Illustrative Cases

ILLUSTRATIVE CASES

FASTING APPLIED TO CASES OF INFLAMMATORY
RHEUMATISM, CHOREA, EPILEPSY, PREGNANCY, ETC.

The medical history of the next subject, a woman forty-five years old, tells of continuous treatment for thirty years for the disease symptom known as psoriasis in its diffuse form. At the time that the patient sought natural means of assistance the inflamed, bleeding surfaces characteristic of the symptom covered at least one-third of the skin of the body, and they were not confined to any particular locality, appearing indiscriminately upon trunk, arms, and legs, but the hands, face, and feet were not affected. The sores were exuding bloody serum, and there was intolerable itching, so much so that in order to exist in any condition approaching comfort, local application of mercurial preparations had long been resorted to, to relieve both the pain and the inconvenience. These of course were only temporary in effect, and the major symptoms returned shortly, more angry and more obstinate.

The general health of the patient apart from the distressing symptom described was excellent, strange to say. And to this a strong constitution and robust physique in large part contributed. Perhaps, as is at times assumed, the channel taken by nature to rid the body of toxic matter, if sufficiently extensive, precluded the development of other and differing symptoms of disease. This has been held to have been proved in instances of syphilitic infection, which in the majority of cases seems to grant immunity from minor though equally infectious disease, the latter being subordinated to the dominant blood taint.

When first under observation the patient weighed 172 pounds, and her habits were those of a woman in comfortable circumstances with the idea ingrained that three and even four generous daily meals were necessary for the conservation of health and strength. She was, however, disheartened and discouraged because of the almost unbearable distress occasioned by the state of her body, and, as a last resort only, she consented to undergo a fast.

After three weeks of preparation, abstinence from food succeeded and continued without interruption for seventy-five days. At no time during this period was anything excepting water ingested, and at no time was the patient unable to cover on foot the distance from her home to the office of her physician. Once this subject had grasped the philosophy of the method and had experienced the progressive improvement that marked her case, an excellent physical organization and a determined will made her more than equal to the attainment of the object in view, and, as a consequence, she was easy to treat.

The fast was typical and was remarkable in nothing save its length, a phenomenon due again to the extreme resistance which is always discovered in the normally functioning body. Loss in weight not unusual, and at the end of the fast a diminution in this respect of but 32 pounds was noted, the patient then tipping the scales at 140. Until the twentieth day, there was in evidence slightly lowered temperature and pulse, with some chilliness, but, while pulse and temperature remained below register in the early stages of abstinence, by the sixth week normal had been reached. The enemas contained solid feces until about one-third of the fasting period had elapsed, and thereafter, until the last week without food, large amounts of yellowish-white mucus formed part of the discharge. This catarrhal refuse eliminated thus from the intestines indicated that the eliminative function had again been established through normal channels. In fact, a significant feature connected with any symptom of disease of the character expressed in this subject is the failure of function through normal avenues other than the skin to perform, the surface of the body suffering from overwork and disease in consequence.

It was not until the fourth week that visible improvement in exudation from the open sores became noticeable in respect to granulation, although the exudation had begun to diminish during the third week and at this time also the itching had greatly subsided. As healing of the sores progressed, the unpleasant minor symptoms disappeared, healthy skin soon forming in patches that increased in size and gradually covered the denuded spaces.

After breaking the fast, general health continued excellent, and the sole remaining signs of the psoriasis were the scarred edges surrounding areas latest to heal. Even these in time vanished, and no trace, excepting slight discoloration, the result of previous mercurial treatment, was left as a reminder of the hideous and distressful malady of previous years.

While the patient during the first few days of the fast felt some trepidation as to its efficacy and its outcome, after improvement of the condition appeared, its psychological effect was such that her determination to carry on to the return of hunger became fixed. Again it is to be noted that fear enters and disaster results while fasting a functional case only when the method is incorrectly conducted. This case is a supreme example demonstrating the truth that, in the absence of organic disease, there is no danger whatever in abstaining from food until nature asserts by the return of hunger that systemic purification is completed.

>>Pg 4

Home | Contact Us | Site Map