, -except the very small class of abstemious vegetarians referred to——an -individual or a family, or two, in each community——all others are more or -less dyspeptic, and _dyspepsia_ is _incipient consumption_. Thousands of -dyspeptics are oblivious as to the true nature of their disorder, simply -because the most marked symptoms in their cases, _now_, are affections of -the throat and lungs. The popular ignorance in this direction amply -accounts for the appalling fact that respiratory diseases destroy the -lives of about one-third, and consumption alone one-fifth of all who die -in this country. When dyspepsia has blossomed into consumption, unless the -primary disease——that of the stomach and intestines——is removed——an -impossibility except by a radical change from the evil dietetic habits -that have caused it——nature is powerless to heal the lungs, because (1) -the inflammation is being perpetually propagated, and (2) the entire -nutritive system is becoming more and more hopelessly diseased. - -[Footnote 18: “I think I shall not be far wrong if I say that there are -few subjects more important to the well-being of man than the selection -and preparation of his food. Our forefathers in their wisdom have -provided, by ample and generously endowed organizations, for the -dissemination of moral precepts in relation to human conduct, and for the -constant supply of sustenance to meet the cravings of religious emotions -common to all sorts and conditions of men. In these provisions no student -of human nature can fail to recognize the spirit of wisdom and a lofty -purpose. But it is not a sign of ancestral wisdom that so little thought -has been bestowed on the teaching of what we should eat and drink; that -the relations, not only between food and a healthy population, but between -food and virtue, between the process of digestion and the state of mind -which results from it, have occupied a subordinate place in the practical -arrangements of life. No doubt there has long been some practical -acknowledgment, on the part of a few educated persons, of the simple fact -that a man’s temper, and consequently many of his actions, depends on such -an alternative as whether he habitually digests his food well or ill; -whether the meals which he eats are properly converted into healthy -material, suitable for the ceaseless work of building up both muscle and -brain; or whether unhealthy products constantly pollute the course of -nutritive supply. But the truth of that fact has never been generally -admitted to an extent at all comparable with its exceeding importance. It -produces no practical result on the habits of men in the least degree -commensurate with the pregnant import it contains. For it is certain that -an adequate recognition of the value of proper food to the individual in -maintaining a high standard of health, in prolonging healthy life (the -prolongation of unhealthy life being small gain either to the individual -or to the community), and thus largely promoting cheerful temper, -prevalent good-nature, and improved moral tone, would require almost a -revolution in the habits of a large part of the community. - -“The general outlines of a man’s mental character and physical tendencies -are doubtless largely determined by the impress of race and family. That -is, the scheme of the building, its characteristics and dimensions, are -inherited; but to a very large extent the materials and filling in of the -framework depend upon his food and training. By the latter term may be -understood all that relates to mental and moral and even to physical -education, in part already assumed to be fairly provided for, and -therefore not further to be considered here. No matter, then, how -consummate the scheme of the architect, nor how vast the design, more or -less of failure to rear the edifice results when the materials are ill -chosen or wholly unworthy to be used. Many other sources of failure there -may be which it is no part of my business to note; but the influence of -food is not only itself cardinal in rank, but, by priority of action, -gives rise to other and secondary agencies. - -“The slightest sketch of the commonest types of human life will suffice to -illustrate this truth. - -“To commence, I fear it must be admitted that the majority of infants are -reared on imperfect milk by weak or ill-fed mothers. And thus it follows -that the signs of disease, of feeble vitality, or of fretful disposition, -may be observed at a very early age, and are apparent in symptoms of -indigestion or in the cravings of want manifested by the ‘peevish’ and -sleepless infant. In circumstances where there is no want of abundant -nutriment, over-feeding or complicated forms of food, suitable only for -older persons, produce for this infant troubles which are no less grave -than those of the former. In the next stage of life, among the poor the -child takes his place at the parents’ table, where lack of means, as well -as of knowledge, deprives him of food more suitable than the rough fare of -the adult.... On the whole, perhaps he is not much worse off than the -child of the well-to-do, who becomes a pet, and is already familiarized -with complex and too solid forms of food and stimulating drinks which -custom and self-indulgence have placed on the daily table. And soon -afterward commence in consequence——and entirely in consequence, a fact it -is impossible too much to emphasize——the ‘sick-headaches’ and ‘bilious -attacks,’ which pursue their victim through half a lifetime, to be -exchanged for gout or worse at or before the grand climacteric. And so -common are these evils that they are regarded by people in general as a -necessary appanage of ‘poor humanity.’ No notion can be more erroneous, -since it is absolutely true that the complaints referred to are -self-engendered, form no necessary part of our physical nature, and for -their existence are dependent almost entirely on our habits in relation to -food and drink. I except, of course, those cases in which hereditary -tendencies are so strong as to produce these evils, despite some care on -the part of the unfortunate victim of an ancestor’s self-indulgence. -Equally, however, on the part of that little-to-be-revered progenitor was -ill-chosen food, or more probably excess in quantity, the cause of -disease, and not the physical nature of man. - -“The next stage of boyhood transfers the child just spoken of to a public -school, where too often inappropriate diet, at the most critical period of -growth, has to be supplemented from other sources. It is almost -unnecessary to say that chief among these are the pastry-cook and the -vender of portable provisions, for much of which latter that skin-stuffed -compound of unknown origin, an uncertified sausage, may be accepted as the -type. - -“After this period arise the temptations to drink, among the youth of all -classes, whether at beer-house, tavern, or club. For it is often taught in -the bosom of the family, by the father’s example and by the mother’s -precept, that wine, beer, and spirits are useful, nay, necessary to -health, and that they augment the strength. And the lessons thus -inculcated and too well learned were but steps which led to wider -experience in the pursuit of health and strength by larger use of the same -means. Under such circumstances it often happens, as the youth grows up, -that a flagging appetite or a failing digestion habitually demands a dram -before or between meals, and that these are regarded rather as occasions -to indulge in variety of liquor than as repasts for nourishing the body. -It is not surprising, with such training, that the true object of both -eating and drinking is entirely lost sight of. The gratification of -acquired tastes usurps the function of that zest which healthy appetite -produces; and the intention that food should be adapted to the physical -needs of the body and the healthy action of the mind is forgotten -altogether. So it often comes to pass that at middle age, when man finds -himself in the full current of life’s occupations, struggling for -pre-eminence with his fellows, indigestion has become persistent in some -of its numerous forms, shortens his ‘staying power,’ or spoils his -judgment or temper. And, besides all this, few causes are more potent than -an incompetent stomach to engender habits of selfishness and egotism. A -constant care to provide little personal wants of various kinds, thus -rendered necessary, cultivates these sentiments, and they influence the -man’s whole character in consequence.” - -“But it is necessary to say at this point, and I desire to say it -emphatically, that the subject of food need not, even with the views just -enunciated, be treated in an ascetic spirit. It is to be considered in -relation to a principle, in which we may certainly believe, that aliments -most adapted to develop the individual, sound in body and mind, shall not -only be most acceptable but that they may be selected and prepared so as -to afford scope for the exercise of a refined taste, and produce a fair -degree of that pleasure naturally associated with the function of the -palate, and derived from a study of the table. For it is certain that -nine-tenths of the gormandism which is practiced——for the most part a -matter of faith without knowledge——is no more a source of gratification to -the eater’s gustatory sense than it is of digestible sustenance to his -body.”——“FOOD AND FEEDING,” by Sir Henry Thompson.] - -The stomach, more especially after long years of abusive treatment, is -one of the least sensitive organs. “If it had nerves as sensitive as our -finger-tips, our attention would be so much taken up with the ordinary -digestion of food that we could not properly attend to our work or -studies.” At first, in infancy, it is more sensitive, and any excess of -food is thrown off, but ere many months the disorder grows worse and -deeper-seated, and in the course of years stomachs become so diseased as -to give no sign, except when unusually outraged. It may have sores without -knowing it. Dr. Beaumont saw sores in St. Martin’s stomach after the -latter had drunk liquor, but they occasioned no pain. “Cold sores,” -chapped lips, parched or pimpled tongue or mouth, furred tongue, etc., -etc., are but signs of serious disease of the stomach and intestines, and, -consequently, of the entire organism. - -I have classed as one of the most natural and effective measures for the -preservation of health or the cure of disease, _rest_; for diseased -organs, rest[19] and light tasks; for the healthy person who desires to -keep well, I have said, “rest when tired.” Unfortunately many people, and -more especially consumptives, never know when they are tired, but work -habitually, until they are exhausted. With the latter, this is usually set -down to willfulness or lack of judgment. “She won’t listen to reason,” -says the anxious husband. “She is always overdoing,” says another. -Jockeys, describing horses thus affected, call them “pullers”: it is the -same disease——indigestion. Reason being dethroned by the poisoned -circulation in the brain, Nature, through muscular action, essays to -excrete the toxic elements. This is _stimulation_ (see “Coffee.”) - -[Footnote 19: The various excretory organs, as the bowels, kidneys, liver, -as well as the digestive apparatus, are relieved by fasting, or -diminishing the food ration.] - -It is the stimulus imparted by the thrice daily ingestion of so many -unnatural and indigestible articles that compose the mixed diet, which -prevents so many from resting when they are tired. With others, however, -the effect is quite the reverse: some are always complaining of a “tired -feeling.” There is a genuine lack of vital force occasioned by lack of -nourishment. When this feeling is experienced on rising, it is usually, -almost invariably, at least in part, the effect of close sleeping-rooms. -Many persons,——some who are fat, and called healthy, others, perhaps, -lean,——are called “lazy” who are positively weak, too weak to work without -great effort such as lookers-on know nothing about, although most people -may have had similar feelings occasionally——the “after-dinner laziness.” -This special form of disease has previously been spoken of. (See p. 34). - -Nutrition is the grand factor in the prevention or cure of disease. It may -be said, truly enough, that the blood-_aerating_ capacity remains -throughout equal, often superior, to the blood-_making_ capacity; and -consumption may be appropriately described as _dyspeptic starvation_. (See -“Saline Starvation.”) In those instances where the capital stock (of -vitality) is exhausted the victims of this disease must die; but thousands -of cases pronounced after a long course of medication and stimulation, -hopeless, have been restored by a simple diet and an out-door life. Even -hygienic institutes have failed to apply this principle in its entirety -when brought face to face with cases that demanded “heroic treatment;” -influenced in some measure, possibly, by the popular distrust of their -methods, especially the deep prejudice against a restricted diet——now, -however, rapidly disappearing——they have hitherto erred continually on the -side of excess. Nevertheless, they restore to health, or greatly benefit, -ninety per cent. of the broken down invalids who come to them, usually, as -a last resort. - -I desire here to note particularly the change now going on in the minds of -the most eminent and practical physicians in this and European countries, -concerning the use of beef-tea. It is found by chemical analysis to be -almost identical with “chamber-lye”——the favorite prescription of our -grandmothers——and although more agreeable to the taste than urine, even -when the latter is drowned in treacle, it is, in my opinion, always -injurious, especially in sickness, when, of course, the excretory system -is already taxed to the utmost. Most people, even in health, have more -than they can well do to excrete their own, once, without swallowing any -portion of the waste of animals! - -Says Dr. Brunton: - -“We find only too frequently that both doctors and patients think that the -strength is sure to be kept up if a sufficient quantity of beef-tea can -only be got down; but I think it a question whether beef-tea may not very -frequently (?) be actually injurious, and whether the products of muscular -waste which constitute the chief portion of beef-tea, beef-essence, or -even the beef itself, may not, under certain circumstances, be actually -poisonous.” - -“In many cases of nervous depression we find a feeling of weakness and -prostration coming on during digestion, and becoming so very marked about -the second hour after a meal has been taken, and at the very time when -absorption is going on, that we can hardly do otherwise than ascribe it to -actual poisoning by digestive products absorbed into the circulation. From -the observation of a number of cases, I came to the conclusion that the -languor and faintness of which many patients complained, and which -occurred about eleven and four o’clock, was due to actual poisoning by the -products of digestion of breakfast and lunch; but at the time when I -arrived at this conclusion I had no experimental data to show that the -products of digestion were actually poisonous in themselves; and only -within the last few months have I seen the conclusions to which I had -arrived by clinical observation, confirmed by experiments made in the -laboratory. Such experiments have been made by Professor Albertoni, of -Genoa, and by Dr. Schmidt-Mühlheim, in Professor Ludwig’s laboratory at -Leipsic.” - -“Professor Albertoni and Dr. Schmidt-Mühlheim independently made the -discovery that peptones prevented the coagulation of the blood in dogs, -and the latter, under Ludwig’s direction, has also investigated their -action upon the circulation. He finds that, when injected into a vein, -they greatly depress the circulation, so that the blood-pressure falls -very considerably; and when the quantity injected is large, they produce a -soporose condition, complete arrest of the secretion by the kidneys,[20] -convulsions, and death. From these experiments it is evident that the -normal products of digestion are poisons of no inconsiderable power, and -that if they reach the general circulation in large quantities they may -produce very alarming, if not dangerous symptoms.” - -[Footnote 20: See “Bright’s Disease.”] - -“Instead of trying to keep up the strength, as it is termed, by loading -the stomach with food, the exhausted brain-worker should rather lean -toward abstinence from food, and especially toward abstinence from -alcoholic liquors.[21] The feeling of muscular weakness and lassitude, -which I have already had occasion to mention as frequently coming on about -two hours after meals, is not uncommonly met with in persons belonging to -the upper classes who are well fed and have little exercise. It is perhaps -seen in its most marked form in young women or girls who have left school, -and who, having no definite occupation in life, are indisposed to any -exercise, either bodily or mental. I am led to look upon this condition as -one of poisoning, both on account of the time of its occurrence, during -the absorption of digestive products, and by reason of the peculiar -symptoms——viz., a curious weight in the legs and arms, the patient -describing them as feeling like lumps of lead. These symptoms so much -resemble the effect which would be produced by a poison like curare, that -one could hardly help attributing them to the action of a depressant or -paralyzer of motor nerves or centers. The recent researches of Ludwig and -Schmidt-Mühlheim render it exceedingly probable that peptones are the -poisonous agents in these cases; and an observation which I have made -seems to confirm this conclusion, for I found that the weakness and -languor were less after meals consisting of farinaceous food only. My -observations, however, are not sufficiently extensive to absolutely -convince me that they are entirely absent after meals of this sort, so -that possibly the poisoning by peptones, although one cause of the -languor, is not to be looked upon as the only cause.”[22] - -[Footnote 21: See chapter on Coffee.] - -[Footnote 22: “Indigestion as a Cause of Nervous Depression.” By T. Lauder -Brunton. M.D., F.R.S., in _Practitioner_.] - -I am able to vouch for a number of cases of consumption, and marasmus, in -which, under tonic treatment and frequent meals, the patients were -steadily declining, but which yielded, finally, to the influence of the -one-meal-a-day system: comparative rest of the diseased alimentary organs, -and consequent improvement in the digestive and assimilative functions -proved the needed “stimulant.” The Boston _Journal of Chemistry_, of -February, 1882, gives the history of a well-authenticated case, of an old -man of 70 years, who had been declining with pulmonary consumption for -three years, and who was pronounced incurable, who was made convalescent -by a voluntary and absolute fast of 43 days——taking water freely, however, -during the time——and, following this with the “bread and fruit” diet, was -restored to health. - -Let us contrast this method of _restoring_ the nutritive organs with that -of “curing” them by medication: - -J. Milner Fothergill, M.D., truly says (in the _Practitioner_), that “it -is more important to study the tongue than to go over the chest with a -stethoscope, and that attention to the stomach and bowels is just as -essential as the treatment of night sweats. When the tongue is covered -with thick fur it is nearly or quite useless to give iron or cod-liver -oil; for the tongue is the indicator of the state of the intestinal canal, -and absorption through the thick layer of dead epithelial cells is -impossible.” And then Dr. Fothergill gives us his method of _rasping off -the coating_, so to say, with “a compound calomel and colocynthe pill -every second night, and a mixture of nitro-hydrochloric or phosphoric -acid, with infusion of cinchona three times a day until the tongue -clears.” I would suggest that _nitro-glycerine_ would act more speedily -and reduce the suffering to a minimum! The point, however, to dwell -upon,——and it is one worthy of the deepest consideration,——is that the -state of the alimentary canal, so aptly described by the authority quoted, -and which forbids the absorption of iron and oil, also prohibits the -absorption of wholesome substances. Not only this; the secretion of the -digestive fluids (even supposing for the moment that these fluids are -present in normal amount and quality in the circulation, which is, of -course, far from the truth in this as in most disorders) is in great -degree prevented by this same physical obstruction, the “thick layer of -dead epithelial cells;” and, moreover, the secretion of fecal matters by -the glands of the colon is, in like manner and degree, prevented. (See -chapter on “Constipation.”) - -What have we, then, in summing up, as the effect of this conservative -effort of nature to “iron-sheathe and copper-fasten” this most abused -alimentary tract, if I may thus characterize the coat which has resulted -from the maltreatment of the digestive organs, and but for which the -individual would, we may reasonably suppose, have died long ago from some -plethoric disease? First: the digestive fluids, being scant and scantily -secreted, it results that (2) only a small quantity at best, of the most -wholesome food, can be by them digested, and (3) absorption from the small -intestines is equally difficult, even supposing that the appropriate -“small quantity” of food possible to be digested has not been exceeded, -which, in ordinary practice, is anything but a supposable case. Excess is -the invariable rule, and therefore (4) the undigested and fermenting food -substances, excepting a portion which is absorbed in this poisonous -condition, make their sluggish course along the intestines, collect in -great masses in the lower bowel, and, finally, (a) either by aid of -purgative medicines, or the ordinary stimulating drinks indulged in, (b) -the irritating effects of these abnormal accumulations themselves, or (c) -by means of injections, the lower bowel is more or less frequently -emptied. These extraordinary evacuations are often described by the -patient or friends as “exhausting.” That such excreta is not composed of -true fecal matters, we may reasonably conclude from the fact that (1) -digestion and assimilation are but poorly performed, and but a very small -proportion, therefore, of the quantity swallowed (often enough -consumptives continue large eaters, gauged by any standard, and, -relatively speaking, this is invariably the rule with them)——but a small -proportion, I repeat, is absorbed into the circulation, and, therefore, -undigested food must form the chief share of the so-called fecal matters, -and (2) owing to the heavy fur-coat, lining the colon, the secretion of -waste matters from the blood is, as just stated, well nigh prohibited. - -Hence it results that under the ordinary treatment the consumptive patient -is hurried out of the world by a relative, and, often enough, by an -actual, exaggeration of the very practices which originated his disorder. -Referring once more to Dr. Fothergill’s, which is, to be sure, the regular -drug plan: having scoured off the fur, so to say, with drastic purgatives, -which have, possibly, cut a little too deep; or when, from whatever cause, -instead of the furred coat, “the tongue is raw, bare, and denuded of -epithelium, the patient should,” he says, “take a mixture of _bismuth_ -with an _alkali_ and use a milk diet. Seltzer water and milk will often -agree when the milk alone is found to be too heavy and constipating.” Here -we have a case analogous to that of the robust gourmand whose dinner of a -dozen courses is carried on and out by the aid of his “dinner pill,” or -the free use of filthy mineral waters: A cup or two of cow’s milk (which, -at best, is only a natural aliment for the calf, and which is too often -drawn from a creature herself suffering from tuberculosis), is, to the -depraved consumptive, even more “heavy and constipating” than the grossest -diet indulged in ordinarily, to supposably healthy Christians, not to -speak of such occasions as church festivals or society “breakfasts.” One -secret of the difficulty which besets the hygienist in his efforts to -prevail upon a consumptive patient to persist in a course of “natural -medication,” after having once fairly entered upon it, lies in this: There -is naturally a letting down, at first, from the stimulated condition, and -this is often discouraging; the craving for the customary stimulants is -almost as unappeasable as that of the rum-dyspeptic; and what makes the -matter worse with the consumptive than with the drunkard, everybody who -approaches the former seeks to tempt the appetite: or, in any event, the -sight, smell, and hearing of the “good things” renders abstinence from -such most difficult; and then, again, after leaving off many objectionable -articles of food and drink, and having abstained from them for a few -months, we will say, the transient resumption, always imminent, of the use -of forbidden fruit operates with renewed force, and the patient finds -himself, as he thinks, “gaining a little,” and he is thus encouraged to -fall back, more or less gradually, into all his old practices. Coffee, for -example,——which originally proved constipating, after its first -(laxative) effects ceased,——having been abstained from for some months, is -now found to “agree” with and even “help” the patient, who, beginning with -a single small cup at breakfast, works up finally to two at each meal; -and, altogether, things go on swimmingly for a time. Again, after a period -of abstinence from flesh-food, pastry, spices, etc.——to guard against -which nature has put the fur-coat upon the intestines, or, perhaps, it -should be said that the wear and tear occasioned by all unwholesome -articles introduced into the stomach, have produced an effect somewhat -analogous to the thickened cuticle resulting from the constant chafing of -an ill-fitting shoe, for example,——as the intestinal tract begins to -acquire something of its normal condition, there is a point when the -resumption of a “generous” diet, in which the aforesaid substances figure -largely, will seem to give the patient a fresh impulse healthward: they -once more, perhaps, produce the laxative effects simulating that most -desirable state of the bowels called “regular.” And so on to the end of -the chapter, the patient, friends, and perhaps the medical adviser, are -misled as to the real state of affairs, until, finally, the end -approaches, and the patient who was “improving so nicely” grows worse, -and, after a period of intense suffering, which weans him from all desire -to live, and reconciles his friends to the change, dies. “He catched cold, -it settled on his lungs, and in his weak state”——etc., etc. - -Speaking in round terms, the consumptive’s digestive ability is about on a -par, usually, indeed, inferior to his muscular powers; and it is as -irrational to expect him to digest and assimilate several meals a day, as -to expect him to saw several cords of wood in the same length of time. -Both are alike impossible. The fact that the food disappears, or that -there is a craving for it, even, or, again, that it “seems to agree with -the stomach,” does not change the case. A little food of the simplest sort -may be assimilated, a little muscular exercise may be taken, and both -prove curative. In common practice, however, the alimentary system is -taxed to its own exhaustion and the impairment of the entire organism, -while the voluntary muscular system deteriorates by reason of _non-use_ as -well as from the general lack of nutrition. - -A very grave error, however, is sometimes made——of taking too much -exercise; that is, of beginning the change too abruptly. Whatever the -state of one’s general health, he can only do with advantage _about_ what -he has _habitually done_. If he has all along lived a very active life and -is in his usual health, he can take a good deal of exercise without harm, -even with advantage; if, on the other hand, his life is sedentary, but -little can be taken——beyond the current amount——without doing more harm -than good. In either case, however, there may be a gradual increase of -muscular exercise, and for many of the latter class this would prove life -conserving, (if persisted in as a habit of life), but spasmodic efforts at -building up a muscular system will always fail; nature does nothing in -that fashion. The rule should be to exercise a little short of fatigue, -and it should be increased little by little each day, “until the labor of -working accommodates itself to easy habits.” This rule would leave for -some consumptive patients, at first, only the passive exercise of having -their muscles pressed by their attendant’s hand, or a gentle walk for a -short distance, and so on. - -“Combined with a hectic flush of the face, night-sweats, or general -emaciation, shortness of breath leaves no doubt that the person thus -affected is in the first stage of pulmonary consumption. If the patient -were my son, I should remove the windows of his bedroom, and make him pass -his days in the open air——as a cow-boy or berry-gatherer, if he could do -no better. In case the disease had reached its _deliquium_ period, the -stage of violent bowel-complaints, dropsical swellings, and utter -prostration,[23] it would be better to let the sufferer die in peace; but, -as long as he were able to digest a frugal meal and walk two miles on -level ground, I should begin the outdoor cure at any time of the year, and -stake my own life on the result. I should provide him with clothing enough -to defy the vicissitudes of the seasons, and keep him outdoors in all -kinds of weather——walking, riding, or sitting; he would be safe: the fresh -air would prevent the _progress_ of the disease. But _improve_ he could -not without exercise. Increased exercise is the price of increased vigor. -Running and walking steel the leg-sinews. In order to strengthen his -wrist-joints a man must handle heavy weights. Almost any bodily -exercise——but especially swinging, wood-chopping, carrying weights, and -walking up-hill——increases the action of the lungs, and thus gradually -their functional vigor. Gymnastics that expand the chest facilitate the -action of the respiratory organs, and have the collateral advantage of -strengthening the sinews, and invigorating the system in general, by -accelerating every function of the vital process. The exponents of the -movement-cure give a long list of athletic evolutions, warranted to widen -out the chest as infallibly as French-horn practice expands the cheeks. -But the trouble with such machine-exercises is that they are almost sure -to be discontinued as soon as they have relieved a momentary distress, -and, as Dr. Pitcher remarks in his ‘Memoirs of the Osage Indians,’ the -symptoms of consumption (caused by smoking and confinement in winter -quarters) disappear during their annual buffalo-hunt, but reappear upon -their return to the indolent life of the wigwam. The problem is to make -outdoor exercise pleasant enough to be permanently preferable to the _far -niente_ whose sweets seem especially tempting to consumptives. This -purpose accomplished, the steady progress of convalescence is generally -insured, for the differences of climate, latitude, and altitude, of age -and previous habits, almost disappear before the advantages of an habitual -outdoor life over the healthiest indoor occupations.”——(“Physical -Education.”) - -[Footnote 23: The fasting consumptive referred to on page 62 had already -approached this condition.——AUTHOR.] - -I would not be understood, by any means, as advising every consumptive -patient, or every one who supposes himself to be suffering from this -disease, to immediately and without advice stop eating; but this much I -do say: in all cases of progressive emaciation, that is to say, where the -organs of digestion and assimilation have become so impaired that the body -is not nourished, but is steadily declining, the attending physician -should _consider_ the question of temporary rest for the alimentary -organs, so far as the ingestion of food is concerned. The presence even of -a craving appetite should be treated as a morbid symptom, and should weigh -in favor of abstinence. It should also be borne in mind that the earlier -this remedy is applied the smaller will be the “dose” indicated, and the -more speedy and complete the relief. Had Mr. Connolly, for example——whose -cure by fasting I have already alluded to——at any time during his first -few months of “pressure at the lungs, with cough and expectoration,” -fasted for a week or ten days,[24] perhaps, under the care of a physician -sufficiently intelligent to judge of his needs in this direction, and had -he thereafter lived on the plain diet which he now finds so complete, he -would in all probability have escaped the illness which followed, and -would have enjoyed uninterrupted health to the present day. Again, if he -had changed his manner of living five years earlier——from three “mixed” -meals[25] of stimulating food, as flesh and the irritating condiments -invariably associated with animal food; pastry, white flour, and -stimulating drinks, as tea and coffee——to two meals composed of the -cereals, vegetables and fruits, prepared in the simplest and plainest -manner, there would have been no call for a fast. I have the means of -knowing of over five thousand families in this country alone who have made -this change for preventive and curative purposes, and with the happiest -results. I would say that any person who finds his appetite failing or -fitful——sometimes poor, sometimes craving——and who has reason to fear the -decline of his nutritive powers, will do well to make a radical change in -his habits of living; and the sooner the better. The most pernicious -custom of which I have any knowledge, yet one almost universal in the care -of the sick, is that of “tempting the appetite,” concocting fancy or -especially toothsome dishes, when nature is saying in the plainest manner -that feeding has already been overdone. Such preparations are a severe tax -upon even robust persons——they are fatal to consumptives. It is infinitely -worse than bribing an exhausted laborer, who can scarcely move a muscle, -to rouse himself to fresh tasks. He will do more and better work by reason -of present and absolute rest; and the same is true of the sick stomach: -there will be a relish for the coarsest article of diet——aye, it will be -delicious——and digestion will wait on appetite, when the nutritive organs -shall have been restored by sufficient rest. The experiments of Tanner at -New York, Griscomb at Chicago, and now of Terrence Connolly (the -consumptive faster) at Newton, N. J., have, I believe, demonstrated the -fact that, in health or in sickness, in all cases of abstinence from all -food, saving only water and pure air, of whatever disease the subject may -die, it will not be for want of food, _so long as there remains any -considerable amount of flesh[26] on his bones_. By the light of these -experiences we shall do well, too, to study more closely the functions of -the lymphatic system: human flesh, by absorption, constitutes a most -appropriate diet in certain conditions of disease (see article on -rheumatism). The absorption and excretion of diseased tissues is, under -some circumstances, the only work that nature can with safety undertake, -and in these cases no building up can be accomplished until a solid -foundation is reached and the _debris_ removed; and _not then unless, -while this good work is going on, the nutritive organs are given an -opportunity to virtually renew themselves_. - -[Footnote 24: It is evident that such a fast, _then_, would have proved, -so far as the danger of starvation is concerned, a mere bagatelle, since -three years later, as we have seen,——years of decline and emaciation,——he -endured, and, with advantage, a fast of over six weeks.] - -[Footnote 25: A return to his old diet now would probably make short work -of this subject, and should I hear of his early death, my first inquiry -would relate to this point.] - -[Footnote 26: The amount “consumed” in the case of Mr. Connolly from day -to day, was very slight indeed, scarcely more than before he left off -eating; that is, it was observed that his emaciation was no more rapid -during the fast than immediately prior thereto; before the fast his food -was not being digested nor assimilated, and he was taking purgatives -continually for torpid bowels.] - -Dr. Tanner, in his forty days’ fast, lost about fifty pounds in weight. -Mr. Griscomb lost a little more than that in his fast of forty-five days; -and although moving about, taking more exercise every day than many -sedentary people, and attending to a large correspondence, etc., was still -able to say to the audience assembled to see him break his fast: “Ladies -and gentlemen, you see now a man who has swallowed no food, except water, -for forty-five days, and yet I can assure you that I am neither faint nor -hungry; but I shall soon convince you that I have an excellent appetite,” -and, so saying, he proceeded to partake of a very moderate dinner, and in -moderate fashion. It is commonly supposed that these are uncommon men: -they are uncommon only in possessing a knowledge as to the power of the -living organism to withstand abstinence from food, and in having the -courage of their opinions. And yet, when discussing the advantages of the -two-meal system, uninformed people talk about “getting faint if they go so -long” without nourishment! They speak from the three-meal-fish-flesh-fowl -and pickle stand-point; accustomed to applying a hot poultice to a -gnawing, sick stomach every few hours, they do get faint if the time runs -over a single hour. - -These various fasts, with the lessons to be drawn from them, must prove, -finally, of inestimable value to science in the treatment of disease, -where it may be desirable to rest all the viscera, or any portion thereof, -concerned in digestion,[27] or to “close the bowels” for certain surgical -operations, without resorting to injurious medication, and also——a very -important consideration——in cases of enforced abstinence, as in time of -famine or shipwreck, to prevent death from fright and discouragement, -which have heretofore killed scores where actual starvation has one. - -[Footnote 27: An eminent Maine statesman has recently died, who might have -recovered and lived for years, but for the mistaken theory that food is a -daily need under all circumstances: To constantly feed an irritated -stomach is like kicking a man when he is down. And yet this is being done -with fatal effect constantly all over the world. In certain cases, and -especially with aged patients, this system is as surely fatal as -strychnine, if less speedy. There are many besides myself who believe that -President Garfield died from fatty degeneration, chronic dyspepsia, and -constant feeding during his illness, rather than from the effects of the -bullet. True enough, he might have lived on for years in his disordered -physical condition but for the wound; still, on the other hand, it is -equally probable that he might have lived, and that his sickness would -have restored him to health even, but for the constant tampering with his -stomach, which needed rest as much as the great and good man himself. No -rest for the stomach, no rest for the man, is an axiom which I would -submit to my brother practitioners, as one worthy of all acceptation. It -is being constantly proved right before their own eyes, and yet very few -have learned the lesson it teaches.] - -As illustrating the influence of an out-door life, with partial or -transient fasting, I will cite - - - THE CASE OF MR. VICKERS. - -Joseph Vickers, born and raised in England, but now of Biddeford, Me., -whose home is near my own, and the man himself well known to me, was very -“low with consumption” at one time, when in his twenty-second year. His -disease was attributed, and without doubt justly, to a severe chill -resulting from wading the river on one of his hunting bouts, and being -compelled to dry his clothes on his back——a feat he had previously -performed repeatedly, except that on this occasion, being very much -fatigued, and night coming on, instead of continuing vigorous exercise -while his clothes were drying, he “went into camp” and “shivered -throughout the night in his soaked garments.” Declining very rapidly, with -every symptom of pulmonary consumption, his case was considered hopeless -by his friends. Medicine seeming to him useless, he gave up taking it, and -his physician consequently gave him no encouragement or hope of recovery. -His digestion was very imperfect——as he put it, “Nothing I ate seemed to -do me any good”——and to the disgust of his parents and friends he often -refused to eat anything for an entire day. Able to be up and dressed a -good portion of the time, he would spend as much of the day outdoors as -possible, and at night “never slept without a window open in the -bed-room.” Gaining a little strength, and being “badgered,” as he says, -“all the time, when at home, about eating,” and being very fond of -hunting, and not sleeping well, he would rise very early, take his gun -and, as he expressed it, would “crawl off to the woods,” and sit or lie -down until rested, and then “travel a bit and rest again,” and so spend -the entire day, taking no lunch, and eating nothing, drinking from a brook -or a spring when thirsty, returning at night, often as late as seven or -eight o’clock, when he would eat a little coarse food after resting, and -then go to bed. “A couple of weeks” of this sort of life sufficed to bring -him home at night with an “appetite for a side of sole-leather,” and he -would eat a hearty supper——always of the plainest food——and soon go to -bed. From this point his recovery was as rapid as his decline had been. -His diet has always been of the plainest sort, mostly vegetable (a large -proportion of coarse bread and fruit),——“My drink is always cold water, -and I let the rest of the family eat all the fancy stuff,” he remarked. -Mr. Vickers,——who is a devout Christian man, and his story corroborated -in every feature by others as reliable,——is now sixty-six years old, -though he appears like a robust, well-preserved man of fifty. - -Excepting under very aggravated conditions, as for example, the case of -Mr. Vickers, given above, rarely does any creature ever _begin_ to have -consumption with a sound stomach, liver, and intestines. Nor can the -digestive organs become diseased, ordinarily, so long as the diet and -general regimen are even approximately correct. If we thought more of what -would “tickle” the stomach and intestines than the palate, simply, we -would banish most of our disorders; pure air, active exercise, a _clear -conscience_, and the cultivation of a spirit of cheerfulness, kindliness, -and contentment, would send the balance a-flying. Upon the importance of -cheerfulness, a recent writer, a physician with a large practice, and a -man of keen perceptions, says: “One of the most important directions of -all is personal and subjective. Cultivate with the utmost force possible -the habit of cheerfulness. No words can put this out with the strength and -weight which I should be glad to give to it. Its value is utterly beyond -estimation. The difference between meeting the common, or uncommon, trials -of life with cheerfulness or with despondency, and perhaps complaint and -grumbling, is often just the difference between life and death.” - -The appetite for “sweets”——candy, syrup, sugar, and fancy dishes deluged -with sweet sauces——encouraged to an abnormal degree from infancy, and the -gratification of this appetite throughout life are prolific aids in -establishing the phthisical diathesis. There is a natural appetite for -_sweet fruits_ and this demand may be safely met by such forms of food, -but never by the unbalancing artificial sweets, or _proximate principles_ -of food, as cane or beet sugar and the “bon-bons” formed from them. - -Victor Hugo,——that grand man who gave us “_Les Miserables_,”——in the first -volume of the series, puts this bit of physiological wisdom into the mouth -of the witty libertine, Tholomyés, who uses it, to be sure, in a double -sense, which I need not here explain: “Now, listen attentively!” says this -oracle of the “four.” “Sugar is a salt. Every salt is desiccating. Sugar -is the most desiccating of all salts. It sucks up the liquids from the -blood through the veins; thence comes the coagulation, then the -solidification of the blood; thence the tubercles in the lungs; thence -death. And this is why diabetes borders on consumption.” I commend the -above thought to consumptives, and to the parents of fat children——the -consumptives of the future. Every grain of artificial sugar swallowed, -constitutes a tax upon the system——upon the lungs and kidneys, more -particularly——a tax upon the individual’s vitality. - -Among the prolific causes of consumption in after life, is that of the -involuntary cramming and fattening of infancy, followed up during -childhood and youth by a somewhat less excessive gluttony, which is taught -inferentially by the conversation and example of the elders, as by -constantly dwelling upon the delights of the palate, arranging -entertainments which are feasts of the body, rather than of the mind, in -advance of which all classes discuss with excess of interest the palatal -pleasures of the coming “good time,” and at which all unite, if not in -gorging themselves, at least in feeding themselves for pleasure to the -disregard of the true requirements of their bodies for nutriment. - -As a result of all this, sedentary persons become, like stall-fed oxen, -degenerated with fat; and this, as just remarked about children, is a -predisposing cause of consumption. A very large proportion of -consumptives, most of them, in fact, are first thus diseased; and when any -person is round and plump, or even fairly covered, so to say, and is yet -lacking in muscular power——“easily tired”——it is _prima facie_ evidence -that the muscular system is degenerated in the manner described; and if -the muscles, then the vital organs within, also. Thus we observe that -grossness is by no means essential to fatty degeneration, although all -obese persons are, of course, thus affected. - -The salary of a fireman (“coal heaver”) depends upon his intelligence in -the matter of fuelling up his engine with a view to its “health,” power -and longevity; that of the cook or caterer, upon his ingenuity in devising -means to accomplish the reverse of all this in the case of the human -engine placed at his mercy. - -“A well-spread board” should be described as one at which the youngest -child (whose teeth are cut) may exercise his will without let or -hindrance until, at the first indication of dallying, or “loafing,” over -his food, it is evident that he has had enough; and at which the -consumptive may eat without being tempted to overindulge, but, paying heed -to the first intimation of satiety, rise from the table with the assurance -of having performed an agreeable duty, in that he has eaten in quantity -and quality, what he can digest and assimilate. The consumptive starves, -not for want of food, but for want of digestion and assimilation. It is -impossible to emphasize this fact too strongly. - -The _Scientific American_ of June 3, 1882, in an article entitled -“Tubercle Parasite,”[28] considering Dr. Koch’s theory, says: “According -to Dr. Salisbury, this disease (consumption) is one arising from -‘continued unhealthy alimentation, and must be treated by removing the -cause. This cause is fermenting food and the products of this -fermentation, viz.: alcoholic yeast and alcohol, vinegar yeast and acetic -acid, carbonic acid gas, embolism, and interference with nutrition. -Consumption of the bowels can be produced at any time in the human subject -in from fifteen to thirty days, and consumption of the lungs inside of -ninety days, by special, exclusive, and continued feeding upon the diet -that produces them——that is, food containing starch and sugar in alcoholic -and acetic acid fermentation.’” Dr. Salisbury had found this embryonic -form of the vinegar yeast in the blood, sputa, and excretions of persons -suffering with consumption. In the blood the plant forms masses by itself, -grows inside the white corpuscles, causes the fibrin filaments of the -blood to be larger in size and stronger, the red corpuscles to be ropy, -sticky, adhesive, making small clots or “thrombi,” which become “emboli” -or plugs, and block up the capillaries and blood-vessels. The growth of -the vinegar yeast in its embryonal stage, combined with the mechanical -interference with nutrition, causes abnormal growths in the substance of -organs, called tubercle; and the concurrent inflammatory results, in -addition to the chemical action of the vinegar or acetic acid, causes the -death and breaking down of the organs invaded——the lungs, for example. -That this is not opinion only is shown by the fact that over 246 swine -were, at his instance, destroyed by feeding on farinaceous food in a state -of alcoholic and vinegar fermentation, the vinegar yeast traced in the -blood, found in the excretions, and 104 of the dead swine were subjected -to _post-mortem_ examinations and their lungs found broken down and -diseased as in ordinary consumption. The same experiment was tried on a -number of men, “all healthy, and with no vegetations in the blood. They -were given plenty of exercise in the open air,” but within three months -these men had consumption of the lungs. “Certainly,” says the _Scientific -American_, “we think the evidence submitted shows that Dr. Salisbury has -come nearer to the real intimate nature of consumption than Dr. Koch or -any one we know. There is a simplicity, directness, breadth, and -positiveness rarely seen in the treatment of a medical subject. Indeed, it -is doubtful if there have been experiments so conclusive and extensive -before or since.” It must be evident to even the crudest thinker that this -fermenting process must ultimately produce the same effects when _begun in -the stomach_, and described as indigestion; and no more efficient means of -initiating this process can be imagined than that of swallowing -indigestible substances——the most wholesome food-substances may be -prepared in such a manner as to render them indigestible——or eating in -excess of the needs of the organism, and therefore of the capacity for -digestion. Thousands upon thousands of so-called healthy people are in -this way approaching the point of decline, more or less slowly, but -surely, utterly unconscious of their danger, simply because in their -ignorance they can not recognize the premonitory symptoms, of which -chronic constipation, for example, is one, and a very grave one. (See -article on this subject.) - -[Footnote 28: Microscopic examination reveals the presence of a -multiplicity of fatty crystals throughout the substance of the lungs of -persons who have died of consumption. At a recent meeting of the New -Orleans Pathological Society, its President, Dr. H. D. Schmidt, whose -researches have been extended and minute, made an important microscopical -demonstration to disprove Prof. Koch’s so-called discovery as to the -bacilli of tuberculosis. Prof. Schmidt claimed to demonstrate that the -so-called bacilli, thought by Dr. Koch to be the cause of consumption, -were simply fatty crystals. Connecting with this the fact that Prof. Koch -really found certain minute living organisms which he propagated -artificially for several generations, it becomes evident to my mind (1) -that the “bacillus” is simply a natural scavenger enveloped in the -diseased tissue——the fatty crystal, or the tubercle——and (2) that its -office is really, under the circumstances, conservative to life. Nor is -this conclusion disproved by the alleged fact that the inoculation with -the bacilli, of _supposably_ healthy animals, produced the disorder: In -the first place, the little domestic pets, such as were thus operated -upon, are always, owing to their artificial surroundings, predisposed to -the disease in question, frequently falling victims to it without the aid -of inoculation, and (3) this being the case, their inoculation with a -liberal reinforcement of greedy vermin,——or, supposing that, as yet, none -were generated, their premature introduction,——would naturally tend to a -speedy and fatal termination. It makes no difference to a dead man whether -his lungs were devoured by bacilli, or simply broken down from fatty -degeneration; but to the living, it is a matter of the utmost importance -to learn the true condition of things in the premises. The idea of being -eaten alive by myriads of little vermin from which there is supposably no -escape, is enough to strike terror to the mind of a patient; but let him -know that his disease is of such a nature that (with the _aid_ of the -bacilli, perhaps,) a radical change in his manner of living affords great -assurance for the hope of its entire eradication, and he has at once an -all-sufficient motive for reform. - -Dr. J. Milner Fothergill, in a letter to the _Philadelphia Medical Times_, -referring to Koch’s theory of the origin of tuberculosis, remarks, half -jocosely: “Talk of the bitterness of death! It is nothing to the shadowy -danger which overhangs us of a tubercle-bacillus getting into one’s -pulmonary alveoli in an unguarded moment, and when one’s ‘resistive power’ -happens to be impaired. Shadowy in the sense of invisible, not unreal! Is -this what is meant by ‘the doom of a great city’? Is the bacillus a -relative of the poison-germ which slew Sennacherib’s host in a night? We -do not yet know the little creature intimately enough to say. But, really, -the horrors which the mind conjures up of the dangers of the bacillus in -the future are demoralizing. Suppose, now, that some change of the human -constitution should favor the bacillus, just as the potato-field did the -Colorado beetle, who had been happily quiet in his dietary of the leaves -of the deadly nightshade, but who went on the war-path when the leaves of -the other members of the Solanaceæ came within his reach. The imagination -fails to conceive what may be the fate of man,——to be slain by a foe more -remorseless than any of the plagues of Egypt. Suppose, now, that the -bacillus took such a new departure, and got ahead of our ‘resistive -power.’ Why, man would be swept off the face of the earth! What an -ignominious end, too! Man, in the plenitude of his power over the forces -of nature, slain by an insignificant little bacillus!”] - -After all, excess in diet is, usually, only another term for lack of fresh -air and exercise, without which no one can become, or continue, robust. -While it is true that to command health and muscular vigor one must be -well fed, still no amount of food alone can make the right arm like that -of a blacksmith. But we can make the muscles grow on ample exercise -and——food enough; always, however, considering a constant supply of oxygen -as an essential element in the ration. The muscular system wastes——with -many is never even tolerably developed——the powers wane, because of -sedentary habits. “Inaction contravenes the supreme design of the human -constitution, and is therefore adverse to its health.”——HUXLEY. The lungs -begin to take on disease, often, because the individual does nothing to -make him _breathe deep_; exercise is not frequent and vigorous[29] enough -to cause frequent deep inspirations; the remote air-cells are in many -instances seldom, and with corset-wearers _never_, inflated, and, -consequently, the tendency is to grow together, so to say, or, rather, to -fester and slough off, as useless appendages. To form the habit of taking -long breaths in the open air, occasionally, throughout the day, would do -much to maintain the integrity of lung-tissue, aerate the blood and -prevent or cure consumption; but, after all, Nature designs that creatures -who inhabit this earth shall be “fit” for something besides drawing their -own breath.[30] To be “fit to survive” one must be of use in the world; -hence there must be employment that taxes the mental, moral, and physical -forces sufficiently to stimulate their growth and development. This, and -nothing short of this, is health, in the complete sense of the term. -_Robust health_, if one would secure it, demands that one should be much -in the open air and exposed, often, to a low temperature while taking a -great deal of vigorous exercise. To be _long-lived_, on the other hand, -requires rather that the diet be restricted to correspond with abstinence -from labor and cold, some degree of exercise in the open air, however, -being essential. The robust often wear out faster than the brain workers, -whose lives are rather on the quiet order. Worry kills ten where work -kills one. - -[Footnote 29: In a badly vitiated atmosphere _inaction_ is the only -palliative; muscular exercise causes a demand for an increased supply of -oxygen, and increases the amount of carbonic acid to be eliminated, -neither of which conditions can be met except by means of pure air.] - -[Footnote 30: See note 1 in Appendix, p. 275.] - -The best illustration of the natural means of preventing, or curing, -consumption——in fact, of promoting and maintaining health, under any -circumstances——I have ever seen, is given in the following true story of - - - HOW A YOUNG GIRL CURED HERSELF. - -“Then you are surprised to learn that I came within six weeks of dying of -consumption, thirty years ago, are you, doctor?” The questioner was a -bright, healthy little woman of fifty who, in the course of a consultation -about a consumptive niece, had expressed herself as having little hope of -her recovery, “because she wouldn’t do as I did when I had the -disease——and she isn’t nearly as sick as I was.” Straight as an arrow, -active and merry, looking more like forty than fifty, Mrs. E. was the last -person that any one would select as belonging to a “consumptive family,” -or of having suffered with the disease, in her own person, and yet her -mother died of it when this daughter was about 19, and the latter’s -decline was attributed to inherited tendency and long confinement in the -sick-room, during the last year of her mother’s life. “Yes, I have told -Lettie how I cured myself after the doctors gave me up, but she will not -undertake it——not now, at least——perhaps she may when she gets where I -was. Do you want me to give you my recipe for the cure of consumption, -Doctor? Tell you the whole story? Well, the way is simple, and the story a -short one, and if it will help any one I shall be very glad. I needn’t -tell you all about mother’s case——hers was the old-fashioned consumption; -she was sick a good many years, but the last year she was almost helpless -and would have no one but me to take care of her. Well, I bore up until -she died, and then I gave out; I could not go to the grave——I was in bed -during the funeral. I had not realized——none of the family had——how poorly -I had become; but now it was plain enough. I kept my bed most of the -time——could not get rested. I had been sick several weeks when my brother -was brought home ill, was taken with typhoid fever, and there was no one -to nurse him. I roused myself up and declared that I was able to do it; -and I carried the point, in spite of all father could say. Well, he was -sick nine weeks, but I gave up before he recovered. I carried him through -the worst of it, however, before I took my bed; and then I was very sick -indeed. For a while they thought I could live but a few weeks, but I -rallied and got more comfortable. I raised a great deal, and for several -months remained about the same, apparently; but the autumn came, and when -we began to shut the house up I seemed to grow worse; my cough was still -very bad, but I couldn’t ‘raise’ much, and I suffered terribly for breath. -The doctor who had been attending me——the one who had tended mother——at -last said he could do no more for me, and for some months we had no -physician, and then father called a new one——a young doctor who was -fitting himself for practice in our village. He came to see me, examined -my lungs, and I fainted away in the effort. He went out——leaving no -medicine——and had a talk with father. He said that he did not care to take -the case; that there was no hope for me; my lungs were badly ulcerated, -and I had but few weeks to live. ‘She can’t live over six weeks,[31] Mr. -B., and she may die any day. I am young, just commencing practice, and it -will injure me to have her die on my hands; and I can not help her.’ ‘At -least,’ said father, ‘give her something to relieve her suffering.’ They -did not know that I could hear them; but spring-time had come again, the -day was quite warm, and I had asked to have the window raised at the head -of my bed, and so it happened that I could hear all they said. I heard -the doctor returning, and I resolved not to take any of his soothing -drops; I had taken all I meant to. ‘Well,’ said I, ‘what have you come -back for, doctor?’ ‘Your father wished me to prescribe for you,’ said he. -‘Never mind,’ I said, firmly, ‘I shall take nothing more. You say I have -six weeks to live: I will spend them in getting rid of the medicines I -have taken the past year,’ and he went away. Soon father came in, seeming -much disappointed and grieved, and in answer to his questioning, I told -him why I had determined to take no more medicine, and what I had resolved -to do; and now I will tell you what I did, and how I came to do it. I had -read in an old English almanac——not a medical one, like the ones strewn -about everywhere now, but there was a good deal of useful information in -it——a ‘Sure Cure for Consumption,’ and it was so different from what I had -been doing, and appealed so strongly to my judgment, that I had been -thinking that if I could only make a start there might be a chance for me; -but the effort required was so great that I doubt if I should have had -courage enough to undertake it but for my resentment, upon overhearing -that conversation——to think that the doctors had given me nothing but -medicine, and that I had been eating in such a way——without any appetite, -except for some of the ‘rich’ things they were always making because I -couldn’t relish anything else. The recipe explained that the disease was -caused by lack of fresh air, outdoor exercise, and appropriate food; but I -will only tell you what I did, and you will understand all about the -reasons for it. First, I told father and the rest of the family that as I -had but six weeks to live, they must let me have my own way in everything, -and must do as I said. I could not move from the bed alone, but I had them -carry me on a comforter out on the lawn and lay me down there. ‘How was -_I_ to take exercise——when I could scarcely turn myself in bed?’ was the -question. Well, I did turn myself on one side, and, with a stick, begun to -dig a little in the ground. It looked then as though I should not do much -damage to the nice sod father had taken so much pains to make; but I dug a -little hole as large as my fist, and then rested. After a while I turned -over on the other side and dug another little hole, filled it up, and -rested again. It seemed good to rest and I felt a little better; for the -outdoor air, and the exertion I had put forth, ‘loosened’ my cough a -little, and I begun to ‘raise.’ At night they carried me back to bed. My -bed-room windows had been wide open all day, and I wouldn’t have them shut -now; but in answer to their fears about the night air and catching cold, I -said, ‘Give me clothes enough, and I will risk the night air——I’m going to -breathe pure air the next six weeks——if I live so long.’ They all felt -terribly——they thought I was shortening my life, even then——but they -yielded, finally, in everything, even to not asking me ‘if I couldn’t eat -a little of this, or that, if they would make it for me?’ I had replied: -‘No, when I feel like eating a piece of Graham bread or a potato, without -butter or salt, I will eat something——not before.’ This had occurred in -the morning, and that very night I asked for a slice of bread and ate a -little bit——as big as my two fingers, perhaps. I had them put a -teaspoonful of cayenne pepper[32] in a dish and turn warm water on it——a -quart——and let it stand overnight, and in the morning was sponged all over -in that water——the dregs turned off. I had them bathe an arm and then dry -it with a coarse towel, and rub me with it as hard as I could bear (not -very hard, to be sure), then a leg, and so on.[33] It seemed to give the -dead skin a little life; then they carried me out to my ‘work’ again! I -felt like resting after the bath, but after a while I turned over and dug -a larger hole than on the day before, filled it——partly with what I raised -from my lungs, and such stuff as it was! I could take longer breaths, too; -and after digging a minute or so I would _have_ to stop and take a long -breath, and then go on again.[34] I was thirsty a good deal, and would -drink water——all I wanted. I ate a piece of stale coarse bread and some -fruit that morning after I was rested from my first digging, and then I -kept on resting for some hours, after which I dug a little more. In the -middle of the day, when the sun came down too hot, I had an old umbrella -put over me and fastened. At night a little bit of bread and a small -potato: I ate as much as I could relish, but not a mouthful more. In this -way I kept on, day after day, and they began to see that I was gaining. -Father, who could not believe the gain was real, but rather the temporary -effect of my will, yet joked me about ruining the lawn: ‘I shall have to -turf it all over again, Lucia,’ said he, even before I could dig a hole -large enough in a day to bury a cat in, and he tried to laugh at his -little joke. I remember that I did laugh, and came near strangling in a -coughing fit in consequence, but that was a help; what I _needed_ was to -cough and raise the stuff up——those old ulcers that the doctor said my -lungs were covered with——and I found fresh air, flavored with a little -exercise, a better ‘expectorant,’ as you doctors say, than those I had -been taking. I began to feel hopeful——the novelty of the idea——digging for -my life! I took a desperate view of it——six weeks to live——‘I’ll die -fighting,’ I said to myself. It seemed almost droll——droll enough, at any -rate, to interest my mind, and I would say funny things to the others to -make them laugh, and this seemed to make them try to be cheerful and to -cheer me on. The third day, I remember that I ate the same kind of a -breakfast——just a little——and at night asked them to boil a beet! I would -have only one vegetable at a time, lest I might be tempted to overeat and -lose my appetite, and so spoil everything.[35] I was impressed with the -idea of ‘earning my living’ at outdoor work——‘by the sweat of my -brow’——and not to eat more than I earned by the exercise. I had renounced -my coffee and tea; I ate no grease of any kind, nor meat——bread, fruit, -and vegetables only——no salt or spices, pastry, pie, puddings, nor cake, -nor ‘sweets’ of any sort, except the natural, _whole_ sweet furnished by -nature, in the form of vegetables and sweet fruits. The prescription said -that some people ate too much soft food,——bread and milk, puddings, and -the like,——and that while such dishes were better than many others in -common use, still they were not the best, especially for sick people with -weak stomachs, but that dry (farinaceous) food was every way better; and -so I ate bread, or unleavened biscuit, which, after a little practice, the -girl could make very nice,——just the meal and water well mixed and moulded -stiff and baked in a hot oven,——and I ate them very slowly, chewing each -mouthful thoroughly. You can tell, perhaps, doctor, just why this should -make a difference:[36] I only know that it seemed to agree with my stomach -better. They bathed me every morning in the same way, only after a while -they did not have to work so slowly and cautiously. I could exercise more -and more, from day to day, and with less and less fatigue, and I laughed -to myself that father’s joke would prove something more than a joke; I was -bound to undo all his nice work; and I knew he wouldn’t care, so that I -could get well. After a while I could raise myself up and sit erect, and -dig a little, first on one side and then on the other; and by the time my -‘six weeks’ were up——and I told father so one day——I could dig a pretty -good grave for myself, if they wanted to bury me; only, it wouldn’t be -quite deep enough to hold me down——for I had actually raised myself to my -feet, stood alone, and walked a few steps without help. On the eighth week -I could walk about——would walk off a dozen steps, come back, sit -down——perhaps lie down. The more I did, the more I could do——always taking -care not to exhaust myself——and the more I could eat; but I took even more -care not to overeat than not to overwork: I found that the real thing was -to eat little enough——not to see how much I could eat——so that I could -increase the amount regularly, rather than to lose my appetite and eat -nothing some days, or eat without an appetite, and next day eat -enormously, perhaps, as mother used to; I wouldn’t have them ‘fix up’ -anything——I was afraid of being put back. I ate but twice a day, and -sometimes my breakfast was nothing but fruit——two or three oranges or as -many apples, or a huge slice of watermelon——this was food and drink, both. -I wore the least possible weight of clothing——often removing my stockings -as well as shoes, and going barefooted and bare-armed when the weather was -very warm. I had lost all fear of taking cold, though I kept comfortable -always——throwing off clothing when too warm, and putting it on, as any -great change in the temperature made it necessary, but to the extent of my -increasing strength I endeavored to keep warm by exerting my muscles. One -day, after some months of self-treatment, and when it had become evident -that I was really convalescent, I asked brother to call Dr. Osgood (the -young doctor who refused to take my case). ‘Why, sis,’ said he, ‘you are -not in earnest?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ said I, ‘I want to tell him how to cure -consumption! You tell him I want to see him, but don’t say what for.’ He -had been away somewhere, and had forgotten all about me, of course, but -when brother spoke to him about me, he was astonished to find that I was -alive. ‘It was amazing’ he said. ‘Yes, if there is any chance of saving(!) -her I will call’——and he came. He expressed his pleasure at finding me so -well, and I suppose he thought I had come to a point where I felt the need -of his advice and a ‘tonic,’ perhaps; but I just made him listen to the -story of my self-cure, and asked him if he couldn’t advise others to do -the same way, and so do his patients more good. He was inclined to be -vexed, at first, but finally he laughed and said: ‘Really, Miss B————, I -have come here at your request, and you have prescribed for me, instead of -I for you, and I thank you for it——will pay you for it, if you will name -the price——but I could not practice in that way. Why, how many -consumptives would act upon my advice, if it was of that character? How -many, indeed, would have the second visit from me, or recommend me to -others? They would even denounce me to their friends——to every one they -saw, and I would have to go to digging in the ground myself, or leave for -other parts. No, Miss B————, you learned the true secret, and you were -“fit” to “survive” because you worked out your own salvation: you have -taught me something——a valuable lesson, I may say, and one that I shall -profit by as I have an opportunity; but we could never set up such a -reform——one doctor, nor two, nor three, alone——the time is not ripe for -it, physicians are not ripe for it, and it can only come, if it is ever to -come, by just such independent action as your case represents.’ And so he -went away, and I continued my ‘treatment.’ The next summer I had a little -flower garden of my own, watered and tended it, and, a little later, -helped about the kitchen-garden, besides taking care of my own room; and -so I went on, gaining steadily, until, within two years, I was -well——better than I had known myself since my romping days, and I have -scarcely had a real sick day since——never a serious illness from that day -to this, nearly thirty years.” “How do I keep well?” you ask. “Why, by -pursuing the same principle that cured me——the same, in fact, that would -have prevented my decline, in the first place. I never breathe ‘indoor’ -air, winter nor summer, day nor night; I eat only the simplest food, and -in moderation——yet I will, sometimes, eat a little more than I need——some -meals or some days——and will have a little headache, or, perhaps, an old -tooth will ache, or there may be a little disturbance in the stomach; but -whatever it is, I eat more moderately——sometimes go without a meal; and if -anything more serious than I have named presents itself——lack of appetite, -or a bad feeling at the stomach, or a bad headache——I go all day without -eating, and keep about my work, as usual, or take a walk outdoors, and -this plan always works a cure. You see, I _dress_ right——loose garments, -no corsets, no heavy skirts hanging to my waist or hips, no smothering -flannels, except the lightest, and those only in the coldest weather; I -keep busy about something most of the time; take a good deal of exercise; -go out when I can, and bring outdoors in when I can’t go out——by having -every part of my house well ventilated and as light and ‘sunshiny’ as need -be (you see, doctor, I am not whimsically afraid of flies nor of fading -the carpet); I think of my escape, of my good health, and this makes me -cheerful. I feel sure of not getting sick——I have no anxiety on that -score,——and I try to do what good I can, in my small way, and all this is -as it should be——it is ‘healthy,’ and, all things being so, there is only -one other chance to err, and that is in eating, and so when anything -troubles me, I know what it is. So many people go wrong in all these -things——dress bad, breathe bad air, feel languid in consequence and lie -about doing nothing, indoors; eat worse food than I do, and eat more and -oftener——no wonder they are always ailing, nor that so many die. But, -Doctor, this will not cure my niece——our talking——and I don’t suppose I -have taught you anything, as I did the young doctor, so many years ago; -but if, as you say, you can tell the story for the benefit of others, I -shall be very glad indeed to see it in print. You will send me a copy of -the paper, won’t you? ‘A dozen copies?’ Well, all the better, I will send -them to my friends; they will wonder how the ‘old story’ got into the -papers.” And that is the way this history of a “Natural Cure” came to be -printed. - -[Footnote 31: It is, of course, idle to speculate as to whether Miss B. -was within six weeks, or six months, of a fatal termination of her disease -under the usual treatment. Her physician expressed his honest opinion, -certainly; though had he been catechised closely, he would doubtless have -modified it somewhat, as, by saying that while she was liable to be taken -off at any time, still, she might linger along several months, or until -severe cold weather in winter, the season usually so fatal to this class -of patients,——not because it is impossible, or even difficult, to keep the -sick-room at any desired temperature, but because this end is sought to be -accomplished, largely, by shutting out “the breath of life,” and by -retaining the vitiated air, to breathe which would “chill” the healthiest -subject. “To retain foul air for the sake of its warmth is expensive -economy.”] - -[Footnote 32: It was, in the author’s opinion, the _bath_ rather than the -_pepper_ which proved so beneficial.] - -[Footnote 33: In practice, it will often prove that quick sponging, all -over, and brisk drying, followed, perhaps, by thorough hand-rubbing, will -be more useful than the “piece-meal” bath: with water at a comfortable -temperature, and the work quickly and skillfully performed, while it might -seem likely to occasion a severe shock to the patient, still, it is but -one “shock” instead of many, and is really far less trying, with many -patients, than the more prolonged process with its oft-repeated local -shocks. If rightly managed, the reaction from the full bath makes it -altogether the most agreeable. It is of vital importance, to secure this -warm “reaction,” and if, in any instance, there is failure in this -direction, the instant application of warming appliances——hot-water -bottles to feet, warm flannel wraps, extra blankets, etc.——is imperatively -demanded. Baths which are succeeded by chilliness are depleting, and if of -common occurrence are destructive to life; far better not bathe at all.] - -[Footnote 34: See note 6 in Appendix, p. 284.] - -[Footnote 35: One element which aided immensely in this remarkable cure, -was the absence of great variety in the food. Indigestion is _the_ enemy -to be overcome; and he must be “killed dead.” _Variety_ is this enemy’s -right-hand man——encouraging excess and the indulgence in questionable -articles; and, above all, prohibiting the _adaptation_ of the digestive -organs to any class of all the ailments thrust upon them. (See foot-note, -p. 213.)] - -[Footnote 36: The “difference” is in the digestibility, and in guarding -against excess: Overeating is, of itself, a positive guarantee of -indigestion.[A] The advantages of the hard bread and “dry diet” are -manifold: (1) thorough mastication——calling the muscles of the mouth into -action, and while this tends to make the cheeks plump and full, the -exercise affects the various glands, and aids in the secretion of the -salivary fluids essential for the digestion of starch;[B] (2) it causes -one to eat slowly, so that each mouthful entering the stomach; is not only -thoroughly insalivated and thus prepared for stomach-digestion, but can be -thoroughly manipulated in the stomach and impregnated completely with the -gastric juice: this must be deemed a very important feature, when we -reflect that in very depraved states the digestive fluids are not as -abundant nor as readily secreted as in health. (3) Chewing strengthens the -gums and the teeth,——tends to preserve them and fit them for their -legitimate work: decaying teeth are a source, as well as a symptom, of -disease.] - -[Footnote A: In accordance with a universal law of nature,——“the -conservation of energy,”——“gastric juice,” upon which digestion depends, -“is secreted from the blood by the glands of the stomach, in proportion to -the needs of the organism for food, and not in proportion to the amount of -food swallowed.” There is, therefore, a normal dyspepsia for whatever of -excess is taken. Moreover, in such cases, none of the food is well -digested.] - -[Footnote B: _Ptyalin_, a vegetable matter contained in healthy saliva, -has very peculiar properties: “if mixed with starch and kept at a moderate -warm temperature, it turns that starch into grape-sugar. The importance of -this operation becomes apparent when one reflects that starch is -insoluble, and therefore, as such, useless as nutriment, while the sugar -formed from it is highly soluble, and readily oxidizable.”——HUXLEY.] - -Note the special elements tending to insure success in the case of -self-treatment just given: The courage, prevalent good temper (so rarely -found in these cases), and determination to win (equally rare), did much, -very much, toward conquering her disease; but it is more than doubtful if -these alone would have sufficed: her success in winning the family over to -her radical views, or, at least, in gaining their entire co-operation, was -a marked feature looking toward a final victory. None of them ventured to -discourage her,——all joined heartily in the work. Had she sat at an -ordinary table, one crowded with “good things”; and had her friends -persisted in entreating her to eat this, that, and the other thing, it is -probable that her good resolutions would have failed, sooner or -later,——her life paying the forfeit. And this leads me to mention a most -important feature of what has come to be known as the “Salisbury -Treatment”: “Meals are to be taken at regular intervals, and the patient -should eat either alone or with those who are using the same diet, and not -sit down at a table where others are indulging in all kinds of food. He -should take a good draught——one or two cupfuls——of warm water an hour -before each meal; a sponge-bath two or three mornings,[37] and a -_comfortable_ full bath once a week. For the latter use a little pure -Castile soap, but rinse thoroughly. Air-baths and sun-baths are also of -great importance. (See ‘Air-baths,’) Flannel worn next the skin [I should -say, that the year round, cotton underwear is far better], and the -clothing frequently changed and aired. As much open-air exercise as can be -borne without fatigue, or thorough rubbing and pounding of the body [or -squeezing of the muscles of the entire body, with a firm grasp of the -attendant’s hand] morning and evening for those too weak to take -exercise.” - -[Footnote 37: If desirable, this bath may be taken later in the day; but -it should _never_ occur within one hour before, nor until at least three -hours after any meal. The temperature of the water should be agreeable -with sensitive patients, but gradually lowered from day to day, until -_cool_ water becomes agreeable.] - -It is the prevalent belief that hot food is desirable especially for -feeble persons, inclined to chilliness; but while smoking-hot dishes -produce a temporary feeling of warmth and comfort, this is usually -succeeded by a “reaction,” producing a still greater degree of chilliness: -the congestion excited by the presence of the hot food or drink, soon -subsides, leaving the stomach anæmic, delaying digestion, perhaps -preventing it altogether. Cool food, properly masticated, acquires in the -mouth a normal temperature, and thus enters the stomach without producing -the unnatural stimulation which arises from the ingestion of hot food, and -which is likely, in the case of feeble persons, to cause, secondarily, -most mischievous effects. A single mistake of this sort may excite -congestion of the lungs, and undo the good work of weeks of right living. -This can not seem incredible, in view of the fact that a single excessive -meal often excites an attack of congestion of the lungs in the case of -robust persons. True, in these instances the disorder is usually -attributed to “a sudden cold,” whether the victim can or can not recall -any exposure, but the fact is as I have stated. I have had many instances -like the following: A business man, accustomed to an outdoor life, rises -in the morning after a good night’s sleep, feeling as well as usual; eats -a hearty breakfast, dons his overcoat, walks briskly to his place of -business, and entering the _hot, close office_, perhaps within thirty -minutes from the time of rising from the breakfast-table, he finds himself -so hoarse that he can hardly make himself understood, and feels a pressure -at the lungs indicating a great degree of congestion. There is but one way -to explain this: a predisposition; a hot meal, rapidly eaten; active -exercise taken immediately thereafter, and while the stomach is engorged -with food——what more is needed? The wonder is, not that this man is -suddenly made sick, but, rather, that he is not oftener so. - -The consumptive will often derive great benefit from a full stomach-bath -daily, consisting of about a pint of tepid water rapidly swallowed, on -rising or an hour before breakfast. This will not create nausea or excite -vomiting, unless there is occasion for these symptoms, arising from the -presence of undigested food; but it will prove healing, prevent thirst and -the necessity for drinking with, or directly after, meals——although, -whenever there is thirst, the patient should drink pure cool water, -moderately, but to his satisfaction, finally. It is better, however, as a -rule, to drink regularly, an hour or so before each meal, such an amount -as suffices to _prevent_ thirst, while not causing a feeling of discomfort -soon after drinking. A little practice, with careful observation, will -soon enable the patient to judge how much to take. - - - OPEN-MOUTH BREATHING. - -I am not going to recommend the consumptive, nor any person, well or ill, -to do all or much of his breathing through the mouth; on the contrary, I -agree that the nostrils were designed to warm and filter the air, and that -in general this is necessary. But there are times when the atmosphere does -not require to be _filtered_ and when it had better not be _warmed_; and I -wish to do away with all fear of danger from casual or occasional -open-mouth breathing, especially in the _open air_, and in winter, or at -any season when there is freedom from dust, and regardless of the weather, -and the time of day or night. For “sore” or irritated throat and bronchi, -or oppressed lungs, I have found persistent open-mouth breathing of pure -cold air curative in its tendency; and have myself, upon occasion, gone -out on a winter’s night, to walk and breathe in this manner by the hour. -Consumptives are often subject to attacks of dyspnœa (difficult -breathing), but rarely, if ever, do they come on out of doors; it is -rather, when, having been vouchsafed a little pure respiratory food, the -lungs are again forced to respire the hot, poisoned, make-believe air of -the home, that the congestion takes place. And this may be set down as the -only danger in the premises, viz.: the return from the fresh, pure and -bracing atmosphere without, to the over-heated and under-ventilated -living-rooms. The remedy, then, for an attack under such circumstances -would be found in throwing open the doors and windows——keeping well -wrapped or warm in bed——rather than in sealing the crevices and piling -on fuel. Even _pneumonia_, most dreaded of “diseases,” in which the -lungs are congested to engorgement, is now being successfully treated -on this principle——the persistent open-mouth breathing of out-door -air, if in the winter, or the same, drawn through an ice-packed -refrigerator——(scrupulously clean and profusely ventilated), if the -weather be warm; the patient, meanwhile, being _warm_ in bed, though -never sweltered with wraps [the aim being to balance the temperature, -by cooling the head, heating the feet, and exposing and sponging the -feverish surface, as may be indicated], and supplied with a proper -face-piece to which is attached a flexible tube, through which the -cold air is passed direct to the lungs; this manner of breathing to be -_constant_ and _uninterrupted_, hour after hour, and throughout the -night, if necessary (_never_ remittent), until the temperature of the -patient, as indicated by the thermometer placed under the arm, is -reduced to about the normal point (98.2° F.), and the pressure at the -lungs relieved. The philosophy of this treatment is as evident as is -that of the playing of an engine upon the hottest part of a fire. - - - A WORD ABOUT THE BED. - -The bed and its covering constitute the night-clothes, and for the -bed-ridden patient day-clothes as well. Therefore, we can hardly place too -much importance upon the bed and its appointments. And yet, in view of all -that has been said relating to cleanliness and wholesomeness, in a -general way, but few words are necessary to tell the story. The bed may be -of straw, even, and still, if full, fresh, and well-made, be every way -sufficient for comfort and health,——better, indeed, than a poor or -long-used mattress of any sort;——a mattress of hair, cotton, or wool makes -a complete bed. A feather bed is the worst of all. Whatever the bed may -be, it should remain open and airing whenever the patient is out of it for -any length of time; hence the bed-room should not be the sitting-room when -avoidable. Patients confined to the bed altogether, should, if possible, -have two——one for day the other for night use——each kept airing during all -the time it is unoccupied, and, when practicable, placed in the open air -and in the sunshine a portion of the day; the more the better. After the -cotton or linen sheets, the covering (of as little weight as is consistent -with comfort) should, in place of the common “comfortables,” consist of -woolen blankets, which, being porous, are less “stifling” to the body (see -foot-note, p. 171), and permit of being readily cleansed and dried; and -they should be thus treated as often as once in three or four weeks, at -least, and oftener if the thorough airing recommended is not given them. -The “sick-room” should be the “healthiest” room in the house——bright, -sunny, and made as “cheery” as possible. No “long-faces” should enter it; -there should be no “croning about”——no constant “how-do-you-feel-to-days,” -nor subdued looks or airs. Carry along a happy, cheery face and tone, or -keep out of the sick-room altogether. Above all, no mind-pictures about -eating, eating, eating——unless, the patient is past hope! - - - THE POSITION IN BED. - -As well as when up and about, is a matter of importance to the sick or -well. With the sick, the habit of “rounding up” to the disease is every -way prejudicial. Consumptives are especially inclined to seek present ease -to their ultimate hurt. It should be one of the aims, in “lung -difficulties,” to increase the breadth of the chest in order to give more -room for the expansion of the lungs; and this demands increased efforts to -expand the lungs, and to push the shoulders back——gradually, very -gradually, never to the extreme, but with steady persistence. No radical -and immediate change must be looked for; none can be accomplished, in any -direction, whether in the shape of the body, quality of lung tissue, or -breathing power; but a gradual transformation may be inaugurated, and -ensured by means of persistent effort, as the general health improves. It -is best to lie, at least much of the time spent in bed, as nearly flat -upon the back as possible, slightly inclining toward the side, or -alternating between the two positions, with the head low; arms and legs -“at ease,” the latter not drawn or “curled” up, but slightly relaxed. If -the general regimen is strictly hygienic, the position as thus described -will, so far from working any harm, prove of advantage——favoring free -breathing, as well as the fullest rest of the body. Where there is -shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing, the patient is inclined -to cultivate the habit of narrowing the shoulders, and so bolstering -himself in bed as to still further shorten the breath, thus temporarily -easing the difficulty, but finally increasing the disease. He needs to -courageously take the opposite course (never rashly, however), and meet -the consequences, which are likely to be manifested in some increase of -coughing and raising——the very things he needs to do, but which he is apt -to shrink from as much as possible. In avoiding natural “expectorants,” -the necessity for artificial ones seems to arise. In the one case he -raises with some effort what, in his present state, may be described as -the normal amount of mucus; in the other, expectoration is easier because -there is more to raise. The former is curative; the latter tends to -fatality. - -Well knowing that sexual indulgence constitutes one of the most fruitful -causes of this disease——of decline, in short, however exhibited——I will -conclude by saying, that the consumptive should _never_ depart from the -rule of strict continence. (See Appetite.) No language can exaggerate the -importance of this injunction for a person who is even threatened with -decline, if he means to eradicate his disease. The sexual and the nervous -systems (including the brain) act and react upon one another, keeping both -abnormally alert, and these upon the digestive and assimilative, through -the sympathetic, altogether making a quadrangular fight well calculated to -impair——to break down, indeed——the strongest constitution; while with the -less vigorous (often the most lascivious; or, maybe, the victim of a -libidinous but otherwise considerate companion) the case is hopeless, -unless the true remedy is applied. The patient should sleep alone, if -possible, not even the husband or wife sharing the bed——a rule which, from -every point of view, is of importance to both the patient and the -attendant. - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——The underlying principle of this work prohibits the idea - of a specific and exclusive treatment for this, that, and the - other _disease_ mentioned; for these are named simply in order - that we may make a beginning toward understanding the term - _sickness_: the entire volume, from preface to finis, is a - treatise on the origin of sickness, its prevention and cure. In - view of this, we can not leave the consumptive here, while the - dyspeptic, the rheumatic, or the _douloureux_-tic is invited to - a consideration of his peculiar symptoms,——for these, in large - measure, are mere accidents, since the rheumatic of to-day may - be the paralytic of to-morrow, and the dyspeptic of this year - the consumptive next, and so on. But all classes, and all who - wish to inform themselves as to what makes pain and sickness, - and what ends these symptoms, should study carefully the various - chapters, omitting none. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - CONSTIPATION. - - -Temporary non-action of the bowels as excretory organs, is entirely normal -under certain conditions, as (1) following diarrhœa or looseness, whether -caused by indigestion or physic, (2) throughout the period of a fast, (3) -for the mother, several days (varying from 3 to 10), at confinement,[38] -and (4) at such other times as “Nature finds it necessary to muster all -the energies of the system for some special purpose, momentarily of -paramount importance,” as in alarming sicknesses where, accompanied by -lack of appetite, the bowels remain closed for a considerable period of -time. In none of these circumstances should there be continued efforts to -excite action. In the last-named instance the lower bowel may need a -clearing out by free injection at the _beginning_, and whenever there are -fecal matters to remove; but when convalescence is established, the -appetite and strength have returned, food is taken and digested, the -bowels will act of their own accord. The practice of forestalling nature -in this matter by using physic or injections is often the cause of much -mischief——it is an impertinent interference in nature’s plans, and is -seldom useful. If the sufferer is never fed, except at convalescence and -when a _natural appetite_ has returned, and then only with plain, -wholesome food,——restricting the quantity to the present capacity for -digestion and absorption,——the evacuation of the lower bowel may be -awaited without any feeling of anxiety or alarm at its seeming tardiness. -Returning strength is the only needed physic. - -[Footnote 38: The very common practice of administering purgatives or -injections a few days after confinement is not only unnecessary——it is -fraught with mischief and often with disaster. I have known of instances -where robust women were kept sick, and dangerously so, in bed for weeks in -consequence of the free use of oil administered by the physician -(according to his invariable practice) on the third and succeeding days. -At her next confinement, one lady who had suffered as above, having lived -hygienically during the gestation period, suffered very little pain, was -on her feet, washed and dressed her baby, and had a natural movement on -the second day. In another case purgation was attempted on the third day -and, oil not acting promptly, the total results of profuse injections at -intervals for the next three days, was, on the _sixth_ day, to bring away -about a _teaspoonful of strawberry seeds_, the residue of berries eaten on -the previous day. It is evident that the food was well digested and -absorbed into the circulation, and that no fecal matters were secreted; -hence no occasion for the bowels to “move,” in the common understanding of -the term. In cases where women approaching confinement are troubled with -constipation (entirely unnecessary if they will live properly), the lower -bowel should be evacuated by the aid of free injections prior to delivery; -but succeeding that event nature may well be left to herself for a time. -Nature, however, does not have a fair chance where patients of this class -are overfed; hence, and hence only, the necessity for “aiding” her in -moving the bowels.] - -In case of severe constipation, injections——internal baths, so to say——may -be employed in emergencies, but infrequently and with extreme care, lest -they aggravate the evil and provoke others. Although in no sense as -injurious as purgative medicines, which inevitably impair the nutritive -organs, still enemas should never be depended on for daily movements. -Next to a correct dietary, with liberal exercise in the open air, one of -the best aids in promoting regular action of the bowels is, in my opinion, -passive exercise——kneading of the bowels for say five minutes or more -before each meal——and the more active exercise of, say, imitating for a -few minutes the arms-and-body swinging motions of a mower in the -hay-field; spending another few minutes in hopping up and down, twice on -each foot alternately, while “keeping time” by slapping the thighs and -swaying the body to the right and left; stooping and rising, bending -forward and back, etc.; twisting the body around, first one way and then -the other, with the hips as the pivotal point (at stool this last greatly -facilitates the ejective process), etc., etc. Sedentary persons, and all -who feel “chilly” at times, will find, upon trial, that a few minutes -devoted to such exercise, occasionally, or whenever the need is felt, will -be far more satisfactory than extra garments, or hovering about the fire: -it sets the blood a-tingling in the veins and warms a body up.[39] (See -Consumption, for general regimen as to diet, air, exercise, clothing.) If -for a time the bowels are willful in the matter of demanding rest to -complete a process of healing going on in the diseased glands when there -has been distention and irritation, or until a reformed dietary shall have -strengthened the general system when, from any cause, it has been -under-nourished, and there is, consequently, no action for two, three, or -even four days at a time, it need occasion no alarm, and the novice will -be surprised to see how natural a movement will finally reward his or her -patience in awaiting the call of nature, instead of badgering her into -unnatural activity. It must be remembered that it is _good health that -ensures daily movements_, and not _daily movements good health_. Indeed, -when produced by hook or crook, as is often the rule with infants, and -adults, even, they do much harm. Daily purgations or injections are made -necessary only by gross feeding; and if the latter abuse be persisted in -it may be best to move the bowels frequently at all hazards. Under the -influence of this combination, however, the small intestines are often so -disordered as to impair, even destroy, their power of assimilating food, -and together with the colon, or large intestine, become so torpid as -almost to require the use of dynamite to move them. - -[Footnote 39: William Cullen Bryant,——a most worthy model, mentally, -morally, and physically——thus explains how he had “reached a pretty -advanced period of life without the usual infirmities of old age.” Next to -his abstemious and mostly vegetable diet, and pure moral life, we may well -agree with him in the belief that his wonderful preservation was largely -due to his custom of going to bed early and early rising, and “for a full -hour, immediately upon rising, with very little encumbrance of clothing, -taking a series of exercises, designed to expand the chest, and at the -same time call into action all the muscles and articulations of the body,” -followed by a bath “from head to foot.”——_Hygiene of the Brain_: $1.50[C] -New York, M. L. Holbrook.] - -[Footnote C: This most valuable work contains letters from a score or more -of eminent men and women who have lived to advanced age, descriptive of -their living habits. The similarity of their mode of life is a feature -worthy of remark.] - -STRAINING at stool is, beyond a slight degree, abnormal, or is made -necessary only by abnormal conditions, which render defecation difficult; -it tends to perpetuate and increase the difficulty, and should not be -practiced ordinarily. The congestion and engorgement of the blood-vessels -in the region of the rectum and anus from various causes, as retained -fecal matters, or irritation and congestion of the genital organs (which -two causes act and react upon each other), produce hemorrhoids (piles), -and this complaint is aggravated by the straining referred to. In such -cases resort must be had to cool or tepid injections for a time. One -effect of deep breathing, from either exercise or habit——filling the lungs -in such a manner as to press the diaphragm downward——is to cause regular -pressure on the bowels, which aids in exciting their vermicular motion, -and facilitates the action, both of the small intestines as digesters, and -of the lower bowel in its secretory and excretory functions. The -“movement,” when natural, consists of _waste matters secreted from the -blood_ by the glands of the colon, and not, as is popularly supposed, of -food substances, at least not to any considerable degree. When it does -(and I am bound to say that this is the rule, rather than the exception), -it is because the person has eaten at least _that much_ more than he -ought. A good rule for many who suffer tortures of mind because of -constipation would be: mind your own business and let your bowels mind -theirs. Strive not to _have_ movements, but rather to _deserve_ them. That -is, attend to the general health by living hygienically, and the bowels -will, if given _regular opportunity_, move when there is anything to move -for! With infants or young children, a little excess of food will, at -first, occasion a little looseness, or increased action, usually; -deficiency in diet would cause constipation. The remedy in either case is -plain: a little less food in the one case, a little more in the other. The -first symptom, looseness, could not result from deficiency in diet, that -is, if the deficiency related to quantity solely——the quality being plain -and digestible. Tanner had no movement during his fast; Griscomb’s -experience was similar, and Connolly, the consumptive, who fasted -forty-three days, had no movement for three weeks, and then the temporary -looseness was occasioned by profuse water-drinking, which in his case -proved curative. In common life, it is rare indeed that constipation is -the result of a deficient diet, although it often arises from lack of -nourishment consequent upon excess, or an unwholesome variety of food, or -both. Usually it may be regarded as the “reaction” from over-action. The -not uncommon experience, in regular order, is this: Excess in diet, -diarrhœa, constipation, physic or enema, purgation, worse constipation, -more physic, and so on. The term reaction here means simply that the -organs involved having been irritated by undigested food, and having by -means of increased action cleared away the obstructions, now seek -restoration by the most natural method, as the name itself implies——rest. -What are commonly called diseases are in reality cures; and the common -practice, with drug doctors, of - - - “CONTROLLING THE SYMPTOMS,” - -is like answering the cries and gesticulations of a drowning man with a -knock on the head. If when these intestinal disorders arise, or have -become serious, their chief cause——over-feeding——be kept up, the next of -nature’s remedies may be inflammation of stomach or bowels, or both, -followed, perhaps, by _dysentery_, which is the most serious phase of -constipation. These are very alarming symptoms, and demand entire -abstinence from food until they are considerably abated; pure water should -be given freely, and, when possible, exercise to some degree in the open -air; tepid water injections, followed by gentle kneading of the bowels for -a few minutes, occasionally, to promote the circulation in that region, -thus favoring the cleansing and healing process. The appearance of a -little fresh blood, even, following this treatment, should not excite -alarm; on the contrary, it is, _per se_, a favorable symptom. This special -phase of the subject is treated more at length in the author’s work -entitled “How to Feed the Baby.” - -A very common mistake with the laity, and often enough made by physicians -in diagnosing this complaint, is that of considering a comfortable daily -movement conclusive proof that the bowels are not constipated. Few people -have tongues that are entirely clean, and a coating there indicates, -unmistakably, a worse one of the stomach and intestines.[40] The -daily——perhaps semi-daily——action is the result of purgation often, though -they would scorn the idea of taking physic——the quantity or quality of -their food being such as to cause a degree of indigestion and consequent -irritation sufficient to produce purgative effects. While this condition -can be endured, all seems to be going along well. There is, to be sure, -more or less of acidity, sour stomach, eructations of acrid matters (see -the Salisbury theory in article on Consumption), flatulence, headache, -neuralgic or rheumatic pains——more or less in number of the scores of -ailments so common as to be considered almost normal——but not immediately -any serious or alarming complaint. But, after a time, longer or shorter, -according to the constitution of the individual, the movements become less -satisfactory——irregular and not as profuse as common, and are passed with -some difficulty, perhaps. Next to the mistake of resorting to drugs in -these cases, is the quite common one of swallowing special kinds of food -for the same purpose, and there, is some question as to which of the two -evils is the least. An excessive quantity of rye mush, wheaten grits, or -oat groats, with a generous dressing of butter, syrup, milk, or honey to -wash it down in abnormal haste, will often purge the bowels like the most -drastic poison. Active exercise in the open air, taken in conjunction with -a proper diet, would prove curative; but in default of this the case goes -from bad to worse, until in spite of all the efforts made, the -constipation becomes more and more obstinate, various symptoms increasing -in degree and new ones appearing, until there almost certainly follows a -severe “attack” of some sort: whether this be typhoid, bilious, rheumatic, -or scarlet fever, erysipelas, diphtheria, or what not, depends upon the -age, surroundings, and diathesis of the patient. - -[Footnote 40: See chapter on Consumption.] - -All such attacks may be called Nature’s kill-or-cure remedies when, as a -last resort, she is forced to adopt “heroic treatment”; but aid her in the -Natural Cure and she is most kind. - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——Attention is called to the notes following Consumption, - and Bright’s Disease. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - BRIGHT’S DISEASE (ALBUMINURIA). - - -In its later stages, this is one of the worst forms of disease. It is -often said to be caused by “cold.” There can be no doubt but what a person -whose kidneys are already badly diseased, and, consequently, his whole -system depraved, may have a violent illness excited by extreme exposure to -wet and cold. The same may be said in case of one reduced by any -exhausting form of disease; but sound-bodied men, living hygienically, -could never have this disease, whatever the degree of cold they might have -to endure. On the contrary, this disease is not known among the residents -of the polar regions; our own explorers among the ice-fields of the north -do not have it, although exposed for long periods to a temperature at 40° -to 60° F. below zero, and to changes of so extreme a character that our -temperate climate affords no parallel to them. “In the accounts of Arctic -expeditions, though the most intense cold was often endured, under -circumstances of great fatigue, by men previously weakened by disease and -hardship, this is not among the diseases from which they suffered. Dr. -Kane’s men, though enduring extreme cold, exposed on one occasion for -seventy-two hours at a mean temperature of 41° below zero, suffered -fearfully from frost-bite and scurvy, but not from any renal affection. -Other travelers within the Arctic circle bear the same testimony, and I -have been informed by those familiar with the cold districts of North -America, that there renal dropsy is unknown.”[41] “The travelers in the -frigid zone are exposed to far greater and more sudden transitions of -temperature than are ever felt in our changeable but temperate climate. -Capt. Parry states that his men often underwent a sudden change of 120°, -in passing from the cabin of the vessel to the outer air, and yet none but -the most trifling complaints resulted. Here we have all the circumstances -from which experience would lead us to anticipate renal disease, viz.: -great preceding depression, intense and protracted cold suddenly -applied.... Extreme cold,” continues Dr. Dickinson (ibid.) “though it may -stop cutaneous exhalation, probably does not allow the material that would -cause renal inflammation to accumulate. Cold increases the action of -oxygen and gives rise to increased combustion of the solids and fluids of -the body. This condition, as I have emphasized elsewhere repeatedly, -occasions a demand for a large amount of food daily, to supply the waste, -and exalts the digestive powers correspondingly. The moral of all this, -for those who, living in a temperate climate, would avoid these -disorders——all physical disorders, indeed——is that _here the above -conditions can not obtain to the extent of rendering possible the -digestion_ and _absorption_ of _three full meals a day_. Only under -exceptional circumstances are _two_ such meals ever thoroughly digested -and assimilated——they can never be, unless needed; and this fact is not -disproved simply because inexperts do not recognize the symptoms of -indigestion which everywhere prevail among themselves. Some of the most -incorrigible workers, with both brain and muscle, known to me, take but -_one meal a day_,[42] and this because they found the change necessary in -order to enable them to perform their arduous labors and preserve their -health. Others similarly situated divide this meal into _two -halves_——taking a small meal morning and night, or, better than the -latter, a lunch in the morning, and at night, after ample rest, the -principal meal. No person ever tried this plan and found any need of a -change because of lack of nourishment.[43] I mention this last point to -meet the stock objection of people who essay to escape from the logic of -the position——the necessity for the modification of their own dietetic -habits——behind the old dogma, ‘one’s meat is another’s poison.’ (See p. -43.) It is entirely probable that a robust man (a frail one would succumb -to the exposure, with or without food) exposed for days together, and for -the entire twenty-four hours, to the extreme cold of winter, exercising -vigorously meantime, could eat three full meals a day and escape digestive -disorder. The habit of approximating as nearly as possible to this diet, -in a temperate climate, or while the bodily warmth is maintained by -artificial heat, originates the greater proportion of our ailments; while -lack of exercise, and the folly of attempting to oxygenate this excessive -quantity of food with air that is breathed over and over again——a process -which one writer likens to eating one’s own fœces——amply accounts for the -balance. - -[Footnote 41: “Treatise on Albuminuria,” by W. Howship Dickinson, M.D., -F.R.C.P., etc., p. 54.] - -[Footnote 42: See note on The One-Meal System.] - -[Footnote 43: The fact is——and it can not be made too -prominent——ninety-nine in the hundred, of all classes of people, eat in -excess of their needs, and the “small eater,” eating without appetite, -eats, relatively speaking, more excessively than the gross-feeder whose -appetite never fails.] - -“By cold the respiratory function is exalted, and the excretion of urea is -diminished. With the intense cold of the North Pole (and in the _open -air_), the introduction of oxygen by the lungs is probably so great, and -the oxidation in the body so active, that all material susceptible of such -action becomes oxidized, as much of it as can be converted into carbonic -acid passing out with the breath. The kidneys, therefore, are not liable, -as in temperate climates, to be irritated by excrementitious matter, for -the stress of excretion falls upon the lungs.” (Ibid.) The practical -question then is, What can we do, in this particular climate, that shall -tend to give us exemption from a disease that can not exist at the poles, -where the cold is intense enough to require a man to eat all he can, nor -at the tropics, when the heat is met with a diet of juicy fruits?[44] (See -article on Fruits.) Simply this, and nothing more; so regulate the diet -as to forbid indigestion, or, in other words, eat according to our needs, -as governed by work and weather; and all that has been said about the -cause and prevention of “colds” (see C.) is applicable right here. - -[Footnote 44: Sojourners from the North, at the tropics, are exempt from -disease so long as they live on the fruits of the soil; but a beef and -brandy regimen makes short work with them.] - -Winter weather (inoperative, however, for those who spend their time in -close, warm rooms), scant clothing, much exercise, fresh air——these -conditions, so far as present, and to the extent of a man’s subjection to -them, require a larger quantity of food than could be digested under -opposite conditions, and tend to mitigate the effects of over-indulgence -as to amount and quality. In our climate, however, not one person in ten -thousand lives, even in the coldest weather, sufficiently under these -influences to require the diet necessary at the poles, viz., three full -meals of mixed food, largely composed of fat. Hence, the only palliatives -a person can resort to, who adheres to the prevalent mode of living, as to -diet, are those conditions that approach as nearly as possible to those -obtaining in the frigid zone; but these conditions can not be, at least -are not, enjoyed here, to a point rendering exemption from disease -possible even for the most robust. But when we reflect upon the fact that -our people are not, as a rule, robust (although this would be otherwise -but for the unbalanced circumstances under consideration), that they live -in warm rooms, wear heavy clothing even within doors, and don thick wraps -on going out, work as little as possible (all tending to the need of -abstemiousness), and that in the face of all this they do not, at least to -any appreciable extent, voluntarily restrict their appetites, but do, in -fact, even in summer, imitate the blubber-eaters of the North, nearer than -they do the fruit-eaters of the South; that Sabbath morning finds the New -Englander, for example, gorging himself with pork and beans, hot brown -bread dripping with butter, hot, strong coffee, etc.; Tuesday, roast-beef, -with plenty of gravy; Wednesday——“boiled mutton, with caper sauce,” and so -on to Saturday’s boiled dinner, of corned-beef, greasy cabbage, etc. (the -diet of the poor differing chiefly in the quality, or price per pound), -and this just the same during the warmest week in winter as during the -coldest, and regardless of any of the possibly varying circumstances, as -hard work out of doors, or light work, or none at all, within; and that -this same folly runs into and becomes greater folly in the spring and -summer even, except so far as nausea or lack of appetite cause an -involuntary modification,——in view of all this we need not look -altogether, nor indeed at all, to heredity to account for the wretched -disorders to which we, as a people, are subject, and which prevail to an -extent almost transforming our literary and art periodicals into indirect -partnership-relations with the manufacturers of quack “remedies” for all -forms of sickness; this class of advertisers _pay_ too liberally to -exclude their flaunting lies. I look almost in vain for even a religious -journal that refuses to devote any portion of its space to medical -advertisements. Do our religious editors themselves believe in, and take, -the “pills” they advertise? - -Bright’s Disease is one that never attacks those who live on coarse food, -live abstemiously, and drink water chiefly. It is rather a disease of -“high livers.” But a man does not need a large income to ensure this -affection: any one who can get all he wants to eat and drink, and who eats -and drinks all he “wants” (even without indulgence in wine, or alcohol in -any form, which is a prolific cause of this disorder), may safely reckon -on some of the symptoms, if not upon the worst form of the disease; and -whether it be the understood cause of his death or not, it will surely be -a contributing cause. The possession of typically healthy kidneys is a -rare circumstance in this climate. The excessive micturition so universal -in infancy, occasioned by excess in diet, is the beginning of renal -disease. - -Dr. Bright immortalized his name by discovering the fact that, when a -man’s last sickness is attended with a certain class of symptoms, as -albumen in the urine, final suppression of the urine, and uremic -poisoning, they are occasioned by a peculiar disease or degeneration of -the kidney. From a practical stand-point we care nothing about the kind of -change taking place in the kidney, but rather ask what kind of change in -our habits will keep this, and all the organs of the body, in a healthy -condition? The former study is all well enough for those who desire it, -but if _too much time_ is devoted to it, and to the _relation of drugs -thereto_, by an individual, he may be, probably will be, the very least -fitted to advise an inquirer who desires to know what he can do to be -saved from disease and the supposed necessity of taking medicine. Says Dr. -Dickinson (ibid., chap. VI.): “There are few disorders which are more -under the influence of medicine than is the catarrhal inflammation of the -kidneys.” And the very next sentence is one worth pondering on by those -who are accustomed to take medicine whenever they come to grief through -ignorance or neglect of the laws of life: “Under some plans of treatment,” -says this celebrated authority, in continuing, “plans which formerly were -almost universally adopted, and _still have their advocates_, the disorder -is one of heavy mortality. Under other circumstances the danger is so -small, that if once the complaint be recognized, a recovery may be -reckoned upon in a large _proportion_ of cases. Without treatment of any -kind there is reason to suppose that a large _majority_ of the subjects of -it would recover.” (The italics are my own.) From this it will be observed -that it depends on one’s luck whether he shall fall into the hands of a -practitioner who belongs to a class still adhering to the plan ensuring a -“heavy mortality,” or of one whose modified form of treatment is less -fatal; and upon his good sense, whether he shall come under the influence -of either, or adopt the methods indicated herein, viz., the abandonment of -disease-producing, and the adoption of _ease_-producing, habits, which -would be an immense gain over the “no treatment” plan which, according to -a rational interpretation of Dr. Dickinson’s language, is the safest of -the three referred to by him. From the three-hundred-page treatise before -me, which is fresh from the mint (1881), and is a most valuable book for -those who wish to study the pathology of the disease (Bright’s), but which -is little calculated to aid any one healthward, except he be already -pretty well informed in hygienic matters, I cull, in addition to the -paragraphs already quoted, the following little nugget of pure gold: “We -must avoid the use of any drugs which, under the name of stimulating -diuretics, might exasperate the existing congestion; and we must enforce -such diet as to reduce to a minimum that nitrogenous excess which finds -its way out chiefly by the kidneys, and provides in many shapes effective -means of irritation. Physiological repose is to be sought, not by -debarring the gland of the harmless and necessary solvent, but by cutting -off the materials of urea and uric acid.” How naturally, then, do we look -for the continuing sentiments: “‘Spare diet and spring water clear’ may -often be found sufficient though simple remedies. _Of all diuretics water -is the best._”[45] But how can we reconcile, with such counsel, the -treatment that he himself commonly adopts? - -[Footnote 45: Ibid., p. 86. The italics are my own, and I am amazed to -find that this best diuretic is rarely the one used, and never fairly -tested by this authority, who seems almost to exhaust the _materia medica_ -in the treatment of even infants of tender age.] - -In one case noted by him, and in which, as he says, “the attack was -slight,” and “the boy became convalescent,” but later, although under the -doctor’s own eye at the hospital, with “no evidence of his having taken -cold,” he became worse, went on to a fatal termination, “the urine -becoming loaded with albumen and abounding with fibrinous -casts——convulsive attacks——death!” It seems to me easy enough, however, to -reconcile the unfavorable turn and the fatal termination with the -treatment he adopted, viz., digitalis instead of “the best diuretic” -(water); “fluid diet,” consisting chiefly of beef-tea——a non-nutritive -fluid whose solid constituents are mainly urea, kreatine, kreatinine, -isoline, and decomposed hæmatine, exactly the animal constituents of the -urine, except that there is but a trace of urea.[46] - -[Footnote 46: London _Lancet_.] - -As the little fellow grew worse, “a little brandy was given to counteract -the depressing effect of the digitalis.” “On the 27th, the pulse had -fallen to 52, and was not quite regular; the brandy was therefore -increased to two ounces daily,” with digitalis every six hours; later, a -“diuretic draught composed of scoparium, acetate of potash, and nitric -ether; on the 29th, this diuretic mixture was changed by the addition of -nitre and squills; on the 30th, as was anticipated, he was seized with -eliptiform convulsions, a succession of which came on, accompanied with -foaming and biting of the tongue, and caused his death in two hours and a -half.”[47] The next case reported was that of a child eighteen months old, -treated at the hospital by the same physician, and described: -“Dropsy——persistent diarrhœa——peritonitis——death.” “The child,” says the -celebrated practitioner and author, “was frequently fed with pounded meat -and milk; a little brandy was given, and opiates and astringents were -prescribed to check the diarrhœa.” As he went on to his fate, he was made -to swallow the following remedies: “opium, dilute sulphuric acid, tincture -of the sesquioxide of iron, acetate of lead. The quantity of brandy was -increased to three ounces daily. The child became paler and had a sunken -look,” etc. “The child sunk a week after admission.” I make mention of -these cases for the reason that up to this day the same horrible treatment -is being practiced. Although these, and many even worse cases contained in -this new work, transpired some years ago and were recorded in the first -edition, still they remain in the new edition unaccompanied by any note of -warning; and young or old medical students pore over and imitate the -examples here set before them. - -[Footnote 47: The case of Thomas Vallance, 9 years old. Oh, wise -physician: the fatal symptoms came along “as anticipated!”] - -I quote another paragraph from the treatise of Dr. Dickinson, which, if it -has, as would seem evident, thrown little light about the doctor’s own -pathway, as regards the appropriate treatment of the disorder, will prove -instructive to some of my readers, and bear favorably upon my theory of -disease. In the early pages (p. 29) of the treatise, Dr. Dickinson says: -“It may be generally stated that this inflammatory disease arises from -unnatural stimulation of the kidneys. The blood is charged with [food] -material excessive in quantity or unnatural in quality, which these -glands take upon themselves to remove. Their own proper elements of -secretion are poured upon them in sudden and excessive amount, or matter -is thrown upon them which is foreign to their usual habit. As a -consequence of overwork, or of work to which they are not adapted, they -take on a turbulent and abnormal activity. They become congested, the -tubes get choked up with epithelial growth, and the disease is -established.” - -Many of the symptoms in the following list are more or less frequently, -some of them invariably, present in the case of supposably healthy -infants, and are commonly considered as entirely normal. Fairly -considered, however, they are the effects of excess in diet. To the -greatest possible extent the superfluous water contained in their gross -diet passes off by the kidneys, causing immediately a diseased condition -of those organs from overwork; the cellular tissue becomes loaded and -distended with the fatty matters, and also with much water, unrecognized -as dropsy until it reaches immense proportions; what really amounts to -purging is so universal as to be regarded as the normal state of an -infant’s bowels, and this is, sooner or later, often very early, succeeded -by the reaction termed constipation. The back-aching that results from all -this is none the less terrible because the little sufferers can not talk -and tell where the pain is; peevishness, general _malaise_, and crying, -tell of suffering, not of (their) perversity. Among the - - - SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY DISEASE - -are the following: frequent and copious micturition (wetting the bed or -getting up at night); later the excretion of urine is scant, passed -frequently, or, may be, suppressed altogether. Fat; later——emaciation. -Heat and dull pain in the loins[48] (small of the back), increased by -pressure; slight or considerable “puffing” about the eyes, noticeable only -at times, or it may be constant and unrecognized as a symptom of disease; -it may be diminished at times, as the secretion of urine becomes modified, -or the condition of the system happens, temporarily, to improve. And it -increases often when the secretion of urine diminishes, or is passed less -freely. The countenance is more or less pallid, and may have a brownish -tinge. Croupy breathing accompanies œdema of the larynx. “With children, -inflammation of one or other of the organs of respiration is the most -fatal tendency of the disease. Not only are they liable to pleurisy, -pneumonia, and bronchitis, but, also, to membranous croup.” Constant -tendency to irritability of manner, easily angered, unreasonableness, -petulance; with infants——constant fretting, crying, nothing will interest -or amuse them. - -[Footnote 48: Of all portions of the body, this should be lightly covered, -never sweltered with wraps, bindings, or weight of garments.] - -Diphtheria is, I believe, only a phase of albuminuria. Says Dr. Grasmuck, -treating of diphtheria, and other physicians have observed the fact: -“Another peculiarity of the scourge is its fondness for children of a -certain condition——the fat, sleek, soft, tender, ‘well-fed’ children so -generally admired——such children can offer but slight resistance to this -disease; being, in fact, chronically diseased, they are predisposed to -‘attacks’ of all kinds; and, living to adult age, furnish the greater -proportion of cases of tuberculous disease. On the other hand,” he -continues, “I do not know of a single instance where the disease proved -fatal to——rarely attacking——a child of the _genus_ ‘Street Arab’——children -who spend most of their time out of doors, are thinly clad, sleep in cold -rooms, have a spare diet, and who have no one to pamper them unwisely.” - -Dr. Dickinson treats of albuminuria under three heads, viz., tubular -nephritis, granular degeneration, and lardaceous disease. He designates, -also, such other diseases as are likely to result in consequence of this -disorder; and finds some of these peculiar to, or more apt to afflict, -sufferers from one or the other forms. He says: “It is seen (from the -table presented) that nephritis is a disease of infancy and youth, causing -most deaths in the first decade coincidentally with the prevalence of -scarlatina; many in the third when the toils and exposures of active life -are perhaps the most prolific of evil. Granular degeneration belongs to -middle and advancing life, and is most fatal between fifty and sixty. The -one flourishes upon the febrile accidents [!] of childhood and the -susceptibilities of youth; the other develops when _the habits of life -begin to tell_ and the effects of old age begin to appear. The lardaceous -disorder has little to do with either extreme of the mortal course; it is -chiefly associated with the _vices of early maturity_, and with tubercle -and struma, disorders more incident to the young than the old, and in -their suppurative form to youth rather than childhood.” Among the -diseases resulting, or likely to result, from one or other forms of the -disease, Dr. Dickinson names the following: dropsy, pneumonia, pleurisy, -peritonitis, bronchitis [before mentioned]; pericarditis, endocarditis, -hypertrophy of the heart, with cardio-vascular thickening, [heart -“diseases”]; hemorrhagic accidents [bursting of blood-vessels——apoplexy] -depending as they do upon structural changes of the vessels; diarrhœa. - - - SOME OTHER SYMPTOMS. - -Nasal catarrh; the radical suppression of this discharge is likely to be -followed by serious if not fatal kidney disease.[49] (To remove the former -by removing its cause, thus rendering the discharge unnecessary, is quite -another thing). Hence the danger of using so-called catarrh remedies, or -of adopting any specific local treatment: they are either inert or -injurious. - -[Footnote 49: As illustrating this point I will mention the case of M. K., -of Troy, N. Y.,——a case of successful (?) self-treatment for catarrh. This -patient had for a dozen or more years suffered with nasal catarrh, and had -tried most of the advertised “specifics” without avail; in fact, the -disorder steadily increased. At last, the twice daily snuffing of slightly -soapy water, for some weeks, “cured” him, as he said; but simultaneously -with the suppression of the catarrhal discharge there resulted (without, -however, any thought of connecting the two events, in the mind of the -patient) an excessive flow of urine, extreme thirst, etc., etc.; in short, -true diabetes. In this case great relief was experienced from an exclusive -diet of skim-milk for five months, the patient swallowing nothing else for -that length of time, except two tablespoonfuls, daily, of wheat-bran -thoroughly chewed, “for the bowels.” At the end of the five months the -patient weighed 210 lbs. This he realized as excessive, and my attention -being directed to the case at this point, the patient at my suggestion -adopted the bread and fruit diet——discontinuing the skim-milk and -bran——and gradually reducing his weight by moderate diet and increased -exercise, went on to a complete recovery.] - -Erysipelatous inflammation of the dropsical limbs; “vomiting may happen at -any stage, even the earliest; it is often incontrollable.” Head symptoms, -which occur in the more prolonged forms of the complaint, are usually of a -convulsive kind, whereas, in acute cases, coma is apt to set in without -any such prelude. Epileptic seizures may be preceded by pain in the head, -drowsiness, or peculiarity of manner, or may occur without any premonitory -sign. - -Says Dr. Dickinson: “The gouty habit, from whatever circumstance it arise, -is one of the more obvious and immediate conditions to which granular -disease of the kidneys can be traced.” ... “The disease is a frequent -result of gout; this is by far the most important fact in its etiology. It -is one of the results of the gouty diathesis (see Rheumatism), and may -precede or follow the external manifestations.... It is scarcely necessary -to insist ... that the gouty condition comes first.” The fact is that -there is a process of degeneration going on throughout the entire -structure of the man, even to the last tissue, and the symptoms are all -indicative of this; and this is more or less strictly true of all -disorders. The naming and classifying of “diseases” is calculated to -mystify and mislead: sickness is the proper term for describing them all; -self-abuse, in the broadest sense of the word, is the cause of them; and -obedience to law, the only means of prevention or cure. - -I hold that the gouty, the rheumatic, the strumous, the “colds,” and all -other diatheses, are practically unimportant distinctions. The technical -difference is, of course, well understood and admitted. In any event, it -is certain that the course of living best suited to prevent one, is also -best adapted to prevent or remove all. For all practical purposes, -however, they may be classed together; and whoever desires, either for -themselves or their children, exemption from, or the alleviation of, -suffering, have only to adopt a pure mode of living in order to escape, or -emerge from, the _disease diathesis_. - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——The limits of this work forbid an extended consideration - of the influence of this or that occupation in promoting this - disease; nor is it, in my estimation, essential. The trades must - go on, regardless of their influence upon health. There must, - for example, be painters, plumbers, compositors, tin-workers, - etc., even though the absorption of lead does tend to produce - the gouty condition and, so, a predisposition to renal disease. - A sufficient degree of care in other directions would enable - this class to outlive the more favored ones who neglect the laws - of life. - - See note 2 in Appendix, p. 276. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - INSOMNIA——INSANITY. - - -Sleeplessness is often referred to as a cause of insanity, but it would be -much nearer the truth to say that insanity causes sleeplessness. Dr. Rush -says: “A dream is a transient paroxysm of delirium, and delirium a -perpetual dream.” Not every dreamer becomes insane, in the common -understanding of the term, nor every person who is distressed by -wakefulness; nor do all those persons who dream dreams of a strange, -droll, startling, heart-rending, exhausting character, become inmates of -lunatic asylums, although all such are fit subjects for a rigid hygiene; -and not a few out of this large number of bad dreamers——who are likewise -afflicted with insomnia——but could with advantage place themselves under -the charge of an expert in diseases of the brain, or even in an asylum, if -either the former, or the physicians in charge of the latter, were in all -regards thoroughly equipped for their work——a rare circumstance indeed. -Normal sleep is dreamless; in default of this total oblivion, sleep is -only partial——it is not perfect nervous repose. No person who suffers -severely from indigestion but is also troubled with much dreaming, and, -more or less, with wakefulness; and no person who has these last-named -symptoms but can safely set them down; at least in great measure, to -digestive disorder; and as, almost invariably, removable by improved -habits. - -Some very wise men have stated as their belief, that no man living is -really of sound mind, any more than of sound body, in the strictest -application of the term; all have their crazy aspects——their “weak spots,” -as we say; and the anxious, brooding man, who fears the loss of his -reason, may take courage from the thought that his symptoms are only a -little worse than his neighbor’s, and only demand of him to diminish his -dyspepsia if he would become normally insane! To attack insomnia as a -disease instead of a symptom, is sure to result in discomfiture in the -great majority of cases, and is in every instance unsound in principle. -Once established, this condition of wakefulness tends to perpetuate -itself; but this would be otherwise with an absolutely natural regimen. A -man is wakeful at night because under his present physical condition he -ought to be——just as in diarrhœa, the looseness is doing its work of cure. -So with all symptoms. _Pain_ has its office, and this is coming to be -better understood; is already well known to thoughtful, well-informed -people; and the _wakefulness_ of which so many complain, and which, in -some cases, is of the most distressing, painful character, is as truly -normal, considering the present physical state of the sufferer’s brain, as -is pain following a cut. As an aid in the removal of this symptom, next to -a radical reform in one’s living habits, which is the only possible cure -for the disease, the above reasoning is one of the most effectual. - -When a man is wounded severely his anxiety is not increased by the pain; -it causes no additional alarm, because he knows that it is entirely -natural; let him know that sleeplessness is an analogue of pain, and he -will, or may, bear it philosophically, and thus tend to its removal. He -has a poverty-stricken mind, indeed, who can not, under such -circumstances, pass an hour, or several of them, in comparative comfort, -knowing that sleep will come in good time. But, thinking all the while -that it is sleep only that he needs, his sleeplessness distresses him, -causes him to be more and more alarmed, and, consequently, has the effect -to postpone the oblivion so devoutly prayed for, but so little earned. To -_deserve_ sleep is to _have_ it. Let the insomniac read the concluding -article of this volume, and by the light of it review the hints on diet, -air, exercise, etc., in the body of the article on consumption, so as to -know what he has to do to become a _good man_, physiologically; and go to -bed at about the same hour every night, if possible, or at any rate when -he does lie down to sleep it should be after a quiet hour or half-hour -devoted to peaceful and thought-steadying occupations, never exciting -mental exercise, whether amusing or instructive; and when he draws the -blankets about him, let it be with a sublime indifference as to whether he -shall or shall not go to sleep promptly. “As to the subduing of the -senses, the attempt to shut out external impressions by deafening the -ears, closing the eyes, and lowering the sensibilities generally, is in -itself a frequently recognizable and always possible cause of persistent -wakefulness. The effort to compose the mind (after lying down) and subdue -the activity of the senses is made by the higher mental faculty, a part or -function of the organism which, of all others, needs to be itself restful -in order that the physico-mental being may sleep. It is, therefore, -obvious that an _endeavor_ to go to sleep is a mistake.”[50] - -[Footnote 50: J. Mortimore Granville, M.D., in _Good Words_.] - -Rather let me, when staring out into the darkness,——for to attempt to shut -out the sense of sight by closing the eyes is always to render the -inner-mental sense increasingly acute: “the field of sight is soon crowded -with grotesque and rapidly changing images——a phantasmagoria, the worrying -effect of which is only a too familiar experience of the sleep waiter,” -and all the mental senses are in like manner stimulated, and their -acuteness intensified, by the endeavor to lower the sensibility of the -sense organs; and, worst of all, to narcotize them with drugs or -sleeping-draughts is irrational and its effects injurious, and if long -continued, fatal;——rather, I repeat, having ears to hear, let me hear, and -eyes to see, see; and a brain, let me think. Let the brain, the ears, and -the eyes “forget their cunning,” only when the eyelids droop in sleep -because I am sleepy. Meantime, not self-abasingly, but calmly and -dispassionately, would I philosophize thus: Well, I am in for it again! I -would like to sleep promptly, soundly, and long; why do I not? I suspect -that I am not running this physico-mental machine even in a fairly -physiological manner; I cause it to run at an abnormal rate during the -day, and keep up intense mental excitement through stimulation of one sort -or another, prolonging excessive mental activity too far on toward the -night; and because of this, and the lack of a fair degree of muscular -exercise, I only half breathe; of my fifteen or sixteen inspirations per -minute, not one distends the air cells of my lungs to half their capacity. -[Thus it transpires that the organism suffers in two ways, viz.: (1) the -circulation is not sufficiently oxygenated for its general purposes; and -(2) the waste matters are not “_pumped out_” of the substance of the -brain,[51] as effectually as need be]. My coffee was strong and nice this -morning; it stimulated me very satisfactorily throughout the day; and, -what I had not bargained for, I am still feeling the spur (see article on -Coffee). That new brand of cigars is exquisitely flavored; but, upon the -whole, a perfect night’s sleep would be far more exquisite; at least, just -now I am in the mood to think so. I sneered at that food-reformer who told -me he was never a good sleeper until his present simple, natural habits -made him so; but now, just at this moment, it seems as if it would be a -good trade to exchange some of my favorite dishes for coarse food and -balmy sleep! Oh, if I only could get “balmy” that way every night! I “got -the best” of ———— yesterday morning on those ———— stocks, and spent an -hour, bent over my desk, figuring to see how I could get hold of some more -at that price, before its holders had time to ascertain its real value. I -will tell the widow ———— in the morning, what it is worth, instead of -trying to buy hers under-price as I contemplated doing. And so I would con -over and look through myself and my habits, feeling sure that my eyelids -would droop, and sleep would come before I should have completed the work -of reform; and I am sure that every sufferer will find that a real -reform——a permanent reform——will unfailingly lead on to _health_, and so -to sweet and satisfactory sleep. - -[Footnote 51: “As stimulation of the brain causes dilatation of its -vessels, and increases the flow of blood through them, mental action of -itself not only attracts more blood to the brain, but provides to some -extent for the removal of waste products. Hence sleeplessness is normal -for a clogged brain. The movements induced by the cardiac pulsations are -not so extensive as those caused by the respiratory movements or by -muscular exertion, and therefore, when the brain is overworked and the -respiratory and muscular movements are restricted, the cerebral nutrition -will be diminished by the imperfect removal of waste from its substance. -But if, in addition to this, the cerebral cells and fibers are actually -poisoned by the circulation within the vessels which supply them, of -noxious substances due to imperfect digestion or assimilation, matters -will become very much worse.”——T. L. BRUNTON, M.D., F.R.S. (ibid.)] - -“Let no sleepless person be discouraged. Maintain hope under all -circumstances. Remember that there are many worse cases of suffering than -your own in the world, although to you it seems impossible. Keep up your -general health by all sanitary means possible; walk much in the open air, -if you can walk; ride, if you can not walk. Above all measures, keep the -functions of the skin in prime condition; cleanliness is antagonistic to -sleeplessness. Dry friction over the body by the use of the hand, or -better by the use of the French hair mitten, twice a day, we have found of -great service. The air-bath should not be neglected. A few minutes after -the employment of friction over the body, walk about without clothing in a -cool room, and if possible let the sun strike upon the body. Do not -remain uncovered too long, so as to become chilled. Keep the digestion -good; eat only such forms of food as suit the digestive organs. Surround -yourself with cheerful company if possible, read such books as do not tax -or weary the mind, and life will cease to be a burden, even if you do not -sleep as others do. Avoid above all things constant dosing; throw into the -ditch, or into the sea, all nostrums that may fall into your hand.” - -Comparatively few, even of the so-called hopelessly insane, but might in -the early stages of their disease be completely restored; and at any -period, so long as there is great vital force, or what would commonly pass -for robust physical health, no case need be set down as hopeless. But -while the present system of treatment prevails (it is not worthy the -appellation of “system,”) the present small proportion of “cures” will -continue to be the rule. The inmates are confined more or less closely, -often in imperfectly ventilated apartments, deprived of the exercise in -the open air they so much need, to the lack of which in their own homes -is, in part, attributable their present condition; they are fed -generously, even to plethora; and this, through the fault of the ignorance -of their attending physicians, although, if these were wise enough to know -when and how their patients needed “dieting,” the friends of these -sufferers would never submit to anything bordering upon a strictly -abstemious diet in their treatment. In visiting lunatic asylums in this -and other countries, I have been struck with the appearance of groups of -patients——the similarity of their _physique_, as compared with the men and -women seen on our streets every day——fat or lean, seldom medium——all -exhibiting clearly the physical characteristics of disease, as emaciation, -obesity, lack of, or ravenous, appetite, usually the latter. Meal-time -comes every five or six hours, and if the appetite is good, all are -permitted to eat very much in excess of their needs; they are urged to eat -when they desire to fast; and food is forced into their stomachs if they -are inclined to abstain for any length of time. It is not uncommon to find -patients who upon entering an asylum begin to fatten, though already in an -abnormal condition in this regard, their symptoms becoming more and more -discouraging as their weight increases, although neither physician nor -friends connect the two facts in any way. The latter feel thankful that -“poor dear J———— gets enough to eat!” In this connection I introduce an -incident of recent occurrence, not as indicating that a compulsory fast -for an extended period should be resorted to generally, nor my own belief -that it is a specific for all mind-troubles, by any means, but as a fact -of great significance which all interested in this question may well pause -a moment to contemplate. - - [Dispatch from Philadelphia to the New York _Herald_]. - - TANNER’S RECORD BEATEN. - - AN INSANE ASYLUM PATIENT ABSTAINS FROM FOOD - FOR FORTY-ONE DAYS. - -One of the most extraordinary cases of an insane man attempting to restore -his reason by voluntary starvation was discovered recently at the ———— -County Insane Asylum. The case presents an interesting study for medical -men generally. ————, aged forty years, a well-known resident of ————, who -has been confined in the institution for the last two years, has abstained -absolutely from all food except water, for the space of forty-one days. -From the forty-second day of his fast until the fifty-first day he drank -one pint of milk daily, and from then began eating strawberries and milk. -This diet was maintained for three weeks, and was then succeeded by -oatmeal gruel and milk. The case is a matter of careful record at the -institution and under circumstances that prevented deception. Therefore, -there is not the slightest doubt as to the extraordinary performance -having been genuine. Mr. ————, when he first came to the asylum, was very -violent at times, but, like many insane persons, he was a ravenous eater. -His insanity is supposed to be hereditary. Occasionally he has had lucid -intervals, and during these brief periods he frequently expressed the -belief that there existed some method by which the insane might have their -affliction alleviated if not entirely done away with. To Mrs. ————, the -matron of the asylum, he took a great fancy, and, while averse to having -anything to do with any other of the officials, he confided in her -thoroughly and often expressed the wish that his mind might be restored to -him and that he could be released. “For forty-one days,” said Mrs. ————, -“nothing passed his lips but water, and tepid water at that. Of this fact -I am thoroughly positive, knowing as I do the continuous efforts made -every day to induce him to eat. When he began the fast he had been living -on the same diet as the rest of the patients. He came to me and said, -seemingly in a perfectly rational manner, that he was anxious to be cured, -and that he thought abstinence from food for a time might benefit him. Mr. -———— said he did not intend to carry his experiment to extremes, but that -the moment he felt it would be proper for him to break the fast he would -do so. On the second day ———— again refused to eat, and did not go out of -his room. On the third day he drank a small cupful of water. At the end of -the seventh day he had drank about six pints of water, and the natural -functions of the body had then ceased. All of the attendants were -instructed to use every possible means to induce the man to partake of -nourishment, and a man was with him constantly through the day.” - -“Could he not have obtained food at night?” was asked. - -“It would have been impossible,” replied Mrs. ————. “All the rooms are -locked, and none of the patients have access to other parts of the -building after sundown. We would have been only too glad had he taken -food. About the 20th day he began to get thin and haggard-looking about -the face, and seemed to be feeble. He said that his head felt better, and -that he did not intend to eat anything as long as he felt so well. On the -35th day he became so weak that he had to go to bed, and remained there -until he broke the fast. I had told him that whenever he wanted to eat to -send me word, no matter what hour of the night or day it happened to be, -and I would see that he was provided with anything he might fancy. On the -afternoon of the 41st day since Mr. ———— had ceased eating,” continued -Mrs. ————, “he sent up word by an attendant that he should like to have a -cup of coffee.[52] I hastened to comply with the request at once, and had -a cup of very strong Java prepared. Mr. ———— drank it, and followed it up -an hour later with a cup of nice, rich milk. He stuck to the milk for a -week, I think, and then added strawberries. This low diet was kept up, oh, -for a long time, probably a month, then he gradually began eating oatmeal -mush and gruel, which has been maintained up to to-day.” - -[Footnote 52: One of the worst moves be could have made; but it is -significant that this was his last attempt to return to his coffee habit. -In his renewed state it proved no longer enticing!] - -“And you are perfectly positive, Mrs. ————, that Mr. ———— fasted -absolutely, with the exception of water, for forty-one days?” - -“Perfectly satisfied,” replied Mrs. ————; “in fact, I know it. There can -be no possible doubt, inasmuch as the attendants were only too anxious to -force the man to eat.” - -“Do you think the fast has made any change in Mr. ————’s condition?” - -“Well,” replied Mrs. ————, “he will probably be discharged as cured at the -next meeting of the board of freeholders in August.”[53] - -[Footnote 53: It is a matter of regret to me that this book goes to press -before I can ascertain the final result. Judging from the above account, -however, I should expect a thoroughly successful ending, unless it should -transpire that, true to their instincts, the attendants prevailed upon the -patient to abandon the simple regimen, which he adopted after the fast, -and resume the ordinary stimulating diet; in which case I should -confidently expect a complete relapse. - -As a hint regarding the effect of a stimulating and excessive diet upon -persons of unsound mind, I subjoin a brief note taken during the trial of -the most celebrated lunatic of modern times: “Guiteau’s appetite is quite -as remarkable as his insolence. He has breakfast served in his room at the -court-house about nine o’clock, and usually consumes at this meal a pound -of steak, nine buckwheat cakes, three roasted potatoes, and five cups of -coffee. Then, at half-past twelve, he gorges himself on roast beef and -mutton.”] - -A certain class of wakeful patients are benefited by the practice of -eating shortly before bedtime, when this right has been earned by -sufficient restriction during the day. To make this the fourth, or even -the third meal, however, is almost certain to increase the difficulty at -last. The victim of sleepless nights often finds himself quite overcome -with drowsiness after his midday meal. If then he could throw himself upon -the bed he would have no time to “count,” or even think of such a device -for putting himself to sleep. He was wide awake before lunch, and but for -the habit of taking it, could have finished the day better without than -with this out-of-season sleeping potion. Let him take the hint, eat his -second and last meal, a sufficient one of plain food, in the evening after -fully rested, and, thus equipped, go to bed directly, or after an hour or -two of agreeable, but non-taxing, social converse. He must avoid every -form of artificial stimulation——tea, coffee, wine, beer, tobacco. To -breathe the atmosphere of an office, hotel, or smoking-car, for any -considerable period, is no better, may be worse, than a moderate -indulgence at first-hand in the open air. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - RHEUMATISM, FATTY DEGENERATION, ETC. - - -Casey A. Wood. M.D., Professor of Chemistry in the Medical Department of -Bishop’s College, Montreal, in an article entitled “Starvation in the -Treatment of Acute Articular Rheumatism” (Canada _Medical Record_), gives -the history of seven cases where the patients were speedily restored to -health by simply abstaining from food from four to eight days, and he says -he could have given the history of forty more from his own practice, but -thought these would suffice. In no instance did he find it necessary to -extend the fast beyond ten days. His patients were allowed to drink freely -of cold water, or lemonade in moderate quantities, if they preferred, and -simple sponging with tepid water was resorted to when indicated by -feverishness of the surface. In no case did this treatment fail. No -medicine was administered. The cases reported “included men and women of -different ages, temperaments, occupations, and social positions.” He -further says: “From the quick and almost invariably good results to be -obtained by simple abstinence from food, I am inclined to the idea that -rheumatism is, after all, only a phase of indigestion, and that, by -giving complete and continued rest to all the viscera that take any part -in the process of digestion, the disease, is attacked _in ipsa radice_.” -In chronic rheumatism he obtained less positive results, but did not -venture to try fasts of longer duration. Dr. Wood concludes by saying that -“this treatment, obviating as it does, almost entirely, the danger of -cardiac complications, will be found to realize all that has been claimed -for it——a simple, reliable remedy for a disease that has long baffled the -physician’s skill; and the frequency with which rheumatism occurs will -give every one a chance of trying its efficacy.” As elsewhere remarked, -nearly all patients continue eating regularly, until food becomes actually -disagreeable, even loathsome, often; and, after this, every effort is -exhausted to produce some toothsome compound to “tempt the appetite.” -Furthermore, and often worst of all, after the entire failure of this -programme, the patient can, and usually does, take to gruel or some sort -of “extract,” which he can drink by holding his breath. All this tends to -aggravate the acute symptoms, and to fasten the disease in a chronic form -upon the rheumatic patient, or to insure rheumatic fever; and the same -principle holds in nearly all acute disorders, it is well to remember. So -inveterate is this mania for eating, even when to continue is like turning -coals upon the dead ashes and clinkers of an expired fire, that, in -ordinary practice, it is well-nigh impossible to induce any class of -patients to abstain from food at the beginning of an attack, or to give -the fasting cure a fair trial at any stage of the disease. The term -frequently applied——“starvation cure”——is both misleading and -disheartening to the patient: in fact, he is both _starved_ and _poisoned_ -by _eating_ when the hope of digestion and assimilation is prohibited, as -is, in great measure, the case in all acute attacks, and more especially -when there is nausea or lack of appetite; and he can only escape from the -danger by abstaining temporarily. Dr. Wood’s prestige in the natural -treatment of acute rheumatism was obtained in hospital practice, where it -is comparatively easy to “control the symptoms” by withholding the cause, -or, in other words, where the physician——providing the nurse is -honest——can regulate the diet of his patients, absolutely. After such -experience, it was less difficult for Dr. Wood to introduce this remedy -among the most intelligent of his patients in private practice; for he -could recommend it as in no sense an experiment, but as a remedy of -positive advantage and, in fact, indispensable, if the best results were -to be effected. My own experience, so far as it goes, has been similar to -that of Dr. Wood. Moreover, in chronic cases——cases of long standing——the -best results may be hoped for——in fact the best possible results have -invariably followed——from an abstemious (_frugivorous_) diet, together -with simple bathing, as special symptoms may indicate,——and an improved -general regimen, as to fresh air, exercise (inaugurated gradually), -beginning, perhaps, with passive exercise, as rubbing, etc., by the -attendant. A chronic disease usually implies chronic provocation: Nature -has simply commuted the extreme penalty of the law; or, it may be likened -to the reprieve of a convict under sentence of death, with an assurance of -full liberty upon complete reform. - -Among the disorders radically and safely removed by fasting, is - - - OBESITY, - -or any degree of excess in weight. Time, from ten days up. The weight, in -this disorder, will diminish under the influence of fasting——by the waste -and excretion of _material that can best be spared_ (fat)——at the rate of -from one to three pounds, or more, a day, which rate of progress can be -increased, happily, by exercise in the open air. Entire abstinence from -food will cause the fat to disappear, but there can be no regeneration of -the muscular system——on the contrary, it must continue to -deteriorate——without exercise. It is better, therefore, to keep up a good -degree of exercise, and to eat a limited amount of food daily. It is not -that the fat person eats or digests more than the lean one (he may not eat -nearly as much in fact), but he excretes less. Exercise in the open air -favors the excretion of waste matters which otherwise would be deposited -in the cellular tissues. The fatty degeneration so much admired in -infancy, aids in the production of emaciation and consumption at adult -age. - -A fat person, at whatever period of life, has not a sound tissue in his -body; not only is the entire muscular system degenerated with the fatty -particles,[54] but the vital organs——heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, -etc.——are likewise mottled throughout, like rust spots in a steel -watch-spring, liable to fail at any moment. - -[Footnote 54: A slice of steak from the loin of a stall-fed ox exhibits -this disease very clearly: mark its “well mixed” appearance (a token of -praise to the ignorant or reckless epicure), where the muscular tissue has -given place to the globules of fat which denote unexcreted excess in diet, -and deficient nutrition, from lack of exercise.] - -The gifted Gambetta, whom M. Rochefort styled a “fatted satrap,” died (far -under his prime) because of this depraved condition: a slight gun-shot -wound, from which a “clean” man would have speedily recovered, ended this -obese diabetic’s life. Events sufficiently similar are constantly -occurring on both sides of the water; every hour men are rolling into -ditches of death because they do not learn how to live. These ditches have -fictitious names——grief, fright, apoplexy, heart disease, kidney troubles, -etc., etc.——but the true name is _chronic self-abuse_. - -Says an agricultural journal: “The eggs of most fowls are infertile from -too much pampering and too little exercise. It is not wise to fatten any -animal intended for breeding purposes.” The principle here involved does -not relate simply to the fertility of the ovum, but to the health and -stamina of all living creatures: fat is disease. Very fat women can not -conceive, or, if they do, their children can not be born alive; and those -who are to any degree degenerated in this manner can not endow their -offspring with the full measure of vitality to which they are justly -entitled; while too often they are foredoomed to sickly lives and -premature deaths. - -I can in no way better illustrate the relation of fat to health and -strength, than by repeating the remarks of an intelligent and observing -young farmer. “I fatten my cattle,” said he, “because it pays——the market -demands fat creatures; so I have my barn very snug and warm, and feed -high. My neighbor, on the other hand, is what would be called a ‘poor -farmer’; that is, his buildings are not of the best, his barn has broad -cracks all around, which gives them pure air, and his cattle are never -fat. He works his oxen hard, gives them enough to eat to keep them in full -health and vigor, but nothing for adipose. Mornings, in winter, when he -turns his oxen out into the yard, they prance out like a lot of colts, -kick up their heels and shake their horns like healthy creatures as they -are; while mine will almost tumble down over the door-sill! His cows never -give as much milk nor make as much butter as mine; but they are never -sick, while mine are sometimes, and I lose one now and then with -‘milk-fever,’ or some other disease resulting from high feeding; but I am -farming for profit, and my heifers bring an extra price by reason of the -great milk and butter record of their mothers, and I can afford to have a -sick or even a dead cow occasionally, providing I keep the fact quiet——not -advertise the danger of the process necessary to ‘drive the milk out of -them.’” - -[Obesity being a disease peculiar to, and (terminating in cholera infantum -or some zymotic disease) especially fatal in, infancy, the author has -endeavored to treat the subject exhaustively in his work entitled “How to -Feed the Baby.” He would merely observe, in this connection, that in -plant life or animal life, the universal law is a _lean, lank infancy_: -those creatures and those slips which thrive continuously and reach a -healthy maturity are _never_ fat or stocky during the period of growth. -The human infant only is sought to be made an exception to this rule; with -what success the mortality reports fully attest.] - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - BILIOUSNESS, “HAY FEVER,” NEURALGIA, ETC. - - -Regarding this ridiculous (because unnecessary) disorder, Sir Lionel -Beale, a recognized authority, says: “The bilious ‘habit’ seems to be due -to an unusually sensitive, irritable stomach and liver, which will -discharge their functions fairly in a moderate degree, but which can not -be made to do more than this without getting much out of order, [unless, I -would remark, the _needs_ of the system be augmented and, consequently, -the digestive powers exalted, by means of increased exercise, less -pampering, more outdoor air, the use of lighter clothing, etc.] Most of -the organs” he goes on to say, “taking part in the digestion and -assimilation of food seem to strike work when the bilious attack comes on. -[It would seem more accurate to say that the ‘strike,’ resulting from -overtaxation——excessive and unwholesome alimentation——constitutes the -‘attack’]. If food be taken, the suffering becomes greater. The fact seems -to be, that the digestive organs require rest for a time, and if, when an -attack comes on, this rest is given, the bilious state passes off, and the -patient then feels extremely well, perhaps for a considerable time. -Persons of the ‘bilious habit’ should not [who should?] eat ‘rich’ foods, -fatty matters, fried dishes, etc., etc., and should shun alcohol.” He -advises little or no meat; commends the vegetarian diet, fruits, and a -good proportion of whole-meal bread——corn, rye, and wheat. The free use of -milk promotes biliousness, in many cases. Skim-milk often “agrees” when -whole milk can not be taken in any quantity without causing much -disturbance. Milk can not be called a natural food for man, and, indeed, -many are obliged to relinquish its use altogether; besides, as remarked -elsewhere, there is much disease among cows, owing to the unnatural manner -of feeding them, and in such cases the milk is impure. It is a safe rule -for bilious subjects to abstain from milk altogether; while butter, cream -and cheese are still more objectionable. - -In the following complaints the benefit derived from temporary abstinence -from food are most marked; the acute symptoms, as catarrhal discharges, -feverishness, or pain, shortly disappear (when the fast may be broken), -and the disorders themselves may be eradicated by a wholesome regimen such -as would, in the first instance, have prevented them: acute catarrh, -“rose,” or “hay” fever, influenza, feverishness, fever (one to six days, -or until convalescence), neuralgia (including headache and toothache). The -list might be extended somewhat, but enough has been said to illustrate -the principle that “fresh air, fasting, and exercise is Nature’s triple -panacea” for the pain and discomfort experienced in a wide range of -disorders where the necessity exists for excreting poisonous elements, -and resting the viscera concerned in alimentation. “This exasperation of -irritation _in the viscera_, and for the most part in the ganglionic -network about the stomach and liver,” says an eminent medical author, “is -an invariable concomitant and cause” [of neuralgia, and all chronic nerve -aches]. - - - HINTS AND APHORISMS. - -A well-knit frame never “drops a stitch.”——A chilly person is a sick -person: good health, not good clothes, nor artificial heat, keeps a man -feeling warm.——A rear guard: “I shall bring him out of this all right,” -says the doctor,——“if no new complication arises”; and then he prescribes -a drug or a compound of drugs, which tends to provoke the complication. -For hundreds of years it has been, and, in general practice, still is the -aim in sickness, to excite the organism to greater exertion in this, that -or the other direction, _by giving it more to do_; the new gospel teaches -that the true theory is, to enable Nature to put forth her energies in the -most life-saving manner, albeit in her own fashion, by giving her more to -do _with_: fresh air, sunshine, cleanliness, water,——the latter _pure_, -_i.e._, without the everlasting drug which constitutes the “more to do.” -It is a hackneyed expression, that “a man is either a fool or his own -physician at forty”; but if he then find himself neither whole nor -mending, he is a fool if he does not seek advice. Stomach digestion -demands a period of leisure; hence the rule, “Never eat till you have -leisure to digest.”——Assimilation and nutrition demand peace of mind, to -ensure the best results; in sickness, especially, “the balance of power” -often lies in this direction. - - NOTE.——It should be understood that aside from the above hint, - the foregoing disorders are to be considered by the reader in - connection with the teachings of this volume as a whole. (See - concluding paragraph in the chapter on Bright’s Disease.) - -Having studied the subject well and with all practicable aid, settle upon -a regimen, let it become second nature, and never worry about diet or -think of your stomach; but if that organ persists in making itself _felt_, -adopt a more abstemious regimen still, and go on again. - -Maria Giberne——artist and vegetarian, of whom at the age of fifty, Mozley -said: “She is the handsomest woman I ever saw,” and who “now at near -eighty has the same flowing locks, though they are white as snow, and her -talk and her letters are as bright as ever”——ascribed her wonderful -preservation and unfailing health to her observation of the fasts [she was -a Catholic] and her general abstemiousness. “Her diet consisted chiefly of -bread and fruit, mostly apples. One apple in the middle of a long day she -spoke of as a great refreshment. She had never to complain of the heat.” - -We call it a disorder when Nature is really putting things to -rights——bringing the order of health out of the chaos of disease: it is -like “house-cleaning,” where the mistress has let things run at loose ends -for a long time——sweeping the dirt under the stove, behind the door, -etc., and making unnecessary dirt——instead of _keeping_ the establishment -in order and thereby avoiding any occasion for a general upsetting. - -Says one of Boston’s eloquent preachers, the Rev. M. J. Savage: “In nine -cases out of ten, men and women might fairly be called to account for -being sick”; and Dr. T. L. Nichols, the eminent hygienist of London, says -the same thing, only in slightly different language: “In nine cases out of -ten, if people, when they found themselves becoming sick, would simply -stop eating, they would have no need of drugs or doctors.” - -A certain class of temperance reformers sign pledges to be moderate in -their indulgences, and not to “treat” or be “treated.” This rule would be -a hundred-fold more life-saving applied (rationally) to food than to -drink. It is quite generally the custom to urge our friends to eat to -repletion, when they partake of our hospitality. - -Given a natural mode of life and natural food, the appetite also would be -natural, and the stomach would not accept more than it could digest. - -Nature appears, often, to be a lenient creditor, but she never neglects to -collect her little bill, finally, with interest and costs of suit: “In the -physical world there is no forgiveness of sin.” - -The mandate, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, has, in my -opinion, a physiological basis: a man can eat with advantage only an -amount corresponding to the exertion he puts forth,——a modicum being -allowed, of course, for the physiological labor of the organism. - -“Do not think these are unimportant things [questions of diet, etc.], not -dignified enough to be spoken of in the pulpit. I tell you they reach to -your mind and to your morals; they reach to your theology; they reach -clear to heaven, so far as you are concerned, and are of fundamental -importance, touching your religious and moral life a good deal more, -sometimes, than what you think about the Bible, Sunday, or any other -religious institution whatever.”——SAVAGE. - -“Nothing hurts me——I eat everything.” (Next year): “Nothing agrees with my -stomach——I can’t eat anything.” Thus the dyspeptics’ ranks are kept full -with recruits from those who “don’t want any advice about diet.” - -“Indigestion is charged by God with enforcing morality on the -stomach.”——THOLEMYÉS. - -Every appetite held in check, aids in restraining every other——making -_all_ serve the man, instead of the man them; while every one let loose, -tends powerfully to give free rein to all. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE FLESH-FOOD FALLACY - - [See Chapter III.] - - -demands more than the passing notice accorded to it in the chapters on -Consumption: The facts of chemistry are eternal and indisputable, as are -all the truths of science; but, as between two kinds of aliment, or two -substances which are being considered as to their adaptation to the -purpose of nourishing the body, while chemistry accurately points out -which contains the greatest amount of this or that constituent, and is -often of service, as affording data for a presumption, in the absence of -definite knowledge, she often fails to discover——despite the chemist’s, or -rather his blind pupil’s dogmatic assertion to the contrary——which is -really the _most natural_, and consequently the _best adapted_ for the -purpose of alimentation. In nothing do we observe this more strikingly -than in a comparison between flesh and vegetable foods. A three-column -criticism of a former work (How to Feed the Baby), in one of our leading -magazines, and which sums up its merits by “hoping the book will be read -by all on whom devolves the important duty, the care of children; for it -is an effort to institute the correct principle of feeding ‘the baby,’” -contains the following upon the subject of animal _vs._ vegetable food: -“We discover,” says the critic, “on page 98 that our author is a -vegetarian, after all. In speaking of a nutritious diet whereby to enrich -the breast milk, he makes the following startling statement: ‘Unleavened -bread, or mush, made from the unbolted meal of wheat, rye, or corn, has -_very much more nutriment_, pound for pound, than is contained in beef or -mutton, notwithstanding the fallacy that classes the latter as hearty -food.’ This is only a declaration without proof, contrary to all authority -on foods. We take the following table from Prof. Johnston’s ‘Chemistry of -Common Life’: - - Lean beef. Wheaten bread. - - Water and blood 77 40 - Myosin or gluten 19 7 - Fat 3 1 - Starch 0 50 - Salt and other mineral mat. 1 2 - -“From which is deduced the fact, that ordinary flesh is about three times -as rich in myosin or gluten as ordinary wheaten bread, or, in other words, -a pound of beefsteak is as nutritious as three pounds of wheaten bread. In -a second edition of Dr. Page’s book, we hope he will correct this great -error.” - -It should be stated that bread made from whole, _i.e._, unbolted and -_unsifted_, meal, is much richer in gluten and certain invaluable salts, -than shown in the figures here given. - -Because the most careful observation on the part of intelligent and -conscientious men who have had the best opportunities for ascertaining the -relative merits of these two classes of foods, viz.: nutrients proper, and -the stimulo-nutrients, or, in other words, foods which are naturally -adapted to the human organism, and those substances (as, for example, the -flesh of animals) which, along with a great deal of nourishment, contain -elements which, being of an excretory and noxious character, _excite_ or -_stimulate_ the organism, and are, consequently, to that degree -injurious——because, I would repeat, the proof is, in my estimation, -overwhelmingly in favor of vegetable food, more particularly the cereals -and fruits, so far from contemplating the “correction of this great -error,” I desire to reassert, most emphatically, as a fundamental truth in -dietetics, and in no sense an error, that, pound for pound, the cereal -grains are not only more nutritious (speaking of their effects upon the -human organism) than flesh, but, physiologically speaking, they are free -from the impurities which abound in the latter, and which are often -rendered still more noxious by the presence of actual disease among -animals _fattened_ for human food. - -The advocates of flesh-food have a marvelous faculty for misrepresenting -some facts, and for the non-presentation of others which should appear if -the discussion is for the purpose of deciding the question on its merits. -To illustrate: I find in Johnson’s Encyclopedia (Article on Hygiene, by a -prominent physician) the following: “It must be admitted that men can, -under favorable circumstances, exist through long periods without meat. -This is shown in the instances of many tribes in Asia and Africa, who live -almost entirely on rice and other grains, and also by many of the -peasantry of Continental Europe, and the Scotch Highlanders who are -confined to a diet containing very little animal food. Yet it is equally -true that men can exist on meat alone, as is done by the Indian riders of -the South American pampas, for months together.” But the writer of the -above (from ignorance of the fact, doubtless,) does not add, that those -races who live upon a well-selected vegetable diet excel in every -way——mentally, morally, and physically——those races or tribes who subsist -entirely on flesh. What would the above authority call “favorable -circumstances” such as would enable men to “exist” without meat? Was he -thinking of the French officers, prisoners of war, who were fed, for a -year or more, on rice and Indian corn exclusively, with water for their -only drink, to return to their commands in improved health, to receive -promotion by reason of vacancies occasioned by the death of comrades who -had been favored with an abundance of meat? Or of the muscular Japanese, -hard-working men and finely developed women of whom a recent sojourner in -Japan says: “The quantity of food they eat is astonishingly small when -compared with the food devoured by meat-eaters from the Western world.... -Seemingly their frames are as tough as steel, not susceptible of cold or -intense heat——going thinly clad in freezing weather, and not shrinking -from the sun in its most oppressive season.... They are a marvel of -strength, and illustrate the lesson that health, strength, and endurance -may exist on a light and scanty diet of rice and vegetables, together with -fish. The Rikisha men are not so heavily molded, being of much slighter -build, but they are also full of muscle, though not so prodigally -developed [as with the class of laborers before referred to]. The fatigue -these men undergo and withstand can be partially estimated when it is -remembered that it is not considered an extraordinary feat for them to -travel forty miles a day with their seated passenger. No matter how hot it -may be, while the passenger is complaining of the heat, he is being -whirled along and protected by his umbrella from the rays of the sun, and -the motive power never flags. This Rikisha man keeps up a pace like a -deer, his body generally bare to the sun, being guiltless of clothing that -could inconvenience the free movement of the body or limbs. He takes but -the slightest quantity of refreshment while on the road——a cup of tea and -a modicum of rice being the extent of his gormandizing during the travel. -And they repeat these exploits day after day, never eating meat.” Of the -women this writer remarks: “With beautifully rounded arms and limbs, with -smallest of feet and hands, and small-boned, they present the spectacle of -what the human form should be in its natural grace and finish.... The -women, young and old, are seen bearing loads upon their backs that the -uninitiated in such work would not be able to stand up under. They will -travel miles laden this way with a speed that would suffice to tire an -average Western woman if entirely unincumbered. In fact few of our women -could at all walk the distance the old women do here while bearing heavy -loads. And all this is performed on an abstemious vegetable diet.” Thus it -would seem that “the most favorable circumstances,” to use the language of -Johnson’s contributor, to enable men and women to live “without meat,” are -plenty of hard work in the open air,[55] and a somewhat restricted diet; -for it must be remembered that the people of whom we have been speaking, -are from necessity the least able to indulge in unlimited quantities of -their peculiar food of all the people in the land. - -[Footnote 55: It is very generally agreed by the most eminent medical men -of all schools of practice, that in the absence of free exercise in the -open air, animal food _must_ be abstained from.] - -As to the moral aspect of the question, I grant that a man can not sin -without knowledge. If he believes it necessary and right for the higher -animals, elevated human beings, to slaughter and feast upon the lower——the -gentle, mild-eyed creatures who serve and minister unto us so patiently, -so faithfully, and, indeed, so lovingly——then to kill and devour is, for -him, no crime. But if men were as ready to learn from their instincts, as -they are to yield to their artificial cravings, the natural loathing which -all, or most people, feel at the sight of bloodshed, and which so many -experience at the bare thought of taking life, would teach us the -unnaturalness and therefore the harmfulness of a flesh diet. (See -Appetite.) - -Finally, there remains to be answered, one argument, the most rational of -all that are put forward in favor of the continued use of flesh-food, -viz.: heredity and habit, and a “second nature” resultant therefrom. Even -some hygienic writers argue stoutly the necessity of recognizing this law, -as particularly applicable to this question, and declare the absurdity of -the position assumed by those who demand the abandonment of flesh-food for -all who would insure to themselves the blessing of health. While affirming -that the vital organism may in a few years, even, become accustomed to the -_use_ of almost anything, no matter how repugnant or destructive it -naturally is, as opium, liquor, tobacco, etc., provided the process be -gradual enough, they still hold that with regard to animal food, a -substance acknowledged by them to be unwholesome, the organism can not -become accustomed to its _non-use_ until generations of better habits have -remodeled the organism to suit the conditions. Theoretically, it would -seem grossly absurd to say that when, as is the known fact, cats, dogs, -bears, and the like, can thrive perfectly on a strict vegetarian diet (I -have, myself, tried this successfully with the first two), that _man_ -alone has no hope this side the grave of being able to abandon animal -food! In practice, it is found that the only thing required is to convince -the mind of an individual of the unnaturalness and unwholesomeness of -flesh-food; _then_ if he be conscientious the battle is won, and it only -remains to furnish him with a diet suited to his needs, (the selection and -preparation of which, many hygienists, however, are far from comprehending -fully; hence the only reason I can find for the continuance of the mixed -diet in any case). But if he be either unconvinced or lacking in moral -force, he can not be harmed by the presentation of the vegetarian -_theory_, for he will continue his flesh-eating and take the consequences. -So long, however, as any hygienist favors even a moderate indulgence in -animal foods as a necessity for most people throughout their lives, his -followers will take it upon themselves to decide as to what constitutes -moderation, just as is the case with coffee, liquor, and tobacco-users, -only the former (by reason of their ignorance as to what constitutes -health and symptoms of disease) have no such means of recognizing the -symptoms of excess, as have the latter. The truth is that “abstinence from -_all_ unwholesome practices, only, is easier than temperance.” - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——This chapter is particularly recommended to the notice of - members and friends of the American Society for the Prevention - of Cruelty to Animals. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - AIR-BATHS. - - -With a view to the exaltation of the condition of the entire organism, as -well as simply that of the digestive and assimilative system——and in -addition to the reform already suggested as to clothing, _i.e._, a -reduction in the number and weight of garments habitually worn, when these -have been superabundant,——I would say to all classes, sick or well, that -great advantage will be derived from habituating themselves to transient -exposure of the entire surface of the body to the air. Often enough, we -observe persons sitting heavily clad, in a warm room and close to the -fire, and yet feeling “shivery” and sure of having “caught cold.” To throw -off all clothing would banish such chills _instanter_, especially if the -person begins to give himself a brisk hand-rubbing. The skin is sweltered, -and is numb for want of circulation in the capillaries. In the case -supposed the person has _prevented_ a “cold.” Next to the water-bath, -which is, of course, or ought to be, an air-bath and water-bath combined, -the simple air-bath is invaluable as a prophylactic or a curative; and in -very many instances, say for several mornings in each week, and whenever -the usual water-bath is not convenient, the air-bath will prove an -excellent substitute. In place of _dodging_ from the sweltering bed into -his heavy day-clothing, the _robust_ man will be far more likely to -maintain his vigorous condition by doffing his night-shirt and indulging -for the space of, say, five minutes or less, in brisk hand-rubbing all -over, however cold his sleeping-room, and again on going to bed; while the -delicate ones should, with due caution, inaugurate the same system (some -_will-power_ has to be exerted), but graduated, as to temperature and -duration, to their special conditions——advancing as their physical -condition improves under its influence until they are no longer members of -that immense army——the victims of “aërophobia.” Patients themselves too -weak for even the exercise of self-rubbing will still derive great benefit -from the air-bath, in a temperature, say, of 65°, with an attendant to rub -them briskly from neck to heels. Set in practice in a rational manner this -custom will never injure the most delicate person, but on the contrary -will always prove beneficial. It will not bring the dead to life, nor, -indeed, “cure” the moribund; but it is one of Nature’s most efficient -aids——it is Nature herself, in very truth——and I have seen patients who -were thought to be hopelessly ill, begin to take on what seemed to be -renewed life, largely through this new use of fresh air, and the -_dismissal_ of the _unnatural dread of it_. For example: - - - CHRONIC DYSPEPSIA CURED BY FASTING AND FRESH AIR. - -A patient, Mrs. T., of New Hampshire, a very bright lady indeed, and one -who appreciated the necessity of fresh air, had yet, through a very deep -decline, in addition to a life-long invalidism, become hyper-sensitive to -cold, wrapping and over-wrapping to guard against chilliness, fearful of -the least current of air. Both relatives and friends were discouraged as -to her recovery——it even being urged, after I had taken the case, that if, -as it seemed, there were no hopes of her getting well, she ought to have -some “medicine to ease her pathway to the grave.”[56] This was in the -month of October of the year 1882, when she came under my care. I induced -her to leave off eating, since eating was particularly disagreeable, and -only served to keep up the chronic inflammation of the entire digestive -and neighboring viscera, causing her a great deal of suffering and -threatening her with starvation. [Referring to her first letter (written -by her sister), describing her condition, I find such expressions as -these: “My physician, who feared heart disease, as my mother and one -sister had died of it, becoming alarmed at my symptoms, desired a -consultation, and Dr. ————, Professor of Cardiac Diseases at ———— ———— -College Hospital, was called. He said heart was all right, but lungs weak. -I was well drugged, but when they stuffed me on cod-liver oil and -beefsteak I would have inflammation of the stomach and liver and, of -course, grew worse, with such a terrible ache at the base of my brain.... -Was brought to N. H. (from Brooklyn, N. Y.) in May, and had congestion of -the liver shortly after. My physician, here, ordered iron and strychnine, -but it did no permanent good. All my friends say I am starving to death, -and unless you can advise me, I fear that I shall, for I am terribly -emaciated even now.... My æsophagus, stomach, and liver are in an -irritated condition,... am sore all over,——can not sleep at night; have -taken chloral by physician’s advice. My flesh has a yellow-purple -color——arms and hands grow quite purple at times,” etc., etc.] I directed -her to throw away her medicine——iron and strychnia, aconite and -chloral——_bottles and all_,——as the first step, telling her that whether -she was to live or die, she should be made more comfortable without, than -with medicine. For the exhausted digestive organs, I directed entire rest, -as before stated; and for seven days she swallowed nothing but _cool_ or -_hot_ water.[57] _For the first three or four days many of her symptoms -increased in severity_——not a bad sign. At the same time I succeeded in -removing from her mind the dread of air-currents, improving the -ventilation of both the sleeping and sitting room, and she, furthermore, -begun the system of air-bathing here enjoined. On the seventh day she -reported by letter that she felt as though something “more nourishing than -water would be very acceptable,” that she had some very nice pears and -Delaware grapes, and would like to try them. I directed her to take a -breakfast of fruit every morning; and, at night, a dinner of two or three -unleavened gems (made from _unsifted_ wheat-meal and mixed stiff with cold -water), with a very little fruit, and a cupful of skimmed milk (no butter, -cream, or any kind of animal fat), beginning with a single gem; the milk -to be taken last, by itself, and each swallow to be held for a moment in -the mouth. Under this treatment she is making excellent progress——not -rapid and fictitious, as we often enough witness under a stimulating -regimen, but a real, natural growth healthward. She rides out in all -weathers, walks a mile or two every day to and from the neighbors, aids in -the work about the house, and on December 9th, about two months after she -began the “natural cure,” she reports by postal as follows: “I am still on -the hygienic tack and growing stronger, though I still have some aches to -assure me that I am mortal. I ‘sleep beautifully,’ with window open in all -weathers. I enjoy my air-baths every morning in the hall (a portion of the -time), with the mercury at zero!” (She is now in robust health.) - -[Footnote 56: Her disease was chronic dyspepsia: the stomach was so -irritable that it could seldom retain anything——at least a portion of even -the smallest ordinary ration would be ejected——the liver was very much -congested and enlarged; the bowels were obstinately constipated; there was -extreme emaciation, and but little strength, though, generally, great good -nature and cheerfulness in spite of her ailments. Had been taking chloral -for wakefulness, and iron and strychnine as a tonic. She took no medicine -after becoming my patient.] - -[Footnote 57: See note 3 in Appendix, p. 279.] - -Benjamin Franklin had observed the invigorating effects of this practice -and would often, in moderate weather, rise from bed in the morning and, -entirely nude, write for an hour or more, and then dress for breakfast. -When wakeful at night, the great philosopher found that by throwing off -the bed-coverings for a few minutes he could then re-cover and fall asleep -and sleep soundly.[58] Finally, so deeply was Franklin impressed from his -own experience and observation in this direction that he proposed to cure -all diseases by means of the air-bath, combined with plain and abstemious -living. His idea concerning the most popular of all disorders may be -inferred from the following: “I shall not attempt to explain why ‘damp -clothes’ occasion colds rather than wet ones, because I doubt the fact. I -imagine that neither the one nor the other contributes to this effect, and -that the causes of colds are totally independent of wet and even of cold.” -(Essays, p. 216.) - -[Footnote 58: One may be partially stifled and made wakeful by confined -air about the skin, as well as asphyxiated with bad air in the lungs. The -eminent Dr. B. W. Richardson, of London, lays great stress upon the -necessity, and has himself devised a means, of ventilating the space about -the person in bed——a very gradual change of the air being insured. Next to -any special mechanical device for the accomplishment of this object, and -perhaps all sufficient generally, comes the use of loosely woven sheets -and blankets, instead of heavy linen or cotton sheets and “comfortables” -which are well-nigh airtight.] - -Dr. James R. Nichols, of Boston, the well-known scientist, thus emphasizes -the importance of this form of bath: - -“One of the most sagacious, far-seeing men this country has produced was -Doctor Franklin. He was in all that he did and said far in advance of his -age and of his opportunities, and his wisdom was of that rare kind which -does not grow old. His discoveries and devices were not partial and -imperfect, but such as have needed little revision or improvement. - -“The lightning-rod he devised is to-day the best form we have, and his -method of applying it to buildings needs no special modification. His -open-fireplace stove is still largely in use, no better one having been -devised. His philosophical theories and speculations were so rounded out, -so clearly and sagaciously developed, that many of them stand to-day as -fixed facts in philosophy and science. Among his important discoveries was -the ‘air-bath,’ a sanitary or curative agent which is of the highest -consequence to the welfare of mankind. It may be said that he did not -present the matter in much practical detail, but he suggested it, used it, -and gave reasons for believing in its high importance. - -“We have made the air-bath a matter of careful study, and wish to call the -attention of the readers of the _Journal_ to it, as a means of securing -and preserving health, which is of the first importance. It is impossible -for physicians or individuals of ordinary sagacity to fail to see that a -large proportion of invalids and semi-invalids do not bear well the -application of either cold or tepid water to the body. A man or woman must -naturally be of strong constitution and in robust health to arise in the -morning, in cold climates, and stand under the icy streams which come from -a shower-bath, without breaking down in health at an early day. The -sponge-bath is less injurious, but it saps the vitality of many to a fatal -extent, and feeble persons are rarely in any degree benefited by its use. -The tepid bath, as a curative means, constantly followed weakens rather -than strengthens, and many can not continue it for the space even of a -week. Bathing, beyond the needs of perfect cleanliness, is not generally -to be recommended. Mankind are not aquatic animals, like ducks and geese; -they are not born on or in the water, and nature never designed that they -should be splashing about in that element within the lines of the -temperate or frigid zones.... - -“The air-bath is a means of recuperation which needs to be intelligently -and carefully adopted, and like all other good things must not be abused. -There are hundreds of thousands of people of both sexes, in this country, -who lead miserable lives, and yet they are not in bed, not perhaps -confined to their dwellings; they suffer from nervous prostration, from -imperfect digestion and assimilation, from worry, from overwork, from the -care of households, etc. A vast number in the mighty army of invalids are -not themselves to blame for their physical weaknesses; their -idiosyncrasies of organization come by inheritance.... - -“Now, the air-bath comes to the feeble and physically impoverished as a -kind and good friend; and let us see how we can obtain from it the highest -good. Nearly all semi-invalids are inclined to sedentary habits, and as -the circulation is languid the body in winter is under a persistent chill. -In the morning, upon getting out of bed, the clothing can not be too -quickly adjusted, as the body is in a shiver; and the air of a cool room -is a thing to be dreaded. - -“The morning is the time for the air-bath, and all that is required is a -hair-cloth mitten [a towel, or even the bare hand alone will answer, -however,] and a moderately cool room. When the invalid steps from the bed -to the floor in the morning, let the hair glove or mitten be seized, and -without removing the night-clothes proceed to rub gently all parts of the -body, at the same time walking about in the room until a feeling of -fatigue is experienced; then drop the glove, and gently pass the hand over -all parts of the body before resuming the clothing. [Unless the nude body -is extremely sensitive to cold, it may be exposed to the air for a few -moments, even on the first morning]. The next morning jump out of bed in a -moderately cool [never a ‘close,’ but always a ventilated] room, and go -over the same process as before, remaining a little longer exposed to the -air after the rubbing. The third morning repeat this treatment; and on the -fourth, or at the end of a week, take off all the night-clothing, and -briskly apply the hair glove, first with the right hand and then with the -left, all the time walking about. Follow up this, as the degree of -strength permits, morning after morning, until the body is so rejuvenated -and the blood so attracted to the surface, that the cool air is felt to be -a luxury. Let the body be entirely nude, no socks upon the feet, no scarf -about the chest. At first, or after the first week, perhaps, the exposure -to the pure cool air may be three or four minutes; soon increase the -exposure, until, after a month or two, the air-bath may continue for -twenty minutes or half an hour. Do not fail to walk about during the first -month, using the hands in polishing the skin. After the first month the -patient may sit in the air of the room part of the time, but constant, -gentle exercise is best. - -“Now, another most important curative agent connected with the air-bath is -_sunlight_. In summer, sunlight is accessible, but in winter only the late -risers can secure its benefits. [There is no reason why morning should be -regarded as the only appropriate time for this skin-airing. On the -contrary, some will find midday even better, though morning is for most -persons the most convenient time. Many can not devote any other hour to -this work; others will not have the energy, _i. e._, the good sense to -disrobe for an air or sun bath during the day.] If possible, sit and walk -in the sunlight during the bath. It is astonishing what the direct actinic -rays of the morning sun can do for an invalid, when the whole nude body is -brought under its influence.” - - - SCROFULA. - -A sick niece of the Mrs. T. whose case is reported on p. 168, living in -New York, learning of her aunt’s “miraculous cure,” resolved to renounce -medication and come home for hygienic treatment. Her disease is scrofula, -and her condition was such that her friends had well-nigh abandoned all -hope of her recovery. With non-healing ulcers, increasing in number on -body and limbs; weak, languid, with neither strength nor ambition to move -about; emaciated from 120 to 88 pounds——it did seem as though her case was -a most critical one, indeed. Nevertheless, on the clean, pure, nutritious -diet which had restored her relative——largely “natural,” wholly -abstemious, and free from all animal fats (see foot-note, page -232)——modified to suit her particular needs——taken morning and night with -appropriate air and water baths, etc., she soon began to show signs of -improvement. After two months’ trial, her aunt writes that her niece is -certainly gaining. This gain must be real instead of fictitious, since it -is impossible to attribute it to any artificial stimulation. The sores are -beginning to heal; her strength is increasing, by exerting it -daily——drawing, at first moderately, but increasing her drafts from day to -day, upon the “reserved force,” each draft being overpaid, so to say, by -subsequent rest, food, sleep, etc., thus daily increasing her physical -bank account,——there now seems every prospect that this young wife will -ere long be restored to her home as good as new. [Both aunt and niece take -their meals in their private rooms, alone, the total quantity and variety -to be taken at each meal only appearing on the table; there is, therefore, -no temptation for “trying a little more” of this, that, and the other -thing, which almost inevitably leads to excess, and consequent impairment -of appetite; no taxing of the sick brain to be “agreeable” to a “tableful” -of healthy persons, to interfere with the digestion.] - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - SALINE STARVATION——CAUTION. - - -The danger to which I am about to allude——a real danger, as I -believe——does not refer to abstinence from artificial salt, but rather to -the loss of certain essential elements contained in the grains, fruits, -and vegetables, owing (1) to their being cooked at all, and (2) to bad -cooking. Vegetables form a large proportion of the food of even those who -live on the “mixed diet”; and unless cooked (see Natural Diet) in the best -manner, a large part of certain of their elements may be lost, and a -degree of starvation result therefrom. For example: potatoes, when peeled -and over-boiled, lose nearly one-half of their potash. So, too, when they -are kept boiling until the skins break open——the “mealy” potato, often -preferred,——more especially if they are permitted to remain in the water -any length of time thereafter, a large additional percentage of valuable -matters must be dissolved and turned away with the water. The chief aim -should be to retain all the elements contained in the food articles, -whether the cereals, vegetables, or fruits. Hence all of those substances -that are acceptable in a raw state should be thus eaten; and when any of -them are cooked, it should be (referring particularly to vegetables) done -upon the principle adopted by well-informed cooks in boiling meat; they -put the meat into _boiling_ water, let it boil vigorously for a sufficient -length of time (say ten or fifteen minutes) to “close the pores,” as they -say, and confine the juices within the meat, and then the kettle is set -back where the water will keep hot, just “simmering,” until the work is -completed (four to eight hours, according to size of the piece of meat). -The same plan should be used in cooking vegetables, except as to -time——they are “done” when the fork passes through them easily. The -impoverishment of vegetables, as sometimes cooked, is poorly compensated -for——not at all, in fact, except in flavor——by the use of artificial salt; -while this substance, so universally used, is altogether unnatural and -injurious, in proportion to the amount swallowed. The loss of the natural -salines, in the manner referred to, is especially observed by vegetarians -who dine at ordinary tables, where exclusion of animal food and white -bread is the only selection they can make. It is of vital importance for -food-reformers to understand and guard against this danger——not that they -will suffer more than those who take the mixed diet, for in fact the -reverse is true (their whole-meal bread being a great aid)——but being, as -it were, on exhibition before the world, it is important for them to -obtain and enjoy all the advantages pertaining to the system they -advocate. - -Says Dr. Hunter: - -“It is an old and a cruel experiment, that of the French academicians, -who fed dogs on washed flesh-meat until they died of starvation. The poor -animals soon became aware that it was not food, and refused to eat it. -Were our instincts as natural, no charming of the eyes or tickling of the -palate by our cook would persuade us to swallow those washed and whitened -foods that deceive us into weakness. - -“Analysis of the liver and other important vital organs after death, show -that in some diseased states these organs contain only one-half of certain -saline matters that are invariable in the healthy organ. And not only so, -but that in proportion to this deficiency the organ is useless for its -work. In fact, as the organ changed its tissue (as does every part of the -body every three or four years), and was compelled to renew itself in the -absence of sufficient potash and phosphates, it did its best to preserve -its form and structure much as a fossil does. It rebuilt itself as best it -could of such material as would make tissue with the minimum of potash; -but such tissue, whilst useful and conservative in retaining the form, -elasticity and contractility of the organ, is as useless for secretion and -excretion as a fossil liver.” - -The want of knowledge, not only on the part of the laity, but medical men -as well, regarding such questions, and health matters in general, is -exhibited in the utterances heard on every hand: “The doctor says the -trouble is with my liver,” explains one who hasn’t a sound tissue in his -entire body. “My blood is bad——so the doctor says.”[59] “‘He’ gave me -something for my blood”——or my appetite, or my kidneys as the case may -be——it might as well be “_for my grandmother_.” “The first thing to be -done,” says an eminent physician, after citing an hypothetical case, “is -to clear out the liver”; and then, after apologizing for “what might seem -to be an unscientific expression,” he continues: “I have already explained -the way in which certain purgatives may be said to have the effect of -clearing out the liver, and first among these we must reckon -_mercurials_.” The italics are my own. He then offers a generous dose of -blue-pill “every night, or two or three grains of calomel either alone or -combined with extract of hyoscyamos or conium, and this,” he continues, -“should be followed next morning by a saline draught.” Mercury, to poison -and exasperate the entire organism, and then a saline potion in the hope -of getting rid of the mercury! And then he offers a grain of sense——a -homœopathic dose, indeed, but drowned in a deluge of something vastly -worse than sugar and water: “But even with all this care in food and -drink, with all this attention to what is to be taken and what avoided, -how are we to keep the liver in order _without exercise_?” Again, the -underlining is the author’s. How, indeed, without attention to all the -simple laws of life——“so simple,” says Schopenhauer, “that we refuse to -understand them!” - -[Footnote 59: Strangely enough the belief prevails, generally, that the -blood is a fixed quantity; whereas, in fact, it is constantly changing, -second by second, used up and cast out, and replaced from the food; so -that if one’s blood is impure to-day, he may at once begin to make a -better article, by making it of better material,——not by “tinkering it up” -with drugs or so-called “blood-purifiers.”] - -Dr. Hunter continues: - -“Not only the liver, but the kidney, spleen, and brain, and the small -blood-vessels in every part of the body share in this degeneration of -tissue; and strangely enough (and not unlike the French experiment), this -amyloid, waxy, or lardaceous tissue is indigestible by the gastric juice. -It is _washed flesh_ made inside the body, and is good for nothing either -dead or alive. - -“The washed flesh fed to those poor dogs contained abundance of nitrogen -and carbon; but these alone, as Liebig remarked, were as useless as stones -in the absence of saline matters——_not of common salt, be it remembered, -for that is found in excess in the fossil organs mentioned_. The essential -salines that can be readily washed out of food are chiefly two——potash -salts and alkaline phosphates. These are also the two that are found -deficient, about 50 per cent. in the waxy form of degenerated tissue. This -is the type most common in atrophied children, and in persons suffering -from consumption[60] and other wasting diseases; but it is not uncommon in -the capillaries and small arteries of many who _seem_ in health. - -[Footnote 60: See chapters on “Consumption.”] - -“When vegetables are soaked in cold water to keep them fresh, when they -are blanched in hot water to please our eye, or when they are well boiled -and their essence drained off that we may eat the depleted residue, those -soluble salines are almost entirely extracted. And what are left? Chiefly -the less soluble salts of lime and magnesia——just those elements so -abundant in the cretaceous degeneration of blood-vessels. - -“Potash is the alkaline element of formed tissue; its absence is one great -cause of scurvy, as well as of the waxy and perhaps the cretaceous types -of degeneration.[61] A little examination of our modern commoner foods -will show how deficient they are in this element. - -[Footnote 61: See chapter on “Bright’s Disease.”] - -“Bread was, I suppose, at one time, the ‘staff of life,’ but it could -hardly have been white bread. Of it, one pound contains about seven grains -of potash, or nearly twenty grains less than a pound of brown bread. -Potatoes, if peeled, steeped and boiled in plenty of water, contain only -about twenty-one grains in the pound, as against thirty-seven if boiled in -their skins. The skins surpass the center about four-fold in salines. -Cabbages and all leafy vegetables lose much more, as the water gets right -through every portion of them. - -“Arrowroot, cornflour, and most of those prepared foods are more deceitful -than the washed flesh of the French academicians. Stewed fruits, as made -by some cooks, are also guilty of the wash. Even porridge, haricot beans, -pease, etc., are by some cooks soaked when raw (this water being thrown -away), and thus much depleted.” After simple washing, all vegetables, -including beans and pease, if soaked at all, should be boiled in the water -in which they are soaked; and, finally, the water from which the cooked -vegetables are withdrawn, should be used as “soup stock” thickened with -bread, rice, or sliced vegetables, and seasoned with meat, if meat is used -at all. Containing as it does a large percentage of the salts from the -vegetables, this water supplies the necessary “seasoning” far better than -artificial salt. Turnips, instead of being sliced before boiling, should -be boiled whole. Onions are every way better boiled before peeling. At -first, the taste, accustomed to the flavor (!) of depleted vegetables,——or -rather to the condiments with which they are prepared, has to be educated -to the real flavor of _whole_ food. And, again, such food being more -nutritious, less in amount must be eaten, upon pain of indigestion. “No -wonder if this generation finds itself degenerating. Like a ship built of -rotten timber, a man fed on depleted food goes all very well in good -weather and with a light load; but when one can neither bear an average -load, nor undergo unusual fatigue, let him cross-question his cook.”[62] - -[Footnote 62: Charles D. Hunter, M.D., F.C.S., in _Herald of Health_.] - -The truth is that, to a very great degree, we build our bodies out of -blood made from impure materials: (1) in part from food depleted by -cooking or improper cooking, (2) in part from substances which, as all are -agreed, can be “indulged in” only to a limited extent (who can define the -limit?), (3) in great measure, from fermented, instead of well-digested -food;——and having thus built up “fossil” bodies (still more fossilized by -the use of unnatural drinks which “prevent the waste of tissue”), there -must be sickness. There is no escape from it, except by a “right about -face.” The zymotic, and the various acute diseases, so called, are in -point of fact acute _remedies_ for chronic _disease_. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - WHEAT-MEAL VS. “ENTIRE FLOUR.” - - -Without doubt, certain brands of “whole-wheat flour,” so called, are a -great improvement over the article in universal demand among poor and rich -alike, the white flour of commerce, in this: they are, when made by honest -manufacturers, less impoverished than the white flours. In public and in -private, I have advised their use instead of white flour, but solely upon -the ground that the wheat is _less_ robbed of certain of its invaluable -constituents in the former; but I can not conceive it possible to separate -the hull from the kernel without real loss, even if the hull were, in -itself, objectionable, which, so far from being true, is, in my opinion, a -mistake and a very serious one. The theory upon which the objection to the -outside coat of the grain rests, is that this coat is composed of woody -fiber, entirely indigestible and devoid of nutritive matters, and, worst -of all, say these honest objectors, the hulls are coarse, sharp-edged, and -irritating to the stomach and intestines, and therefore injurious in their -action, especially in the case of “sensitive and delicately organized -individuals.” I will not stop to discuss the question as to the propriety -of the phrase _sensitive and delicately organized_, as applied to the -class of poor, suffering wretches who by reason of their gross habits——and -I mean simply the dietetic habits of the people, not the mechanic, the -artisan, the small trader, nor yet the factory hand, nor the wretched -poor, but the _human race_, from the kings, queens, and presidents all -along the line——who by reason, I repeat, of the universal system of diet, -have become dyspeptic. I can not, however, forbear the remark, that the -most sensitive and delicately organized individuals, among the most noble -of all animals next to man,——and in some aspects far superior to him,——the -horse, in his finest and most delicate state, finds a perfect food in the -whole grain, chewing it himself. I may be, in the minds of some, weakening -my argument by comparing the digestive apparatus of man with that of the -horse, but I am desirous of impressing upon the minds of my readers the -well-known but imperfectly considered fact, that our horse-fanciers,——who -dote on their hundred-thousand-dollar animals, and who would place before -them the most costly and complicated dishes, certainly would feed them on -the finest and whitest of flour,——“Imperial Granum” even, at drug-store -prices, if it were desirable, or even not pernicious in a health point of -view,——really keep their dearest pets on _bread and water_; and that, -because of this, and the absence of all the hot, stimulating articles, -solid or fluid, indulged in by their owners, and their regular and -moderate diet of _uncooked_ food, and their superior hygiene in certain -essential matters, our thorough-bred horses are generally saved from -becoming fat, sick, mean, wheezy, or dyspeptic, like their masters and -mistresses, men, women, and children. - -We know that the microscope shows up the ragged edges of the hulls and -gives them a fearful aspect; but if the microscope could reason, and if it -was given to arguing all questions submitted to it, I fancy it would -speedily silence these objections to wheat-meal, so far as they rest upon -the matter of the coarseness and the irritating capacity of the hull, by -asking the microscopist to take a little glance at the stomach itself: an -internal view of the digestive tract would disclose the fact that, even in -the case of the most “sensitive and finely organized” subject, the lining -of the stomach, for example, bears a stronger resemblance to a _quartz -mill_ than do these terrible hulls to sticks and stones. The trouble has -been with those who seek to improve too much over Nature’s methods, and -especially is this the case in the question under discussion, they have -reasoned mainly from one side of the question. Machinery has accomplished -no end of good things, and without doubt has even greater victories yet in -store, in its legitimate field; but that field is not in the line of -improving on the food that Nature provides for us humans. It can and does -improve over the old methods of sowing, reaping, threshing, and cleansing -the various grains——no one desires to dispute this; but when the ripe, -clean kernel of wheat, for instance, is placed before us, the office of -machinery is ended, except so far as crushing the grain for those whose -teeth or temper will not admit of chewing it. A shrewd though illiterate -stable keeper said to me, in advocating whole, instead of cracked corn for -horses and cattle, “it gets the juice of their teeth, and does them twice -as much good. Give them meal, or cracked corn, and they don’t have to chew -it long enough to get the right action of the saliva.” - -People who neglect the most obvious hygienic rules, thereby bringing upon -themselves sickness and pain, and search for special articles of diet that -may seem to promise relief, remind me of a junk-dealer who would pass by -old stoves, pots, kettles, and crowbars, and search for a needle in a -hay-stack! The theory of the anti-wheat-meal men seems plausible at first -sight, and it has been held, temporarily, by some very sound men; but one -after another these have dropped it as untenable. To be sure, the ranks -are kept full by new recruits, who join faster than the _thinkers_ fall -out. There are a thousand dyspeptics for every discerning man, and, in any -event, all such——all persons, in fact, are to be congratulated when they -adopt a compromise in the shape of fine flour which claims to give them -all the essential elements of the wheat, and yet save their “delicate” and -sensitive stomachs needless labor and irritation. But I find that the -class who are _saving lives_ constantly, hold to the entire meal as the -only means of securing perfect bread——the staff of life. - -Says Oswald: “We can not breathe pure oxygen. For analogous reasons bran -flour [whole meal] makes better bread than bolted flour; meat and -saccharine fruits are healthier than meat extracts and pure glucose. In -short, artificial extracts and compounds are, on the whole, less wholesome -than the palatable products of nature. In the case of bran-flour and -certain fruits with a large percentage of wholly innutritious matter, -chemistry fails to account for this fact, but biology suggests the mediate -cause: the normal type of our physical constitution dates from a period -when the digestive organs of our (frugivorous) ancestors adapted -themselves to such food——a period compared with whose duration the age of -grist-mills and made dishes is but of yesterday.” - -This doctoring of the cereals can never prove of service in the end, -except to the manufacturers and dealers; these “preparations,” however -honestly made, and supposing for argument’s sake that the machinery -accomplishes what the manufacturers intend, will never, in and of -themselves,——_i. e._, except so far as they take the place of _white -flour_——prove beneficial to mankind, and least of all to sick people, -valetudinarians, and the sedentary classes,——the very ones who need the -best. Imagine a constipated dyspeptic, with a heavy fur coat on his -tongue, and, of course, a heavier one on the lining of his stomach——his -entire alimentary canal so covered with this morbid growth that digestion -and absorption are well-nigh prohibited——alarmed lest the microscopic -particles of wheat-hulls should injure his delicate and sensitive inwards! -“Delicate!” “sensitive!” why, it takes half a cupful of salts to move -them, and that but faintly, while a pint of strong coffee makes no -impression; when if they were even normally sensitive a tablespoonful of -the former, or a single cup of the latter, would purge them violently. -Sensitive! they are _dead_, or at least dying. Why, for this class of -patients, I would sooner _add the straw_ than remove the hull, as better -calculated, by all odds, to meet the necessities of their condition. On -the other hand, when the disease assumes the opposite form——when the -tongue is raw, and the intestinal tract acutely inflamed, and from any -cause preternaturally sensitive——there is but one thing in the Materia -Medica of Nature that is absolutely fit to swallow, and that is _pure -water_. (See Chronic Dyspepsia.) It matters not what else is comforting, -temporarily,——medicine, gruel, beef-tea, milk, or what not,——the comfort -and advantage are derived solely from the water, which constitutes -three-fourths to nine-tenths of the whole; the other elements being -injurious, and, often enough, fatal, preventing as they do the healing of -the inflamed mucous membrane. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - FRUIT. - - -It is with difficulty that one who comprehends the question can restrain -his impatience when people talk about the danger of indulging in fruit in -summer or at any other season. “Better leave an order on the doctor’s -slate,” says the would-be wit, when his friend passes with a watermelon or -some early apples or peaches. As spring and summer come along, fruit is -altogether natural, even if it does come from a little further South. That -is one of the advantages of having railroads. These unwise people who dare -not eat fruit, or eat it sparingly, while they stick to their winter diet -of meat, grease, pastry, coffee, etc., are the ones who have the cholera -morbus and other equally ridiculous things. It sometimes happens that -these good people have had a “scare” in this fashion: one eats an -excessive meal of fat and lean meats, old vegetables, with _plenty of -gravy_, etc., all hot and heating, and calculated to create a febrile -condition of the system, and insure an “attack” of indigestion. He has -also eaten a piece of watermelon or other fruit——the only pure, natural -substance appropriate for the time he has swallowed for the day. If, -under these circumstances, he is routed at midnight, he declares he will -never eat another piece of melon as long as he lives! It may be that the -fruit, if he ate liberally of it, was the exciting cause of the _clearing -out_ that otherwise might not have taken place just then; if so, he should -congratulate himself that he has been saved a later attack that might have -cost him his life. Had he eaten double the quantity of fruit on an _empty -stomach_, providing his system was in decent condition, there would have -been no startling consequences. The stomach which refuses to accept raw -fruit, or with which it does not “agree,” is like that of the drunkard -which rebels against pure water. When anyone has become diseased to that -degree the sooner he begins to reform his habits the better. In 1863 I was -captured by the Confederates and marched out of Brazier City, La., and -taken to Shreveport. When captured, I had diarrhœa——the result of a -flesh-food diet, wine, and all the “good things of life.” The disease -became chronic, and I was near dying. The melon season was on (it was in -July), and in sheer desperation, ignorant of the benefits to result from -it, rather expecting disaster, I ate freely of watermelon. For eight or -ten days I took no other food or drink, but with this I filled myself -twice a day, and a return to perfect health was the result; all trace of -bowel trouble had disappeared. I have since had many opportunities for -observing the benefit arising from the use of watermelon and _nothing -else_, in diarrhœa, upon various persons, young and old, and I have never -observed any harmful results from its use; though it is often made the -scapegoat, as indicated above. - -In a certain little borough in a neighboring State there was little or no -fruit, not even apples, to any amount. There was a great deal of sickness -every summer——diarrhœa, dysentery, fevers, etc. One enterprising resident -planted an orchard——a generous one in size——and its owner was generous -also. He didn’t watch the neighbors’ children very closely——not as closely -as he did his own——and true to boys’ instincts they hooked apples, green -apples, little bits of apples, hard and sour, and they ate them freely. -The children of the owner of that orchard did not eat green apples, for -their father, although believing in fruit, thought it must be ripe to be -“healthy.” His children had the regularly recurring summer complaints, but -the little apple-stealers did not. Without doubt fruit is more truly -wholesome ripe than green; and I would here remark, that the craving for -vegetable acids which these boys had, and which most children experience, -would not be felt if they were properly fed at home. Still, one may eat -too much even of fruit: “gold in the morning, silver at noon, and lead at -night,” might better be changed to diamonds, gold, and silver; and but for -other considerations, unappreciated by those who fancy that it is “heavy” -at eve, there would be a restriction in almost anything at the last meal -sooner than in fruit. Careful observers have remarked that fruit is a -prophylactic, and is also curative, taken on an empty stomach, but is -likely to promote indigestion if added to a hearty meal of mixed -food.[63] This is one way of saying: after having already over-eaten, or -having eaten enough, eat nothing more. Surely any kind of fruit added -would be less injurious than to swallow another plate of the soup, fish, -or meat. The old Roman gluttons used to take an emetic after dinner; and -in this country it has been the custom in times past with some, and it is -not altogether obsolete even now, to take a “dinner-pill” before or after -the principal meal. The morning draught of “seltzer” or other laxative, so -common at the present day, serves the same purpose; and those people who, -after obstinate constipation, feel comparatively happy over a violent -purging from some form of artificial physic, are the ones who warn against -using much fruit, because, upon some occasion, it may have performed a -similar service, though without any of the injurious effects of the drugs. -In warm weather the diet may well consist largely of fruit and succulent -vegetables. Scrofulous children, especially, might live solely on fruit -for days together, with great advantage. Such children should live in the -open air as much as possible, and their sleeping-rooms should have the -most thorough ventilation. If their noses and ears run in consequence of -“exposure,” never forget that these poisonous matters are better out than -in, and that whatever aids in their elimination is curative. A simpler and -purer diet will prevent the formation of catarrhal or scrofulous matters. -Any degree of restriction in the matter of air and exercise can only be -counteracted by a corresponding restriction in diet; but a generous -allowance of all three is the safest rule. Sedentary persons, loiterers at -the mountains or by the sea, can not easily make the proportion of fruit -too large, even if during a torrid wave they eat little else. It should be -taken at the regular meal hour only, to insure the greatest degree of -health and comfort, should be thoroughly masticated, and the quantity may -be just short of causing pressure at the kidneys, or flatulency, yet -enough to prevent thirst. Three meals might then be indulged in with -safety. The heavy dishes——meats, gravies, greasy articles, hot condiments, -pastry, hot stimulating drinks——things that even in winter, in this -climate, are only tolerated, and that but poorly, are deadly now, as the -mortality reports, and lists of those who are said to have succumbed to -the heat, attest. Moreover, for every one who pays the penalty with his -life, tens of thousands are lying or sitting about, suffering the tortures -of the damned, often; and all for a few minutes extra palate-tickling, or -unnatural indulgences, rather,——for, leaving out the really unseasonable -articles and condiments, they might revel in ripe fruits with comparative -impunity. He is a poor student in dietetics, a thoughtless observer, even, -who can not so regulate his eating as to regard summer as the most -agreeable season of the year,——the most comfortable,——who can not bid -defiance to the heated term and laugh at the danger of “sunstroke” though -running a foot-race under the noonday sun. Calorific food, superadded to -the predisposition already existing, is the real source of these strokes -in every instance, the external heat furnishing, to be sure, the “last -straw.” - -[Footnote 63: As before intimated, only the stomach disordered and -enervated from the use of hot and stimulating kinds of solid and liquid -food, spices and condiments, refuses to “agree” with pure, ripe fruits. -Such a stomach requires a fast day, followed by the plainest and most -abstemious diet, with a gradually increasing proportion of fruit as the -stomach recovers “tone.” In all cases fruit requires to be thoroughly -masticated, and reduced as nearly as possible to a fluid state before -being swallowed.] - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - THE ONE-MEAL SYSTEM. - - -In this note I propose to do little more than record a few instances, out -of many, of persons who have lived for longer or shorter periods, and -continue to live, on one meal a day, and let my readers draw their own -inferences, merely remarking that these cases have a very great -significance as bearing upon the question of the _quantity of food_ best -suited to nourish the body and promote health. Dr. Abernethy, a celebrated -English physician, affirmed that “one-fourth of all a man eats sustains -him; the balance he retains at his risk”; but his countrymen eat four -meals, at least. - -The case of Mrs. Solberg, an emaciated dyspeptic, whose restoration to -health was accomplished by the one-meal vegetarian diet and “a change of -air” (at home), is mentioned in the chapter on Malaria. - -S. N. Silver,[64] of Auburn, Me., a hard-working mechanic, has, for -upwards of three years, lived on the one-meal-a-day plan. He eats at -night, after resting sufficiently from his day’s work. He never eats more -than seven meals per week, not even so much as an apple between meals; and -on Sundays, unless he takes considerable exercise, his “meal” consists of -fruit only——three or four apples, for example. He is a typically healthy -young man, and has not in three years experienced a moment of physical -inconvenience. He is a vegetarian, and lives wholly on simple, pure food, -chiefly bread and fruit. - -[Footnote 64: Mr. Silver is 30 years old and is 6 feet, 2 inches in -height. On the three-meal system his greatest weight was 137 pounds. For -two years past, on the new plan, he has weighed from 150 to 160 pounds, -according to his work. When he works hard he eats more, and gains in -weight; when his work is light he eats light and his weight falls off -correspondingly. This illustrates a truly physiological diet. It should -always be thus with man and the domestic animals alike. In practice, -however, the reverse is the rule: the weight increases during leisure and -decreases when hard work is done. Both our athletes and race-horses are -permitted to fatten between times, and are fitted for sharp work by -reducing their weight by exercise. In other words, they are allowed to -become diseased, and then they are “cured.” This process is apt to result, -finally, in premature death, or at least so exhausts the vital forces as -to render former accomplishments impossible, at an age when the individual -should be in his prime.] - -Mrs. Wieman, a sister of the above, has, for upwards of a year, taken but -one meal a day, although she prepares three hot meals for her husband and -several boarders. She does the entire household work for her family, which -during the past summer consisted of nine adults. Her one meal (taken at -noon because the regular dinner is at that hour and furnishes a better -variety) is no more in amount than her dinner formerly, when she took -breakfast and supper in addition. She is a perfect specimen of robust -health, and finds that she can now perform with ease an amount of labor -which formerly would have been a severe tax, even if possible to -accomplish. Her diet is mainly vegetarian; she eats but little meat, and -that only because it is constantly before her; and she avoids white flour -and most forms of pastry altogether, as well as hot stimulating drinks, -condiments, spices, etc., although her table is bountifully supplied with -all such things. - -Still another of this family, a busy milliner, has lived in this manner -for several months, and finds herself improved in health by the means. - -Aside from the immense amount of knowledge gained through -vivisection——through dead animals, I may say——the _lives_ of the lower -animals teach us what to do, in some respects, as well as what to avoid. -Alas, for humanity——claiming such superiority——in both classes there are -important lessons which are not generally learned and practiced. As -bearing upon the one-meal system, I will let Capt. B., an old hunter, tell -his experience with his fox-hound: “The old fellow,” said the Captain, -“knows when I am going on a tramp as well as my wife does——when I turn out -for a hunt, in the morning——and he won’t touch a mouthful of food.[65] I -used to try and ‘fool’ him, by acting as if I wasn’t going out at all, and -sometimes I could get him to eat breakfast. But I never try that game now, -for I noticed, after a while, that when he fixed himself, he did better -work than when I managed to get a breakfast into him.” “How so?” I asked. -“Why, he is a better dog; he runs better, scents better, barks better, -and comes in at night in better shape. And then, if we walk home, he gets -pretty well rested and has his ‘breakfast’ before a great while; or, if we -ride, he has it as soon as we get home; and (if it is cold weather) I let -him lie in the sitting-room an hour or two after he eats, and then he will -go to his kennel and sleep all night, and _without trembling_; and he -turns out next morning in good shape for another tramp, if called on.” “Do -you ‘fix’ yourself in the same manner?” I could but ask. “Not _much_,” he -replied; “I eat before I start, and take a lunch along; but I don’t know -but the old dog has the best of it, after all.” As a matter of fact, the -aged dog is like a sprightly youth still, while his master, at middle-age, -is a decrepit old man. - -[Footnote 65: This is a characteristic of most hunting dogs——not the -exception. It is not that they know more about dietetics than their -masters, for I do not think they do, but, gluttons as they are, they -“rather hunt than eat.”] - -The importance of rest after meals has never been fully appreciated by -people in general. Even those who advocate the need of it, have -usually,——perhaps because of the difficulties in the way of demanding -more,——asked for only a half, or a whole hour; while it is the popular -belief that “exercise after eating promotes digestion,” and the fact is -cited that Sunday is, to the laborer, the worst day of all the week,——a -day of leisure, affording ample time for digestion, if that is all that is -required. But that is not all. The “bad feeling” which comes on after the -second meal on Sunday——the “Sunday headache,” of which so many -complain——results from the radical change of habit from the six days of -hard labor: accustomed as he is to digesting a large part of his three -meals together, at night, after he has _earned_ them, physiologically -speaking,——that is, after his labor has provided the digestive fluids in -the blood, by means of which his food is dissolved, and made ready for -absorption into the circulation,——when Sunday, with its leisure, and -possibly even more than usually excessive indulgence, comes, instead of -having the blood diverted to the general muscular system, as the result of -active labor, it is called to the stomach and the circulation becomes -overcharged with nutritive material. Hence lethargy, tendency to sleep, -headache, etc. - -The fact is, - - - EXERCISE AFTER EATING - -by _preventing_ digestion, often delays or modifies the ill-feeling which -would otherwise be experienced shortly after over-indulgence at the table. -Hence gentle exercise in the open air will prove the least of two evils; -an emetic, the best of all remedies. The liquids[66] being to a great -extent absorbed, plethora is prevented or delayed because the solids -remain undigested in the stomach! But this solid residue, favored by the -internal temperature, begins to ferment, after a time, and causes more or -less irritation and congestion of the mucous lining of the stomach, which -gives rise to the sensation popularly called “hunger”; and thus every few -hours, and when the patient impatiently awaits the call to dinner and -thinks himself most in need of food, he is, in fact, in the very worst -condition to take it. Ninety-five persons in every hundred have this -disease (for it is nothing less than chronic dyspepsia) throughout life. -The fact that the meal affords immediate relief argues nothing against -this position; it is the seventy-five or eighty per cent. of water -contained in and taken with the meal that relieves the congestion. It -forms a poultice, so to say, for the congested mucous membrane of the -stomach; but unfortunately it can not, as when applied externally upon a -throbbing sore thumb, for example, be removed when it becomes dry. We see -this disease at its worst in infancy, when meals are most frequent and -excessive. - -[Footnote 66: In case of an ordinary “mixed meal,” water composes -something near four-fifths of all; solids, pure and simple, one-fifth. -Even roast beef is about three-fourths water, and vegetables the same.] - -Jules Virey settled the question, as it seems to me, regarding the effects -of work after eating. He took two dogs of same size, age, and general -_physique_; gave both a fast-day, and then treated them to a square meal, -alike in quantity and variety. One was sent to his kennel, while the other -was permitted to follow the carriage which conveyed the doctor on his -rounds. After the coach-dog had had two hours and a half of (not vigorous, -but gentle) exercise, and immediately on his return, the doctor had both -dogs slain and dissected. The kennel-dog had thoroughly digested his -breakfast,——not a trace of it was found in his stomach,——while with the -other, the work of digestion had not even begun; the mutton cubes and -potato chips remained intact, precisely as when first eaten. It is evident -from this that the rule, “Never eat until you have leisure to -digest,”[67] is a good one, and that for a hard-working person (what man -or woman works as hard as the enthusiastic hunting-dog?) the -one-meal-a-day system would often prove the best,——indeed, in some -instances, this would be the only means of preventing sickness. We may not -know in how many instances the laborer digests his breakfast, dinner, and -supper together (or about all that he does digest) after he is in bed for -the night. Any approach to such a state is provocative of disease. - -[Footnote 67: It by no means follows that the man of all leisure, or the -“loafer,” can, because of abundant rest after meals, digest the large -quantity of food he may be tempted to swallow. On the contrary, he -probably does not digest one-fourth of it. The balance is assuredly -retained to work him injury at last. No man really _digests_, speaking -strictly, in excess of the physiological needs of his organism; the fact -that one man “carries off,” so to speak, an immense amount of food without -apparent or immediate inconvenience, argues simply that he has greater -excretory capacity——perhaps was endowed originally with a greater degree -of vitality——than another who is constantly troubled though eating less -and working more. Persons of the latter class still exceed their normal -amount; hence their digestive troubles.] - -The dyspeptic’s dreams, which disturb his sleep, rob him of needed rest, -and often cause him to wake more tired than when he went to bed, would be -banished, or at least favorably modified, if, at the close of his day’s -work, after sufficient rest from the fatigues and cares of the day, he -were to take his well-earned ration, and, after a period of recreation, if -there still remained time for this, go to his bed. - -Another instance I will mention, that of the man who may almost be called -the father of hygiene in this country. He says: “I have tested the -sufficiency of eating once in twenty-four hours [he has himself lived on -this system for eleven years, and continues so to live; and has, besides, -tested its advantages upon patients in certain forms of disease] and have -done work enough to put a much younger man to his trumps if he had to do -it. My food is very simple; I do not eat more at one meal than almost any -person eats who takes three meals a day; I keep my body well built up in -flesh and in vigor of muscle, considering that incurable organic -difficulties render great muscular activity impracticable. I keep up my -own strength, and have held in check my constitutional conditions so that -I have reached old age” [72 years]. - -I could mention a score or more of similar instances; and, as stated -elsewhere, no person ever tried the plan and found occasion for abandoning -it, except from considerations utterly remote from health. In fact, under -certain circumstances, as in travelling, this system is a most beneficent -one; it makes a person independent of railway restaurants and -lunch-counters; for at some time during the day, usually, as at night in a -good hotel, one can obtain, if not always a really hygienic meal, still a -comparatively good one. - -With reference to the amount of food to be taken at the single meal, I -have observed this: those who would be termed hearty eaters, on the -three-meal system, will usually eat no more at their one meal than -formerly at dinner alone; some, indeed, find much less than this suffices -to sustain them in the best manner. This is largely due, however, to the -superior quality of their diet, since people of this class invariably -become, practically, vegetarians and, withal, use a large proportion of -bread, a pure nutrient, instead of flesh, a nutro-stimulant. The amount of -food taken, under any circumstances, will depend largely upon one’s views -as to the true office of eating. - -In the case of a certain class of dyspeptics who, while going to the table -three times every day, yet do not eat, all told, a single satisfactory -meal; who in the entire year, perhaps, scarcely know the comfort of eating -a full meal, and who live on in this manner year after year, the one-meal -system would banish their nausea and lack of appetite within a reasonable -time, and, in some instances, such persons would eat, and with a relish -long unknown to them, more food every day than they now force down at -their three or more attempts at eating. There would also result a -corresponding improvement in their general health, more especially if this -reform were accompanied by others, when needed, as to fresh air and -exercise. - -Says Dr. Nichols, of London, who speaks with knowledge, from having tested -it: “The one-meal-a-day system will largely increase any person’s working -capacity.” - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——One item well worth considering, especially by the - laboring classes who find it so difficult to support a little - family on $8 or $10 per week, while imitating the dietetic - habits of their employers: Dr. T. L. Nichols, named above, - experimenting as to cost of living, has lived week in and week - out, in London, at a cost (for food) of sixty or eighty cents - per week (taken two meals then), maintaining full vigor, and - weight, and performing arduous literary labors, combined with a - somewhat active mode of life. Personally, the author was never - more vigorous or better fitted for hard work,——in short, better - nourished,——than when living for several months on the 1-meal - plan and on a diet of unleavened Graham gems and fruit, the - total cost of which was less than ten cents per day. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE NATURAL DIET.[68] - - -As the result of personal experience, my mind having been called to the -subject by the successful experiment——if, indeed, it can be regarded as an -experiment,——of a very intelligent and worthy family in Southern -California, I am convinced that the “natural diet,”——uncooked cereals[69] -and fruit,——is the diet _par excellence_, as regards strict purity, -digestibility, and efficiency. Not only is much less of it required to -maintain the normal weight and strength, but it is in other regards -superior. One thought I will suggest, in this connection, and one which is -more significant, I believe, than many persons would at first consider: -raw grain, as all are aware, will “keep” indefinitely under fair -conditions; while cooked, it “spoils” in a day or two. The former is more -readily and more thoroughly preserved from undesirable changes in the -alimentary canal; hence less liability of indigestion. Such portions of -whole grain as may be swallowed without mastication, will pass on and out -without danger of the putrefactive changes which result from an excess, or -deficient mastication of cooked food. Regarding the gustatory pleasure to -be derived from a diet of this sort, while it is less seductive to the -abnormal appetite, still, even here, no individual really needing food -would find this disagreeable, though reference were made solely to whole -wheat, masticated with the aid of good teeth; or to the meal, mixed with -nice fruit juices or the fruits themselves, when, from unnatural living, -the teeth are badly decayed. Our teeth would not fail us if, from -childhood, we _used_ them, and our food furnished the material to build -and maintain them. - -[Footnote 68: This subject having been treated in a most masterly manner -by Prof. Schlickeysen, of Germany——considering fully the chemical and -anatomical theories, and presenting the anthropological, the -physiological, and the dietetical arguments so clearly and convincingly——I -design here merely to give a few practical tests illustrating the -advantages of a truly natural and pure diet, while recommending every -devout student of this subject, every conscientious and thoughtful person -to procure the work, entitled Fruit and Bread,——translated from the German -by Dr. Holbrook, and published by M. L. Holbrook & Co., New York,——and -read it for himself.] - -[Footnote 69: Even as late as the time of the Roman republic, the baking -or other cooking of grain was regarded as injurious. When the grains are -first broken, but not finely ground, they may be eaten with fruit, if one -gradually accustom himself to it. Let it not be said that this is going -too far, for in the recognition and application of truth we can not go too -far; rather have those gone too far who have deviated from this method. -The difference between pure cracked wheat and the bread is always -considerable. The bread consumes in its digestion [a part of] the power -which itself supplies, while the wheat not only nourishes, but, like fresh -fruit, _increases the vital strength_.——_Fruit and Bread_, p. 163. - -“The vitality stored up in uncooked plants and fruits is greatly impaired -by all our culinary processes.”——_Ibid._, p. 116. - -“Animals in a state of nature, subsisting upon their own chosen foods, are -capable of fully digesting the nutritive elements, leaving only an -inoffensive residue, while the unsuitable character of human foods is -sufficiently indicated by the horrible and disease-breeding product which -they yield.——_Ibid._” - -“Uncooked fruits, especially, excite the mind to its highest activity. -After eating them we experience an inclination to vigorous exercise, and -also an increased capacity for study and all mental work; while cooked -food causes a feeling of satiety and sluggishness.”——_Ibid._] - -Were I to enumerate the foods at present eaten raw by all of our millions -of people, less surprise would be felt by my readers at the suggestion of -restricting one’s diet to such articles as are agreeable in their natural -state. Take, for example, apples, pears, peaches, grapes, oranges, etc.; -all of the plums; bananas, dates, figs, raisins; cabbage, lettuce, celery, -radishes, etc.; and to this list might well be added sweet corn, and the -common variety of green corn, and peas; few people but find the latter -delicious to their taste, and the corn is as much more crisp and juicy and -wholesome raw than cooked, as are peaches or pears. I know individuals who -were never fond of corn, would never eat it until happening to try a fresh -young ear _au naturel_, who now use it freely every summer. This would be -the case with very many, if not most people, if their prejudices were cast -aside. I have named only a few articles of a few classes, but any one can -extend the list at pleasure, adding walnuts, almonds, filberts, etc., etc. -Unfortunately these raw foods have been commonly used as _surfeit dishes_, -delicious articles that we can eat after having already over-eaten, and -when more steak, potatoes, and gravy, or pastry, would, perhaps, send a -shudder throughout the frame, and, often enough, when an emetic would be a -more wholesome dessert than even walnuts and raisins. Let any one, first -arranging for a clean stomach by skipping supper the previous night, try a -breakfast consisting of a couple of bananas, one or two dozen walnuts (or -any sort preferred), with a handful of nice raisins,——both the nuts and -raisins being thoroughly masticated, the latter to the point of well -crushing the stones,——ending, or beginning, the _seance_ with oranges, -and, at night, the second and last meal, of favorite fruits, beginning -with a small portion of “oat groats” or wheat, (of course any other choice -may be made, a dozen, or a score, indeed, from week to week,) taking care -to exercise enough to “earn” his food,[70] and see if this principle of -alimentation will not cure his disorders, whatever they may be. It would -end the wretched business of “colds” and “hay-fever” which, according to -the _Boston Herald_, a noted American divine says, “will make a man forget -his God, the Bible, and everything else——but his disease.” Even the common -hygienic diet, so called, and abstemious living, would make such blasphemy -impossible, and would make a better man of the great London preacher, for -example,——Mr. Spurgeon,——who recently wrote to a friend, and, apparently -without the least shamefacedness: “My old disorder has come upon me like -an armed man and laid me low. I can not walk or even stand, and the pain -renders it difficult to think consecutively upon any subject.” And this -with reference to a disorder (the gout) caused by eating and drinking -unwholesomely——the injury being augmented, directly and indirectly, by the -use of tobacco or wine. Mr. Spurgeon’s weight is fifty, if not -seventy-five pounds greater than is normal for him, considering fully his -natural _physique_, and the use he makes of his muscular system. He may be -in the habit of restricting his appetite; he may eat much less than most -of his associates, and even be esteemed a small eater and very abstemious; -nevertheless his form is gross, and he has the gout——two unimpeachable -witnesses to the truth of my position. - -[Footnote 70: “Live on sixpence a day and earn it,” was the “favorite -prescription” of a famous London physician.] - -“We can not doubt,” says Dr. Oswald, “that the highest degree of health -could only be attained by strict conformity to Haller’s[71] rule, _i.e._, -by subsisting exclusively on the pure and unchanged products of Nature. -This view is indorsed (indirectly) in the writings of Drs. Alcott, -Bernard, Schlemmer, Hall, and Dio Lewis, and directly by Schrodt, Jules -Virey, and others. In the tropics such a mode of life would not imply -anything like asceticism: a meal of milk and three or four kinds of sweet -fruits, fresh dates, bananas, and grapes, would not clash with the still -higher rule, that eating, like every other natural function, should be a -pleasure and not a penance. Heat destroys the delicate flavor of many -fruits, and makes others indigestible by coagulating their albumen. But,” -continues this authority,——and I am not disposed to dispute the soundness -of the position, speaking generally (as, indeed, Dr. Oswald, himself, was -speaking),——“in the frigid latitudes, where we have to dry and garner many -vegetable products in order to survive the unproductive season, the -process of cooking [some classes of] our food has advantages which fully -outweigh such objections.” To the very rational assumption that, “few men -with post-diluvian teeth would agree with Dr. Schlemmer that hard grain is -preferable to bread,” I would reply, that for people who could not or -would not grind their own grist, as do our most robust animals——well -nourished, but hard-working draught or road horses——the whole-wheat meal, -freshly and coarsely ground, with a light dressing of rich milk,[72] or, -more wholesome still, eaten with nuts and thoroughly masticated, is more -delicious than bread, even if made from the same quality of Graham. If the -Graham be taken dry, with a few raisins at each mouthful, it would require -a fine taste to distinguish between this and the walnuts and raisins so -generally acceptable to epicures. If the milk dressing is used, it should -simply be poured over the (unsifted) Graham, and not made into a batter. -With a dish of Graham as described, and such fruit as can usually be -obtained all the year round, either fresh or (in winter) dried, as apples, -raisins, dates, figs,[73] prunes (the last, like dried apples, peaches, -etc., soaked not overmuch, but until tender), one may make a meal -sufficiently delicious, and at the same time absolutely pure——if the -_milk_ is derived from a healthy creature. And here I would remark, that -although cow’s milk is a strictly natural food for the calf only, still, -if the cow be properly fed (not “driven,”[74] as is the custom in dairies) -and the milk properly cared for——kept free from air vitiated by the -emanations of decaying vegetables, meats, or other source of impurity, but -_open_[75] in a pure atmosphere——few need abstain altogether from this -most delicious food. Nevertheless, no one may feel at liberty to _drink_ -milk copiously, as water: calves, babies, etc., whose natural food it is, -take it slowly and “chew” it thoroughly! We may well take a hint from -this. (See Biliousness.) - -[Footnote 71: Albrecht Von Haller, M.D., F.R.S., the father of the science -of physiology, born at Berne, Oct. 18, 1708; ... practiced medicine with -great applause at Berne, 1729-36; ... became physician to the King of -England 1739. He was a voluminous writer on physiology, anatomy, botany, -surgery, and practical medicine; author of ... almost an incredible number -of reviews and scientific papers. His hypotheses were ... admirable for -their scientific spirit, and for the great stimulus which they gave to -physiological study throughout Europe.——_Encyclopedia._] - -[Footnote 72: See note 4 in Appendix, p. 280.] - -[Footnote 73: These three——raisins, dates, figs,——containing as they do in -their natural state, about 14, 58 and 62 per cent., respectively, of -sugar, require no addition of saccharine matters to “preserve” them; and, -accordingly, they constitute, as we find them in the market, a perfectly -natural and wholesome food, taken in due proportion, with grain and the -various nuts.] - -[Footnote 74: A phrase used to describe the process of feeding excessively -to produce an abnormal flow of milk. Under this practice the cows soon -become tuberculous (“consumptive”); and it is said that they become -useless after three or four years, on an average: they are “driven to -death,” unless disposed of just prior to their decline. Nursing mothers -often suffer from this disease, while the infant fattens and becomes sick -from overfeeding.] - -[Footnote 75: Kept in a close vessel, milk soon becomes foul; and after -being thus enclosed requires considerable stirring to aerate it, when it -again acquires its normal flavor. Cistern water treated to an occasional -deep stirring will remain sweet; and when the water in a cistern has -become devitalized for want of air simply, it can be reclaimed readily in -the above manner.] - -In making the change from cooked to uncooked food, the unassisted novice -will experience more or less inconvenience, usually; and this will arise -from one of three causes; perhaps two or even all three causes will -combine to create the uneasiness (and indigestion, even, sometimes) -experienced: (1) the stomach, adapted, so far as possible, to the -digestion of cooked foods, requires some time (and experience or practice) -to adapt itself to the new order of things,[76] hence indigestion, varied -in extent according (_a_) to the abruptness of the change, and (_b_) the -quantity of the new food taken; (2) accustomed to distention from the -bulky character of the old diet, if only a physiological ration of the -pure and more nutritious food be swallowed, the stomach misses the -stimulus of distention: time will be required (in some cases) for the -stomach to remodel itself as regards _size_——unless a large proportion of -fruit[77] is used in conjunction with the cereals. Some dyspeptics, to be -sure, by their “mincing” diet occasioned by nausea and lack of appetite, -seem to have reduced the size of their stomachs, even below the normal -dimensions of that organ; (3) the uncooked grain being more nutritious -than the bread formed from it (and especially than bread made from wheat -_starch_——“white bread”), one may readily take an overdose if the wheat -_meal_ be used and dressed with milk; but if the whole grain be employed -he will be content with a modest ration; the new exercise of -chewing——putting the teeth to their normal use——soon wearies the muscles -of the face, and he will be tempted to pass to the “second course”——the -fruit——quite early in the engagement. The amount of grain food necessary -to thoroughly nutrify the body, is comparatively small. In the form of -bread, we are apt to eat altogether too much. But given pure food, and -each individual may be safely left to decide the proportion of grain, -fruit, and water to suit his own case; the point is to maintain strength -and avoid flatulence, and all other symptoms of indigestion. - -[Footnote 76: It has been observed that cows are temporarily affected -adversely by _any_ change from their established diet——give less milk, _at -first_, when grain is _added_ to their pasture rations, as well as when -they are deprived of an accustomed feed of grain. “The effect is due to -the action of the stomach, to adapt its character to the digestion of an -established food. The food may change suddenly, but the action of the -stomach can only change slowly, and hence defective digestion -follows.”——(_National Live Stock Journal_). With humans, as has been -already remarked, a change from a very unwholesome to the purest system of -diet may, at first, result in defective digestion; but if the change be -made discreetly the final result will assuredly be as satisfactory as that -which follows a favorable modification of the cow’s diet.] - -[Footnote 77: Whenever, in making the change under consideration, -flatulency or pressure at the kidney follows the use of fruit, the -quantity habitually taken should be lessened. There is a temptation always -to continue the habitual distention of the stomach by the use of too much -fruit at first. The system accustomed to a small amount of fruit, can not -immediately adapt itself to an unusual quantity: _all_ changes should be -somewhat gradual, not necessarily by the continued use of any unwholesome -substance, but with relation to the _manner of adopting the new regimen_.] - -At the world-famed “Grape Cures” (for dyspepsia and its sequel, -consumption), the diet during “the season,” consists almost exclusively of -ripe grapes: the patients stroll about the vineyards, and pick and eat. -During the balance of the year the diet is composed chiefly of fruit, with -a portion of cooked cereals. But we may obtain a more definite lesson from -the experience of Mr. and Mrs. Hinde and their children. - -For nearly five years, this family, consisting of father, mother, and four -children, have lived on this truly natural diet. They are very -intellectual and refined people. Their home is in Southern California. -They have enjoyed typical health during these five years; the mother, -indeed, recovered her health by means of this diet, having failed, under -medical treatment, to obtain relief from serious disorders which would be -popularly and medically described as “incident to her sex,” but which, -when they exist, are everywhere and always incident to _violation of law_. -Every trace of her disorder disappeared during this lady’s first year of -living on uncooked food and outdoor air, and no vestige of her -“weaknesses” has returned. The members of this family all live very active -lives; they take two meals,——morning and afternoon,——a small amount of the -cereals, and a large proportion of fruit of various kinds. Our national -pastime-luncheon, the ubiquitous peanut, forms a part of their regular -dietary. It is a very nutritious vegetable, and, certainly, if agreeable -enough, as we know it is, to take a prominent part in the sensual -enjoyment of a very large class, who feel that life is not worth living -unless much of their leisure time is spent in palate-tickling, it can not -be sneered at as “one of the ‘messes’ of those peculiar people,” (formerly -a common remark about hygienists, some of whom have, without doubt, -advocated an unnatural asceticism.) I will make a few brief extracts from -letters written by the lady in question, at, and after the time I was -living on uncooked food. As will be seen, the work was altogether new to -me, and I went astray at first, regarding the proportions of grain and -fruit: “Your cupful of grain,” she writes, “is more than double what my -husband takes, and I use still less; but we eat very much more fresh -fruit than you do.” ... “I had intended to say in my last letter, that -some people object to so much cold food, especially in the morning. I did -not at all like it myself, at first, being always used to ‘a good cup of -tea’ the first thing; however, use soon becomes second nature, and I -prefer it now. In winter, when the apples or melons seem really cold, I -bring them to a moderately cold temperature by warming slightly——the same -with tomatoes: of these last, quite a lot have ripened up, although it is -mid-winter, (Feb. 6, ’81.) We find that _too much nut_-food causes -indigestion,[78] and it is better to combine a little vegetable-food -always, if possible.” ... “One little incident in our lives here, may -interest you: our oldest daughter, aged 13, has just been on a visit to -some friends——the family of a doctor of the old school. His wife remarked -one day that she liked the uncooked food very much, and would always use -it, only she ate ‘what the others did, to keep them company.’ Alice -replied (and you may imagine how proud I felt when it was repeated to me -by the doctor’s daughter), ‘I am sure you do not understand the importance -of it, then!’ You would be surprised to see how firm the children are: -they could not, by any kind of bribery, I believe, be induced to swerve -one iota from the true principles upon which we live, and they have been -severely tested, too.” I regret to say that a year after the above was -written, these people decided to test once more the influence of cooking -their food; although it may furnish valuable evidence, and I predict their -return to the natural diet with renewed faith. Now (Sept. 1, 1882), after -a few months’ use of artificially prepared food (their diet is still very -simple; they use no animal food, nor fancy dishes, no pastry, nor _hot_ -drinks), such sentences as the following are quite significant: “Well, -both my husband and myself think it possible there may be more ‘ailments’ -from the use of cooked food, but there is more enjoyment too, and we shall -have to take the bitter and the sweet together.” ... “I know it [uncooked -food] increases the spiritual perceptions greatly.”[79]... “I still -believe it would be a sure preventive of disease; but few, however, are -prepared to adopt such an extreme mode of living.” Once more: “The -experiment has done us good, I am sure; and I feel glad of the lessons I -have learned through it. I don’t think I shall ever be what I was before -using it.” [_i. e._, sickly]. Of this we can, of course, judge better -later on. From an earlier letter, written in January (the 30th), 1881, and -while they were enjoying the natural diet for the fourth year, I make a -few extracts: “Its effects are truly wonderful, and far exceed my -expectations.... The sequel has proved that it not only ensures health to -those already healthy, but eradicates former weaknesses when these exist; -for instance, rheumatism and ‘sciatica,’ from which I used to suffer——both -have left me, I think never to return. The children frequently suffered -with toothache, and occasionally with earache; now they are never -troubled. I believe the hot food destroys the teeth, and renders the body -generally more susceptible of taking colds. I used to take cold on the -slightest exposure; now I don’t know what it is to have one. And sore -throat was sure to follow a cold; now I am quite exempt, and have been for -two years.”[80] - -[Footnote 78: The oily nuts are nutritious, and a small proportion, only, -should be eaten; except in cold weather.] - -[Footnote 79: I desire to call the attention and fasten it for a moment -upon this feature of the case.] - -[Footnote 80: With reference to the prophylactic and curative effects of -this diet I quote from “VEGETARIAN LIFE IN GERMANY: _A Paper, by a Lady -Member of the German Vegetarian Society, read 15th Jan., 1881, at -Manchester England, and reprinted by request_.” - -“Others, especially those whose occupations afford little or no exercise, -as writers, artists, official persons, etc., prefer from time to time to -live upon fruits alone, in order to clear their blood and thus prevent -illness. Dr. Richard Nagel, of Burman, was one of the first to try such a -cure, and with brilliant success. As he is a learned man, and his health -rules are accepted by most German vegetarians, I take the liberty to give -you an abridged translation of them: - -“I. Take often during the day a drink of pure cool fresh water; rain-water -is best. Vegetarians who live plainly and upon fruits only, have very -little thirst. - -“II. Wash the whole body with cool fresh water every morning before -breakfast; poor-blooded persons may use in winter a little warm, but never -hot water. - -“III. All kinds of sweet fruits and roots are to be commended in an -uncooked form. These are so nourishing that we can live upon fruit alone. -(Dr. Nagel, himself, so lived in 1871, from February 25th to April 7th, -that is during forty-one winter days, and you know that our German winter -is much colder than yours. During this time he was extremely well, and -worked hard as a physician and writer).”] - -Further on, and after describing the two-years-old baby’s remarkable -health and perfect appetite: “He never causes me the least trouble; is -always ready to eat a good breakfast, taking just what we do, and is truly -a marvel of sweet infant life.” After a brief reference to the -persecutions received from their neighbors at the first: ... “But that is -nothing; we have lived it all down, and we are in better health to-day, -all of us, than any family about, for many a mile. Why, they are all -complaining of _colds_ now, and yet we have the loveliest climate and the -most delightful atmosphere under the sun. We never have any colds, or -neuralgia, or rheumatism. Whatever may be said in derision of our diet, -and, of course, there are more or less remarks, we have the best of it -anyway; and, oh, the load of expense, labor and care and anxiety that is -removed! The children are harmonious and happy, devoting their spare time -to useful pursuits——we all have so much more spare time now,” etc., etc. - -From another letter: - -“... But I must hasten to answer your queries. 1st. As to how we prepare -our food in winter. We have apples, raisins, oranges, and figs, which need -no preparation. Wheat and rye we grind first in a large mill and finish -off in a spice mill, and usually eat it dry with juicy fruits. I can eat -rye, apples, nuts, and raisins, and make a good meal. We confine ourselves -to what we raise here, chiefly because we think it best. We raise our own -peanuts, and if you will take them _unroasted_, and grind with your grain, -you will get a very palatable, strengthening food, alone or with raisins; -they contain a very sweet oil which, as we learn, is beginning to be -appreciated in England. I prefer the peanuts in this form because they -need to be very finely masticated. I can work longer after such a -breakfast and not feel hungry than anything else I have tried. We have -delicious musk-melons now, also water-melons, but the latter are -deteriorating, being out of season. Our ripe tomatoes are nearly over; -after these are gone we shall use our dried peaches, pears, and apples, -merely soaked in cold water until soft——not sloppy. We use rain-water in -winter. I make a salad for dinner, often, as follows: lettuce washed and -cut small, a few ripe tomatoes peeled and cut up, and one or two green -peppers cut fine; pouring over a dressing of raisin syrup, made by soaking -black raisins for twenty-four hours, and straining. This salad I vary by -substituting celery for lettuce. I assure you it is a most healthful dish, -and so sweet and nice with rye. We use oatmeal soaked for twelve hours in -just enough water to soften it, and then well beaten; with either raisins -[grapes] or dried fruits it is very delicious. I did not at first like -rye, but after a little we all came to regard it the sweetest grain we -have. The children are very fond of cauliflower——just the flour part——and -green pease, fresh-picked are a great dish with us. Some like radishes and -garden cress and a few things of that nature. I prefer fruits with my -grain, and we can have them fresh, of some sort, all the year round. -Strawberries come in about March——indeed, we have a few even now -[February]. I’m going to make a ‘natural fruitcake,’ this week, for our -little girl’s birthday. I shall send a piece by post to Mrs. Page, with -full directions for making it. We had one at New Year’s, and even those -who live on cooked food pronounced it ‘as good as they ever tasted.’ But -very little of our time, however, is taken up, usually, with the -preparation of our food; only, on special occasions, we amuse ourselves a -little in such ways, for the children’s sake. At all times, however, we -have a good variety of food; in fact, too much, I sometimes think. We eat -more in quantity than others, but a large proportion is fruit, which -furnishes all our liquid food except fresh water. We all enjoy our food -_thoroughly_; the children never ask for anything between meals [two meals -only], only baby comes as regularly as possible for an apple at half-past -eleven——of course he gets it.” - -The following letter from a veteran hygienist refers to the family whose -history I have been relating. - - MY DEAR DR. PAGE: - - Your letter of February 13th, enclosing letters from Mr. and - Mrs. Hinde for us to read and to make extracts from for _The - Laws_, came duly to hand. I have read them with great interest, - for they do but add to my conviction that, as yet, the divinely - ordained mode of living for man on earth has received, in the - minds of so-called hygienists, small conception, and in the life - of the best of us comparatively poor illustration, and, - therefore, just such experience as these dear people are having - in their search for better methods of realizing, developing, and - making serviceable spiritual power are of great interest to me. - They always have been. - - It has been a matter of great regret with me, that being an - incurably diseased man, and being shut up to the necessity of - working up, to the best degree possible for me, a revolution in - the thought and conduct of people at large, in matters - pertaining to their life on earth, I have not been able - physically nor circumstantially to carry out my life as I have - wanted to do. I have done some things, but always under - circumstances that endangered my available power to live and - work, while making such transitions as I was determined to make. - - I have settled several principles which enter as constituent - elements into the philosophy of life of the human organism. - Among them I may mention two: One is, the changes from bad to - good, or from worse to better, can never be made - reconstructively, except under the policy which governs - construction. Now, as all growth of any living organism, or any - part of it, is, relatively speaking, slow, so all reparation of - any injured part in such organism relatively has to be slow. - Reconstruction, therefore, is slow if according to law. This of - itself speaks condemningly of the system of drug medication, - because everywhere do drug doctors seek to produce changes from - bad to good, or from worse to better, rapidly. This is - unphilosophical, and, therefore, can be, on the whole, only open - to criticism as being bad practice. - - Another is, that where morbid conditions have existed until they - have become chronic, and the organism has become adjusted - thereto, changes from the abnormal to the normal can not be made - without aggravation of those conditions. I have never known a - person to go from chronic derangements of any organ in his body - to normal conditions of it, without passing through an acute - stage,[81] and this acute stage is critical in its nature, - subjecting the organ to added liability for the time, may be - subjecting the whole organism to it. Thousands of persons die - every day under medical treatment in this country from - badly-managed critical changes through which they have to pass. - - [Footnote 81: This was illustrated in the case of Mrs. Hinde, - who says of her first experience: “I fully expected suffering as - a consequence, and so there was for a time; but it proved a - blessing in disguise.”——AUTHOR.] - - Thirdly, I am satisfied that of all the diseases with which - doctors have to deal, and of which persons die, ninety-five per - cent. of them have their origin in bad dietetic indulgence, and - in deviations from right way of living, caused directly by, and - to be attributed to, bad habits of eating and drinking. If you - take a hundred diseases, as they are called, and study the - predisposing and the provoking causes to their production, you - will find that at least ninety-five per cent. have their origin - in derangements of the stomach and the organs that are in direct - sympathy with it. - - I take it upon me to say on my platform very frequently, and I - repeat the same as I would repeat it from any public platform if - I were talking to a public audience: Give me the right and the - power, by and with the consent of any given population, whether - one thousand or one million, to control their dietetic - conditions, and I will take care of their diseases, and, in less - than the life of a generation, will banish from their midst - seven-eighths of all the diseases now common to physicians in - their practice; will stop the diseases, and deaths that grow out - of a prevalence of these diseases and their methods of - treatment; will put an end to the vices and the crimes - everywhere extant, and which it is so difficult for society and - government to manage, and thoroughly revolutionize the physical - and moral status of such people. - - We have to go to the bottom of things in order to get to the top - of things, for the home of the eternal righteousness is so high - that no ladder can reach it, unless its lower end rests on - bed-rock. Who builds his house on quicksand runs the risk of his - life. Who climbs to the skies by any false means of ascent that - he may seek to establish, will find his fate foreshadowed in the - simple fact that he does not commence his ascent from a secure - foundation. - - Yours very truly, - JAMES C. JACKSON. - -Mr. Isaac B. Rumford, and son, hard-working farmers, of Bakersfield, Cal., -have lived strictly on the “natural diet” for upwards of two years. Mr. -Rumford has been a chronically-diseased man for many years; now, however, -he is so far improved as to be able to do, as he says, “a good day’s -work.” “It is doing for me,” he writes, “what I have been seeking and -sorrowing after, vainly until now, for twenty years——giving me health. My -son also finds it a perfect diet, and would not readily exchange it for -any other; indeed, we both enjoy our food more than formerly on the old -system. By another year,” he adds, “I shall be able to give you still more -information on this subject, as others are beginning to be impressed with -the advantages of this regimen.” (See Appendix.) - -A. R. B., of New York city, has lived chiefly on uncooked grain and fruit -for upwards of a year; and his young wife, also, has tried it to a -considerable extent. Two years ago Mrs. B. was threatened with -consumption, and was told by her physician that unless she changed her -diet (she was then beginning the vegetarian regimen) she would certainly -not live a year. She “needed meat and milk in abundance,” he said. But she -only lived the more abstemiously, and on coarse bread, with fruit, -chiefly, and, during the past year, has eaten considerable uncooked -“bread,” and all symptoms of her disease have disappeared. Mr. B. had -nasal catarrh; but this has disappeared, and he now finds himself -thoroughly nourished and better able than ever before to perform his -duties. His diet consists of two meals,——7 A.M. and 6 P.M.,——and with but -little variation, the two combined make about a half cupful each, wheat -and oat groats, with five or six nice apples. His appetite has become -sufficiently normal to enable him to enjoy this diet fully. This is in -winter. In summer less grain and more fruit. - -As bearing upon the supposed difficulties in the way of introducing the -natural diet, should any choose to adopt it, I can not forbear relating a -little incident of recent occurrence: For some weeks past, I have been -living exclusively, and with great satisfaction, upon this diet. In a -conversation upon the subject, a friend expressed, along with some -surprise at my statements as to the gustatory pleasures of this diet and -its completeness for nutrifying the body, a curiosity to know just how it -would seem to sit down to a meal without a single dish of cooked food, nor -any odor of smoking viands about. “Very good,” I said, “dine with us -to-morrow, and bring the children.” This he promised, and on the following -day, Sunday, he came up with his two children, a boy of seven and a girl -of three years. Nothing was said to them by their father before, nor by -any one after their arrival, as to the kind of food to be set before them, -they were simply invited out to dinner, and anticipated a good time. The -injudicious comments, or “chaffing,” of parents and friends, will very -easily “set” children against what would naturally be their own -inclinations if given a fair chance, without having their minds -prejudiced, I mean, by the notions, or the dyspeptic idiosyncracies of -their elders. At 4 P.M. the table was set, but with no extras on account -of company, although here “extras” would imply no additional trouble nor, -perhaps, expense. There were dates,——“Persian,” or the kind which are in -regular tiers and handled comfortably,——walnuts, filberts, raisins, a -variety of apples, and, for bread, a fruit-dish containing “oat groats.” -The latter was served as the first course, the children eating of this -natural bread with every appearance of satisfaction, as did all the -company, a few teaspoonfuls each. All united in calling it sweet and good. -Then came walnuts and raisins; some added filberts, others took only the -latter, after which, dates, and then, for dessert, apples; of these, one -or two each were eaten. In the midst of the nuts and raisins, I may add, -and what surprised my visitor more than all else, both children _asked_, -voluntarily, for “a few more oats,” which they received and ate with a -gusto! As we arose from the table, my friend (a banker, by the way, and a -“good liver,”) said, “There, I can truly say that I have never eaten a -more satisfactory dinner; taken all in all, this has been a model meal.” -“How about the children?” I asked, of him, but they answered; “I have had -a splendid dinner,” said the boy. “I’ve had a splendid dinner,” chorused -the little three-year-old. The father added (what was in my own mind), -that he enjoyed the meal all the more because of the non-necessity for -restricting the children in any manner: there was no occasion for -caution——no “mustn’t eat so fast,” no “I’m afraid you are not chewing your -food thoroughly,” “No, dear, no more of the preserves,——they will hurt -you,” nor any nuisance of the sort; nor any risk in consequence; and I -remarked, with my friend’s entire acquiescence, that, often as I had -observed them, both in their home and at my own table, never had I seen -them so apparently satisfied in every respect, from the beginning to the -end of a meal; that, in fact, they had never enjoyed a meal in so utterly -unrestricted a manner; and at the same time, they arose from the table -with no indication of surfeit——no heaviness, nor succeeding sleepiness or -peevishness, as we often witness with children after an ordinary dinner. - -Here was a delicious and ample midwinter dinner for six at a total cost of -less than the meat alone for a mixed meal,——with no brewing, baking or -fuming-up the home, or heating up and using up its mistress in the -preparation, and clearing away of the meal, not to mention the other -injurious effects of an ordinary “company dinner.” A few weeks later, in -response to an invitation from my little guests, I had the pleasure of a -return-dinner of the same sort, and a Christmas (1882) dinner at that, at -which a larger company assembled, and all pronounced it complete; and the -servants did not complain of being overworked——nor underfed. One of these -was overheard to say, “_Dessert_’s good enough for me!” - -I would ask all prudent parents, Are you not often disturbed about the -little ones’ diet——about the pie, cake, pudding, etc., and are they not -frequently made ill by “over-indulgence,” as it is called, in these -things? How can you expect a little, growing child, with an appetite like -that of a shark (if hot, melting viands, or artificial sweets are before -them), with no sort of physiological knowledge, in fact a normal and -proper disgust for anything of the sort, no idea of prudence, but only a -dread of your frequent and necessary cautions,——how can you expect a -child, with mouth full of hot bread,——or any bread,——with butter, milk, or -sauce, or mashed potatoes, garnished with gravy turkey, stuffing, and -cranberry, all melting in his mouth, to “chew” what requires no chewing -and can not be made wholesome by chewing, and “hold” what will rush away -into the stomach as though impelled by an all-controlling force? It can -not be done, you can not do it yourselves, and as for the young ones, it -is the refinement of cruelty to attempt it;——it means dissatisfaction, -discomfort, and, often, the destruction of what should be a happy season, -to be perpetually badgering them about it; it is unnatural and wrong. Give -your children the sort of food you think best for them, and let them enjoy -it. If this can not be done with safety, the fault is with the food, not -with them. - -The best way to effect a change in an obnoxious law, as has been well -said, is to enforce the law. The same principle holds in diet: If you find -that you are furnishing a sort of food which, eaten unrestrictedly and in -their own way, makes your children sick or endangers their health, give -them something better. At the meal of which I have been speaking, there -was no restraint, no cautions, nor occasion for any: the food was of that -strictly natural sort which, while requiring to be well masticated, itself -enforced the law. The sharp teeth of the children cut the oats perfectly; -there was no stimulation, nor temptation to hurry the food into the -stomach without masticating it, no feverish appetency, as with hot, -highly-seasoned viands——all wanted to chew the food as much as it “wanted -to be” chewed, and, consequently, no appreciable amount of it entered the -stomach unprepared for stomach-digestion. For the first time in the lives -of these children, since they were weaned, could this be said of them. It -can not be said of a single child in America, or elsewhere, who sits at a -table supplied with ordinary food. What results from this unnatural manner -of alimentation? Indigestion, inevitably, indicated by various symptoms, -as, for example, flatulency which is popularly regarded as entirely -natural, the odorous emanations from the younger fry being considered -evidence of indiscretion instead of what it really is——disease. And what -from this? Blood-poisoning, as surely; with aches, pains, feverish spells, -with influenza (popularly called “a cold”), which, as can not be too much -emphasized, is, strictly speaking, instead of a disease, the effort of -Nature to “cure” a disease which otherwise would become so deep-seated as -to demand a “run of fever” to eliminate it, and all manner of physical -ailments. - -I am often asked, What constitutes the scrofulous diathesis, so called, or -the scrofulous “taint” supposed to be the inheritance of so many of the -children of our times? My reply is this: Scrofulous persons are those, -mainly, perhaps it should be said wholly, who from current bad habits (as -to diet, air, and all the requirements, or any part of them, which are -necessary for the maintenance of health), manufacture bad, instead of pure -blood. Such persons become more and more depraved, and incapacitated for -bequeathing to their offspring great vital power. In consequence the -children of such parents are endowed with a feeble organism; that is, an -organism incapable, at least until virtually, or nearly as possible made -over new, of putting forth in any direction a great degree of force, -whether of the voluntary muscular system, the brain, the digestive or -excretory systems, or what not. Children of this stamp may, they often do, -exhibit precocity in one or another direction——being unbalanced, so to -say——and may evince much alertness, both in muscle and brain, but they -soon tire: it will always be found that they are incapable of prolonged -effort in any direction, without exhaustion. They may develop a fondness -for study and for play, but in neither direction have they any staying -power: they are _called_ over-ambitious, often; they _are_ undernourished -always. And this, not because they do not swallow a large quantity of food -(though some children are kept so surfeited as to have little relish for -food, and may, consequently, eat but little, being all the time a few days -ahead of their stomachs, so to say), but generally because, of all the -food swallowed, not enough is digested and assimilated to sustain them, -and keep them in a vigorous state. They are, like all animals, when not -suffering from nausea or lack of appetite through somebody’s fault, very -ambitious in the way of eating; having——not inherited——but rather, I -should say, _acquired_ during the involuntary cramming of infancy——that -special school for gluttony, which graduates near thirty per cent. of its -pupils into premature graves before their first year is ended——and the -injudicious feeding of the survivors in childhood, a full, perhaps rounded -measure of appetency, especially for the very things which scrofulous -children, of all born children, should not have. They may be greedy for -study and for food (though often enough, excess of the latter makes them -listless and unfit for either study or play), but have for neither, -sufficient capacity for digestion and assimilation, to make them either -learned or strong. It follows, if they are fed like their robust fellows -who can bear up under the burden, that by reason of quality, frequency, -and amount of food eaten, no portion, not even such wholesome articles as -fruit, vegetables, etc., as they may have in abundance,——no portion of -their food is properly digested and assimilated. It is unnatural in -variety, is prepared and eaten unnaturally, and, as has been said, there -ensues, as surely as any effect is simultaneous with its cause, -indigestion, blood-poisoning, and the _current, daily manufacture_ of -“scrofulous humors,” if people choose to call them by that name; and but -for its misleading tendency, as at present interpreted, this name would -answer as well as any. Of _pure food_, these children can digest and -assimilate a given amount——an amount, indeed, suited to their peculiar -needs; the balance, including _all_ unwholesome substances,[82] is so much -for influenza, catarrh, “scrofula,” measles, “nervousness,” -fractiousness, (“measly disposition” was not originally a slang phrase by -any means) scarlet fever, skin, scalp, and all other so-called diseases. -The remedy, then, for the disorders of children of scrofulous, or any -other diathesis, is plain: stop feeding them unnaturally, and feed them -naturally. And the earlier in their lives this is done, and the more -faithfully it is attended to, the more likely they will be to “outgrow -their inheritance.” I do not hesitate to say that, of those weakly-born or -“tainted” children who die in infancy or childhood, or live sickly lives, -in a very large proportion of cases they could, by right treatment, -chiefly as to fresh air and diet, be built up above the plain of disease, -_i.e._, placed upon the highest level possible to _them_, and enabled to -live fairly long lives, a comfort to themselves and a benefit to the -world. And this, too, in a majority of instances, on a rigidly abstemious -vegetable diet, reserving the “natural diet” for the most critical cases, -or the most conscientious persons.[83] - -[Footnote 82: I include cream among the forbidden animal fats, especially -for scrofulous subjects, for the reason that in practice I have never -observed other than ultimately injurious effects from its use. I can -account for this only upon the ground that if _milk_ is a proper food for -man, _whole_ milk——like whole wheat, whole apples, whole grapes, whole -beets, instead of white flour, cider, wine and sugar——only can be thus -classed. The fact that many, even robust persons, can not use milk at all, -and a still larger proportion cream, whereas skimmed milk is well borne by -them and in some instances seems to produce lasting good effects, may be -accounted for, perhaps, in the following manner: As our cows are bred and -fed, their milk is abnormally loaded with fatty matters, and when skimmed, -after sitting twelve or more hours, still contains, as compared with -_natural_ cows’ milk, a full proportion of cream. Therefore, by removing -the excess of cream, which is of an excretory nature, we are doing all in -our power to “restore the balance,” or to make the milk natural. Let those -who choose make use of this delicious scum; but its administration to sick -people, though often, like drugs, producing stimulating, and apparently -beneficial effects, will, in the end, like every form of stimulation, -hinder, if not prevent recovery. (See Stimulation.)] - -[Footnote 83: See note 5 in Appendix, p. 281.] - -Finally, to add so large a line of proper foods to our dietary by a -correct understanding of their real office and value——taking them out of -the category of mere pastime-lunches——should, from any point of view, be -accounted a great gain. We are made by that much more independent, in -being elevated above the otherwise some-time-necessity of eating -unmitigatedly bad, or badly-prepared food, or of going without any; for -almost any corner grocery will furnish a better bill-of-fare than one -often finds at poor hotels or restaurants; besides, this class of foods -may be taken along better than any other: they are the most comfortable to -transport and to handle _en route_, and will “keep.” Moreover, they demand -less time for “preliminary digestion” after eating; if, indeed, one may -not, after a judicious meal of them, resume ordinary mental or muscular -labor with impunity. The effect of a light lunch of fruits, is really, -when one is once accustomed to their use, exhilarating to both the brain -and the muscular system——stimulating, not as with a spur, but, rather, a -“push behind”; or, more truly, by increase of actual strength through -pabulum supplied to the blood, of a character, as I am convinced, unlike -that of any form of cooked food. - -Note.——In concluding this theme, while expressing the belief that this -will be the diet of the future——that advancing civilization will demand -it, on the score of economy, as relates to time, care, and health, no less -than the comparatively trifling consideration of money cost (and yet what -an item even this would be to the toiling millions!), and above all in -view of the emancipation of woman from the serfdom of the kitchen, where -she now exhausts herself to the injury of the family, her incessant -kitchen labors tending especially to unfit her for the production of -robust children——yet I would not chill the health-seeker of to-day, by -insisting upon the vital importance of _every_ one’s breaking away -abruptly from _all_ present customs as regards the selection and -preparation of food. To a considerable degree the usage of generations -has, beyond question, adapted our systems to the use of cooked foods——has -even rendered them somewhat unadapted to the _instant_ use of uncooked -foods——so that a radical and complete change, abruptly made, would result -in temporary digestive disturbance, which (however advantageous the -results of the change, finally, if persisted in with faith and courage) -would render it impracticable for some persons, more especially since this -temporary physical inconvenience would be added to the social -inconvenience arising from placing oneself so markedly at variance with -all about him. No one can form a just opinion of this last item until he -attempts a radical change in his dietetic habits: it presents the greatest -check imaginable to rapid progress in this direction. - -A reform, however, which is at the same time feasible and, in most -instances, sufficient, speaking generally,——and which, as elsewhere -remarked, already has its hundreds of thousands of adherents in this -country alone,——would be the adoption of the “fruit and bread,” or the -ordinary vegetarian diet even——banishing all doubtful dishes, condiments, -spices, hot drinks——stimulants all——making a lunch (or two, even) in the -course of the day, of fruit, with a biscuit or two at one of them, -perhaps; and at eve, when the tired ones are rested, a regular “full -meal,” consisting of various bread dishes——wheat, corn, rye and oatmeal, -with various admixtures of the same, which may well furnish a different -flavor (several, indeed) for every day in the month——fruit, milk (for -those with whom it “agrees”), vegetables and nuts. Following _this -direction_, and aiming constantly, but _comfortably_, to maintain the -balance between diet and labor——between the food eaten and the needs of -the organism for nutriment——one may not only enjoy, as he ought, the -pleasures of the table, but, in very many cases, absolutely and largely -increase these pleasures, in the aggregate, considering, more especially, -his exemption from sickness with its occasional involuntary fasts, and -with many, the quite frequent periods of slight, or non-satisfaction, -through nausea and lack of appetite arising from an injudicious dietary. -This regimen lessens by one-half the housewife’s burdens, as well as the -cost of living, while it adds immeasurably to her health and that of her -household. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - MALARIA——SEWER GAS. - - -These are very vicious companions, and cause a deal of mischief. The -scientists have much to say of the prevalence, and of the deleterious -effects of sewer gas, from faulty plumbing, etc.; but they do not insist -upon, scarcely indeed mention, the plain fact, that if this insidious -destroyer can, as is now known, get into a dwelling through a foot of -stone or brick wall, it can and will _get out through an open window_; and -that, in any event, if there be abundant ventilation there will be such -dilution of these gases as to render them comparatively innoxious. It is -not so much the letting in of bad air, but rather the confining of it——the -breathing of it, “pure and unadulterated”——that causes disease. There is -more _malaria_ in a close bedroom in the most favored mountain-region, and -in the alimentary canal of a constipated or drug-swallowing dyspeptic, -than about the swamps and bayous of Louisiana or the dreaded Roman -Campagna, where wrapped in a single blanket, the author has slept night -after night——to prove his faith in the theory, as well the theory itself. -The “Roman fever,” so alarming to visitors of the holy city, is the joint -product of stuffy hotel bedrooms and a diet better suited to the climate -of Iceland than Italy. - - * * * * * - -“I have lately spent a summer in a country place whose delicious air is a -just source of pride to its inhabitants,” says an observing writer, in -_Our Continent_. “They told me how doctors sent their patients there from -a distance, and how even consumptives had had their fell disease arrested -by the tonic effects of the pure air and invigorating breezes, and then I -found the very people who thus glorified in them shutting out every breath -of air and every ray of sunshine from their houses because of flies! In -returning the calls of neighbors, I was struck the moment I entered their -houses with that close, unwholesome, ‘stuffy’ smell which we generally -associate with the homes of the ignorant and unneat classes alone, but -which is often to be noticed in those of a class far above them. As I -looked at the outside of the different houses in the place, it was -difficult to realize that they were really inhabited. Every blind was -carefully closed, and not one sign of life visible; and yet, -unfortunately, life was going on behind those closed windows——life which -needed every advantage to make it healthy and enjoyable. Does it never -occur to you, you housekeepers whose minds recoil from soiled house-linen, -fly-specks on paint, and every species of uncleanliness——does it never -occur to you, you so-called neat women, that there is one thing absolutely -_dirty_ in your cleanly-swept and carefully-dusted houses, and that is -their very air? You who would blush with shame at the idea of anything -unclean worn on your person, or taken into your mouth, do you not know you -are taking in uncleanliness with every breath you draw; and that unclean -air is making your blood, and through its means, your entire bodies -impure?... Many a woman is regretting this summer that she is unable to -have a change of air for herself and children by going to the seaside, the -country, or the mountains. Why not try the effect of change of air at -home? If air makes such a difference to your health as you admit, why not -let it do its best for you wherever you are?” - -It would be hard to find, in any community, a person so ignorant as not to -know that the lungs require good air. “Oh, yes, of course, I know we must -have pure air.” Yes, indeed. Nevertheless, ninety-five families in every -hundred, in city and country, though always ready to say this, suffer -every day of their lives for want of it. This arises from a lack of -definite knowledge (1) as to the true office of air——of the fact that it -supplies the major portion of the body’s nourishment, since an ordinary -person could live six weeks or more without eating, and as many days -without liquids of any sort; while as many _minutes_ without oxygen is -certain death; and (2) as to what constitutes “pure air in the home.” Says -Prof. Huxley: “But the deprivation of oxygen, and the accumulation of -carbonic acid, cause injury long before the asphyxiating point is reached. -Uneasiness and headache arise when less than one per cent. of the oxygen -of the air is replaced by other matters; while the persistent breathing of -such air tends to lower all kinds of vital energy, and predisposes to -disease. Hence the necessity of sufficient air, and of ventilation for -every human being. To be supplied with respiratory air in a _fair state_ -of purity, every man ought to have at least eight hundred cubic feet of -space to himself, and that space ought to be freely accessible, by direct -or indirect channels, to the atmosphere.” - -A room ten feet square, and eight feet high, if “freely accessible” to the -outer air during the entire 24 hours, will, according to the high -authority quoted, supply the necessary respiratory rations, so to say, for -one adult person. In so far, then, as this space _per capita_ is -diminished, its accessibility to the outer air must be increased; that is, -the ventilation (which should in all cases be constant) must be freer, in -proportion as the size of the room is diminished or the number of its -occupants increased. No room built with hands will ever be large enough to -supply the “breath of life,” in default of free communication with the -outer air. - - - WINTER VENTILATION. - -The true theory of ventilation is to obtain a perpetual and sufficient -change of air without sensible draught. The following simple plan, as I -have proved by years of experience, perfectly fulfills these requirements, -and leaves nothing to be desired. The _Scientific American_ endorses the -plan, and places it above many, in fact most of the elaborate and -expensive devices. The eminent Dr. B. W. Richardson, of London, also, is -on record in favor of the plan, and it is already in use in thousands of -homes in this country. A three-inch strip placed beneath the lower sash of -each window has the effect to “mismatch” the sashes, causing them to -overlap each other in the middle. The stream of air thus admitted is -thrown directly upward, and slowly mixes with the heated air in the upper -part of the room. As several windows in each room are thus provided, the -vitiated air is constantly passing out at one or another of the -ventilators. The strip being perfectly fitted or listed, no air can enter -at the sill, and all can be so nicely finished as in no manner to mar the -appearance of the most elegant drawing-room. A dwelling thus ventilated -will never smell “close” to the most sensitive nose upon re-entering, even -after a prolonged stay in the open air——a test that would condemn, as -unfit for occupancy, ninety in the hundred sitting and sleeping rooms, as -well as churches, halls, etc., the world over. The purity of the air is by -no means measured by the temperature. Cold air is often very impure by -reason of stagnation (as stagnant water), or the exhalations from the -lungs, etc., while, on the other hand, the temperature may be maintained -at 70° F., or upwards, without fatally lowering its quality, if a -sufficient and perpetual change is going on between the outdoor and indoor -air. - -Whether in Maine or California, Florida or Kansas; whether in a “malarial -district” or in a region celebrated for its salubrity,——whatever the -locality,——the only standard, the purest air attainable for the -inhabitants of any town or hamlet, is the outdoor air. Apropos of this I -make a brief extract from the letter of a patient, a delicate lady, under -treatment for chronic dyspepsia, and other troubles, who, under date of -September 5th, says: “I have tried to follow your directions, and the -result is very satisfactory. I live out of doors as much as possible -through the day, and for weeks have even slept out on the porch at night. -I have enjoyed this very much,——never slept so soundly nor felt so fresh -on waking. Of course my friends predicted malaria from sleeping out of -doors so near the fogs from the river, but I haven’t had even a sniffle! I -exercise a great deal and have grown very much stronger. It seemed pretty -hard at first to live on one meal a day and exercise too, but I persevered -and feel better for it. Every one here is astonished at my progress and -increase of strength. At first I think they rather resented my not coming -to the table, and they openly declared the foolishness of living without -meat; but they have ‘sick spells’ which now I never do, and they can not -endure heat or cold as I can. I think I can dimly see your position, and -begin to realize the simplicity of certain problems generally regarded so -complicated.”——(Mrs. S., Washington, D. C., writing from Wadley’s Falls, -N. H.) - -I feel that my readers will absolve me from the charge of egotism in thus -introducing the testimony of this poor lady, the victim of malpractice in -the first instance, who, after passing through course after course of -drug medication at the hands of eminent, and so-called skillful -physicians, at last begins, not dimly, as she herself says, but clearly, -as I believe, to see the simplicity of the health question; and especially -ought I to be pardoned when I here distinctly remark that I claim to be -only the contemporary of thousands upon thousands, physicians and laymen, -who have become converts to Hygienic Medicine; being convinced that the -proposition is as true as it is simple, that, in general, substances which -are injurious for healthy persons to swallow, are even more deleterious to -the sick. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - COFFEE, MEDICINALLY AND DIETETICALLY CONSIDERED.——THE - TRUE THEORY OF STIMULATION.[84] - - -“The chief constituent of the coffee berry, the alkaloid _caffeine_——in -chemical analysis recognized as identical with that of the tea plant, -_theine_——when separated from the other constituents, ... so as to be seen -in its perfect purity, appears in snow-white, silky, filiform crystals, -flexible and fragile, without odor, but having a mildly bitter taste.... -But it remains an important consideration that this crystallized -constituent ... is built on the chemical type of the alkaloid, a class of -bodies which nature forms in plants, but not in food-plants——bodies that -include narcotics, stimulants, hypnotics, deliriants, poisons, tonics; -some of them affecting the whole nervous system, one to excite and another -to depress; and others influencing only parts of the nervous system, for -special functions of the body.”[85] - -[Footnote 84: This paper first appeared in the Boston _Journal of -Chemistry_ and _Popular Science Review_, May and June, 1882.] - -[Footnote 85: Professor Albert B. Prescott, in _Popular Science Monthly_, -Jan., 1882, “Chemistry of Tea and Coffee.”] - -“Medically speaking, this theine has a totally distinctive action from the -infusions of which it forms a part. In the form of an infusion of tea or -coffee, we have to deal with a large proportion of astringent matter, in -the form of tannic acid, and with the presence of the essential oil, which -is an excitant to the nervous system, and is the substance to which must -be ascribed disorders of the nervous system which result from tea and -coffee drinking, such as palpitation of the heart and sleeplessness. The -theine, upon the other hand, of which there is about one-tenth of a grain -in an ordinary cup of tea, is the restorative agent to the nervous system, -and is opposed, in its therapeutic properties, to the action of the -essential oil. The infusion, therefore, of tea or coffee may induce -palpitation in a heart liable to excessive or incoordinate action; but -theine, on the contrary, may be looked to, therapeutically, to quiet -palpitation. The infusion, by being an excitant, may prevent sleep. -Theine, by being a restorative and an indirect sustainer and regulator of -the circulation, may induce sleep. Individual medical investigators have, -more than this, attempted, from time to time, to show that the action of -theine is allied to that of quinine.”[86] - -[Footnote 86: “Tea and Coffee as Nervines,” by Dr. Lewis Shapter, in -_British Medical Journal_.] - -It can not be questioned that the administration of coffee, in the form of -an infusion or otherwise, is entirely in accord with the theory and -practice of medicine at the present day. It is, however, a fact well known -to practitioners, and indeed generally to “laymen,” that the constant and -long-continued use of any medicine transforms its “remedial” influence -into one promotive of disease that may perhaps demand the curative aid of -some other drug. - -A strong infusion of _café noir_ (administered, it is to be presumed, to -one not an habitual user) has been recently claimed by a celebrated French -physician as an effectual antidote for the blood-poison that exists in -typhus, typhoid, and yellow fevers. While this may be true, I am sure that -there are, on the other hand, good grounds for the belief that the -habitual use of coffee as an article of diet aids materially in the -accumulation of the poison, and in the production of that abnormal -condition or quality of the tissues of the body which the vital forces -seek to rectify by means of the expulsive efforts which constitute the -symptoms of typhoid and other fevers. Indeed, Dr. Segur, who evidently -regards coffee as the nearest approach to the Elixir of Life, claims, as -one of the _benefits_ resulting from its use, that “it lessens the waste -of tissue, and therefore renders less food necessary.” Now, to interfere -with or hinder any of the normal processes of the organism, especially -those most vital to the economy, as, for example, that of the constant -breaking down and excretion of the tissues, is not only to invite, but the -impairment of these functions in and of itself constitutes, disease. He -further says, “After a heavy meal, it relieves the sense of oppression and -helps digestion.” What it really accomplishes, however, in such cases, is -this: it mitigates the immediate effects of excess by diluting and washing -away a portion of the food (of course unprepared for intestinal -digestion), and, after the first congestive effects have subsided, by -producing anæmia of the stomach, thereby _hindering_ digestion, it -relieves temporarily, but at great cost ultimately, the sense of -oppression produced by a gluttonous meal. By hindering digestion, in this -or in any other manner, as, for example, by resuming muscular or mental -labor directly after eating, we may prevent or delay plethora——the -surcharge of the blood with nutritive material that results from the rapid -absorption of an over-full meal;[87] but later on there will take place in -the alimentary tract more or less fermentation of its undigested contents, -which, with the foul and noxious gases generated thereby, will, to a -greater or less degree, be absorbed into the circulation. Thus we observe -the two-fold effect of this most delicious and seductive beverage: by -“lessening the waste,” it prevents the body from remaining sound in its -tissues, (see index: “fossil bodies”) and causes blood-poisoning from -indigestion. For if, by reason of anæmia of the stomach and intestines, -the digestive fluids are not secreted in sufficient amount to preserve it, -“the food rapidly undergoes chemical decomposition in the alimentary -canal, and often putrefies.”[88] This accounts for the gas coming from the -stomach and bowels of persons troubled with indigestion and constipation, -who frequently complain of a rotten-egg taste in the mouth. “This gas, in -its poisonous effect, is similar to hydrocyanic or prussic acid, only not -so powerful. It is a very destructive agent in its interference with those -vital processes concerned in ultimate nutrition, robbing the blood -corpuscles of vitality, and preventing the transformation into tissue of -the nutriment conveyed by the circulation, and of worn-out tissue into -waste, thus poisoning the blood and nervous centers, and disturbing the -whole animal economy.” In view of this state of things, need we search -with microscopes for the causes of sickness, go outside of our own bodies -for “malaria,” or look to any extraordinary circumstance as essential to -generate the most deadly diseases? According to the recent experiments (on -dogs) of M. Lennen, communicated to the Paris Society of Biology, coffee -does produce “anæmia of the stomach, retards digestion, and, the anæmia -repeating itself, ends by bringing on habitual increased congestion of the -stomach, which, according to M. Lennen, is synonymous with dyspepsia.” - -[Footnote 87: As explained elsewhere (p. 201), gentle exercise in the open -air, after such a meal, though not the best, is nevertheless a remedy.] - -[Footnote 88: Effects of Excess in Diet, “Physiology and Hygiene,” p. 402, -Huxley.] - -It is not difficult, then, to comprehend why the final effect of coffee -must be especially injurious, if not disastrous, to asthmatics and -“consumptives,” the head and front of whose disease is dyspepsia, pure and -simple. (See “Consumption.”) The _British Medical Journal_, after noting -the experiments of M. Lennen, and favoring his conclusions, goes on to -say: “It is well known——and English physicians have laid great stress upon -this point——that the abuse of coffee and tea often brings on gastralgia, -dyspepsia, and, at the same time, more or less disturbance of the -_apparatus of innervation_.” The question naturally arises, What -constitutes an “abuse” of a medicine? I should say its daily use as a -beverage. - -Coffee is a _purgative_——a very agreeable form of breakfast pill——but, as -with all purgative medicines, an increasing dose is necessary, and its -final effect is constipation, with no end of possibilities as a result of -the retention of waste matters in the blood. Constipation, however -produced, is a _predisposing_ cause, and the continuance of the habits -that have produced and now maintain it constitutes a sufficient _exciting_ -cause, of such diseases as neuralgia, rheumatism, erysipelas, fevers of -various sorts (including scarlet fever and “head cold,”) and, with the aid -of sewer gas _insufficiently diluted with outdoor air_——by means of -ventilation——diphtheria, or any of the zymotic “diseases.” Worst of all, -those more terrible maladies (because more permanent and enduring, and -unrecognized as symptoms of disease), as nervousness, peevishness, -irritability, and general unreasonableness, are due, in great measure, to -impoverishment of the blood; the nerves are insufficiently nourished, and -the brain is “set on edge” by the poisoned circulation. - -Professor Prescott makes this very interesting remark with regard to the -chemistry of coffee and tea: “But the change of guanine into theine is -easily accomplished. It is perfectly practicable to bring guano material -to the laboratory, and send away the same atomic elements transformed into -the snow-white, silky crystals of theine. Given only sufficient demand for -the pure stimulant principle of tea and coffee, and a market high enough -above the cost of its vegetable sources, and it might then safely be -predicted that not many months would elapse before companies with -thousands of capital stock would engage successfully in the chemical -manufacture of theine from guano. Then, very likely, rival companies would -establish the claim to manufacture a still purer article from certain of -the waste substances of the world——articles more accessible than guano.” - -As to the nutritive properties of coffee, although the food constituents -of the _berry_ are considerable in quantity, yet so deficient are they in -digestibility that, in the infusion especially, it is more than doubtful -if they are of advantage in supporting life, under any circumstances; -indeed, I have no doubt that the poisonous effects of the alkaloid and -tannin far outweigh any gain from the nutrients. At any rate, he would be -a bold man, indeed, and I doubt not a defeated one in the end, who should -attempt to imitate Mr. John Griscomb’s fast of forty-five days (which was -attended by no discomfort even), substituting coffee infusion for pure -water. - -Coffee interferes with digestion, and, consequently, with nutrition, aside -from its specific or general effects upon the digestive organs, by the -manner in which it is usually taken: a mouthful of food and then a draught -of the beverage prevents the necessity of chewing[89] and prohibits the -secretion of the saliva and its admixture with the starchy elements of -the cereals and vegetables, so essential to the preparation of this class -of food for digestion further on. The first process in the transformation -of starch into blood, is its conversion into grape sugar, and we know that -saliva fulfills this function; and while it is believed that the -intestinal juices also act in the same manner, still, we are not at -liberty to suppose that the preliminary change designed to be begun in the -mouth is unnecessary. Or, if it be in a measure true that this fluid, -being constantly secreted and swallowed, _thus_ performs its legitimate -function, it is certain that the salivary glands are injured, their -functions impaired, and the quality and quantity of their secretions -modified by the ingestion of hot, astringent fluids; and this must -certainly be one of the injurious effects of tobacco-chewing or smoking. -No one would suppose for one moment that the glands of the liver, or -kidneys, for example, could continue their offices satisfactorily in face -of constant contact with a poultice of tobacco, corresponding in size to -an ordinary quid, which would, in the mouth of a novice, produce purgative -effects, often within one minute from its application. In fact, it may be -relied upon that the ingestion into the mouth or stomach of any substance -that causes the bowels to “act,” in the common understanding of this term, -whether the dose be in solid or liquid form——tends to, and the constant -or frequent use of such devices will, impair and permanently injure the -entire alimentary tract, from mouth to anus, and all its secreting and -excreting glands. - -[Footnote 89: The prevalence of “bad teeth” is in my opinion referable -chiefly to three causes: (1) innutrition resulting from the use of -impoverished or indigestible food substance, (2) the use of hot drinks, -(3) _non-use_ of the teeth; dental exercise is the best dentifrice. -Observe the quality, whiteness and clean condition of the dogs’ teeth: -from early youth their “tooth-brushes” are bones, which they are -constantly gnawing. Bread-crusts, or wheat-kernels, would do the business -for our young growing children, replacing “candy,” for instance.] - -Coffee is a _diuretic_, and hence its habitual use promotes disease of the -kidneys. “Very warm drinks are in themselves debilitating to the stomach, -but the addition of the properties of tea, coffee, or other herbs, burdens -the kidneys and urinary apparatus with an unnatural amount of labor -continually. (See Bright’s Disease.) These organs, kept constantly -over-excited, must become debilitated, and preternaturally irritable, and -this condition of debility and irritability extends sympathetically to all -the surrounding viscera; finally, the abdominal muscles themselves become -relaxed, and, with the general nervous exhaustion produced by the active -nervine and narcotic properties of the herb throughout the system, a -foundation is laid for the whole train of maladies, displacements of -organs, disordered functions, and ‘weaknesses,’ which are so general at -the present day.” - -Again, coffee is often referred to as a respiratory food. It does, in -small doses, and at first, have the effect to excite abnormally the nerves -governing the respiratory movements, as well as those of the heart, -stomach, etc.——stimulates them; hence the tendency, finally, to sluggish -action of these organs, and even paralysis: a peculiar type of “nightmare” -often met with among coffee and tobacco users, illustrates this well, -although the connection is not usually comprehended,——a feeling of -suffocation, following one of pressure, or “rushing feeling,” at the base -of the brain, as it is often described; usually observed at night just as -the individual is dropping off to sleep, seemingly at the very moment of -“losing” himself, and very naturally, too, at this particular moment: -prior thereto there had been somewhat of a constrained feeling, perhaps, -unobserved by the victim, who, while awake, would continue the process of -breathing by means of an unconscious, but still real, degree of voluntary -effort. In sleep, the suffocation which ensues causes the victim to wake -with a start and with a violent palpitation of the heart; or he may not -succeed in rousing himself: this means death. In fact, all stimulants and -poisons, as tobacco, coffee, distilled liquors, etc., _tend_ to local and -general paralysis. - -Coffee is styled the drink, _par excellence_, of the brain-worker. Cases -like the following are by no means rare: Under the influence of two or -three cups of strong coffee the brain of an essayist works satisfactorily, -perhaps for hours; the hands and feet meanwhile growing cold and clammy, -and the entire surface “chilly,” while the brain throbs with congestion, -until, finally, the mind becomes confused, strange mistakes are made, -words are repeated or misspelled, and although the over-stimulated but now -clogged and exhausted brain can see, dimly outlined within itself, pages, -whole chapters perhaps, that must be written now or be forever lost——or at -least his diseased imagination thus pictures it——still he finds it -impossible to proceed, and with a martyr spirit, or perhaps despairingly, -he ceases from his labors. A night of disturbed sleep (see article on -Insomnia) almost surely follows, and during its waking intervals the brain -often does its best work, which is worse than lost, unless the sufferer -rises in (what should be) “the dead hours of the night” to record his -brilliant thoughts. This effort he is often loath to make: he can think, -or rather can not stop thinking, but he feels too weak to rise. Imperfect, -however, as may be his repose, still, he may, with the aid of fresh -stimulation, be enabled to take up his work again for the day. This may go -on indefinitely, but with less and less satisfactory results from month to -month,——neuralgic pains, “nervous headaches,” or other evidence of -visceral irritation, meantime adding to the sufferings to be -endured,——until, after a time, becoming alarmed, he feels the need of a -long vacation. If, however, in spite of all premonitions of danger, he -keeps on denying himself the “rest” (from stimulation as well as from -labor) he so much needs, it is like pulling a heavy load up-hill, and a -little later he finds himself utterly prostrated. Whether, now, he dies -speedily of paralysis, “heart disease,” or “nervous prostration”; fails -gradually and dies of “consumption”; or recovers some degree of health, -after a long illness, the cause of his disease is believed by himself, -friends——and physician, perhaps——to have been “overwork.”[90] In fact, it -is the effect of _stimulation_ inciting to excessive brain, to the -neglect of physical, exercise; the brain is clogged by its own unexcreted -waste, and the entire system unbalanced and unstrung. It is in such cases -that a resort to “tonic treatment,” beef-tea, or a “generous diet” of -flesh-food——for which, perhaps, a fictitious appetite is created by the -use of “regular” or irregular bitters——often destroys the patient’s last -chance for recovery. “It is,” says Professor Brunton, “piling on fuel, -instead of removing ash.”[91] - -[Footnote 90: The same amount of the stimulant alone (coffee, tobacco, -wine, or what not), _without_ the hard work that tended to aid in its -elimination, would have made quicker work of it. What such a person -requires under these circumstances is to give his brain rest from severe -mental application. Nor is it, in my opinion, sound doctrine to say that a -weary-brained man may rest by rushing at muscular exercise, or _vice -versa_. To a certain extent the rule holds good; but the exhausted or very -tired man requires a period of absolute rest, before taking up any form of -work. At the proper time, however, he will be improved by taking up active -exercise in the open air, and performing daily such regular muscular and -literary work as he can comfortably, however little this may be, without -any sort of stimulation other than that derived from simple, nutritious -food and pure air. (See article on Consumption for hint as to exercise.)] - -[Footnote 91: “Indigestion as a Cause of Nervous Prostration,” _Popular -Science Monthly_, January, 1881.] - -The illustration here given is one of the worst cases, but such instances -are frequently observed among the class usually designated as brain -workers, not only, but among business men, whose work, scheming, mishaps, -and unnatural habits altogether, bring them to sick-beds and premature -graves; while mild forms are met with constantly everywhere. - -Whatever degree of eminence our brain-workers may hope to attain under any -form of stimulation, before their lives shall be prematurely ended, all -may rest assured that by obeying the laws of life and building up a -healthy body they will, in the long run——the “run” made longer thereby——do -more and better work without than with artificial aid. The stimulus of -good health is far better than that derived from any stimulating drink. -The most brilliant productions of the brain, under stimulation, may, -strictly speaking, be called _premature births_. - -Professor Proctor, in the paper before alluded to, further says: -“Notwithstanding the adoption of theine-containing beverages by mankind at -large, we can not hesitate to commend that robust habit which discards all -dependence on adventitious food, even on so mild a stimulus as that of the -tea-cup, and preserves through life the fresh integrity of full nervous -susceptibility. And probably there was never a time when there were so -many persons as now who are disposed, by conviction and by a desire for a -stalwart physical independence, to refuse to fix any habit that holds the -nervous system.” - -Dr. Segur asserts that “habitual coffee-drinkers generally enjoy good -health and live to a good old age.” We find, however, that a very large -proportion of those coffee-drinkers who are observing and conscientious -freely confess to the ill effects of the beverage: It makes them “nervous, -irritable, or gives them headache frequently,” they say; and it is quite -common to hear them declare that they would leave it off if they could, -but they “depend on it——it is the principal part of breakfast.” Often -enough it is all the breakfast taken. It prevents hunger or appeases it by -rendering the stomach anæmic, and its stimulating effects are mistaken for -added strength. And it is even worse where the coffee-drinker is at the -same time a full-feeder; for, are we not told that this beverage “lessens -the waste of tissue and renders less food necessary?” Quite a percentage -of even robust people, beginning to feel, or to recognize after having -long felt, the twinges of dyspepsia do, either on their own judgment or by -the advice of the family physician, give up the habit, and find great -benefit from the change; and but for clinging to other unnatural -practices, they might often bid adieu to all their physical ills. - -A few, comparatively, of the most vigorous men and women, it can not be -denied, do “enjoy good health and live to a good old age,” in spite of -many injurious practices, including the habitual use of the stimulant -coffee. But even these have their intervals of suffering, more or less -severe——“attacks” that better habits would prevent. Of the latter class, -out of scores whom I might mention, the experience of O. B. Frothingham is -noteworthy. He says: “Although no positive ill effect has been traceable -to either of them [tea and coffee] or wine, all of which have been used -sparingly, yet, were my life to live over again, I should accustom myself -to abstinence from all three. It seems to me now, on looking back, that -something of dullness and languor, something of exhaustion and dreaminess, -something of lethargy, something too of heat and irritability, may be -chargeable to a practice not in any grave degree harmful or blameworthy. -The faculties have been less keen and patient than they would have been -under a strictly natural regimen.” - -It might, perhaps, in this connection, be profitable to ask, - - - WHAT IS A “STIMULANT”? - -In reply I would say that any poisonous or unnatural substance ingested -into the living body, in amount within the ability of the vital organism -to _readily_ expel it; or even of the most wholesome food substance in -excess of the _needs_ of the organism, and yet, again, not so excessive as -to depress the vital forces instead of spurring them to increased efforts -to thrust it out, is a stimulant. In short, anything of an injurious -nature, by reason of quality, amount, or the conditions under which it is -administered, may produce stimulating effects. But the inevitable -“reaction” of stimulation is depression; although, from natural causes, -convalescents often make sufficient progress to overwhelm, or at least -obscure, the evidence of the secondary effects. - -Speaking with direct reference to the effect of alkaloids in general, -Professor Prescott says, “While a certain portion stimulates the nervous -system, a large portion acts as a sedative, so that a difference in -quantity of the potion causes a difference in kind of its effects.” It -should ever be borne in mind that the increased action under stimulation -is simply the extra effort forced upon the vital organism to expel an -intruder——the intruder being the stimulant itself. If this be the case, it -necessarily follows that stimulants deplete, and can never replenish the -vital exchequer. Instances have been noted of children who were observed -to be unusually active and jubilant immediately prior to an “attack” of -diphtheria. In such case——and a true history of every case might -establish this as the rule——the diphtheritic poison acts as a stimulant; -nature is trying to thrust it out, and all the life forces are abnormally -active. We can not know in how many instances she succeeds in these -efforts, nor yet how often her defeats are due to the administration of -poisons, and food that for want of digestion becomes a poison, altogether -so adding to the toxic condition that nature finally ends an evil she can -not cure. After a vigorous expulsive efforts, for example, the system, -temporarily quiescent, gathering fresh strength for a renewal of the -conflict to dislodge the enemy, or, possibly, having already accomplished -the main work, now rests in the stage preceding convalescence——is supposed -to require the aid of a stimulant, and food also must be given at frequent -intervals “to prevent the patient from sinking;” but alas, this proves the -weight about his neck that carries him to the bottom——“supported” to -death. In comparing the stimulation of the vital organism, in sickness, to -the spurring up of a tired or lazy animal to greater exertion, there is -always this grand difference: the former will every time, and always, -exert its entire force, that is, will exert it better, more savingly to -life, without, than with, stimulation. “Self-preservation is the first law -of nature;” and no other circumstance possible to imagine, better -illustrates this law, than the living organism in sickness. - -Coffee makes the timid or diffident man brave——gives him confidence in -himself; but, by “reaction,” this fictitious bravery gives place to -nervousness. Many persons experience a certain undefinable dread of -approaching danger, a veritable “can’t-sleep-for-fear-of-burglars” sort -of wakefulness, which leaves them after a few weeks’ abstinence from -coffee-stimulation. Hot coffee or tea makes one warm——the very finger-tips -tingle with warm blood; but later, in default of another dram——perhaps in -spite of it——he feels chilly, even in a warm room; there is a -“can’t-get-warm-any-way” sort of feeling, to be accounted for, he fancies, -only upon the theory that he has “caught cold!” He is suffering from -coffee poisoning. - -Although personally a dear lover of coffee, and, by reason of an -exceptionally robust habit of body, at present, able to indulge in its use -with less apparent harm than I find, upon long and careful inquiry and -observation, is the case with most people, yet, nevertheless, I stand -condemned by the eulogy of Abd-el-Kadir Anasari Dgezeri Hambali, son of -Mahomet: “O coffee! thou dispellest the cares of the great; thou bringest -back those who wander from the paths of knowledge. Coffee is the beverage -of the people of God, and the cordial of his servants who thirst for -wisdom. When coffee is infused into the bowl, it exhales the _odor of -musk_, and is of the _color of ink_. The truth is not known except to the -wise, who drink it from the foaming coffee-cup. God has deprived fools of -coffee, who, with invincible obstinacy, condemn it as injurious.” - -According to Professor Prescott, “the administration of theine in small -portions, to animals or to man, quickens the circulation and effects some -degree of mental exhilaration and wakefulness. In final result, the -excretion of carbonic-acid gas is diminished, and the flow of blood -through the capillaries is retarded.” “Larger portions,” he continues, -“prove poisonous, causing painful restlessness, rigidity of the muscles, -and general exhaustion. Not more than three or four grains at once can be -properly taken for medicinal or experimental purposes.” As often prepared -for old coffee-tipplers, two cupfuls (about 16 oz.) of the infusion will -contain this quantity of the alkaloid. As usually taken, of course, the -proportion of the alkaloid is much less. In conclusion, I would repeat -that it may with propriety be claimed for coffee that its administration -as a medicine is as legitimate as that of any other, and no more so; -certainly its daily use as an article of diet is as inconsistent and -contrary to reason, as the similar use of any drug in the materia medica. - - * * * * * - - NOTE.——In the foregoing I have not considered the question of - the influence of tea and coffee upon the “temperance movement.” - One of the keenest observers of human nature, as well as one of - our soundest _thinkers_, Dr. Oswald, from whose Physical - Education I have freely drawn in the chapters on Consumption-- - and his view in this matter is endorsed by many very able - physiologists and sociologists——says (p. 64): “The road to the - rum-cellar leads through the coffee-house. Abstinence from _all_ - stimulants, only, is easier than temperance.” Everywhere do I - find temperance reformers essaying to lead rum-drinkers back _by - the road they came_, viz: back through the coffee-house——taking - a drink _en route_. I think that, in the long run, they will do - better to try to conduct them from the “gin-mill” squarely into - the street, and thence home. While not desiring to furnish - arguments for the opponents of temperance (I would that _all_ - stimulants were done away with), I cannot forbear pointing out - what seems to me a glaring inconsistency among my co-laborers in - reform. Of course all must admit that, in many respects, there - can be no comparison drawn between liquor-drinking and tea and - coffee-drinking: Other things equal, the man who drinks “rum” to - excess, works vastly more misery in the world than the coffee - toper; though, individually, if the latter were to indulge as - copiously as does his spirit-drinking contemporary, he would - suffer as much, probably more, in his health——would die more - speedily. Of course we know that few coffee and tea-drinkers - indulge to this extreme; but when we consider the almost - universal use of these beverages——by women and growing children, - as well as by men, it is more than doubtful whether they do not, - _per se_, from a health point of view (considering, moreover, - the influence of disease upon morals) aggregate more harm than - their _more_ “ardent” rivals. Added to this, the fact that the - use of one stimulant often leads to the use of others and - stronger (as we have always argued that beer and wine lead on to - whisky and brandy), the friends of true reform may well ask - themselves whether, in their own indulgence in tea and coffee, - and in the effort to increase their use among the people, they - are not hitting wide of the mark? I am well aware that - wine-drinkers, and those who indulge moderately in stronger - drink, often pertinently reply to temperance workers, “When all - the temperance reformers leave off _their_ favorite stimulants - we will leave off ours.” Says Dr. Dudley A. Sargent, Professor - of Physical Culture at Harvard College, “I am convinced that - coffee works more injury to mankind than beer.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - APPETITE——CONTINENCE. - - -Appetite, in a general sense, means a natural degree of hunger (not -craving), sufficient to give relish for any kind of wholesome food. “We -often hear people say they have no taste for this or that article of plain -food, although many such have an insatiable appetite for all the dainties -of the table. Morbid appetites are thus engendered by continuous habits of -indulgence. Natural appetites are first enfeebled and then vitiated; -health of body is slowly and insidiously impaired, until, by and by, -innate nobility and hopeful youth and strength become effeminate, -fastidious, weak, irascible, and selfish; and though outwardly, perhaps, -refined and delicate, the person inwardly becomes inactive, apathetic, and -unhelpful to himself and to the world. The natural sun of heat and life -within the body and the soul, being overcast by the clouds and exhalations -of unhealthy organs, often leads the victim of self-indulgence to seek -externally for artificial stimulants to keep up an appearance of genial -warmth within——but this can only be apparently successful for a time; and -soon the penalty of the transgression of the laws of nature must be paid -in full, and with, a large additional amount of costs. It is of great -importance, therefore, to watch the appetites of body and of mind; to -study the laws of healthy equilibrium; and, above all, to learn to know -and understand the dangers of prolonged self-indulgence of the appetites -of pleasure in mere animal sensation and wild imagination. Appetite, -properly so called, apprises man of the natural wants of the organism, and -compliance with these internal promptings is rewarded by the double -pleasure of the sense of taste in eating, and the feeling of comfort -within, arising from the food supplied to the digestive system. But where -the mind is weak and the delights of bodily sensation strong, the -pleasures of taste or the charm of varied sensations in the palate dwell -on the imagination and excite it to renewed indulgence of physical -sensations, irrespective of the wants of the internal organism, and this -even notwithstanding its declining health and manifest debility.” The -morbid cravings of the sense of perverted taste, or any other sense, must -not be confounded, therefore, with the natural appetite excited by the -wants of the internal organism. “In the bear tribes there is a marked -preference for honey manifested, which reveals a sense of taste that works -on the imagination, and leads him to incur the risk of being stung to -death by an infuriated swarm of bees rather than forego the sensual -delights of plundering the hive and licking out the honeycomb when he is -master of the spoils. The swollen head and face and ears are nothing to -the charm of sensual indulgence.” When I observe the sufferers from -sick-headache or neuralgia (see Rheumatism), with swollen face and -bandaged head, I am forcibly reminded of the honey-loving bear. - -No expert can observe the habits of the people and fail to account for all -the diseases that afflict the human family. Victims of disobedience to the -natural laws——they have done the things they ought not to have done, and -have left undone the things they ought to have done, and (consequently) -there is no health in them. Diseases——how slowly we accept their -teaching——how blind we are to their warning voice! The word itself is not -understood. The term disease is popularly applied only to the most serious -forms, such as have been named, when it is properly applicable to any -condition other than the normal condition of the body——perfect ease. -Acidity, heartburn, flatulence, slight pains in the head, uneasy -sensations of whatever sort——so little regarded until too late——are they -not dis-ease? They speak plainly of indigestion,——the causes of which are -recited elsewhere;——they are to the body what the degree-points are to the -thermometer, and require only to be conscientiously considered to ensure -freedom from disturbance. - -Other appetites there are which become morbid and too often control the -individual, instead of being themselves under entire subjection to him. - -The unnatural habits of our civilization have caused the race to depart -from the natural instinct of - - - CONTINENCE - -which, to the minds of many, is as essential to the moral and physical -health of the race after, as to its “virtue” before, marriage; and which, -but for the inflammatory nature of the diet in general use, and the -disorders arising therefrom, might easily be practiced by all -conscientious and thoughtful people. A radical modification of the -prevailing dietetic practices would lessen, immeasurably, the constant -warfare between the moral desires and the animal propensities, to which -both the married and the single are subjected, and which results in -disaster in so many instances. “Marital excesses often produce in the -offspring sexual precocity and passions which, under the influence of an -unwholesome and stimulating dietary, are rendered ungovernable, and entail -a vast deal of shame and sorrow throughout the lives of those who are -‘more sinned against than sinning.’ Verily the sins of the parents shall -be visited upon the children even to the third and fourth generation of -them that hate Him and violate His law.”[92] - -[Footnote 92: Chapter on “Health Hints” in “How To Feed The Baby.”] - -“Ah! my friends,” said the Rev. F. W. Farrar, Canon of Westminster Abbey, -“how vast a part of human disease results, not only from the ignorance but -also from the folly and sin of man. Typhoid, leprosy, small-pox, and -jail-fever are not by any means the only diseases which might be almost, -if not quite, eliminated from among us. We talk with deep self-pity of the -ravages of gout and cancer and consumption and mental alienation. _Alas! -how many of these might in one or two generations cease to be, if we all -lived the wise and temperate and happy lives which Nature meant us to -lead!_ And the voice of Nature, rightly interpreted, is ever the voice of -God. Even the simplest of us are superfluous in our demands, and the vast -majority of men so live as, more or less, habitually to pamper the -appetite by wasteful extravagance and weaken the health by baneful -luxuries. By unwholesome narcotics, by burning and adulterated stimulants, -by many and highly-seasoned meats, by thus storing the blood with -unnatural elements which it can not assimilate, they clog and carnalize -the aspirations which they should cherish, and feed into uncontrollable -force the passions which they should control. Hence it is that millions of -lives are like sweet bells jangled out of tune; and millions of men in -these days, like the Israelites of old, are laid to rest in _Kibroth -Hattaavah_——the graves of lust! - -“And the sad thing is that this heavy punishment ends not with the -individual. It is not only that the boy when he has marred his own -boyhood, hands on its moral results to the youth; and the youth when he -has marred them yet more irretrievably hands them on to the man that he -may finish the task of that perdition;——but alas! the man also hands them -on to his innocent children, and they are born with bodies tormented with -the disproportionate impulses, sickly with the morbid cravings, enfeebled -by the increasing degeneracy, tainted by the retributive disease of guilty -parents.” - -We must remember, says Albert Leffingwell, quoting the above in “Laws of -Life,” that he who speaks thus is no obscure Boanerges, vaguely ranting -over abstract sin, but one of the few great preachers in the Church of -England, speaking in the most venerable religious edifice in Protestant -Christendom. - -The most persistent and thorough cramming of our youth with high moral -precepts avails but little, after all,——we observe this constantly,——to -counteract the fierce impulses of an unbalanced physical state. - -Says the Duke of Argyle: “The truth is, that we are born into a system of -things in which every act carries with it, by indissoluble ties, a long -train of consequences reaching to the most distant future, and which for -the whole course of time affect our own condition, the condition of other -men, and even the conditions of external nature. And yet we can not see -those consequences beyond the shortest way, and very often those which lie -nearest are in the highest degree deceptive as an index to ultimate -results. Neither pain nor pleasure can be accepted as a guide. With the -lower animals, indeed, these, for the most part tell the truth, the whole -truth, and nothing but the truth. Appetite is all that the creature has, -and in the gratification of it the highest law of the animal being is -fulfilled. In man, too, appetite has its own indispensable function to -discharge. But it is a lower function, and amounts to nothing more than -that of furnishing to Reason a few of the primary data on which it has to -work——a few, and a few only. Physical pain is indeed one of the -threatenings of natural authority; and physical pleasure is one of its -rewards. But neither the one nor the other forms more than a mere -fraction of that awful and imperial code under which we live. It is the -code of an everlasting kingdom, and of a jurisprudence which endures -throughout all ages.” ... “It is no mere failure to realize aspirations -which are vague and imaginary that constitutes this exceptional element -(the persistent tendency of his development to take a wrong direction) in -the history and in the actual conditions of mankind. That which -constitutes the terrible anomaly of his case admits of perfectly clear and -specific definition. Man has been and still is a constant prey to -appetites which are morbid——to opinions which are irrational, to -imaginings which are horrible, and to practices which are destructive. The -prevalence and the power of these in a great variety of forms and of -degrees is a fact with which we are familiar——so familiar, indeed, that we -fail to be duly impressed with the strangeness and the mystery which -really belong to it. All savage races are bowed and bent under the yoke of -their own perverted instincts——instincts which generally in their root and -origin have an obvious utility, but which in their actual development are -the source of miseries without number and without end. Some of the most -horrible perversions which are prevalent among savages, (and which to a -greater or less degree affect all civilized peoples), have no counterpart -among any other created beings, and when judged by the barest standard of -utility, place man immeasurably below the level of the beasts. We are -accustomed to say of many of the habits of savage life that they are -‘brutal.’ But this is entirely to misrepresent the place which they really -occupy in the system of Nature. None of the brutes have any such perverted -dispositions; none of them are ever subject to the destructive operation -of such habits as are common among men. And the contrast is all the more -remarkable when we consider that the very worst of these habits affect -conditions of life which the lower animals share with us, and in which any -departure from those natural laws which they universally obey, must -necessarily produce, and do actually produce, consequences so destructive -as to endanger the very existence of the race. Such are all those -conditions of life affecting the relation of the sexes which are common to -all creatures, and in which man alone exhibits the widest and most -hopeless divergence from the order of Nature.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - CONCLUSION. - - -While the more important material agencies and conditions, closely related -to the processes of life, are air, food, clothing, etc.; and while the -reader’s attention has been, throughout, mainly directed to these; it -would, from the author’s point of view, constitute a serious defect of the -work, to omit the special consideration of the moral nature——its mighty -influence over the physical state. In no better way can I impress this -thought than by quoting the language of that veteran hygienist and -reformer, Dr. James C. Jackson: - -“But while a human being has a physical organization, and has, therefore, -physical laws, he is dual, possessing also a spiritual nature; and to -treat him for any disease he may have as though it originated in his body -and did not relate itself at all to his soul or spirit, is to treat him, -in ninety-nine cases in a hundred, unphilosophically and therefore -unscientifically. Our observation and experience go to satisfy us that the -majority of sick persons become disturbed and disordered in spirit before -they show disorder or derangement of body. - -“To illustrate: a man never comes to be a dyspeptic until he has a false -spiritual conception of the true relations which he should hold to the use -of food; he is conceptively sick before he is physically dyspeptic; he -turns things right around in his mind; he lives to eat instead of eating -to live; he is spiritually depraved before he becomes physically diseased. -Take the methods of life common to our people. It is largely through these -that they become sick. They eat badly, drink badly, dress unhealthfully, -work without reference to their power to recover from the fatigue which -work imposes, do not get sleep enough, are in a fret, or in a worry, or in -a strife, or are under strain in their work. They work selfishly or for -their own good only, and often as against the good of others; they seek to -thrive at others’ unthrift; they buy and sell with the view in their minds -of living gainfully at others’ loss; they have a false conception, a -perverse view, of the relationships which they should hold to others, and -under this spiritual perversity they put forth their energies. As they are -inwardly wrong they become outwardly disordered, and when this disorder -develops into actual sickness it has a spiritual or wrong moral basis. -Having violated the higher law of their natures, in selfishness of thought -and feeling, they are compelled to take the reflex effects in and upon -their bodies. Living without sympathy, they become sympathetically -diseased; the sympathetic forces in their nature, lacking proper -expression or use, become debilitated and deranged, as shown in the -abnormal condition of the sympathetic nervous structure. - -“For instance: a man with his liver functionally deranged appears before a -physician: The pulse shows the circulation to be disturbed; the excretory -system has become largely inactive——the skin, bowels, kidneys, and lungs -each working inefficiently or compelled to overdo. The doctor concludes -that a good dose of calomel and jalap, which enter into the allopathic -practice; or some sitz-baths, skin-rubbing, packs, or injections, which -would be the hydropathic practice; or regulation of diet, connected with -some mild alterative, which belong to the eclectic practice; or some -little pills, which would be the homœopathic practice, are what the man -needs. He is a glutton, or a wine-bibber, or he drinks whiskey, or he -lives bodily not only, but morally and spiritually on the line of -self-indulgence. He lives as he pleases, and this not merely in his animal -life. He lives spiritually as he pleases; his spirit is selfish and -lawless. Order and righteousness are not in all his thoughts. His -conscience is asleep; his intelligence is not at all on the alert; he has -no inspirations, or aspirations; he simply has unhallowed desires, and his -life consists largely in efforts to gratify these, and there he -is——disturbed, disordered, deranged, diseased, sick. - -“When one thus affected comes to us, what do we do with him? We bring him -to judgment; we summon him up into the presence of the truth. We say: You -are at fault for this sickness of yours; it is not necessary for you to be -sick; you may be a healthy person, you should be. You may be free from -aches and pains, you ought to be. There is no defectiveness in your -organization; it is made to run successfully; that it does not, is your -fault, not the fault of your circumstances. What you need is right -perception and a good conscience to back it; a willingness, not only, but -a thorough will to do right. In you is ample vital force to set your liver -right, make your bowels work, make your skin carry on its insensible -perspiration, your blood circulate healthfully, and have everything done -according to law. All that is necessary is that you put your spirit, your -responsible consciousness on the throne, and make your body its servant. -When you resolve to do this and begin to do it, you will begin to get -well. You do not need medicine; you need nothing done for you in order to -get well, except to do judiciously, and, in your conditions, discretely, -what if you had done all the while would have kept you well. - -“The first thing to do is, not to consult doctors: not to hunt for some -wonderful curative; but to get right ideas of life, and then begin, though -in a feeble manner, to conform yourself to that way spiritually. _Love_ -the thing you are going to do; get your whole nature into a glow toward -it. If it be to eat simple food, love to do it——not do it wishing you had -not to do it. Look at the thing kindly, joyfully, comfortingly. Put away -your evil habits, one after another, because they are evil, not simply -because they hurt you. Get up a rebellion in your spirit against wrong -ways of living. Resolve that you will not live wrongly; characterize that -way as it should be characterized, as an improper, unmanly, mean, or -unbefitting way for you. Say: I will not smoke; I will not drink; I will -not make my body an instrument of gluttony; and so go through your whole -round of habits, putting away all those that you can get along without. -Reduce your artificial wants to a minimum. Throw yourself over on the line -of order and law, and regularity and propriety. Then you will get well.” - - - - - APPENDIX TO SECOND EDITION. - - - 1 [NOTE ON DEEP BREATHING.] - -A GOOD HOBBY.——On pages 84, 111, and 137 I have barely touched upon this -subject. I wish now to call attention to it as a matter worthy of greater -consideration than might perhaps be gathered from what has been said. -Personally, I begun the practice, when I was about sixteen years old, of -taking long, deep breaths occasionally, at odd times during the day, from -reading a little slip explaining its usefulness in “strengthening” the -lungs, and increasing their capacity. At the age of eighteen, I remember, -upon being examined for a life insurance policy, the examining surgeon -expressed great surprise at the unusual “swell” or expansion of my -chest——about five inches increase when my lungs were fully inflated, over -chest-measure when I had forced out as much air as I could conveniently. -Upon explaining, that for a number of years I had made a practice of -throwing my shoulders back, taking very deep inspirations slowly, holding -my breath a moment, and then as slowly “breathing out”——doing this the -first thing every morning on rising, and in a sleeping-room which was -never close, again on going out, and occasionally during the day,——the -doctor said: “A good plan that accounts for it.” In all cases of weak -lungs, whether chronic or from “taking cold” (see pp. 40 to 45 for a -consideration of the colds delusion), when it is difficult to take a full -breath on account of “cramps,” catches, or pain in the lungs, this -practice will be found of great value, if persisted in. In many instances -it seems impossible to take a long breath——is, indeed, impossible; but a -little gain may be made every day, by crowding down “one notch,” so to -say, at each trial. Quite a large percentage of all persons will find on -trial that there is more or less of tenderness upon first making the -attempt, or at one time or another, whenever there is any degree of -irritation of the stomach. The patient, or experimenter, should inspire a -little, however little, beyond the point which seems all that he can do, -and persist in this treatment every day. There can be no doubt but we have -here a most important aid in the treatment of consumption, not only, but -of all ill-conditions of the physical man. But the deep, full breathing -that comes from having exercised vigorously is best of all (see page 84). - - - 2 [NOTE ON BRIGHT’S DISEASE.] - -HOW TO EAT MEAT.——In the chapter on this subject, I have taken the -position that Albuminuria results from: (1) excess in diet; (2) the use of -foods that can not, or are not properly masticated and insalivated, as -mush, or bread wet and washed down with any sort of artificial fluids, -gravy-drowned vegetables, etc.; (3) stimulating drinks, as beer, spirits, -tea, coffee, etc.; (4) excess of animal food. To this I must add meat -eaten in a manner totally different from that in vogue with all -carnivorous animals, viz.: hashed, or tender and well chewed, instead of -being, as it should be, swallowed in pieces of convenient size——a rational -modification in the premises, surely. Dogs, wolves, cats, and the like, -are gourmands, to be sure, but this is not the fundamental reason for -their manner of gulping their natural food whole. It has been shown by -experiments that dogs fed on hashed meat suffer from indigestion, a -portion of their food passing undigested, while if fed the same quantity -of meat in chunks, no part of it appears in the excreta, but all is -perfectly digested. - -Grain-eating animals teach us how to eat grain; or at least, how to -masticate farinaceous food. We may well learn from the carnivore an -analogous lesson——not, however, necessarily dispensing with knife and -fork, napkin or finger-bowl, nor any other improvement over their -primitive fashions! - - - THE POINT IS THAT FLESH-FOOD, - -unlike starchy foods, requires stomach digestion only (as against any -change in the mouth), and only when taken in the natural manner, that is, -substantially as meat-eating animals take it, is it retained in the -stomach for a sufficient length of time to be dissolved by the gastric -juice; but much of it passes on into the intestine prematurely -(explaining, in great measure, the many cases of inflammation of the -bowels, as well as the frequent lesser disturbances), and doubtless a -considerable proportion is absorbed in a more or less fermented state, -adding thereby impure elements to the blood, and predisposing the -individual to inflammatory disease. On the contrary, if meat is swallowed -in pieces of moderate size, each piece being acted upon at the surface -gradually dissolves from the outside, and so is perfectly changed by the -gastric juice before leaving the stomach. In personal experiments I find -much less inconvenience from eating flesh-food in this manner than results -when I treat it as we have always been taught to. It may be well to -caution against eating a large portion of meat in this manner at first; it -would give the stomach a new experience and likely enough create -disturbance. One-half the usual amount, taken naturally, would yield as -much nourishment as the full ration, perhaps; at any rate the change -should be made gradually (see pp. 50-158, for further consideration of the -animal food question). The following from the _Practitioner_, corresponds -(as far as M. Semmola carries the point) with my view of the matter -entirely, as regards the nature of the malady. Albuminuria, or excess of -albumen (that is, unappropriated albuminoids in the circulation, and which -are consequently excretory matters), must necessarily result from any or -all of the causes I have named——causes of indigestion. Says the -_Practitioner_: - -“At a recent meeting of the Paris Academy of Medicine, M. Semmola, of -Naples (‘Progrès médical,’ June 9, 1883), brought forward a new theory -with regard to the causation of Bright’s disease. This malady he regards -as not essentially renal, but as consisting in a general morbid alteration -of nutrition, and observes that albumen in such cases is not passed by the -urine only, but by all the secretory organs. This alteration [or, rather, -I should say, the lack of alteration by digestion] deprives the albuminoid -materials of the blood of their power of being assimilated, and so causes -their excretion by the emunctories. The renal lesions he ascribes to -mechanical irritation of the tubules of the kidney by the constant passage -of albumen through them. Albuminuria is therefore a cause, not a result, -of renal disease.[93] M. Simmola founds these views on a series of -experiments on animals. He injected into the blood-vessels various -substances containing albumen, as white of egg, milk, and blood-serum, -with the result of inducing artificial Bright’s disease. White of egg was -most active in this way.” - -[Footnote 93: And this only one of the hundred and one instances, in -medical practice, of “cart before the horse,” which may make the -difference of life or death with every patient under treatment!] - - - 3 [NOTE TO PAGE 169.] - -WATER AS MEDICINE AND FOOD.——There is no royal road to health once deeply -diseased. In certain cases, and for a limited period even in these, hot -water is invaluable. But if long continued——used as a constant beverage -instead of a temporary expedient to aid in removing the slime and “gurry” -from stomachs deeply coated[94]——the effect will be to keep this organ -weak, as a number of Turkish baths every day would enfeeble, in time, the -strongest man. One valid objection to tea, chocolate, and coffee is, that -they are usually taken hot (see “Coffee, etc.”). - -[Footnote 94: Such patients require a more or less extended fast. This is -always safe, and in desperate cases the only means by which the necessary -absorbing and healing process can be assured (see pp. 62-71-73-169). The -stomach of a healthy creature is, when simply rinsed, absolutely clean and -free from offensive matters; but the constipated dyspeptic, or the -consumptive, and many acutely diseased persons, have stomachs which -resemble that of an old, stall-fed ox, which has to be scraped by the hour -before the meanest tripe-eater would buy it, or place it upon his table at -any price. Yet a great deal of this kind of tripe is eaten by stall-fed -people every day. The flesh of healthy cattle finds no place in our -markets nor on our tables. Beef creatures are fed for fatness and -tenderness, which is disease.] - -_Warm_ water is about the most effectual remedy known to me for acute -dyspepsia. It should be drunk profusely, even to stomach distension, with -finger exploration, if necessary, to produce vomiting; then a few cupfuls -to retain, to wash away any residue of undigested food, dilute the blood, -etc. But cool, fresh water is the beverage _par excellence_ for all the -year round (see pp. 76-90-100). - - - 4 [NOTE ON “NATURAL DIET.”] - -With regard to the suggestion, on page 211, of using milk to wet -farinaceous foods, in place of depending solely upon the natural -mouth-juices, I wish to say that it was felt by me, at the time, to be -entirely unphysiological, and by no means the best way to manage. I now -wish to urge that in so far as any one chooses to test the advantages of -this regimen he will not depart from a truly natural way, so far as the -natural way is possible; but rather use the whole grain, or the whole meal -dry, and take the milk (if indulged in at all) by itself, and fruit -likewise——after the grain. Several remarkable cases have occurred since -this book was first issued, in which the curative powers of this diet have -been displayed in a most marked manner. I take occasion to mention one. -Mrs. L., of Lee, N. H., had been suffering for eight years, during which -she had been able to walk but little. She was growing worse, and finally -was pronounced by her physician incurably diseased with “ovarian tumor.” -After six months’ use of uncooked food——a breakfast of fruit only, with -dinner at night composed of unsifted wheat meal (from one-third to -one-half cupful, at first, the amount increased later with increased -exercise); dry, followed with a little fruit——she is up and about the -house, aiding in the housework, and the past week did the entire family -ironing. She has been for eight years a great sufferer, but all her pains -have been banished, and her strength and general health are steadily -improving under a continuance of the diet as above described, together -with light, loose clothing, much fresh air, air-baths, self hand-rubbing, -and gradually increasing exercise from very small beginnings. - - - 5 [NOTE TO PAGE 232.] - -THE LONG-SOUGHT PRINCIPLE.-It is confessedly a standing disgrace to our -profession that, after all the boasted “progress in medicine” during -these hundreds of years of research and experimentation, not one great -principle has been established by means of which the people can be, even -if disposed (and it can hardly be said that they are, generally), guided -toward perfect health. It is charged that vegetarianism, even, has failed -to speedily make sound, bright-eyed, clear-skinned, healthy and therefore -handsome men and women, out of life-long “sinners” against the laws of -life; and it must be admitted that not all its promises are verified in -practice, although it seldom fails to greatly improve all who adopt the -regimen (imperfect as it is——and it is very imperfect) as practiced at the -various hygienic Cures at home and abroad. The trouble is that -food-reformers have only undertaken to modify, with half-way measures——to -change a very bad diet for one far from good, one form of “mush” for -another less harmful, but by no means physiological. I would assert here -as the one all-sufficient principle, so far as physical health is -concerned, looking to the rearing of children, that if we were to take a -thousand new-born infants——good, bad, and indifferent, as to -inheritance——and give them pure cow’s milk, avoiding the cramming that is -universally practiced; say, give them two full meals, or three moderate -ones a day (the quantity altogether gauged by the individual’s digestive -capacity); and, as they should arrive at suitable age (_i. e._, as teeth -began to develop), feed them on strictly natural food——the natural -diet——fruits, and grains (in winter, soaked twelve hours in little -water[95]), the fruit in large proportion; give them a chance to develop -normally, such as other young animals have——_i.e._, give them freedom from -holding, tending, baby-carting, and the like, except in the smallest -measure; dress them lightly, keep them free from foul air, by sufficient -ventilation of all living rooms; give them the utmost freedom of the lawns -or the ground——outdoor exercise——give them this sort of treatment, and not -five per cent. would die under five years of age, nor, with fair regard -for the known laws of life, would many fail to reach old age in health. -The at present supposably-inevitable “diseases of infancy and childhood” -could not exist. The influence of the constant tending and holding to -which all infants are subjected is disastrous in a twofold degree: (1) for -many months they are prevented from taking much voluntary exercise, and -(2) this makes the involuntary cramming relatively more excessive; hence -they grow fat and disordered in every way, and predisposed to all manner -of sicknesses. Children scarcely ever have occasion to use their teeth. -The food in use requires no chewing. Little demand is made upon the -salivary glands (for food is hot, moist, and “goes down itself”); hence -these glands, which consequently fail to develop normally, become at some -time acutely diseased, or finally almost if not entirely useless. Hollow, -sunken cheeks result from this cause. It was never designed to remedy this -defect with fat. The parotid glands and the cheek muscles should be -developed and maintained by physiological eating. The teeth for want of -use fail, as the muscular system declines through indolence. Unnatural -food, fast eating, overeating, poor teeth, dentists, “mumps,” plethora, -and febrile diseases, or chronic dyspepsia, and all manner of -ailments——this is the present order of things (see advertisement of “How -to Feed the Baby”). - -[Footnote 95: This treatment restores the flinty grain (wheat, rye, -barley, maize, sweet corn) to its natural plumpness and masticability. -There should be little or no liquid to turn off.] - - - 6. TIRED FROM INACTION: TOO MUCH “REST.” - -The person who works to-day and gets tired, perhaps almost exhausted, -feels sure from former experiences that he will rise next morning well -able to work again; and providing he does not overdraw the account -continually, the more he does the more he can do. It is upon this -principle that our athletes acquire and maintain condition. - -But the consumptive, the delicate person, who, as is the case generally, -has grown weaker and weaker from doing less and less (and this is in -accordance with natural law), becomes at last “tired” in such a manner, -that without an entire change——a right about face——there is no such thing -as getting rested this side the grave. This exhaustion from indolence must -be changed for the tiredness resulting from physical exertion, or there is -no hope of “cure.” Friends must learn the error of their ways; they must -cease the eternal discouragement of the loved one; there must be no more -of the incessant, “Now, Jenny, sit right down——you will get too tired”; -“There, now, let me do that——you know how little it takes to tire you”; -“You are crazy to think of going outdoors such a day as this,” etc., etc. -(see page 85). However kindly meant all this is, it is, in practice, -“hitting a man when he is down”; while the usual encouragement to eat -(digestion or no digestion)——to eat (appetite or no appetite——the inaction -often forbidding all desire for food) is, to use a sporting phrase, a -companion “slugger” that finally knocks the weakling off the stage. This -is what produces the phlegm as fast as the poor victim can cough it up. -Because he has nothing to do——because he does nothing——but ponder over his -condition, eat, manufacture phlegm and “raise” it, he lowers himself more -and more, until he gets to the bottom. He has “raised” about everything; -only the frame, the skeleton, is left to bury (see pp. 72, 78, 92, 97, -104). - - * * * * * - - - A FEW OF THE MANY NOTES FROM READERS OF THE FIRST - EDITION OF “NATURAL CURE.” - -J. RUSS, Jr., Haverhill, Mass., says: “Dr. Page’s explanation of the -‘colds’ question is alone worth the price of a hundred copies of the -book——it is, in fact, invaluable, going to the very root of the cause of -sickness.” - -Mrs. W. O. THOMPSON, 71 Irving Place, Brooklyn, N. Y., says: “I wish every -friend I have could read it, and, only that hygienists never harbor -ill-feeling, that my enemies might not chance to find it. I owe much to -the truths made clear in ‘Natural Cure’; more, indeed, than to all the -health literature I have ever read (and I had read much, because I had -much need); and it is certain that my sister-in-law owes her life and -present robust health to the professional attendance of its author.” - - - FROM A TEACHER. - -Mrs. S. S. GAGE, teacher in the Adelphi Academy, Brooklyn, N. Y., says: -“My friend, Mrs. Thompson, recommended this book (‘Natural Cure’) to me. -Thanks to her and ‘the book,’ my old headaches trouble me no more; I am -cured of catarrh and partial deafness, and, in fact, am better in every -way. I never could accomplish so much and with so little fatigue; and I am -sure that all my intellectual work is of better quality than it ever was -before.” - - - FROM A HUSBAND. - -D. THOMPSON, Lee, N. H., says: “Through following the advice in ‘Natural -Cure’ my headaches, which have tortured me at frequent intervals for forty -years, return no more. Formerly I could not work for three days at a time, -now I work right along. For this, as well as for the restoration of my -wife to health, after we had given her up as fatally sick, I have to thank -Dr. Page and ‘The Natural Cure.’” - - - FROM THE WIFE. - -Mrs. S. E. D. THOMPSON, Lee, N. H., says: “I can not well express my -gratitude for the benefit I have received from this book and the author’s -personal counsel. Condemned to die, I am now well. It is truly wonderful -how the power of resting is increased under the influence of the regimen -prescribed. I have distributed many copies of this book, and have known of -_a life-long asthmatic cured, biliousness removed, perennial hay fever -banished_ for good, and other wonderful changes produced, by means of the -regimen formulated in ‘Natural Cure.’ A friend remarked: ‘It is full of -encouragement for those who wish to live in clean bodies.’ Another said: -‘It has proved to me that I have been committing slow suicide.’ Our -minister says: ‘I have modified my diet and feel like a new man.’” - -To this Mrs. Thompson adds, for the author’s first book, “HOW TO FEED THE -BABY”: “I have known of a number of babes changed from colicky, fretful -children to happy well ones, making them a delight to their parents, by -following its advice.” - - * * * * * - -WILLIAM C. LANGLEY, Newport, R. I., says: “While all would be benefited -from reading it, I would especially commend it to those who, from -inherited feebleness, or who, like myself, had declined deeply, feel the -need of making the most of their limited powers. I may add, that this work -bears evidence that the author has had wide range and extensive reading, -together with a natural fitness for physiological and hygienic research, -keen perception of natural law and tact in its application.” - -SOLOMON ALEXANDER, No. 252 East Fifty-second Street, New York, says: “I -have been greatly benefited by Dr. Page’s treatment for inflammatory -rheumatism and Bright’s disease, and am now steadily improving under his -direction.” July 27, 1883. (Now well, November, 1883.) - -Mrs. Dr. DENSMORE, 130 West 44th Street, New York, says: “You can judge of -my opinion of ‘Natural Cure’ when I tell you that I am buying it of the -publishers by the dozen to distribute among my patients.” - -THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY for September, 1883, says: “The author gives -several remarkable examples of wonderful cures which he knows of having -been effected by following the principles he lays down——principles which -may be followed with profit, and the following of which may relieve many -cases regarded as desperate; and he has given the public a most valuable -manual of hygiene.” - -THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for August, 1883, says: “An effort at impressing -common-sense views of preserving and restoring health.” - -_Several hundreds_ of most flattering notices from secular and religious -journals, on file at the publishers’ office, indicate how this work is -being received by the public. - - - SPECIAL NOTE. - -It is evident from the nature of the press notices of “The Natural Cure,” -that the prefatorial request has been very generally complied with, and -that not only have critics managed to obtain an understanding of the -author’s position as regards the only certain means for physical -improvement from low conditions, but they are disposed to sustain him in -that position. Here and there one, however, as was to be expected, from -ignorance of natural law, from personal preferences or notions, from faith -in the old way (which has so long been on trial and so signally failed), -has failed to comprehend the matter. Diving into the middle of the book, -selecting some chapter or paragraph which forbids a consumptive or any -frail patient, while _doing_ nothing, to eat like a woodchopper or a -railroad hand, and especially warns such from eating worse kinds of food -than the man of mighty strength who might, through the influence of active -outdoor pursuits, get rid of considerable coffee, pie, cakes, pickles, -etc., and (providing his diet included plenty of coarse food) even thrive -in spite of a good deal of such material (for we know that many indoor -loafers, even, are too tough to be speedily killed by such a -diet)——carping critics, we mean to say, selecting some special paragraph -have held the advice up as “too radical in theory.” But no person of sound -mind can read this book _through_ with even a fair degree of care, and not -learn that its chief aim is to teach people who are now starving, or who -are at best poorly nutrified, and, next to these, the well ones who mean -to keep on the safe side, the way to live in order to be well nourished -and free from the pains, aches, and sicknesses which cover the land with -wrecks of human beings——dying——who might better _live_ in clean, sound, -and easy bodies. - - - - - INDEX. - - - Advantages of Deep Breathing, 84, 111 - - Albuminuria (Bright’s Disease), 116 - - Animal Food, Injurious Effects of, 51, 60, 61 - - Animal Food Unnecessary, 50, 158 - Stimulating, 160 - - Acute Stage in the Cure of Chronic Disease, 222 - - Appetite, Tempting the, Mischievous, 66, 157, 262, 267 - - Appetite and Insanity, 141, 144 - - Apoplexy, 149 - - Air-Baths, 166, 171, 172 - and Dyspepsia, 168 - - Apples and Summer-Complaint, 193 - - - Bad Blood, 180 - - Bacillus Theory, The, of Consumption, 80 - - Blood, Bad, 180 - - Bathing, 90, 98, 166, 171, 172 - - Bed, A word About the, 102 - - Bowels, Consumption of the, 81 - Forced Movement of the, Unhygienic, 110 - - Baths, Sun, 175 - Air, 166, 171, 172 - Injurious Forms of, 172 - - Biliousness, 152 - and “Rich” Food, 153 - - Bright’s Disease (Albuminuria), 116 - Symptoms of, 125, 127, 130 - - Breathing, Deep, 84, 111, 137 - Careless, 137 - Open-mouth, 101 - Difficult, how Relieved, 101 - - Beef-tea Fallacy, The, 60, 61, 254 - - Brain, Pumping away the Effete Matters from the, 137 - - Bran (Wheat Hulls) Under the Microscope, 187 - - Brain Workers and Stimulation, 252 - - Bears, Honey-loving, 263 - - - Continence, Influence of Diet in the Matter of, 265 - - Continence for Consumption, Essentiality of, 105 - - Credulity and Ignorance, 22 - - Cold Air not necessarily Pure, 240 - - Colds, 35, 36, 37, 41, 45, 171, 218 - Influence of Diet on, 40, 218 - Natural Cure of, 41 - the Name a Misnomer, 45 - Franklin’s Idea of, 171 - Absurdity of, 40, 41, 42 - - Clothing, Day, 120 - Night, 103 - - Constipation, 65, 107, 248 - at Child-birth, 107 - - Consumption, 28 - Curability of, 29 - - Congestion of the Lungs, How Produced, 99 - - Congestion of the Lungs from Indigestion, 99 - - Cheerfulness, Importance of, 77, 98 - - Carpets and Health, 97 - - Consumption, Out-door Life Essential to the Cure of, 30, 48 - - Consumption, Dyspepsia the Parent of, 54 - - Consumption from Fatty Degeneration, 79 - - Constipation, when “Closed Bowels” are not, strictly speaking, 65, 107 - - Constipation from Deficient Diet, 112 - - Chilliness, How to Remove, 109 - - Controlling the Symptoms, Folly of the Theory of, 112 - - Cures, Some Natural, 75, 85, 114, 168, 175 - - Climate, A Cold, Influence on the Kidneys, 116, 117 - - Croup as a Symptom in Albuminuria, 128 - - Catarrh, 153 - Specific Treatment for, Danger of, 130 - - Catarrh, Suppressed and Diabetes, 130 - - Caffeine allied to Quinine, 244 - - Coffee, 243 - and Indigestion, 251 - and Insomnia, 139 - and Health, 255 - a Diuretic, 251 - - Cleanliness and Insomnia, 138 - - Cooking Vegetables, some Hints about, 177 - - Cooking, Injurious Effects of, 207, 210 - - Cost of Living, 206 - - Cure, The Raw-Food, 217 - - Chronic Diseases usually the Result of Chronic Provocation, 147 - - Child-birth, Constipation at, Normal, 107 - - Cistern Water, Stagnant, How to Renovate, 212 - - Christmas Dinner, A “Natural”, 227 - - Change of Air at Home, 237 - - Cream, Unwholesomeness of, 231 - - Caffeine, Artificial, How Manufactured, 248 - - Coffee and Courage, 258 - and Tea more Injurious than Beer, 261 - - Coffee and Alcohol, Physiological Effects of, Similar, 259 - - Conclusion, 270 - - Cramming the Sick, Mania for, 59, 66, 76, 146 - - - Diet, The Natural, 207 - Various Hints about, 88, 153 - Abstemious, for Consumptives, 89, 90, 92 - - Diet, Prevailing, Unwholesome, 227 - Excessive, Promotes Consumption, How, 81, 82, 83 - - Diet, Influence of, on Health, 48, 59, 66, 81, 88, 99, 112, 113, 122, - 126 - - Diet, A Physiological, 197 - and Virtue, 265 - - Diabetes from Suppressed Nasal Catarrh, 130 - - Diabetes, Treatment for, 130 - - Death, Sudden, Accounted for, 31, 32, 149 - - Death Penalty, The, Nature’s Commutation of, 147, 148 - - Disease, The Temper, 39 - Hunger a, 39 - Providence and, 8, 9, 17 - Prevalence of, 9, 14 - Exciting Causes of, 11, 12 - Predisposing Causes of, 11, 12, 35, 40 - - Diseases Arising from Renal Disorder, 130 - - Dyspepsia, 168 - - Doctors, A Prescription for, 95 - - Dry Diet, Advantages of, 93 - - Degeneration, Fatty, 78, 79, 80, 148, 150 - - Digestive and Muscular Capacity Compared, 68, 230 - - Dysentery, A Hint Concerning, 113 - - Diathesis, The “Disease”, 132 - Unimportance of the Question of, 132 - - Dyspepsia and Dreams, 133 - - Diphtheria a Phase of Albuminuria, 128 - The Class of Persons most Subject to, 128 - - Diuretics, The Best of All, 124 - - Diuretic, Coffee a, 251 - - Diseases, The True Interpretation of, 133 - - Dyspeptics are Recruited, How, 157 - - Diarrhœa, Chronic, Cured with Watermelons, 192 - - Driven Cow’s Milk Unnatural, 212 - - Digestion, Primary, in the Mouth, 93 - - - Eating Alone Sometimes Useful, 176 - - Eating at Bed-time for Sleeplessness, 144 - - Error, A Common, 113 - - Exercise, Passive, 113 - - Exercise, The True Problem About, 70 - - Exercise for Consumptives, 69 - - Exercise, 68, 89, 90, 109, 119 - - Expectorants, Natural, 89, 91, 105 - - Exercise, Lack of, How to Counteract, 195 - - Exercise After Eating, 201, 202 - - - Fruit _vs._ Fish, Flesh, Fowl & Co. in Hot Weather, 191 - - Fruit in Winter, 211 - - Food Poisonous Unless Digested, 246 - - Food and Virtue, 53, 265 - - Fæces, Source of the, 111 - - Foul Air, Poor Economy to Save, 87 - - Food, The Natural, of Man, 48, 72, 207 - - Food, “Rich,” Injurious, 88, 153 - Hot or Cold?, 99 - - Fasts, Professional, Value of, 74 - - Fasting, Notable Instances of, 72, 73, 140, 168 - - Fasting, Constipation Normal during, 107, 112 - - Fasting Cure, The, 42, 43, 145, 153, 168 - - Food as a Purgative, 113, 114, 194 - - Fatty Degeneration, 79, 80, 148, 150 - Obesity not a Requisite of, 79 - - Fever, 153 - - Food, Raw, and Health, 17, 223, 224 - - Flies and Health, 97 - - Fruit, 94, 191, 194 - - Food, The Quantity of, Relation of Climate to, 117 - - Fruit _vs._ Physic, 194 - - Fossil Bodies, 24, 183, 246 - Livers, 179 - - Fasting and Insanity, 140 - - Flesh-food Fallacy, The, 158 - and Bread Compared, 159 - Often Diseased, 160 - Question, Moral Aspect of the, 163 - - Flesh-food and Heredity, 164 - Unfairness of the Advocates of, 160 - - Franklin’s Idea of “Colds”, 171 - - - Gastric Juice, Proportion of, Secreted, 93 - - Gout, 131, 209 - - Gouty Habit, The, a Symptom of Bright’s Disease, 131 - - Guiteau’s Appetite, 144 - - Grape-Cure, The, 214 - - Guano and Coffee, 248 - - Gnawing Stomach a Disease, 39 - - - Hogs, Experiments on, 82 - - Hay-fever, 153, 209 - - Health Easily Secured, 18 - Robust, how Promoted, 85, 96 - A Duty, 19, 27, 35 - Relation of, to Morals, 7, 54, 265, 270 - - Health the Safeguard against Contagion, 10, 11, 12 - - Heart Disease, 149 - - How to Keep Well, 96 - - Hints and Aphorisms, 154 - - House-cleaning in the “Living Temple”, 155 - - Hulls, Wheat, Under the Microscope, 187 - - Hunger Disease, The, 201 - - Hot Air may still be Pure, 240 - - Heart, Palpitation of the, from Coffee-drinking, 244 - - Hot Water as a Medicine, 98, 100 - - Herb Drinks and Female Weakness, 251 - - - Insomnia and Air-bath, 138 - a Symptom only, 134 - - Ignorance and Credulity, 22, 23 - - Insomnia and Coffee, 137 - - Insomnia, 133 - - Indigestion a Phase of Rheumatism, 145 - - Indigestion a Cause of Congestion of the Lungs, 99 - - Indigestion from Excess in Diet, 93 - - Intemperance, How Propagated, 55, 56, 261 - - Insanity and Fasting, 140 - - Insane? Who Are and Who are Not, 134 - - Insane, The, Usually Ravenous Eaters, 141 - - Infants are “Loved” to Death, How, 16 - - - Japanese, Muscular, how fed, 161 - - - Kidney Disease Unknown at the Arctics, 116, 117 - - Koch’s Theory of Consumption, 80 - - Kitchen-Curse, The, 233 - - - Laziness a Disease, 34, 58 - - Liver Complaint, 168 - - Livers, “Fossil”, 179 - - Liver, Mercury “to Clear Out” the, 180 - - Lungs, Congestion of, from Indigestion, 99 - - Long Faces to the Rear, in Sickness, 103 - - Long Life, How Promoted, 85 - - - Milk not a Natural Food for Adults, 153 - - Morality and Digestion, 157 - - Malaria, 236, 241, 247 - - Model Meal, A, 226 - - Meals, Number of, for Health, 48, 62, 72, 197 - - Mercury, to “Clear Out” the Liver, 180 - - Milk Fever from Excessive Diet, 150 - - Muscular Japanese, How the, are fed, 161 - - Milk and Biliousness, 152 - - Milk, 65, 152, 212 - - Mastication, Importance of Thorough, 92, 93 - - Moral Torpor a Disease, 34 - - Medicine, Hot Water as a, 98, 100 - Why the Nostrum-makers Thrive, 25, 26 - - - Natural Diet, The, 207 - - Nature Defeated by “Treatment”, 258 - - Nightmare from Using Tobacco, 251 - - Neuralgia, A Hint Concerning, 153 - - Nervous Prostration, A Hint Concerning, 253 - - Normal Constipation, 107 - - Night-air Superstition, The, 48 - - Nutrition the Grand Factor in Prevention or Cure, 58 - - Nausea and Hot Water, 100 - - - Open Windows for Consumptives, 89 - for Sewer Gas, 236 - - Obesity, Natural Cure of, 148 - - One-meal System, The, 62, 197 - - Organs, How all the Vital, become Degenerated, 181 - - - Passions, Influence of Diet upon the, 265 - - Passive Exercise for Consumptives, 99 - Constipation, 109, 113 - - Piles, How, are Produced, 111 - - Premature Deaths, 16, 230 - - Pneumonia, 102 - - Poison, “One’s Meat Another’s”, 43 - How Food becomes, 61, 246 - Providence and Disease, 8, 9, 17 - - Practice, the Reform, Obstacles to, 66, 95 - - Physiology a Part of Theology, 34 - - Physic, Good Health the Best, 108 - Bad Effects of, 107 - Fruit the Best, 194 - - Pain, the Office of, Friendly, 134 - - Pure Air, Popular Ignorance Concerning, 237 - - Pure Air, How to Ensure it, 239 - - Physical Independence, 255 - - Prejudice, Popular, against Reform, 234 - - Purgative, Tobacco as a, 250 - - Purgative, Food as a, 113, 114, 194 - - - Quinine and Caffeine Closely Allied, 244 - - - Roman Fever, The Cause of, 236 - - Race Horses are Injured, How, 198 - - Reform, A Rational, 234 - - Reformed Practice, Obstacles to the, 22, 66, 95 - - Rest after Meals, 200, 202 - - Regimen, The Traditional, 121 - - Rheumatism, 145 - A Phase of Indigestion, 145 - Chronic, Treatment for, 147 - - Rich Food a Cause of Biliousness, 153 - - - Supportive Treatment, The, 258 - - Salisbury Theory, The, of Consumption, 81 - - Saline Starvation, 177 - - Scorbutic (Scurvy) Condition Predisposes to Zymotic Diseases, 10 - - Sedentary Life, Effects of a, 78, 84 - - Scrofula, Something About, 175, 194, 229, 231 - - Sickness, The Absurdity of, 9 - - Scrofulous Humors, How Manufactured, 231 - - Self-cure, Mrs. E.’s Story of her own, 85 - - Sewer-gas, 236 - - Straining at Stool Injurious, 110 - - Stimulation of the Kidneys Unnatural, 126 - - Skin, The Adaptability of the Skin to Sudden Changes of Temperature, 35 - - Sympathetic Nervous System, The, 31, 46 - - Starvation, Eating Sometimes Hastens, 72 - - Starvation, Saline, 177 - - Starvation Dyspeptic, 58, 66 - - Stomach, The, the most abused of all the Organs, 46 - - Sugar, Artificial, Injurious, 78 - - Stomach Baths, 100 - Signs of Disordered, 57 - - Stomachs, Sensitive, and Wheat Hulls, 189 - - Sleeping Alone, 106 - - Sleep, Efforts to Induce, Self-defeating, 135, 136 - - Sun-Baths, 171 - - Sunday Headaches, Cause of the, 200 - - Symptoms, Controlling The (!), 112 - - Stimulation from Diphtheritic Poison, 258 - - Stimulation, The true Theory about, 257 - - Sleeplessness Cured by Late Eating, 144 - an Analogue of Pain, 135 - - Sunstrokes, Cause of, 196 - - Sleep, Regular Hours for, Necessary, 135 - - Summer Tortures, How avoided, 195 - - - Traditional Regimen, The, 121 - - Treatment, The “Supportive”, 258 - - Tobacco and Insomnia, 137 - as a Purgative, 250 - - Treating in Eating, 156 - - Teeth, One Cause of Poor, 207, 249 - - Typhoid Subject, A, 15 - - Telegraph System, Wonders of the Human, 31, 46 - - Table, A Well-furnished, 79 - - Toothache, 153 - - Thirst, How to Prevent, 98, 100 - - Tongue, The Story Told by the, 63 - - - Unnaturalness of the Prevailing Diet, 227, 265, 266 - - - Variety in Food not desirable, 92, 213 - - Virtue, Influence of Diet on, 53, 265 - - Valance, Poor Thomas, 125 - - Vegetarian Diet and Quantity, 161 - - Vegetarians, Some Noted, 51, 161 - - Vegetarianism and Endurance, 162 - - Vegetable Food, 48, 51, 52, 72, 158, 161 - - Vegetables Spoiled by Cooking, How, 177 - - Vinegar Yeast in the Blood, a Cause of Consumption, 81, 82 - - Ventilation, 47, 48, 97, 236, 238, 239 - - Vickers, The Case of Mr., 75 - - - Watermelons, A Stale Joke about, 191 - for Bowel Troubles, 192 - - Water as a Medicine, 98, 100, 113, 190 - - Weakness from Hot Drinks, 251 - - White Flour, Concerning, 49 - - Worrying, Effects of, 85 - - Waves of Disease!, 9 - - Wheat-meal vs. “Entire Flour”, 184 - - - - - JUST PUBLISHED. - - - THE MAN WONDERFUL - - IN - - THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL. - - AN ALLEGORY. - - TEACHING THE PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE, AND THE EFFECTS - OF STIMULANTS AND NARCOTICS. - - FOR HOME READING. - - =Also adapted as a Reader for High Schools, and as a Text-book - for Grammar, Intermediate, and District Schools.= - - BY CHILION B. ALLEN, A.M., LL.B., M.D., AND MARY A. ALLEN, A.B., M.D. - - =Fully Illustrated, Extra Cloth, 12mo, Price $1.50.= - - * * * * * - -A work almost as wonderful as the subject of which it treats. The motive -is to teach that the most beautiful, and, at the same time, the most -wonderful thing in nature is man; and no one can read these chapters -without feeling that the authors have accomplished their task. - -The book is an allegory in which the body is the “=House Beautiful=,” and -its inhabitant the “=Man Wonderful=.” The building of the house is shown -from foundation to roof, and then we are taken through the different -rooms, and their wonders and beauties displayed to us, and all this time -we are being taught——almost without knowing it——Anatomy, Physiology, and -Hygiene, with practical applications and suggestions. - -We are then introduced to the inhabitant of the house, “THE MAN -WONDERFUL,” and learn of his growth, development, and habits. We also -become acquainted with the guests whom he entertains, and find that some -of them are doubtful acquaintances, some bad, and some decidedly wicked, -while others are very good company. Under this form we learn of food, -drink, and the effects of narcotics and stimulants. - - The Table of Contents by Chapters has these striking subjects: - -The “Foundations,” which are the bones. The “Walls” are the muscles, while -the skin and hair are called the “Siding and Shingles.” The head is an -“Observatory” in which are found a pair of “Telescopes,” and radiating -from it are the nerves compared to a “Telegraph” and “Phonograph.” The -communications are kept up with the “Kitchen,” “Dining-Room,” “Butler’s -Pantry,” “Laundry,” and “Engine.” The house is heated by a “Furnace,” -which is also a “Sugar Manufactory.” Nor is the house without mystery, for -it contains a number of “Mysterious Chambers.” It is protected by a -wonderful “Burglar Alarm,” and watched over by various “Guardians.” A pair -of charming “Windows” adorn the “Façade,” and a “Whispering Gallery” -offers a delightful labyrinth for our wanderings. - -In fact, the book is more wonderful than a fairy tale, more intensely -interesting than a romance, and more replete with valuable truths than any -book of the present day. - -The authors——husband and wife——are both regular physicians, and besides -graduating in the best schools of America, spent three years under the -best instructors in Vienna, Paris, and London. - -They have been teachers and know what will aid both teacher and scholar, -and have kept in mind the fact that many teachers will be called upon to -teach these subjects who will feel the need of aids, which they will find -in the questions, which are so arranged with exponents in the text that -the lessons are easily comprehended. - -The book will be sent by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price, $1.50. -Agents wanted, to whom special terms will be given. Address - - =FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers, - 753 Broadway, New York.= - - - NOW READY. FIFTH EDITION, REVISED. - - HOW TO FEED - THE BABY, - - TO MAKE HER HEALTHY AND HAPPY. With Health - Hints. By C. E. PAGE, M.D. 12mo, paper. 50 cts.; ex. clo., 75 cts. - -Dr. PAGE has devoted much attention to the subject, both in this country -and in Europe, noting the condition of children, and then making careful -inquiries as to the feeding, care, etc., and this work is a special record -of experience with his own child. We know this manual will be welcomed by -many mothers in all parts of the land, as one of the most vital questions -with parents is How to feed the baby, to promote its health, its growth, -and its happiness. In addition to answering the question what to feed the -baby, this volume tells _how_ to feed the baby, which is of equal -importance. - -That the work may be considered worthy of a wide circulation may be seen -from the following, selected from many - - =NOTICES OF THE PRESS.= - - “The book should be read by every person who has the care of - children, especially of infants, and those who have the good - sense to adopt its suggestions will reap a rich reward, we - believe, in peace for themselves and comfort for the babies.”-- - _Boston Journal of Commerce._ - - “We wish every mother and father too could read it, as we - believe it is founded on common-sense and the true theory of - infantile life.”——_Eve. Farmer_, Bridgeport, Conn. - - “His treatise ought to be in the hands of young mothers - particularly, who might save themselves a deal of trouble by - studying it.”——_Brooklyn Eagle._ - - “Should interest mothers; for it is a really scientific and - sensible solution of the problem of health and happiness in the - nursery.”——_Buffalo Courier._ - - “‘How to Feed the Baby’ ought to do good if widely read; for - there can be no doubt that thousands of babies die from - ignorance on this very subject.”——_American Bookseller._ - - “It is as odd as its title, and is funny, interesting, - entertaining, and instructive.”——_Times_, Biddeford, Me. - - “We know this manual will be welcomed by many mothers in all - parts of the land, as one of the most important questions with - parents is how to feed the baby, to promote its health, its - growth, and its happiness.”——_Christian Advocate_, Buffalo, N. - Y. - - “Our author makes plain how infantile diseases may, in great - measure, be avoided, and infantile life made as free and joyous - as that of the most fortunate among the lower animals.”-- - _Central Baptist._ - - “Dr. Page is a benefactor of this age, in having made it a - special study——the care and feeding of the infant.”——_People’s - Journal._ - - “If mothers would read this book, we think fewer infants would - ‘make night hideous’ with their cries.”——_Homestead._ - - “‘How to Feed the Baby’ should be taken home by every father to - the mother of his children, if he values quiet nights, and is - not inclined to pay heavy doctors’ bills, or bring up sickly - children.”——_Food and Health._ - - “It is safe to say that in proportion as this book is circulated - and its teachings followed, will the rate of infant mortality - decrease.”——_Christian Standard._ - -Will be sent by mail, post-paid, to any address on receipt of price 50 -cts. - -Address - - =FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers,= - 753 Broadway, New York. - - - AN IMPORTANT WORK. - - =HORSES:= - - THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. - - A Manual of Horse Hygiene, invaluable for the Veteran or the - Novice, pointing out the Causes Of “Malaria,” “Glanders,” “Pink - Eye,” “Distemper,” etc., and How to Prevent and Counteract Them. - By C. E. PAGE, M.D., author of “How to Feed the Baby,” “Natural - Cure,” etc., with a Treatise and Notes on Shoeing by Sir George - Cox and Col. M. C. Weld. Illustrated with Pictures of many - Famous and Thoroughbred Horses. Nearly 200 pages. 12mo, paper, - 50 cents; extra cloth, 75 cents. - -The value of the most of horses to their owners is measured by the amount -and length of service that can be secured, and therefore all information -relative to his care is very important. This book gives in a condensed -form much that is valuable on the care of horses, that has not before been -published. The subject is considered from a new and original stand-point, -and stated in a plain, practical, common-sense manner, showing how by -proper care we may add many valuable years of life and usefulness to our -horses. Unlike many books issued on this subject, it does not advertise -any medicines. - - - PARTIAL LIST OF CONTENTS. - - Foul Air and Disease in Stable and Home; Blanketing a Steaming - Horse; How to Transform a “Seedy” Horse; “Condition” in Horses; - Why they go Lame Suddenly; Flesh vs. Fat; A Soft Horse; Fatty - Degeneration; Hint to Would-be Race-Winners; Two-meal System; - Extra Feed; When Injurious; Dyspepsia or Indigestion, Symptoms - and Cause; Cause and Cure of “Pulling”; The Human Puller; - “Colds”: What this Disorder really Is, and How Caused; - Prevention of the “Distemper,” Its Cure; Cold Air not - Necessarily Pure; Hand-Rubbing _vs._ Drugs; Danger of - Medication; Concerning the Use of Blanket; Clipping; Eating and - Digesting——the Difference; Kind of Treatment; Over-driving; - Over-work: A Safe Remedy; Chest Founder; Chronic Disease, Cause; - Hints relating to Food and Drink; Sore Back; Scrofula; Glanders; - Kidney Complaints; Relation of “Condition” to Reserved Force or - Staying Power; Quantity of Food; The Best Feed, Corn on the Cob; - Flatulence; Cribbing; “Grassing Out”; About the Appetite; - Feeding of Road Horses; What a Father-in-Law Learned; How a - Truckman Avoided Lost Time, and Improved the Condition of his - Horse; Trying to “Make a Horse Laugh”; First-class Stables; The - Eternal “Mash”; Veterinary Practice; Founder “Counter - Irritation” with a Vengeance; Eating the Bedding; Rules that may - be Safely Tried; Check Rein; Blinders. - - SHOEING.——Ignorance, not Cruelty, to Blame for the Horse’s - Premature Decay; Value of Horse Property; Normal Age of the - Horse; Chief Source of the Horse’s Suffering; One Cause and Cure - of Swelled Legs; Unnecessary Work; Value of Brakes; Effect of - Shoe Nails; “Inconceivable Cruelty,” as defined by Mr. Mayhew; - Running Barefoot over Rocky Hills; Direct and Indirect Benefit - of Reform; Everybody but the Blacksmith Benefited; Adequacy of - the Natural Foot for all Demands; Independence of the Unshod - Horse; French and English and Mexican Army Experiences; Col. - Weld’s Experience; The Experience of Others; Speeding without - Shoes; The Training and Character of Horses. - -To a new edition just published has been added, as plates, a number of -portraits of famous and thoroughbred horses, including “Jay-Eye-See,” -“Parole,” “Alcantara,” “Miss Woodford,” “Estes,” etc. - -It is safe to say that to every owner of a horse this book would prove -most valuable. AGENTS WANTED, to whom Special Terms will be given. The -price is only 50 cents in paper covers, or handsomely bound in extra -cloth, 75 cents. By mail, post-paid. Address - - FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers, 753 Broadway, N. Y. - - - JUST PUBLISHED. - - _The Diet Question_: - - GIVING THE - - =REASON WHY=. - - FROM - - HEALTH IN THE HOUSEHOLD, BY MRS. SUSANNA W. DODDS, M.D. - 12mo, PAPER, 25 CENTS. - -In this the “Reason Why” of Hygienic Cookery is given, with tables showing -the constituents of food products; the effects of different articles of -food on intellect, morals, and physical development; food combinations, or -what kinds may be used together to the best advantage; wheat and other -cereals, fruits, and vegetables, and how to use them; meat as an article -of diet; the use of milk, butter, eggs, etc.; is salt injurious? pepper -and other condiments; two meals or three; hints on cooking; dietetic -rules, etc. - -All who are interested in the “Reason Why” for rules of diet, and all who -would eat for health and strength should read this valuable treatise. Sent -by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price. 25 cents. - - * * * * * - - Health in the Household, - - OR - - HYGIENIC COOKERY. - - BY SUSANNA W. DODDS, M.D. - -This work is divided into three parts; the first part, giving the “=Reason -Why=,” is published separately as above. - -PART SECOND contains the “=Hygienic Dietary=.” Here we have directions for -the preparation of food, recipes for cooking, etc., in what the author -considers a strictly healthful manner; including breads of all kinds, the -preservation of fruits, vegetables, etc. - -PART THIRD is what the author calls “=The Compromise=,” containing -directions for preparing food, not strictly in accordance with the -Hygienic way, but in such a manner as to render it more plain and -healthful than it is ordinarily found; and it will prove helpful and -suggestive to many who find it difficult, on account of surrounding -circumstances, to adopt the more strict Hygienic cookery. - -Complete in one large volume, 600 pages, extra cloth or oil-cloth binding, -price by mail, post-paid, $2.00. Agents wanted, to whom special terms will -be given. Address - - FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers, - =753 Broadway, New York=. - - - A NEW BOOK. - - HEALTH IN THE HOUSEHOLD; - - OR, - - HYGIENIC COOKERY - - =By SUSANNA W. DODDS, M.D.= - - One large 12mo vol., 600 pp., extra cloth or oil-cloth. Price, $2.00. - -The author of this work is specially qualified for her task, as she is -both A physician and a practical housekeeper. It is unquestionably the -best work ever written on the healthful preparation of food, and should be -in the hands of every housekeeper who wishes to prepare food healthfully -and palatably. The best way and the reason why are given. It is complete -in every department. To show something of what is thought of this work, we -copy a few brief extracts from the many - - =NOTICES OF THE PRESS.= - - “This work contains a good deal of excellent advice about - wholesome food, and gives directions for preparing many dishes - in a way that will make luxuries for the palate out of many - simple productions of Nature which are now lost by a vicious - cookery.”——_Home Journal._ - - “Another book on cookery, and one that appears to be fully the - equal in all respects, and superior to many of its predecessors. - Simplicity is sought to be blended with science, economy with - all the enjoyments of the table, and health and happiness with - an ample household liberality. Every purse and every taste will - find in Mrs. Dodds’ book, material within its means of grasp for - efficient kitchen administration.”——_N. Y. Star._ - - “The book can not fail to be of great value in every household - to those who will intelligently appreciate the author’s - stand-point. And there are but few who will not concede that it - would be a public benefit if our people generally would become - better informed as to the better mode of living than the author - intends.”——_Scientific American._ - - “She evidently knows what she is writing about, and her book is - eminently practical upon every page. It is more than a book of - recipes for making soups, and pies, and cake; it is an educator - of how to make the home the abode of healthful people.”——_The - Daily Inter-Ocean_, Chicago, Ill. - - “The book is a good one, and should be given a place in every - well-regulated cuisine.”——_Indianapolis Journal._ - - “As a comprehensive work on the subject of healthful cookery, - there is no other in print which is superior, and which brings - the subject so clearly and squarely to the understanding of an - average housekeeper.”——_Methodist Recorder._ - - “In this book Dr. Dodds deals with the whole subject - scientifically, and yet has made her instructions entirely - practical. The book will certainly prove useful, and if its - precepts could be universally followed, without doubt human life - would be considerably lengthened.”——_Springfield Union._ - - “Here is a cook-book prepared by an educated lady physician. It - seems to be a very sensible addition to the voluminous - literature on this subject, which ordinarily has little - reference to the hygienic character of the preparations which - are described.”——_Zion’s Herald._ - - “This one seems to us to be most sensible and practical, while - yet based upon scientific principles——in short, the best. If it - were in every household, there would be far less misery in the - world.”——_South and West._ - - “There is much good sense in the book, and there is plenty of - occasion for attacking the ordinary methods of cooking, as well - as the common style of diet.”——_Morning Star._ - - “She sets forth the why and wherefore of cookery, and devotes - the larger portion of the work to those articles essential to - good blood, strong bodies, and vigorous minds.”——_New Haven - Register._ - -The work will be sent to any address, by mail, post-paid, on receipt of -price, $2.00. AGENTS WANTED, to whom special terms will be given. Send for -terms. Address - - FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers, 753 Broadway, New York. - - - WORKS PUBLISHED BY - - FOWLER & WELLS CO., New York. - - PHRENOLOGY AND PHYSIOGNOMY. - -American Phrenological Journal and Science of Health.——Devoted to -Ethnology, Physiology, Phrenology, Physiognomy, Psychology, Sociology, -Biography, Education, Literature, etc., with Measures to Reform, Elevate, -and Improve Mankind Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually. Monthly, $2 a -year; 20 cents a number. - -Bell (Sir Charles).——Expression: its Anatomy and Philosophy. With the -original Notes and Illustrations by the author, and additional Notes and -Illustrations by Samuel R. Wells. $1.25. - -Boardman (Andrew, M.D.)——Defence of Phrenology; Containing an Essay on the -Nature and Value of Phrenological Evidence; A Vindication of Phrenology -against the Attack of its opponents. $1.25. - -Bray (Charles).——The Education of the Feelings and Affections. Edited, -with Notes and Illustrations, by Nelson Sizer. Cloth, $1.50. - -This work gives full and definite directions for the cultivation or -restraining of all the faculties relating to the feelings or affections. - -Combe (George).——A System of Phrenology; With One Hundred Engravings. -Cloth, $1.50. - -————Constitution of Man; Considered in Relation to external objects. The -only authorized American edition; with twenty engravings, and a portrait -of the author. $1.50. - -The “Constitution of Man” is a work with which every teacher and every -pupil should be acquainted. - -————Lectures on Phrenology; with Notes, an Essay on the Phrenological Mode -of Investigation, and an Historical Sketch, by A. Boardman, M.D. $1.50. - -These are the lectures delivered by George Combe in America. - -————Moral Philosophy; or, the Duties of Man considered in his Individual, -Domestic, and Social Capacities. $1.50. - -Uniform Edition, 4 vols., extra cloth, $5.00. Library Edition, 4 vols., -$10. - -————On Education.——Papers on Educational Subjects. One vol. 8vo, Edinburgh -Edition. Cloth, $5.00. - -This volume consists of valuable Essays written by Mr. Combe, and should -be found in the library of every teacher. - -————The Life of. By Charles Gibbon. 2 volumes, 8vo, with two portraits. -London Edition. $5.00. - -These two works are not published in this country, but we can furnish from -our stock, or import to order. - -Capen (Nahum, LL.D.)——Reminiscences Of Dr. Spurzheim and George Combe, and -a Review of the Science of Phrenology from the period of its discovery by -Dr. Gall to the time of the visit of George Combe to the United States, -with a new portrait of Dr. Spurzheim. 12mo, extra cloth, $1.50. - -Drayton (H. S., A.M.), and McNeil (JAMES, A.M.)——Brain and Mind; or, -Mental Science Considered in Accordance with the Principles of Phrenology -and in Relation to Modern Physiology. Ill. $1.50. - -This is the latest and best work published. It constitutes a complete -text-book of Phrenology, is profusely illustrated, and well adapted to the -use of students. - -Drayton (H. S., A.M.)——The Indications Of Character, as manifested in the -general shape of the head and the form of the face. Illustrated. 25 cents. - -————How to Study Phrenology.——With Suggestions to Students, Lists of Best -Works, Constitutions for Societies, etc. 12mo, paper, 10 cents. - -Fowler (O. S.)——Education and Self-Improvement Complete; Comprising -“Physiology, Animal and Mental,” “Self-Culture and Perfection of -Character,” “Memory and Intellectual Improvement.” One large vol. -Illustrated. $3.50. - -————Self-Culture and Perfection of Character; Including the Management of -Children and Youth. $1.25. - -One of the best of the author’s works. - -————Physiology, Animal and Mental: Applied to the Preservation and -Restoration of Health of Body and Power of Mind. $1.25. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - Fowler & Wells Co., 753 Broadway, N. Y. - - - WORKS ON PHRENOLOGY. - -Fowler (O. S.)——Memory and Intellectual Improvement, applied to -Self-Education and Juvenile Instruction. $1.25. The best work on the -subject. - -————Maternity; or, the Bearing and Nursing of Children, including Female -Education and Beauty. $1.25. - -————Matrimony; or, Phrenology and Physiology applied to the Selection of -Congenial Companions for Life, including Directions to the Married for -living together Affectionately and Happily. 50c. - -————Love and Parentage. Applied to the Improvement of Offspring; including -Directions to Lovers and the Married, concerning the strongest ties and -the most sacred relations of life. 50 cents. - -————Hereditary Descent; Its Laws and Facts applied to Human Improvement. -Illustrated. $1.25. - -————Amativeness; or, Evils and Remedies of Excessive and Perverted -Sexuality; including Warning and Advice to the Married and Single. 25 -cents. - -————Phrenology Proved, Illustrated, and Applied. Embracing an Analysis of -the Primary Mental Powers in their Various Degrees of Development, and -location of the Phrenological Organs. The Mental Phenomena produced by -their combined action, and the location of the faculties amply -illustrated. By the Fowler Brothers. $1.50. - -————Self-Instructor in Phrenology and Physiology. With over One Hundred -Engravings and a Chart for Phrenologists, for the Recording of -Phrenological Development. By the Fowler Brothers. Paper, 50 cts.; cloth, -75 cts. - -————Synopsis of Phrenology, and Charts for Describing the Phrenological -Developments, for the use of Lecturers and Examiners. Paper, 10 cents. - -Fowler (L.N.)——Marriage, its History and Ceremonies, with a Phrenological -and Physiological Exposition of the Functions and Qualifications for Happy -Marriages. Illustrated. $1.25. - -Redfield’s Comparative Physiognomy; or, Resemblances Between Men and -Animals. Illustrated. $3.00. - -Sizer (Nelson).——Choice of Pursuits: or, What to Do and Why. Describing -Seventy-five Trades and Professions, and the Temperaments and Talents -required for each. With Portraits and Biographies of many successful -Thinkers and Workers. $1.75. - -————How to Teach According to Temperament and Mental Development; or, -Phrenology in the School-room and the Family. Illustrated. $1.50. - -————Forty Years in Phrenology; embracing Recollections of History. -Anecdote and Experience. $1.50. - -————Thoughts on Domestic Life; or, Marriage Vindicated and Free Love -Exposed. 25 cents. - -————Catechism of Phrenology.——Illustrative of the Principles of the -Science by means of Questions and Answers. Revised and enlarged by Nelson -Sizer. 50c. - -Spurzheim (J. G., M.D.) Education; its Elementary Principles Founded on -the Nature of Man. $1.50. - -————Natural Laws of Man.——A Philosophical Catechism. Sixth Edition. -Enlarged and improved. 50 cents. - -Weaver (Rev. G. S.)——Lectures on Mental Science. According to the -Philosophy of Phrenology. Delivered before the Anthropological Society. -Illustrated. $1.25. - -Wells (Samuel R.)——New Physiognomy; or, Signs of Character, as manifested -through Temperament and External Forms, and especially in the “Human Face -Divine.” With more than One Thousand Illustrations. In one 12mo volume, -768 pages, muslin, $5.00; in heavy calf, marbled edges, $8.00; Turkey -morocco, full gilt, $10. - -Phrenological Bust.——Showing the latest classification and exact location -of the Organs of the Brain. There are two sizes; the largest, not -mailable, price $1. The smaller, 50 cents. - -The Science of Mind applied to Teaching. By M. J. Hoffman. A special work -for teachers. Price $1.50. - -Heads and Faces, and How to Study Them. A Manual of Phrenology and -Physiognomy. By Nelson Sizer and H. S. Drayton. 200 octavo pages and 200 -illustrations. Paper, 40 cents; cloth, $1. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 _Broadway, New York_. - - - PHRENOLOGY AND PHYSIOGNOMY. - -Wells (S. R.)——How to Read Character.——A New Illustrated Hand-book of -Phrenology and Physiognomy, for Students and Examiners, with a Chart for -recording the sizes of the different Organs of the Brain in the -Delineation of Character; with upwards of 170 Engravings. Paper, $1.00; -Cloth, $1.25. - -————Wedlock; or, The Right Relations of the Sexes. Disclosing the Laws of -Conjugal Selections, and showing Who May Marry. $1.50; gilt, $2.00. - -————New Descriptive Chart, for the Use of Examiners in the Delineation of -Character. 25 cents; cloth, 50 cents. - -Harmony of Phrenology and the Bible, including the Definitions. 10 cts. - -How to Study Character; or the True Basis for the Science of Mind. -Including a Review of Bain’s Criticism of Phrenology. By Thos. A. Hyde. -Paper, 50 cents; cloth, $1.00. - -The Phrenological Miscellany; of, Illustrated Annuals of Phrenology and -Physiognomy, from 1865 to 1873 combined in 1 volume, the nine containing -over 400 illustrations, many portraits and biographies of distinguished -personages. $1.50 - -Comparative Physiognomy; or, Resemblances Between Men and Animals. By J. -W. Redfield, M.D. Octavo volume, illustrated. Price, $2.50. - -Phrenology and the Scriptures.——Showing the Harmony between Phrenology and -the Bible. 15 cents. - -The Annuals of Phrenology and Health Almanac for 1874 to ’83. $1. - -Phrenological Chart or Map. A Symbolical Head 12 inches across, -Lithographed in Colors, on paper 19 × 24 inches, mounted for hanging on -the wall, or suitable for framing. Price $1.00. - -Phrenology, its History and Important Principles. By T. Turner. 10c. - - - WORKS ON MAGNETISM. - -There is an increasing interest in the facts relating to Magnetism, etc., -and we present below a list of Works on this subject. - -Practical Instructions in Animal Magnetism. By J. P. F. Deleuze. -Translated by Thomas C. Hartshorn. New and Revised edition, with an -appendix of notes by the Translator, and Letters from Eminent Physicians, -and others. $2.00. - -History of Salem Witchcraft.——A review of Charles W. Upham’s great Work -from the _Edinburgh Review_, with Notes by Samuel R. Wells, containing, -also, The Planchette Mystery, Spiritualism, by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, -and Dr. Doddridge’s Dream. $1. - -Fascination; or, the Philosophy of Charming. Illustrating the Principles -of Life in connection with Spirit and Matter. By J. B. Newman, M.D. $1.00. - -Six Lectures on the Philosophy of Mesmerism, delivered in Marlboro’ -Chapel, Boston. By Dr. John Bovee Dods. Paper, 50 cents. - -The Philosophy of Electrical Psychology, in a course of Twelve Lectures. -By the same author. 12mo, cloth, $1.25. - -The Library of Mesmerism and Psychology.——Comprising the Philosophy of -Mesmerism, Clairvoyance, Mental Electricity.——Fascination, or the Power of -Charming. Illustrating the Principles of Life in connection with Spirit -and Matter.——The Macrocosm, or the Universe Without: being an unfolding of -the plan of Creation, and the Correspondence of Truths.——The Philosophy of -Electrical Psychology; the Doctrine of Impressions; including the -connection between Mind and Matter; also, the Treatment of -Diseases.——Psychology; or, the Science of the Soul, considered -Physiologically and Philosophically; with an Appendix containing Notes of -Mesmeric and Psychical experience, and illustrations of the Brain and -Nervous System. 1 vol. $3.50. - -How to Magnetize; or, Magnetism and Clairvoyance.——A Practical Treatise on -the Choice, Management and Capabilities of Subjects, with Instructions on -the Method of Procedure. By James Victor Wilson. 18mo, paper, 25 cts. - -The Key to Ghostism. By Rev. Thomas Mitchel. $1.50. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 _Broadway, New York_. - - - HEALTH BOOKS. - -_This List comprises the Best Works on Hygiene, Health, Etc._ - -Household Remedies.——For the Prevalent Disorders of the Human Organism. By -F. L. Oswald, M.D. $1.00. - -Foreordained.——A Story of Heredity and Special Pre-natal Influences, by an -Observer. Paper, 50 cts.; cloth, 75 cts. - -————Management of Infancy, Physiological and Moral Treatment. With Notes -and a Supplementary Chapter. $1.25. - -Dodds (Susanna W., M.D.)——Health in the Household; or, Hygienic Cookery. -12mo, extra cloth, $2.00. - -Fairchild (M. Augusta, M.D.)——How to Be Well; or, Common-Sense Medical -Hygiene. A book for the People, giving Directions for the Treatment and -Cure of Acute Diseases without the use of Drug Medicines; also, General -Hints on Health. $1.00. - -Graham (Sylvester).——Science of Human Life, Lecturer on the. With a -copious Index and Biographical Sketch of the Author. Illustrated, $3.00. - -————Chastity.——Lectures to Young Men. Intended also for the Serious -Consideration of Parents and Guardians. 12mo. Paper, 50 cents. - -Gully (J. M., M.D.)——Water-Cure in Chronic Diseases. An Exposition of the -Causes, Progress, and Termination of various Chronic Diseases of the -Digestive Organs, Lungs, Nerves, Limbs, and Skin, and of their Treatment -by Water and other Hygienic means. $1.50. - -For Girls; A Special Physiology, or Supplement to the Study of General -Physiology. By Mrs. E. R. Shepherd. $1.00. - -Page (C. E., M.D.)——How to Feed the Baby to make her Healthy and Happy. -12mo. Third edition, revised and enlarged. Paper, 50 cents; extra cloth, -75 cents. - -This is the most important work ever published on the subject of infant -dietetics. - -————The Natural Cure of Consumption, Constipation, Bright’s Disease, -Neuralgia, Rheumatism, “Colds” (Fevers), etc. How these Disorders -Originate, and How to Prevent Them. 12mo, cloth, $1.00. - -Horses: Their Feed and Their Feet.——A Manual of Horse Hygiene. Invaluable -to the veteran or the novice, pointing out the true sources of disease, -and how to prevent and counteract them. By C. E. Page, M.D. Paper 50 cts., -cloth 75 cts. - -The Diet Question.——Giving the Reason Why, from “Health in the Household,” -by Mrs. S. W. Dodds, M.D. 10c. - -The Health Miscellany. An important Collection of Health Papers. Nearly -100 octavo pages. 25 cents. - -Gully (J. M., M.D.) and Wilson (James, M.D.)——Practice of the Water-Cure, -with Authenticated Evidence of its Efficacy and Safety. Containing a -Detailed Account of the various Processes used in the Water Treatment, a -Sketch of the History and Progress of the Water-Cure. 50 cents. - -Jacques (D. H., M.D.)——The Temperaments; or, Varieties of Physical -Constitution in Man, considered in their relation to Mental Character and -Practical Affairs of Life. With an Introduction by H. S. Drayton, A.M., -Editor of the _Phrenological Journal_. 150 Portraits and other -Illustrations. $1.50. - -————How to Grow Handsome, or Hints toward Physical Perfection, and the -Philosophy of Human Beauty, showing How to Acquire and Retain Bodily -Symmetry, Health, and Vigor, secure Long Life, and Avoid the Infirmities -and Deformities of Age. New Edition. $1.00. - -Johnson (Edward, M.D.)——Domestic Practice of Hydropathy, with Fifteen -Engraved Illustrations of important subjects, from Drawings by Dr. Howard -Johnson. $1.50. - -White (Wm., M.D.)——Medical Electricity.——A Manual for Students, showing -the most Scientific and Rational Application to all forms of Diseases, of -the different Combinations of Electricity, Galvanism, Electro-Magnetism, -Magneto-Electricity, and Human Magnetism. 12mo, $1.50. - -Transmission; or, Variations of Character Through the Mother. By Georgiana -B. Kirby. 25 cts., cloth, 50 cts. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 Broadway, N. Y. - - - WORKS ON HEALTH AND HYGIENE. - -The Man Wonderful in the House Beautiful. An Allegory. Teaching the -Principles of Physiology and Hygiene, and the Effects of Stimulants and -Narcotics. By Drs. C. B. and Mary A. Allen. $1.50. - -Smoking and Drinking. By James Parton. 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents. - -The Diseases of Modern Life. By B. W. Richardson, M.D. Ex. clo., $1.50. - -The Parents’ Guide; or, Human Development through Pre-Natal Influences and -Inherited Tendencies. $1.25. - -Pereira (J., M.D., F.R.S.)——Food and Diet. With observations on the -Dietetical Regimen, suited for Disordered States of the Digestive Organs. -$1.50. - -Controlling Sex in Generation: A Treatise on the Laws Determining Sex, and -their Government to Produce Male or Female Offspring at Will. By Samuel H. -Terry. Cloth. $1.00. - -Shew (Joel, M.D.)——The Family Physician.——A Ready Prescriber and Hygienic -Adviser. With Reference to the Nature, Causes, Prevention, and Treatment -of Diseases, Accidents, and Casualties of every kind. With a Glossary and -copious Index. Illustrated with nearly Three Hundred Engravings. $3.00. - -————Letters to Women on Midwifery and Diseases of Women.——A Descriptive -and Practical Work, giving Treatment in Menstruation and its Disorders, -Chlorosis, Leucorrhea, Fluor Albus, Prolapsus Uteri, Hysteria, Spinal -Diseases, and other weaknesses of Females, Pregnancy and its Diseases, -Abortion, Uterine Hemorrhage, and the General Management of Childbirth, -Nursing, etc. $1.50. - -————Pregnancy and Childbirth, with Cases showing the remarkable Effects of -Water Treatment in Mitigating the Pains and Perils of the Parturient -State. 50 cts. - -Tobacco: its Physical, Intellectual, and Moral Effects on the Human -System. By Dr. Alcott. New and revised ed., with notes and additions, by -N. Sizer. 25 cts. - -Shew (Joel, M.D.)——Children, their Hydropathic Management in Health and -Disease. A Descriptive and Practical Work, designed as a Guide for -Families and Physicians. $1.50. - -Sober and Temperate Life.——The Discourses and Letters of Louis Cornaro on -a Sober and Temperate Life. 50 cts. - -Taylor (G. H., M.D.)——The Movement Cure. The History and Philosophy of -this System of Medical Treatment, with Examples of Single Movements, The -Principles of Massage, and Directions for their Use in various Forms of -Chronic Diseases. New and Enlarged Ed. $1.50. - -————Massage. Giving the Principles and Directions for its Application in -all Forms of Chronic Diseases. 12mo, $1.50. - -The Science of a New Life. By John Cowan, M.D. Extra cloth, $3.00. - -Mothers and Daughters.——A Manual of Hygiene for Women. By Mrs. E. G. Cook, -M.D. $1.50. - -Philosophy of the Water-Cure. By John Balbirnie. M.D. 50 cents. - -Chronic Diseases.——Especially the Nervous Diseases of Women. 25 cents. - -Consumption, its Prevention and Cure by the Movement Cure. 25 cents. - -Notes on Beauty, Vigor, and Development; or, How to Acquire Plumpness of -Form, Strength of Limb, and Beauty of Complexion. Illustrated. 10 cents. - -Tea and Coffee.——Their Physical, Intellectual, and Moral Effects on the -Human System. By Dr. Alcott. New and revised edition, with notes and -additions by Nelson Sizer. 25 cents. - -Heredity.——Responsibility and Parentage. By Rev. S. H. Platt. 10 Cts. - -Special List.——We have in addition to the above, Private Medical Works and -Treatises. This Special List will be sent on receipt of stamp. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 Broadway, N. Y. - - - WORKS ON HYGIENE BY R. T. TRALL, M.D. - -Hydropathic Encyclopedia.——A System of Hydropathy and Hygiene. Embracing -Outlines of Anatomy, Illus’ed; Physiology of the Human Body; Hygienic -Agencies, and the Preservation of Health; Dietetics and Hydropathic -Cookery; Theory and Practice of Water-Treatment; Special Pathology and -Hydro-Therapeutics, including the Nature, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment -of all known Diseases; Application of Hydropathy to Midwifery and the -Nursery, with nearly One Thousand Pages, including a Glossary. Designed as -a guide to Families and Students. With numerous Illus. 2 vols. in one. $4. - -Uterine Diseases & Displacements. A Practical Treatise on the Various -Diseases, Malpositions, and Structural Derangements of the Uterus and its -Appendages. Fifty-three Colored Plates. $5. - -The Hygienic Hand-Book.——Intended as a Practical Guide for the Sick-Room. -Arranged alphabetically. $1.50. - -Illustrated Family Gymnasium.——Containing the most improved methods of -applying Gymnastic, Calisthenic, Kinesipathic and Vocal Exercises to the -Development of the Bodily Organs, the invigoration of their functions, the -preservation of Health, and the Cure of Diseases and Deformities. With -illustrations. $1.50. - -The Hydropathic Cook-Book, with Recipes for Cooking on Hygienic -Principles. Containing also, a Philosophical Exposition of the Relations -of Food to Health; the Chemical Elements and Proximate Constitution of -Alimentary Principles; the Nutritive Properties of all kinds of Aliments; -the Relative Value of Vegetable and Animal Substances; the Selection and -Preservation of Dietetic Material, etc. $1.25. - -Fruits and Farinacea, the Proper Food of Man.——Being an attempt to prove -by History, Anatomy, Physiology, and Chemistry that the Original, Natural, -and Best Diet of Man is derived from the Vegetable Kingdom. By John Smith. -With Notes by Trall. $1.50. - -Digestion and Dyspepsia.——A Complete Explanation of the Physiology of the -Digestive Processes, with the Symptoms and Treatment of Dyspepsia and -other Disorders. Illustrated. $1.00. - -The Mother’s Hygienic Hand-Book for the Normal Development and Training of -Women and Children, and the Treatment of their Diseases. $1.00. - -Popular Physiology.——A Familiar Exposition of the Structures, Functions, -and Relations of the Human System and the Preservation of Health. $1.25. - -The True Temperance Platform.——An Exposition of the Fallacy of Alcoholic -Medication, being the substance of addresses delivered in the Queen’s -Concert Rooms, London. Paper, 50 cents. - -The Alcoholic Controversy.——A Review of the _Westminster Review_ on the -Physiological Errors of Teetotalism. 50 c. - -The Human Voice.——Its Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics, and -Training, with Rules of Order for Lyceums. 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents. - -The True Healing Art; or, Hygienic _vs._ Drug Medication. An Address -delivered before the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C. Paper, 25 -cents; cloth, 50 cents. - -Water-Cure for the Million.——The processes of Water-Cure Explained, -Popular Errors Exposed, Hygienic and Drug Medication Contrasted. Rules for -Bathing, Dieting, Exercising, Recipes for Cooking, etc., etc. Directions -for Home Treatment. Paper, 25 cts.; cloth, 75 cts. - -Hygeian Home Cook-Book; or, Healthful and Palatable Food Without -Condiments. A Book of Recipes. Paper, 25 cts.; cloth, 50 cts. - -Accidents and Emergencies, a guide containing Directions for the Treatment -in Bleeding, Cuts, Sprains, Ruptures, Dislocations, Burns and Scalds, -Bites of Mad Dogs, Choking, Poisons, Fits, Sunstrokes, Drowning, etc. By -Alfred Smee, with Notes and additions by R. T. Trall, M.D. New and revised -edition. 25 cts. - -Diseases of Throat and Lungs.——Including Diphtheria and Proper Treatment. -25 cents. - -The Bath.——Its History and Uses in Health and Disease. Paper 25 c.; clo., -50 c. - -A Health Catechism.——Questions and Answers. With Illustrations. 10 cts. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 _Broadway, New York_. - - - MISCELLANEOUS WORKS. - -Hand-books for Home Improvement (Educational); comprising, “How to Write,” -“How to Talk,” “How to Behave,” and “How to do Business.” One 12mo vol., -$2.00. - -How to Write: a Pocket Manual of Composition and Letter-Writing. 75 cts. - -How to Talk: a Pocket Manual of Conversation and Debate, with more than -Five Hundred Common Mistakes in Speaking Corrected. 75 cents. - -How to Behave: a Pocket Manual of Republican Etiquette and Guide to -Correct Personal Habits, with Rules for Debating Societies and -Deliberative Assemblies. 75 cents. - -How to Do Business: a Pocket Manual of Practical Affairs, and a Guide to -Success in Life, with a Collection of Legal and Commercial Forms. 75c. - -How to Read.——What and Why; or, Hints in Choosing the Best Books, with -Classified List of Best Works in Biography, Criticism, Fine Arts, History, -Novels, Poetry, Science, Religion, Foreign Languages, etc. By A. V. Petit. -Clo., $1. - -How to Sing; or, the Voice and How to Use it. By W. H. Daniell. 50c; 75c. - -How to Conduct a Public Meeting; or, The Chairman’s Guide for Conducting -Meetings, Public and Private. 15 cts. - -Hopes and Helps for the Young of Both Sexes.——Relating to the Formation of -Character, Choice of Avocation, Health, Amusement, Music, Conversation, -Social Affections, Courtship and Marriage. By Weaver. $1.25. - -Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women, on the various Duties of Life. -Including Physical, Intellectual, and Moral Development, Dress, Beauty, -Fashion, Employment, Education, the Home Relations, their Duties to Young -Men, Marriage, Womanhood and Happiness. $1.25. - -Ways of Life, showing the Right Way and the Wrong Way. Contrasting the -High Way and the Low Way; the True Way and the False Way; the Upward Way -and the Downward Way; the Way of Honor and of Dishonor. 75 cts. - -The Christian Household.——Embracing the Husband, Wife, Father, Mother, -Child, Brother and Sister. $1.00. - -Weaver’s Works for the Young, Comprising “Hopes and Helps for the Young of -Both Sexes,” “Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women,” “Ways of Life; or, -the Right Way and the Wrong Way.” One vol. 12mo. $2.50. - -The Fallacies in “Progress and Poverty.” A Consideration of Henry George’s -“Progress and Poverty,” Henry Dunning Macleod’s “Economics,” and “The -Ethics of Protection and Free Trade.” By William Hanson. Cloth, $1. - -How to Learn Short-Hand; or, The Stenographic Instructor. An Improved -System of Short-hand Writing arranged specially for the use of those -desirous of acquiring the art without the aid of a teacher. By Arthur M. -Baker. 25 cents. - -Phonographic Note-Book.——For Students and Reporters. Double or Single -ruled. 15 cents. - -The Emphatic Diaglott, Containing the Original Greek Text of The New -Testament, with an Interlineary Word-for-Word English Translation; a New -Emphatic Version based on the Interlineary Translation, on the Readings of -the Vatican Manuscript (No. 1,209 in the Vatican Library). By Benjamin -Wilson. 884 pp., $4.00; extra fine binding $5.00. - -A Bachelor’s Talks about Married Life and Things Adjacent. By Rev. William -Aikman, D.D. 12mo, extra cloth, $1.50. _Ready November 1._ - -A Lucky Waif.——A Story for Mothers, of Home and School Life. By Ellen E. -Kenyon. 12mo, ex. cloth. Price, $1. - -“An exceedingly bright and happily told story.”——_Mrs. Helen Campbell._ - -This work is intended to be suggestive to mothers. - -Life at Home; or, The Family and its Members. Including Husbands and -Wives, Parents, Children, Brothers, Sisters, Employers and Employed, The -Altar in the House, etc. By Rev. William Aikman, D.D. 12mo, $1.50; full -gilt $2. - -A New Theory of the Origin of Species. By Benj. G. Ferris. $1.50. - -Man in Genesis and in Geology, or, the Biblical Account of Man’s Creation -tested by Scientific Theories of his Origin and Antiquity. By Joseph P. -Thompson, D.D., LL.D. $1.00. - -_Sent by Mail, post-paid._ FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 Broadway, N. Y. - - - MISCELLANEOUS WORKS. - -The Children of the Bible. By Fanny L. Armstrong, with an Introduction by -Frances E. Willard, Pres. N. W. C. T. U. Extra cloth. Price, $1. A -handsome gift for children. - -The Temperance Reformation.——Its History from the first Temperance Society -in the United States to the Adoption of the Maine Liquor Law. $1.50. - -Man and Woman, Considered in their Relations to each other and to the -World. By H. C. Pedder. Cloth, $1. - -Æsop’s Fables.——With Seventy Splendid Illustrations. One vol. 12mo, fancy -cloth, gilt edges, $1. People’s Edition, bound in boards, 25 cents. - -Pope’s Essay on Man, with Illustrations and Notes by S. R. Wells. 12mo, -tinted paper, fancy cloth, full gilt, price $1. People’s Edition, bound in -boards, 25c. - -Gems of Goldsmith: “The Traveler,” “The Deserted Village,” “The Hermit.” -With notes and Original Illustrations, and Biographical Sketch of the -great author. One vol., fancy cloth, full gilt, $1. People’s Ed., bound in -boards, 25c. - -The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In Seven Parts. By Samuel T. Coleridge. -With new Illustrations by Chapman. One vol., fancy cloth, full gilt, $1. -People’s Ed., bound in boards, 25 cents. - -Footprints of Life; or, Faith and Nature Reconciled.——A Poem in Three -Parts. The Body; The Soul; The Deity. Philip Harvey, M.D. $1.25. - -How to Paint.——A Complete Compendium of the Art. Designed for the use of -Tradesmen, Mechanics, Merchants and Farmers, and a Guide to the -Professional Painter, Containing a plain Common-sense statement of the -Methods employed by Painters to produce satisfactory results in Plain and -Fancy Painting of every Description, including Gilding, Bronzing, -Staining, Graining, Marbling, Varnishing, Polishing, Kalsomining, Paper -Hanging, Striping, Lettering, Copying and Ornamenting, with Formulas for -Mixing Paint in Oil or Water. Description of Various Pigments used: tools -required, etc. By F. B. Gardner. $1.00. - -The Carriage Painter’s Illustrated Manual, containing a Treatise on the -Art, Science, and Mystery of Coach, Carriage, and Car Painting. Including -the Improvements in Fine Gilding, Bronzing, Staining, Varnishing, -Polishing, Copying, Lettering, Scrolling, and Ornamenting. By F. B. -Gardner. $1.00. - -How to Keep a Store, embodying the Experience of Thirty Years in -Merchandizing. By Samuel H. Terry. $1.50. - -How to Raise Fruits.——A Hand-book. Being a Guide to the Cultivation and -Management of Fruit Trees, and of Grapes and Small Fruits. With -Descriptions of the Best and Most Popular Varieties. Illustrated. By -Thomas Gregg. $1. - -How to be Weather-Wise.——A new View of our Weather System. By I. P. Noyes. -25 cents. - -How to Live.——Saving and Wasting; or, Domestic Economy Illustrated by the -Life of two Families of Opposite Character, Habits, and Practices, full of -Useful Lessons in Housekeeping, and Hints How to Live, How to Have, and -How to be Happy, including the Story of “A Dime a Day,” by Solon Robinson. -$1.25. - -Oratory——Sacred and Secular, or the Extemporaneous Speaker. Including -Chairman’s Guide for conducting Public Meetings according to the best -Parliamentary forms. By Wm. Pittenger. $1.25. - -Homes for All; or, the Gravel Wall. A New, Cheap, and Superior Mode of -Building, adapted to Rich and Poor. Showing the Superiority of the Gravel -Concrete over Brick, Stone and Frame Houses; Manner of Making and -Depositing it. By O. S. Fowler. $1.25. - -The Model Potato.——Proper cultivation and mode of cooking. 50 cents. - -Three Visits to America. By Emily Faithfull. 400 pages. $1.50. - -Capital Punishment; or, the Proper Treatment of Criminals, 10 cents. -“Father Matthew, the Temperance Apostle,” 10 cents. “Good Man’s Legacy,” -10 cents. Alphabet for Deaf and Dumb, 10 cents. - - _Sent by Mail, post-paid._ - FOWLER & WELLS CO., 753 Broadway, New York. - - - A Choice of Premiums. - - =The Phrenological Chart.= - -A handsome symbolical Head, made from new and special drawings designed -for the purpose. The pictorial illustrations show the location of each of -the phrenological organs, and their natural language. The Head is about -twelve ins. wide, handsomely lithographed in colors and on heavy plate -paper 19 × 24 ins., properly mounted, with rings for hanging, or may be -framed, and will be very attractive wherever it is seen. Price $1.00. Is -given to new subscribers, or the Bust Premium. - -[Illustration] - - The Phrenological Bust. - -This Bust is made of Plaster of Paris, and so lettered as to show the -exact location of each of the Phrenological Organs. The head is nearly -life-size, and very ornamental, deserving a place on the centre-table or -mantel in parlor, office or study. This, with the illustrated key which -accompanies each Bust, should be in the hands of all who would know “How -to READ CHARACTER.” Price, $1.00, or given as a Premium to each new -subscriber to the Journal, or we will send the Chart Premium. - - THE - PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL - -Is widely known in America and Europe, having been before the reading -world fifty years, and occupying a place in literature exclusively its -own, viz., the study of HUMAN NATURE in all its phases, including -Phrenology, Physiognomy, Ethnology, Physiology, etc., together with the -“SCIENCE OF HEALTH,” and no expense will be spared to make it the best -publication for general circulation, tending always to make men better -physically, mentally, and morally. Parents and teachers should read the -JOURNAL, that they may better know how to govern and train their children. -Young people should read the JOURNAL, that they may make the most of -themselves. It has long met with the hearty approval of the press and the -people. - -_N. Y. Times_ says: “THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL proves that the increasing -years of a periodical is no reason for its lessening its enterprise or for -diminishing its abundance of interesting matter. If all magazines -increased in merit as steadily as The PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL, they would -deserve in time to show equal evidences of popularity.” - -_Christian Union_ says: “It is well known as a popular storehouse for -useful thought. It teaches men to know themselves, and constantly presents -matters of the highest interest to intelligent readers, and has the -advantage of having always been not only ‘up with the times,’ but _a -little in advance_. Its popularity shows the result of enterprise and -brains.” - -=TERMS.=——The JOURNAL is published monthly at $2.00 a year, or 20 cents a -Number. To each new subscriber is given either the BUST or CHART Premium -described above. When the Premiums are sent, 15 cents extra must be -received with each subscription to pay postage on the JOURNAL and the -expense of boxing and packing the Bust, which will be sent by express, or -No. 2, a smaller size, or the Chart Premium, will be sent by mail, -post-paid. - -Send amount in P. O. Orders, P. N., Drafts on New York, or in Registered -Letters. Postage-stamps will be received. AGENTS WANTED. Send 10 cents for -specimen Number, Premium List, Posters, etc. Address - - FOWLER & WELLS CO., Publishers, 753 Broadway, New York. - - * * * * * - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S AMENDMENTS - - -Transcriber’s Note: Blank pages have been deleted. Footnotes have been -coalesced and moved so as to follow the referencing paragraph. Except in -the index, page references have been updated to reflect the new positions -of the footnotes. Paragraph formatting has been made consistent. The -publisher’s inadvertent omissions of important punctuation have been -corrected. - -The following list indicates any additional changes made. The page number -represents that of the original publication and applies in this etext -except for footnotes and illustrations since they may have been moved. - -Key: {<from>}[<to>]: - - Page Change - - 5 Brunton, T. Lauder, M.D., F.R.S. 59, {137}[138] - 5 Bryant, William Cullen {109}[110] - 5 Huxley, Prof. T. H. 23, {93}[97], {246}[247] - 6 SCHMIDT-{MUHLHEIM}[MÜHLHEIM], PROF. - 49 without “seasoning,” is doubtless {preferaable}[preferable] - 119 “By cold the {repiratory}[respiratory] function is exalted - 132 and, so, a {predispostion}[predisposition] to renal disease - 167 the victims of “{aerophobia}[aërophobia].” Patients themselves - 240 or the {exhaiations}[exhalations] from the lungs, - 246 the first {conjestive}[congestive] effects have subsided - 249 dental exercise is the best {dentrifice}[dentifrice] - 255 by rendering the stomach {anaemic}[anæmic], - 270 become disturbed and {disorded}[disordered] in spirit - 273 {yon}[you] need nothing done for you in order - - * * * * * - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Natural Cure of Consumption, -Constipation, Bright's Disease, , by Charles Edward Page - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NATURAL CURE *** - -***** This file should be named 40184-0.txt or 40184-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/1/8/40184/ - -Produced by Bryan Ness, Henry Gardiner and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |