 |
As mentioned in
the previous chapter, the program
that is presented in this book is based on the Nature Cure
philosophy of disease. This is the philosophy that is taught in
Naturopathic colleges throughout the world. The success of most
health hydro's and healing sanitariums is largely attributable
to the fact that their treatment programs are structured around
the basic principles of Nature Cure. If you took the trouble to
study into the matter, you would find that Nature Cure is not
that far removed from the philosophy of disease that was held by
Hippocrates - the so-called "father of medicine" who once taught
that . . .
`Nature is the physician
of our diseases.' (The Nature of Man, p. 241)
[It is such a pity that so
few who take the Hippocratic oath today have been taught this
vital principle.]
Before we contemplate the
Nature Cure approach, however, it is important that we first
consider the various generally accepted categories or `stages'
of disease. Certain schools of thought interpret these various
stages slightly differently but, for the sake of this exercise,
the following interpretation will suffice. Please study
Figure 10. carefully.
Reading from top to bottom
of the table, we will notice that these stages of disease
progress from the less serious, less deep-seated manifestations
which, if treated correctly, are usually relatively easy to
overcome, to the more serious, more deep-seated manifestations
which are life-threatening and which are usually most
difficult to overcome.
|
Acute Stage: |
Colds, boils, pimples, coughs, fevers, etc. |
|
Sub-acute Stage: |
Influenza, bronchial disorders, etc. |
|
Chronic Stage: |
Hay fever, psoriasis, pneumonia, etc. |
|
Sub-chronic Stage: |
Asthma, diabetes, etc. |
|
Degenerative Stage: |
Cancer, gangrene, emphysema, etc. |
|
Figure 10. The Categories or Stages of Disease |
|
Until such time as we again
refer to this table, our discussion will focus primarily on the
acute stage of disease - namely, on our colds, boils, pimples,
coughs, fevers, etc. Please take special note of this fact.
In a very general sense,
Nature Cure teaches us that in the great majority of cases we
bring our acute ailments upon ourselves . . .
|
1 |
either as a result of unwise living
and eating habits, and/or |
|
2 |
through the unwise treatment and/or
suppression of past ailments. |
|
|
As one widely publicized writer puts it . . .
`Disease never comes
without a cause. The way is prepared, and disease invited, by
disregard of the laws of health.' (E.G. White, Ministry of
Healing, p.234, my italics)
Unlike the orthodox view of disease, a view
that considers our acute ailments to be the random attacks of a
`deadly enemy,' Nature Cure considers our acute ailments to be
Nature's spontaneous response to a condition within our bodies -
a condition that has most often come about as a result of faulty
living and eating habits. In other words, our
colds and coughs etc, are
not "enemies," as such, but the evidence of Nature's desperate
effort to cleanse the system and to correct the imbalances that
have resulted from our unwise choices.
As Dr. Harry Benjamin confirms, . . .
|
`Disease is nothing more
or less than Nature's blind attempt at cure. It
is the system's attempt to deal as effectively
as it can under given conditions with factors
which, through man's ignorance, folly, and
self-indulgence, are causing impediment of
function!' (Everybody's Guide to Nature Cure,
pp. 18,19) |
|
|
The human body
has one ability not possessed by any
machine - the ability to repair itself.'
(Dr. George E. Kriley Jr) |
|
|
In the light of this
understanding of disease, therefore, let us consider Nature's
purpose for a few of our more common acute ailments . . .
|
1 |
When we have a cough, Nature is
trying to expel unwanted matter from the system. |
|
2 |
When we have a cold, the body is
burdened with toxic accumulations and is making a desperate effort to
cleanse the system. |
|
3 |
When we sneeze, Nature is expelling
gaseous waste from the lungs and/or eliminating mucous from the sinus
passages and nose. |
|
4 |
When we have diarrhea, Nature is
usually attempting to flush toxic matter from the bowels. |
|
5 |
When we have pimples, boils or
blackheads, Nature is eliminating impurities through the skin. |
|
|
In a broad and very general
sense, therefore, and making allowance for exceptions, Nature
Cure considers our acute ailments, not as hostile attacks on the
body, but as the beneficial efforts of Nature to rid the system
of life-burdening impurities. As a previously quoted writer puts
it, . . .
`Nature, to relieve
herself of poisonous impurities, makes an effort to free the
system, which effort produces fevers and what is termed
disease.' (E.G. White, Healthful Living, p. 211)
Now if this is the first
time that you have been confronted with this philosophy of
disease, I can understand if it sounds a little strange, yet it
is no more strange than any of the other self-healing and
self-protecting mechanisms that play such a vital role in
preserving our lives. For example:
|
1 |
When we cut ourselves - the blood
coagulates at the cut, the skin grows together, and Nature heals the cut. |
|
2 |
When we burn ourselves -
Nature covers the burn with a protective blister. |
|
3 |
When we break a bone - Nature knits
the bone together. |
|
4 |
When a germ or a virus enters the
bloodstream - then, by the brilliant design of Nature, a marvelous army of
powerful little internal `friends' come to our support and overwhelm the
intruder. |
|
5 |
When we damage an area - the blood
rushes to that area to supply healing energy and nutrients, to protect the
area, and to carry away toxins and waste. |
|
6 |
When, after many years of physical
abuse, we switch to a more healthy way of living, Nature immediately
responds by mustering all of her healing energies. |
|
|
Clearly, all of these
protective and restorative mechanisms are part of a brilliant
Master design - one that includes self-healing,
self-regeneration, and self-protection as vital components in an
overall strategy that is aimed at preserving the living
organism.
Once we recognize how
Nature is constantly working to keep us well, we can readily
discern that there is nothing strange about a philosophy of
disease that views our acute ailments as the beneficial,
healing, cleansing efforts of Nature. As Dr. Stanley Lief
explains:
`The process of
acute disease is one which actually saves life. It enables the
body to cleanse itself of dangerous excesses of impurities that
the depurating organs [lungs, bowels, kidneys, skin etc.] have
been unable to eliminate in the normal way. The situation has
become one in which the body is full of filth (toxins) and so
the body must seek some way by which to throw it off, or death
will ensue. The most usual way is by means of a fever - a
burning up, a feverish cold,
etc. These processes are produced by the body in an effort to
purify and soothe itself. If the purpose of disease were
universally understood from this standpoint, it would quickly
loose its terrors, and instead be regarded as a friend in
disguise.' (Dr. Stanley Lief, N.D., D.O., D.C., Health
For All, Volume 36.6)
We have seen so many people
benefited when they stopped using drugs to suppress their acute
ailments, and we have seen so many others severely handicapped
through the unwise and ongoing suppression of those same acute
ailments, that I can only urge the reader to consider the
remainder of this book in a very serious light - the next
chapter in particular. As I hope to prove to you, the
interpretation of the role that our acute diseases are intended
to play is not just a matter of opinion, but a matter of life
and death.
Supporting Statements
`It is incongruous that in
this modern age of sophistication, of development, of sheer
scientific genius, society is still not able to control,
understand or remove the incidence of disease. In our present
fantastic century of scientific discoveries, man still fails to
understand the nature of disease, and the means to cure disease.
There is virtually a blind spot in science in relation to
disease.' (Dr. Boris Chaitow, My Healing Secrets,
pp.11,12)
`Disease is the life
principle at war with an enemy. It is the defender and protector
of the living organism. It is a process of purification. It is
an effort to remove foreign and offensive materials from the
system, and repair damage the vital machinery has suffered.'
(Dr Russell D. Trall, How to Live, p. ix)
To Repeat: In my
opinion this chapter and the one
following are the highpoints of this book - throwing
light on every other chapter. Please read them together and
please read them with careful reflection.
Proceed To Chapter 9: In the next chapter we will be
considering the tragedy of all tragedies - the global and
constant suppression of Nature's kindly attempts to heal us -
and this by the self-acclaimed custodians of our health.
|
 |
