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Whatever you may do, avoid everything in the form of drugs, for they are injurious in the highest degree. The continual excitation of the excretory processes by the use of cathartics is a most pernicious practice and should be shunned. A constant indulgence in the "purgative habit" often renders the coating of the stomach so sensitive that even the presence of food in that organ irritates it and is frequently hurried out half digested.
The "Cascade" should be used each alternate day, for at least two weeks, then, twice a week, until improvement is assured. Drink a tumblerful of hot water, not less than half an hour before breakfast and eat freely of fruit at that meal. Also partake liberally of good, green vegetables at other meals. Eating whole-wheat bread is of decided assistance, and make it a rule to drink from two to three pints of water each day.
PILES OR HEMORRHOIDS.
This is a disease of the rectum and muscles of the anus, and is the direct result of constipation. The accumulation of hardened faecal matter distends the sigmoid flexure, causing inflammation, until from its own weight it falls down, producing prolapse of the bowels. Frequently ulceration follows and the bowel is pressed out, tumors forming on the protruding portion.
Bleeding piles are caused by congestion of the rectal blood vessels. The constant nerve irritation causes muscular contraction, consequently circulation is interfered with, producing a condition of engorgement. Owing to lack of nutrition the structures become brittle and quantities of the varicosed capillaries unite to form pile tumors. The methods of treatment usually employed are, injecting astringents into the tumors to dry them up; to ligate the tumors, that they may die or drop off, or to amputate the portion of the rectum in which the tumors form (known as the radical operation), none of which prevent a return of the trouble. The only rational plan is to remove the cause.
TREATMENT.
First empty the colon, using the "Cascade," thus removing the cause, then the inflammation will subside and the protruding bowel go back into its place. Tumors will soon absorb if they are put back when they protrude. Sitting in a tub of hot water will cause the bowel to go back immediately. Hot water is Nature's astringent and never fails. The following salve has been found of great value in facilitating recovery: Two heaped tablespoonfuls of vaseline or cosmoline, willow charcoal, one teaspoonful; canadies pinus canadensis, twenty-five drops; sulphate morphia, five grains. Mix well and apply up the rectum with the fingers as far as possible. But the most effective aid to a cure is to follow the use of the "Cascade," by inserting in the rectum a small piece of ice, about the size of the tip of the little finger (previously immersed in water to render it smooth), which will be found a most admirable rectal tonic, driving the blood away from the congested parts, and producing a bracing effect on the structures. In bad cases, it may be used with good effect several times during the day, and will be found equally beneficial in cases of prolapse of the rectum. The ice is to be retained in the rectum.
PARALYSIS OR PALSY.
These two terms signify one and the same disease; that is, a condition of the system in which the power of voluntary motion is lost. It is the outward manifestation of a deep-seated disease that can usually be traced to an obstructed colon and consequent disordered circulation. The same causes promote apoplexy. A blood vessel is ruptured in the brain, causing a clot to form, which presses upon the nerves that convey the will of the mind to the muscles, thus stopping their action. It is not, as is usually supposed, an affection of the muscles, but of the nerves that control the muscular movements. Sometimes one entire side of the body becomes affected and completely deprived of voluntary motion. Congestion of the brain is a preliminary of paralysis, and congestion of the brain are invariably due to an enlarged transverse colon.
One form of paralysis affects only certain parts of the body, such. as the lower limbs, or the reproductive organs, and is caused by pressure upon some large nerve communicating with the paralyzed portion. This is doubtless due to the pressure of an enlarged ascending or descending colon upon some of the lumbar plexus nerves, or their branches. This, however, refers to what may be termed local paralysis, or paralysis of certain parts.
Paralysis of an entire side of the body is due to pressure on the brain, and this is caused by defective circulation, induced by an unnaturally distended colon. While in this condition some severe physical exertion or mental strain increases the pressure beyond the power of resistance and a rupture is the result—when the patient falls, wherever he may happen to be.
TREATMENT.
Prevention of paralysis is very easy, for with a clean colon it is an impossibility, and the remedy is too plainly indicated to need pointing out. You have but to remove the cause—the accumulation in the colon. Massage is a most valuable part of the treatment. To prevent the muscles from stiffening, and to retain the suppleness of the affected parts, frequent rubbings are necessary, and the mind should be stimulated to resume its control over the refractory muscles. During an attack it is necessary to pay particular attention to diet— easily digested, nonconstipating food only. You may have to revert to a spoon diet for awhile—and, as the liability to a second attack is great during the period of recovery, special attention must be given to diet to guard against it.
When power begins to return to the affected parts, a system of graduated exercises should be arranged, gradually increasing in force with the return of strength and normal control. These exercises will gradually educate the mind and restore its harmonious working with the body.
EPILEPSY, OR FALLING SICKNESS,
Is distinguished from apoplexy, or paralysis, by the convulsive action and foaming at the mouth. One prime cause of this most distressing complaint is the action of worms in the colon. In a number of cases treated by us, knots of worms were expelled, and the exciting cause being removed, complete recovery followed. The preventive treatment is simple. Use the "Cascade" and out antiseptic tonic until the worms are entirely expelled. During a fit loosen the clothing at the throat and place something in the mouth, a cork, for instance, to prevent the patient from biting his tongue. Some fine salt thrust into the mouth will shorten the duration of the fit.
Another prolific cause is masturbation, in which case nothing but the abandonment of the habit and a cleanly life, both physically and morally, will effect a cure.
GONORRHEA.
This is a contagious disease, and its victims usually become the prey of unprincipled charlatans, who drive the disease inward by suppressing the symptoms. It affects the male much more seriously than the female. It commences with a slight uneasy sensation at the mouth of the urethra, between the second and seventh day after exposure to infection. The natural discharge of mucus is increased, and is more viscid, followed by acute inflammation. The discharge becomes thick and greenish and urination is painful. Swelling of the glands in the groin is common, called a bubo. Orchitis or swelling of the testicle is also a frequent accompaniment. Under the best of treatment it will require from four to six weeks to effect a cure, but if neglected it may mean months.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" every night for the first two weeks, then twice a week for at least two months, to get the poison out of the system, and keep the parts scrupulously clean by bathing them two or three times a day. Carefully avoid everything in the form of a stimulant, especially alcoholic drinks, also tobacco, and let the diet be largely vegetable. Use the following injection twice every day after urinating. Colored fluid hydrastis, two drachms; fluid extract canadies pinus canadensis, two drachms; bromo chiorellum, half a drachm; water, six ounces. Shake well and inject twice a day until a marked improvement can be noticed, then once a day, and, finally, every other day.
HERNIA OR RUPTURE
Is the escape of some portion of the viscera through an abnormal opening and takes its particular name from the locality in which the protrusion occurs, although the inguinal is the most common form. The dynamic force of foul gases engendered in the system is a prolific, though generally unsuspected cause; but the mechanical pressure exerted by an overloaded colon in the limited space of the abdominal cavity is responsible for seventy-five per cent, of all cases. The treatment is obvious—use the "Cascade" faithfully, and, the cause being removed, reduction is easy, and if the colon be kept clean, a properly adjusted truss will soon completely cure it.
INEBRIETY
Is responsible for many of the ills of the present generation, in the form of transmitted constitutional weakness, not to mention the functional derangements and organic destruction, of which it is a potent and direct cause.
There are two grave reasons why alcohol should not be taken into the system, or, if at all, in very minute quantities and at distant intervals. The first is the moral reason, because it undermines and destroys the finer part of man. It has the peculiar effect upon the brain of stimulating the baser qualities and blunting the finer ones. The second is the physical reason, see "The Diet Question." When alcoholism becomes a fixed habit, it must be treated as a disease, for it is one in reality. In many cases the large intestinal or tapeworm is at the root of the trouble. Now, worms cannot exist in a perfectly clean body, with every function working properly. Few, if any, animals can resist the solvent power of the gastric juice if it is secreted in normal quantity, and in full health and vigor, consequently, to cleanse the body of all superabundant filth and restore it to a sound working condition, will prevent their growth. But if they are present and developed (as they sometimes are) to an enormous size, the vital forces are unable to dislodge them, unaided, and recourse must be bad to a "vermifuge" diet. This may be found in two articles—the crusts of good, sweet wheat-meal bread and good, ripe uncooked apples. It is important that the food be hard, so that it be well masticated and that it be eaten slowly, so that the stomach is not overloaded.
TREATMENT.
First get the alcohol out of the system by flushing the colon daily. This will help you to stop drinking (which is so much easier advised than accomplished), then proceed to sweat it out by a daily Turkish bath (see end of book) or a Turkish bath one day and a wet sheet pack the next.
Second, sip a cupful of hot water not less than half an hour before each meal and use the wheat bread crusts and apple diet mentioned before for one week certain, two weeks is better (if possible). Then use the "cascade" thoroughly, to expel the worm; and for a month at least follow the diet laid down for dyspepsia, when the alcoholized blood in your veins will have been replaced with good, rich blood, and your cure practically effected.
OBESITY.
The condition of the body, to which nosologists have applied this term, is that of general engorgement, or, over-fullness, and is the result of excessive eating, or imperfect deputation, or both. Over-eating and inactivity are the chief producing causes. It is the especial prerogative of children to be fat, but when too great an accumulation comes, with advancing years, it brings discomforts, disadvantages, and oftentimes fatal diseases, among which are Apoplexy, Fatty Liver, Diabetes, Bright's Disease and Fatty Heart. The sanguine or entonic variety is distinguished by florid skin, full strong pulse, turgid veins, with firm and vigorous muscular fibres, and the serous or atonic, is denoted by a full, but frequent and feeble pulse, smooth and soft skin, plump but inexpressive figure, and general languor or debility of the vital functions.
TREATMENT.
Use the "Cascade" regularly, and take as much exercise as is possible without fatigue. A brisk three mile walk daily will work wonders in reducing weight, especially if you perspire freely. Drink a pint of hot water an hour before each meal and half an hour before retiring, to wash the sour ferments and bile from the stomach before eating and sleeping. Live principally on roast or broiled meat, fish, poultry or game, boiled rice, green vegetables, and brown bread. When people are unable to take the necessary amount of exercise, the dieting process, known as the "Salisbury system," is very effective. This consists of the lean part of good beef, from which every particle of fat and sinew is removed, then chopped to a pulp, made into small cakes and broiled— then eaten hot. The reduction of adipose tissue demands a certain amount of self-sacrifice, but the above method, if faithfully followed, never fails to effect the purpose.
LOST MANHOOD
Is the term now generally employed to describe impotence, or physical inability to perform the sexual function. It is frequently due to conjugal excesses, but the principal cause is the baneful widespread practice of masturbation, or self-pollution. It manifests itself in what is known as Spermatorrhea, or involuntary emissions of the seminal fluid, and if allowed to continue unchecked, speedily depletes the vitality of the sufferer, and renders him a physical wreck. Do not be deceived by the lying advertisements of unprincipled charlatans, that any drug can help you. The treatment must be hygienic and thorough, and may necessitate a change in your whole mode of life.
TREATMENT.
Firstly, the colon must be kept clean, as the faecal accumulations there irritate the sensitive nerves. So it is advisable to use the "Cascade" every night for two weeks at least, then every second night. Secondly, practice the breathing and bodily movements described under the head of Exercise, and take all the exercise you can in the open air, as these things are important factors in strengthening the nervous system and hastening a cure. Thirdly, special attention must be paid to diet. If you can practice strict vegetarianism for a time, so much the better, choosing those articles most easily digested. Only plain roast or boiled beef should be eaten (if any meat be taken at all), shun all hot condiments, also tea, coffee, tobacco and alcohol— especially the latter, for nothing can help you while you use these articles. Fourthly, after flushing, take a cold bath every night, or, if this is impracticable, bathe the genital organs, and the spine (up to the base of the brain) in cold water, and rub down vigorously with a crash towel. Fifthly, resolutely form cleanly habits of mind, as well as body; take up a course of good reading to occupy the mind, and divert it into healthy channels, and shun all reading of a sensational nature. Sixthly, avoid thinking impure and lascivious thoughts, and do not allow your mind to dwell upon your condition, but cultivate self- control. The above treatment has cured hundreds of bad cases, and will cure you, if steadily persevered in, but a strict abstinence from sexual indulgence, and an absolute abandonment of the pernicious vice, is an indispensable condition.
Frequently quite aged men write us, complaining of their sexual disability—to all such, we say that the restoration of lost power after fifty years of age is in the highest degree improbable, and after the grand climacteric (63) is passed—it is practically impossible.
DIABETES OR DIABETES MELLITUS
Is a peculiar and troublesome disease, characterized by an excessive discharge of urine, which is heavily charged with grape sugar, which is the saccharine principle of grapes and honey, hence the term mellitus. This substance is manufactured in excess by the body, and eliminated by the kidneys. The discharge of urine is abnormally large, sometimes reaching as high as several gallons daily. Owing to the presence of sugar in the blood and the secretions, nutrition is affected, and other disturbances manifest themselves in the system. It is a disease, which, if not taken in time, usually proves fatal, and it therefore behooves the individual to keep the body in thorough order, and to carefully watch any abnormality in the urine.
TREATMENT.
The "Cascade" should be used regularly, also the wet sheet pack, to promote the action of the skin, for that organ usually exhibits a marked dryness; and its temperature should be varied to suit that of the body. If fairly vigorous, the morning cold bath should be used, for its tonic qualities, or, if weak, then the tepid bath, followed, in either case, by a brisk rubbing, to promote circulation. Diet is most important. All sweets and starchy foods, which are converted into sugar by digestion, should be shunned, while whole wheat bread, lean beef, mutton and fish, together with salads made from herbs, should be eaten. Acid fruits, such as oranges and lemons, are beneficial. Soft boiled eggs and milk (in moderation) may be taken. All food should be eaten slowly and a little at a time. The only drink should be pure water, and that never at meal times, but a cup of hot water half an hour before meals will be found of service. Tea, coffee, cream, and especially alcoholic drinks, must be absolutely avoided.
LOCOMOTOR ATAXIA
Results from what is known as sclerosis, a hardening of the gray matter in the motor centres of the spinal cord. Its special symptom is the peculiar high-stepping gait, the power of locomotion not being properly under the control of the will, and when the eyes are closed, it seems impossible for the afflicted person to walk forward without falling. Like other diseases of its class, it is primarily due to innutrition, the result of imperfect elimination, and has hitherto defied regular medical treatment. If a cure is to be effected, it is by regular use of the "Cascade," perfect rest, strict attention to diet, and judicious massage; but if the case is well advanced, it is doubtful whether restoration to health can be affected.
NURSING MOTHERS.
Under the above heading, we class the following troublesome complaints: Inflammation of the Breast, Milk Fever, Sore Nipples, Puerperal Swelled Leg, and Puerperal Fever, or Peritonitis, all of which complaints are practically unknown, under intelligent hygienic treatment.
We would point out that a simple hygienic mode of life (including careful diet and the regular practice of the "Cascade Treatment" during pregnancy), will not only have the effect of making the labor easy, and the recovery rapid, but will almost preclude the possibility of any of the above complaints manifesting themselves.
During pregnancy the "Cascade Treatment" should be regularly used twice a week, by which means the absorption of the poisonous waste matters of the system into the circulation is completely avoided, and the future health of the infant assured. The body should be bathed daily, or, if impracticable, then a brisk rubbing from head to foot, with a towel, and exercise—more or less—taken every day. The diet should consist largely of vegetables and fruit, especially after the fourth month, avoiding farinaceous foods as much as possible, such as wheat, peas, beans, barley, and especially fine wheaten flour. These foods contain the bony constitutents, and their avoidance tends to deossify the systems of both mother and child, and make childbirth what Nature intended it to be, a comparatively painless proceeding.
Careful attention to the foregoing hygienic mode of life, during pregnancy, will effectually prevent the appearance of those distressing complaints (before mentioned), pecu1iar to Nursing Mothers.
INFLAMMATION OF THE BREAST
Would never occur, if the "Cascade" had been regularly used, and the treatment for it, when present, is to use the "Cascade" thoroughly, and apply cool wet clothes, well covered with dry ones, to the breasts. If there is a surplus of milk, draw it off with the breast pump, or the more convenient method—the mouth.
SORE NIPPLES
Do not require anything but a little cream or olive oil applied to them, with occasional applications of cold, wet cloths when they are hot and painful, and occasional fomentations when they are cracked and sore—but do not fail to "flush the colon."
MILK FEVER
Is principally due to over-heated, or ill-ventilated rooms, and should be treated by at once flushing the colon, and if the patient is not too weak, use the wet sheet pack, otherwise tepid ablutions should be frequently used.
PUERPERAL SWELLED LEG
Should be treated as an acute inflammation. The colon should be thoroughly flushed, the wet sheet pack or tepid bath used frequently, and cold wet compresses applied to the afflicted limb. The patient may drink cold water freely, and the diet should consist mainly of Indian or wheat-meal gruel.
FISTULA.
There are two distinctly recognized forms of fistula, the complete and the incomplete: the latter, having only one opening, either external or internal; if the opening is internal, it is termed, "blind fistula." The complete fistula has two openings, usually, one external and one internal, but in some cases, both openings are external. Fistula is almost invariably the sequel to a neglected abscess, therefore, any form of gathering in the buttocks, should be promptly attended to. Fistula may result from an injury; but the large majority of cases are due to a congested or diseased condition of the sigmoid flexure and rectum.
TREATMENT.
It need scarcely be said, that scrupulous care and cleanliness are indispensable factors in promoting recovery, therefore, the colon must be kept absolutely clean, by the use of the "Cascade" and the parts 'thoroughly bathed with warm water, at least, once daily, and the pipe of the fistula should be thoroughly cleaned three times a day, with the following solution: To half a cupful of warm water, add twenty- five drops of fluid hydrastis and one teaspoonful of finely pulverized willow charcoal. This should be mixed thoroughly and injected into the opening of the fistula, the whole of it, with a small piston syringe. If the opening is not external, then, double the quantity should be injected into the rectum. This practice should be persisted in until the discharge ceases. In some cases, operations are absolutely necessary. All stimulants should be avoided and all highly seasoned foods.
DISEASES OF CHILDREN.
The following simple methods of treating the ailments of childhood will be found remarkably efficacious, easy of application, and may be used with confidence.
CROUP.
This disease often runs in families, and is most frequently caused by sudden alterations of temperature. The symptoms are usually a harsh cough, hoarseness, sore throat, and slight fever. A croupy child needs watching. To prevent it, keep the colon clean.
The treatment cannot be too prompt. Use the "Cascade" quickly, and place the child immediately in a hot bath, and rub the lower limbs thoroughly. Wring a cloth out of cold water, and place it on the throat and chest, covering it with a thick flannel to exclude the air. Change the cloth as often as it gets dry.
SCARLET FEVER.
This is a bacillus disease. The colon being clogged, Nature is trying to cast out the impurities by way of the pores of the skin, and when these become congested we have fever. First flush the colon, then use the hot sheet pack (see end of book), if the fever is not very high, or if the child has chills. If the fever is high, use the cold sheet pack. With this treatment the rash will soon come out, and the child be easy. If fever appears again, give another injection and a sponge bath. Feed the body with water outside, and give it all it wants to drink. Give no food until Nature calls for it, then a raw egg beaten in milk. When the appetite comes back, give soft-boiled rice, or oatmeal with milk. Keep a cool head, and this treatment will save your child.
CHOLERA INFANTUM
Is a disease that can be readily cured by flushing the colon—adding a little antiseptic tonic to the water. It is purely a disease of the alimentary canal, consequently, cleansing that passage affords relief. A tepid bath, covering the legs and abdomen, is of wonderful benefit when fever is present. Be very particular with the diet. A raw egg, well beaten, in boiled milk is very nourishing.
DIPHTHERIA
Is a terribly fatal complaint, the result of a poison or germ produced in the body during the illness. The symptoms being difficult to identify, all cases of sore throat, if accompanied by fever, loss of strength, and white spots on the tonsils, should be regarded as diphtheretic.
Give full hot water flushings twice or four times every twenty-four hours. If the throat is of a grayish color, add a teaspoonful of borax to every quart of water. If it is of a dark red color, add a teaspoonful of acetic acid to every quart of water. If the child cannot retain it, place it in a hot hip bath, and then it will. After the discharge, induce perspiration with the hot sheet pack (if chilly), if not, in the cold pack, and apply a cold compress to the throat. Give the child all the cold, pure water it wants.
To treat the throat locally, take equal parts of fine salt, borax and common soda, pulverize, mix well, and by means of a quill blow well down the throat, using one quarter or half a teaspoonful.
SMALL-POX.
Is a very contagious eruptive fever, caused by a bacillus and fever, with aching of the limbs, in from nine to twelve germ peculiar to the disease. It commences with chills days after exposure.
After forty-eight hours the eruption usually appears. When rightly treated, it is not a dangerous disease.
In the case of a young person or child, the treatment is the same as for scarlet fever. Let the patient have all the water it wants in frequent drinks—a little cold water at a time.
After the eruption appears, no further treatment is necessary, except a daily flushing of the colon and a daily sponge bath in tepid water. If there is pain in the head, apply a cold compress. There is no appetite during the progress of the disease, but when the stomach demands food, great care should be exercised. Milk may be given safely. When strength returns, toasted Graham bread, mush, boiled or broiled chicken may be given.
TO PREVENT POCKMARKS.
The marking is caused by exposure to dry air and light, therefore paint the hands and face with a mixture of glycerine and charcoal—the glycerine keeps the skin soft, and the charcoal shuts out the light. It should be washed off every morning, and re-applied. Under no circumstances must the patient be allowed to scratch off the pocks.
MEASLES
Is an eruptive disease peculiar to children, slightly contagious, but not dangerous. It may commence with a slight chill, or not. The fever is usually attended with a slight cold, swollen watery eyes, and sneezing.
The first thing to be done is to bring out the rash, which is quickly done, by flushing the colon, followed by a wet sheet pack, as in scarlet fever. When the eruption is out, nothing is needed but to keep the colon clean, and wash down daily with tepid water. In all eruptive diseases guard against taking cold—for a cold closes the pores of the skin, shutting up Nature's vent through which she is expelling the disease germs.
WORMS IN THE INTESTINES.
This exceedingly prevalent and troublesome complaint may be quickly and effectually relieved by colon injections, coupled with the J. B. L. antiseptic tonic. It should be retained until the preparation has time to destroy or loosen the hold of the worms. Its action may be greatly accelerated by rubbing and churning the bowels.
INFANTILE CONVULSIONS OR FITS.
These spasms sometimes indicate the approach of one of the eruptive fevers, but usually the cause is the irritation of teething, or worms in the intestines. Although the appearance of a child under such conditions is painful, yet the danger is much less than appears.
Get the little sufferer into a hot bath as quickly as possible, and draw the blood to the skin, which will afford relief. Next, direct your attention to the bowels. If, as is exceedingly likely, worms are the cause, treat as for worms.
GALL STONES
Are the result of arrested secretion of bile, usually through congestion of the liver. Then the substances that form bile accumulate and solidify in granules. Hundreds of these continually pass off through the bowels unnoticed; but prolonged congestion causes them to cohere and form larger masses, that, in passing through the bile duct, cause intense pain, which is sometimes mistaken for appendicitis.
TREATMENT.
It is only in passing, that their presence becomes known, when all that can be done is, to favor their passage by copious fomentations of hot water and diligent use of the "Cascade." Sometimes it is impossible for the stone to pass, when it has to be removed surgically. The regular use of the "Cascade" will prevent their formation. At the first symptoms of pain in the region of the liver, follow the directions for treatment of that organ, especially the exercises, and drink freely of olive oil.
MASSAGE, SHEET-PACKS, ETC.
MASSAGE,
Which is the application of motion and pressure to the body, is a most important factor in preserving or restoring health. It affords a sick person all the benefit to be obtained from exercise without the physical effort, which he is unable to exert. The sweat glands, capillaries, and lymph channels, which constitute thousands of miles of tubing, in the body of a grown person, are, by carefully and systematically applied massage, stimulated to action. The currents in these vessels are a necessity of life. When they are obstructed, weakness is the result; when they cease, decay and death ensue.
When we rub our hands or feet, we say the friction warms them; in reality it is the inner vessels which are stimulated, and bring more warm blood to the parts. If this process is extended over the whole available surface of the body, the most beneficial results will follow.
There are three recognized methods of application. First—Rubbing, to stimulate the skin to action. Second—Rolling, and pinching gently, also a kneading movement, used principally to stimulate. the stomach, bowels, and muscular tissues. Third—Percussion, or tapping with the ends of the fingers, softly-most effiacious in stimulating the action of the lungs.
Rub the surface first with a little palm oil, or vaseline. Use the tapping movement for the chest and back, the rubbing movement for the stomach and bowels, and the pinching or kneading movement for the limbs. In dyspepsia and constipation, great benefit is derived from massage treatment of the stomach and colon—starting the movements in the right groin, where the colon commences, and following its course to its rectal extremity, (consult diagram). For rheumatism, sprains, etc., commence with hot oily applications.
Most people find massage treatment to have a gentle, soothing effect. Nearly all find their appetite increased.
THE STOMACH BATH.
The first method is simplicity itself, and consists in drinking from half to a pint of hot water, as hot as can be drank with comfort, in the morning after rising, or half an hour before breakfast. It loosens up the mucus in the stomach, and in half an hour it will have passed out.
The second consists in drinking tepid water until nauseated, then the stomach will throw it back, with its contents. This thoroughly empties and cleanses the stomach. From a pint to a quart is usually sufficient, although two quarts will do no harm. If the stomach does not reject it readily, thrust the forefinger down the throat to the end of the glottis.
The third method is by the stomach tube.
THE TURKISH BATH.
Provide a wooden bottomed Chair, and having stripped the patient of all Clothing, except a pair of woolen drawers to protect his legs from the heat, let him sit on it, with his feet ankle deep in a hot foot bath, just as hot as he can bear. Wrap him about first with a blanket, tucking it close around the neck, but letting it hang loose over the chair and vessel containing the foot bath, but so arranged as to exclude the air from his person. Over the blanket wrap one or two heavy comfortables, the object being to prevent the escape of the heat and exclude the outside air from the body. Raising one side of the comfortables and blanket, place under the chair an old tea cup half full of alcohol. Set it on fire and again close the opening. Give him a drink of cold water, and if the head feels oppressed, apply a wet towel wrung from cold water. Add more hot water to the foot bath once or twice, keeping it as hot as he can bear it during the continuance of the bath. Keep him in the bath until the alcohol is all burned out. Then wash him down with soap and tepid water, sponge off with cool water, rubbing the flesh and working the muscles vigorously the meanwhile. Then dry off by patting the skin with the towel (not rubbing it), leaving a little moisture on it; dress quickly and let him lie down for an hour or put him to bed.
It should not be taken either immediately before or after a meal. There are excellent bath cabinets to be obtained, but in their absence the above will be found excellent.
THE WET SHEET-PACK.
Spread over the bed or cot two or more heavy cornfortables, over these a pair of blankets, then, if for a person of strong vitality, wring a sheet out of cold water just dry enough not to drip, and spread it over the blanket; lay the patient stripped of all clothing on the sheet with his arms by his sides, tuck the sheet around him, then the blankets and comfortables, leaving his head out but tucking it close around the neck and over his feet—making a mummy of him, so to say. If the head is hot or aches, apply a towel wrung from cold water and renew it as often as it gets warm. To the feet apply a jug of hot water. Let him lie in the pack from twenty to forty minutes, or even longer if he is comfortable. He will soon get warm and sweat freely. This is the end desired. If he goes to sleep, as is often the case, don't be in a hurry to wake him up. He will take no harm so long as he keeps warm. See that there is plenty of fresh air in the room. When he has been in the pack a sufficient length of time close the windows, then take him out and wash him down thoroughly with soap and soft, tepid water, then sponge off with cooler water, rubbing him down vigorously and working the flesh the meanwhile. If not too weak he should assist in this operation. Then dry off by patting the skin with the towel (not rubbing it), leaving a little moisture on the skin. Then, if in the day time, and the weather is not too cold, a little exercise in the open air will be beneficial. If he is too weak to exercise put him to bed again.
Before and during the pack let him have all the cold water he wants to drink, in small quantities at a time. If the patient has but little vitality, wring the sheet out of tepid water instead of cold water.
The hot sheet-pack is used in the same manner, the only difference being that the sheet is wrung out of water as hot as can be borne.
CARE OF THE "CASCADE."
What is worth having is worth taking care of; and the "Cascade" is so likely to be called into emergency service, that it should be always in order—hence the following suggestions:
After using it, hang it up by the eyelet, until it ceases to drip; then put in the stopper. The small amount of moisture left in will help to keep it flexible. It should be kept hanging, if possible, as folds in the rubber predispose it to crack. It should be kept in an even temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
Never pour boiling, or very hot water into it—it is not designed to withstand such a degree of heat, and do not let grease, in any form, come in contact with it, as grease decomposes rubber.
PART NINE.
SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS.
If there is one thing in particular that I desire to impress upon my readers, it is, don't dread disease. It is a beneficial agent, for it is Nature's method of re-adjusting matters in the human economy. There are only two conditions, health and disease. Mark the etymology of the word! Whenever there is any departure from the normal, it is bound to manifest itself in the organ or structure most in need of repair; but as disease is a tearing down, and its cure a process of building up, it does not need the wisdom of Solomon to recognize the fact that all assistance toward recovery must come from within. Disease is just as natural a condition as health; both are the result of the operation of natural law. Disease, being Nature's method of cure, any attempt to suppress it must of necessity invite disaster.
This is one of the chief reasons why I am opposed to drug medication, because its sole aim seems to be the suppression of symptoms. Pain, the chief symptom, is not disease, but simply the messenger bringing warning of the disease to the brain. To silence this messenger, yet leave the disease unchecked, is folly. It would be just as reasonable, if the house were on fire, to cut the cord of the alarm bell, and to conclude because you could no longer hear the bell that the danger was past. Disease, therefore, being beneficial, should be welcomed as a friend, and every assistance given to Nature to assist her in restoring normal conditions.
Prevention is better than cure, you will all agree, and the great elements of prevention are, knowledge of self, cleanliness, physical, mental and moral; hygiene and sanitation. I contend that physiology is the most important subject that can engage the attention of the individual. Nothing is so essential as a knowledge of the functioning of the body in which he dwells, for it is the vehicle through which the real self is to find expression; through which he is to achieve success or failure, according to the condition of its mechanism.
No engineer can obtain from the machine under his control the highest results, unless every part of the mechanism is in perfect working order. How much more important, then, that the human organism should be in perfect adjustment, since through it the mentality is to find its highest expression? Without a knowledge of its construction and its working principles, how is the individual to raise the human machine to the highest plane of excellence and maintain it there? No one is allowed to run an engine without first passing an examination, which necessitates a certain amount of study and knowledge of the laws of mechanics; yet men undertake to run that complex machine, the human body, in utter ignorance of physiological law! Is it any wonder that there are so many breakdowns? What I contend for is the study of the fundamental facts concerning the ordinary functions of the body: of diet, dress and exercise in their relation to health, and the relative effects of good and bad air upon the system. It is of infinitely more consequence to understand the basic principles of digestion and the proper combination of foods, or to understand thoroughly the baneful effects of sleeping in a badly ventilated room, than to be the greatest living expert in conic sections. Practical physiology is the crying need of the times, especially for our children, if we expect them to be well developed—mentally morally and physically.
With such an equipment of knowledge the individual is prepared to withstand the wear and tear of life, and I may remark here that it is the tear more than the wear that figures in physical breakdown. All human beings are not endowed alike with nervous force; it is largely a matter of heredity, but what we have may be cultivated and developed. Failure to do so renders the individual liable to nervous breakdown, or neurasthenia, as it is popularly termed, a widespread disease, especially in America, where the strain of life is greater than elsewhere. Competition, a desire to go beyond one's fellows in achievement, working beyond the strength, together with lack of care of the physical system, all conspire to keep constant the undue excitement of the nerves that ends in exhaustion. Children born of nervous parents, with weak nervous systems, should be fortified against the risks of inheritance by hygienic measures, during their developmental period, strengthening in every way their physical and mental endowments. Even those well developed in this respect should husband his or her resources—always keeping a reserve fund by avoiding undue fatigue, spending plenty of time in sleep, taking care of the body, and arranging for intervals of rest that shall include change of scene and environment.
Remember that mind and thought have their effect on the bodily health, no less than material and physical conditions; and that although a healthy body needs a sane mind, it is none the less true that a sane mind needs a healthy body; therefore maintain perfect equilibrium between the two. It may surprise you to hear your body compared to a bank; but the analogy is perfect, as I shall proceed to show. No living organism is precisely the same for sixty consecutive minutes. There are perpetually losses from within and gains from without; losses in the form of broken down tissue, gains in the form of food or air, which is the most essential form of food. So, in a bank, there is a constant interchange of deposits and withdrawals. No bank could exist if the depositors insisted upon their money being hoarded up there. It is the money, and not the bank, that is the fixed consideration, money being the medium of exchange. In the human system, food is the medium, and for the same reason that a bank cannot exist by hoarding up money, it is impossible for a living organism to exist by simply storing up food. There must be a continual interchange, otherwise the human bank cannot pay dividends in the form of health and energy.
And even as some banks, that appear solid and substantial from the outside, may be on the verge of ruin, owing to the lack of supervision over income and expenditure; so many apparently robust bodies may be on the verge of physical collapse, owing to the mistaken belief that the body is simply a depository for food. Energy may be stored up in the system for future use, that being the dividend resulting from judicious interchange; but to force the system to receive more food than it can use and assimilate, is to invite disaster and pave the way to physical bankruptcy. A knowledge of banking is valuable in any walk of life, and I feel that the most valuable advice I can give my readers is to study Nature's bookkeeping, as manifested in the human bank, and to see that the balance is strictly drawn between income and expenditure. The world will yet see the day when it will be considered a disgrace to be sick; but in the meantime, humanity suffers for lack of that important knowledge—knowledge of self.
Above all, cultivate the habit of happiness. Whatever else you may neglect, do not neglect that, for the happy habit is the greatest treasure that any individual can possess. Happiness depends largely upon physical conditions. With poor health, perfect happiness rarely exists; therefore it is your duty to be healthy, and the possession of health is in the majority of cases a matter of personal endeavor. But although the physical is important in health, yet the physical is dominated by the mental, and if you resolve to be happy, you can succeed. Commence this day, by saying to yourself, I am happy; I will be happy. Start out with the resolve that you will at least do some one thing to-day that will bring happiness to another, in the form of some simple service. Even if no such opportunity presents itself (although opportunities are never lacking), you can at least bestow cordial and cheerful greetings on those with whom you come in contact.
No surer road to personal happiness can be found than endeavoring to make others happy. If you find it difficult to be cheerful, there is more need to look to your surroundings. Read none but cheerful books; cultivate cheerful acquaintances. You will be amply repaid for your endeavors to cultivate the habit of happiness. From the standpoint of health, it is a profitable proceeding, for joy quickens the circulation. You can get the happiness habit if you wish to, and it is your duty to yourself and those around you to do so. If the clouds are lowering, do not give way to depression. Rouse yourself. Look for the rift in the clouds, disclosing the little patch of blue, and hope for the triumph of fair weather over foul. Even if you do not attain the degree of happiness you anticipated, you will find yourself improved, mentally, morally and physically. Get the habit, remembering that "a happy and contented mind is a continual feast."
And now, in conclusion, I would ask the reader to carefully consider the facts herein set forth relating to disease and its treatment, to weigh the testimony AGAINST the old system, and FOR the new, and let sober reason decide which of the two is the more rational. Bring the same dispassionate judgment to bear on this question that you would on a matter involving your financial welfare. It will amply repay you to do so, for the matter at stake is a weighty one. The preservation of health is a DUTY that each member of the human family owes to self and friends.
Without health, existence is as torpid and lifeless as vegetation without the sun. And yet it is frequently thrown away in thoughtless negligence, or in foolish experiments on our own strength: We let it perish without remembering its value, or waste it to show how much we have to spare. It is sometimes given up to levity and chance, and sometimes sold for the applause of jollity and looseness. Some there are, who inherit weak constitutions, and fall an easy prey to sickness; while others, who are neither thoughtless or naturally weak, invite disease through simple ignorance of the laws that govern their being. Owing to these manifold causes sickness is rife, and the medical profession has come to be regarded as an exceedingly lucrative one.
This would not be a matter so much to be deplored, if so-called "medical science" had kept pace with the other sciences; but the lamentable truth is that the practice of medicine (so far as healing value is concerned) has not advanced one jot since the days of Esculapius. Surgery has made wonderful strides, but medicine has stood still. True, they have increased the number of remedies, aye, a hundredfold, but the only result has been to complicate the system, without improving it.
What people need is fewer doctors, and more instruction in the art of preserving health.
Hygiene should form a part of our school curriculum. Children should be taught the mysteries of their own bodies, then the future generation would have little need of medical men—they would know what to do to regain their health, when assailed by sickness, instead of feeing a professional man to order them what to take.
My purpose in this work has been to show the people that they can, if they will, be their own physicians, and that in doing so, their chances of recovery are immeasurably greater—that the preservation of their health is in their own hands. The administering of drugs in sickness is illogical in its reasoning, unsound in its theory, and pernicious in its practice. Thoroughly cleansing the system by flushing the colon is a simple, common sense method of treatment, easy of application, thoroughly hygienic in theory, and, beyond all question, immensely beneficial in practice.
Thousands of grateful people can testify to its efficiency, frequently in cases where the "faculty" had abandoned all hope, and why? Because it assists Nature instead of thwarting it. The principal drawback under which the system has labored hitherto, has been the lack of perfect apparatus for the introduction of the cleansing stream, but I now have the satisfaction of introducing to the public a means for that purpose that leaves nothing to be desired. The J. B. L. Cascade is the most satisfactory and effective appliance for flushing the intestinal canal that has yet been invented.
It is the outcome of years of patient toil and thought, but the thoroughly satisfactory results obtained by it, and the enthusiastic encomiums lavished upon it by its beneficiaries are regarded by the inventor as an ample and commensurate reward (not wholly undeserved) for the mental labor involved in its successful evolution.
Its simplicity is such that it can be manipulated by any intelligent child, and its price, by comparison with its remedial virtues, is insignificant. With this perfected apparatus, and the J.B.L. antiseptic tonic, any parent can constitute himself the physician of his family, and by following the directions for the treatment of the various diseases described in this work, can successfully combat them— and all at a trifling cost. But more than that, he can, by periodical use of it, so improve the physical condition of himself and family, that they will forget what sickness is, and rejoice in that exhilaration of spirit that only comes with perfect health.
My system of treatment is true in philosophy, in harmony with nature, and thoroughly rational in practice.
THE END |
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