UNDER the above heading in the August issue the constipation trouble was dealt with. This, however, is but one of the many forms of stomach trouble brought about by unwise eating and drinking. These tend to create an impure blood stream, followed by one or more of the 101 (or am I more correct in following the learned profession by stating 1,001?) diseases, all of which are but Natures attempts to throw off the accumulate impurities in the body, which may have been increasing for many years.
If Nature is not assisted in this cleansing process, but frustrated by the taking of drugs, or other such like hindrances, then the work will continue in some other way, through the next weakest point in the human make-up. for this disease, if a name is not already known, a new name will soon be invented. Apart from accidents, most of these 101 diseases undoubtedly arise from, and can be clearly traced back to, dietetic errors of commission or omission.
Some three months ago I called on a friend who was anything but fit. He informed me that he was taking up my diet on the advice of a local Osteopath and Nature Cure Practitioner. I asked him if he intended sticking to the diet recommended. I was told he did, as it was very important to his business that he got well. I saw my friend again this week. There was no need to ask him what the result were; his bright eyes, smiling countenance and active movements told the tale.
When asked, however, he replied in as cheerful a voice as I ever heard, “I am perfectly fit now,” and pulling out the bottom portion of his waistcoat he added, “I weigh two stone lighter than I did.” He appeared quite delighted at having been relieved of the task of carrying about two stones of useless weight, and could devote the energy thus saved to what he considered far more important work.
This is but a sample of the transformation scenes experienced daily among patients by the food reform movement, and all brought about by a change of diet and wise living, without drugs or injections. Thus Nature, the only healer, has been assisted in bringing about, slowly it may be, but surely, none the less, her wonderful work, for “Though the Mills of God grind slowly
Yet they grind exceeding small,
Though with patience He stands waiting,
With exactness grinds He all.”.
Among the many different forms taken by digestive troubles, catarrh of the stomach is perhaps the most prevalent. This may prove a very serious matter. It is one that no drugs can cure, in fact medicines will only aggravate the complaint and increase the troubles. Perhaps the most serious aspect is the fact that it is very likely to recur. With this and all such troubles, while it may be comparatively easy to get well, it is quite a different matter, more important and more difficult, to keep well.
The trouble is largely brought about by the eating of white bread combined with the tea-drinking habit. White bread is a lop-sided, unnatural diet, and is the cause of endless dietetic troubles. Strong tea is a good assistant, and between the two the doctors are kept busy. For the harmful effects of the continual use of white bread read “Wholemeal Flour”. No.3 Health From Food Library, post free 3d., from the “Pitman” Health Food Co., Four Oaks.
Our digestive organs may put up with, and try to adapt themselves to, all kinds of treatment for a time (meanwhile we boast that we have never suffered with indigestion in our lives) but it is only for a time. Sooner or later the reckoning day will come, in some form or other. The length of time digestive organs can withstand a diet of white bread and similar starchy foods, largely depends on the amount of other foods mixed with it. If white bread only is eaten, one will soon find that it is the staff of death, rather than the staff of life.
A lady, a martyr to gastric catarrh, once asked the writer, “Would such and such a thing do me any good?” The answer was, “Not if you take this in addition to what you are now taking.” She then asked, “But how do you know what I am taking now?” the reply was, “I know what you had for breakfast this morning – tea with white bread and butter.” She replied, “Oh! I could not possibly live without tea.” “Then the only alternative, Madam, is to go on and suffer.” The majority of us are not aware what slaves we are to our stomachs.
A lady the writer once knew, had suffered from catarrh of the stomach until it had become chronic. After having laid in bed for a month without finding anything that she could retain on her stomach, her case was given up as hopeless by the doctors, with only a week to live. She was then persuaded to adopt a diet as recommended below. This resulted in her being up and about again within a week.
She died, however, a week later, of ptomaine poisoning, brought about by eating fish – although cautioned not to do so – while others at the same table had partaken of the same fish without any apparent ill effects. This fairly illustrates the risk one runs by eating such foods, under such conditions, while with a continuation of the diet prescribed she might have eaten the same foods a months later, with apparent impunity.
All those suffering from, or liable to, this trouble should abstain from, or take very sparingly of, such foods as white bread, white rice, tapioca, cornflour, potatoes, etc. It should be recognized that, for the time being, ones digestive organs are so impaired that they cannot digest these foods, or any of a similar nature composed chiefly of raw starch.
Those suffering from this distressing complaint are always tempted to be continually eating, owing to the fact that the contents of the stomach are always in a fermented condition, more or less accompanied by pain and discomfort, till a further lot of food is eaten, when the fermented food is pushed out and the fresh supply takes its place, to undergo the same decomposition accompanied by the same pain and trouble. The digestion of starch should commence in the mouth by the action of the salivary juices.
If such foods are washed down with tea, the saliva, not being required to moisten the food, will not be mixed with it, consequently the absence of these juices to act on the starches causes but little, if any, digestion to take place, either in the mouth or the stomach. Watch the effect of white bread in the mouth while eating. After chewing it will be found that every swallow represents a lump of pudding, to be attacked later by the fermented foods left in the stomach. The same action took place in “putting new wine into old bottle skins”, or new cider into a cider receptacle with some of the old cider remaining.
Now watch the different results in eating, say, Granarg or Place-o-bred Biscuits, thin hard-baked wholemeal dry toast, or similar foods. These must be well chewed before they can be swallowed. The saliva is thus well mixed with them, they leave the mouth in a thousand small particles and thus enter the stomach, and as the starches have been more-or-less pre-digested, changed into sugar, and well masticated, fermentation does not follow. The trouble, accordingly, is not intensified and a better condition of things soon prevails.
So much for the cause, now for the food remedies, always remembering that you may assist (as you can frustrate), but Nature alone can heal or cure. The first essential, when the trouble has become more or less chronic is to leave off eating entirely. A fast for at least three to four days, preferably a week, the time will be governed by the seriousness of the trouble on the one hand, and the urge to be well on the other. During this time nothing should be taken, for a start, but hot water, not hotter than the lower lip can conveniently bear.
During the latter part of the fast pure orange, or other fruit juices, can be taken. Honey only, if any sweetening material, should be used. During the fast hot – not too hot – baths should be taken every other day, and the use of a colon douche about as often will found very helpful. At the end of the fast all pain and stomach troubles should have disappeared. The one important thing now is, not to eat those things that are likely to bring about a return of the trouble.
The best and safest food to start with is undoubtedly “Pitman” Nuto Cream Food or Soup, and nothing else for one or more days. This is for nearly a quarter of a century has never been known to fail. It can be made rather than the printed instructions, and it should be well cooked. This diet should be continued with the addition of one only of the following: “Pitman” Granarg or Place-o-bred Biscuits or Place-o-bred Gems, obtainable from Health Food Stores. If these have been allowed to become other than crisp they should be heated in the oven and cooled before using.
In all cases they should be eaten dry with, but not put into, the soup. for a change Malted Slippery Elm Food may be substituted for the Nuto Cream, if liked and found to agree. This food constitutes a complete diet. Additional foods desired should be tested, tried and proved to be digestible before being added to the permanent diet. Among these may be mentioned natural brown or red rices and whole-meal macaroni. The experience thus gained and recorded will be found invaluable.
Henry followed in his father's footsteps, obtaining his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Durham in 1891. At the age of 27 he arrived in Melbourne in April 1894 aboard the Port Albert. He was registered as a medical practitioner in Victoria on 4 May 1894.
It appears that Dr Cook already believed in homœopathy, possibly because of his father's influence, as in 1895 Dr Cook took the position of Resident Surgeon of the Melbourne Homœopathic Hospital . (This position was previously held by Dr James Cook, unrelated, who resigned in March 1895). He was listed in the 1896 & 1897 editions of the Melbourne Post Office Directory as being Resident Medical Officer at the Melbourne Homœopathic Hospital, but not in the 1898 edition.
In 1901 he moved to Sale in Eastern Victoria, where he ran a practice in York Street. By 1909 his practice was at Wyndham Street, Shepparton.
By 1919 he had moved to 2 Studley Park Road, Kew, where he died on 7 May, 1923.