Later on, Sir Arbuthnot devoted himself to the prevention of the numerous ills which spring from faulty diet and chronic constipation, and he became an apostle of good health, preaching the gospel of inner cleanliness throughout the world, giving countless lectures and addresses, making speeches, writing articles and pamphlets, creating the New Health Society, to which I acted as honorary secretary, broadcasting his views and thus teaching millions the secrets of good health. He has been a public benefactor, one of the greatest of modern times, and he has been my guide and teacher.
I entirely share Sir Arbuthnots view that chronic bowel stagnation is the cause of innumerable diseases and that every disease known to medical science is seriously aggravated by self- poisoning from the bowel. The pills and potions habitually used to relieve the civilised may relieve but do not cure, and most of the medicines and treatments habitually given irritate and injure the bowel tract, while enemas of every form weaken it still further.
My conviction of the soundness of the Lane doctrine is based not only on the diligent study of the best medical literature, but on personal observation. My books on chronic constipation, cancer, etc., introduced by Sir Arbuthnot and the late Sir William Milligan, have caused thousands of sufferers to appeal to me for help and advice, and I may therefore claim that I possess not only theoretical knowledge, but a considerable practical experience of the subject. I venture to give a few practical example which I hope will interest and benefit the readers of this journal.
Some years ago a Mrs. McF. came to me and told me that a year ago she had noticed a small hard lump in one of her breasts. She had gone to the doctor, who had sent her to a celebrated surgeon. The surgeon had made an extensive operation, cutting off the breast and all the surrounding tissue, including the glands in the armpit, and she had been told by both doctor and surgeon that she would be absolutely safe as the disease, cancer, as ascertained by the microscope of the pathologist, had been tackled at the earliest stage and as a most extensive operation had been performed.
The poor woman looked exceedingly ill, she complained about pain in all parts of her body, and she was deeply jaundiced. The following conversation ensued between her and me: “I am afraid you are badly constipated.” “I am, and I always have been.” “How often do you go to stool?” “Sometimes once a week and sometimes once in ten days.” “Did your doctor and your surgeon not advise you to make your bowel absolutely regular?” “No, they gave me no advice whatever”.
In Sir Arbuthnots opinion cancer is “the last link of the chain.” The wretched doctor had sent the poor thing to the surgeon, having been taught that “the only cure for cancer consists in operation,” and the celebrated surgeon had mechanically cut out the growth without enquiring into the causation of the disease and giving useful advice for the future. Chronic constipation had caused cancerous development in the breasts and the operation had spread it through the whole body. Within twenty-four hours she was taught to have three motions a day, and she was put on an eliminating diet, but of course it was too late. Radium and other futilities were tried in vain.
A number of women who had read my cancer books came to me, telling me that they had lumpy and painful breasts, that eminent surgeons had advised an immediate operation, pointing out the danger of delay. In every case there was a long story of chronic constipation and self-poisoning. In accordance with my invariable rule, I told the distracted women that a delay of a week or two would not matter very much, that possibly the trouble was amenable to non-surgical treatment, and I placed them upon a fleshless and fishless, eliminating diet, with an abundance of raw stuff and liquid.
I advised liquid paraffin to empty their bowels, raw fruit, and milky foods to clear their blood and strengthen them. In a considerable proportion of these cases, these common-sense measures, which were combined with homoeopathic remedies, such as Conium, Phytolacca, Hydrastis, Sulphur, Thuja, or whatever was indicated, resulted in the complete disappearance of the growth, and the rejuvenation of the patients who gained 10, 15, 20 lb. or more in weight. Later on they were frequently sent to the surgeon, who had urged an immediate operation and frequently he could not believe his eyes and his sense of touch and had to consult his nots to make sure that he had previously diagnosed cancer.
It is scarcely necessary to say that if these women had been operated upon, whether the growth was malignant or non-malignant, they would probably have died of cancer caused by auto- intoxication. Every doctor is aware that scar tissue offers insufficient resistance and that cancerous developments are apt to take place in old scars. To cut out a cancerous tumour and to disregard the factor which has produced that tumour is an act of incredible folly and incompetence. One might as well try to cure a man of his gout by cutting off the gouty toe and allow him to continue taking Port wine and meat to excess.
Sir Arbuthnot stated in his striking lecture that “the gynaecologist may be regarded as a product of intestinal stasis.” The gynaecologist considers the disorders and diseases to which women are liable as purely local ones, which should be treated locally and mechanically by douches, cauterisation, propping up the displaced womb with rings and other contractions and by operation. The great textbooks of gynaecology are filled from cover to cover with directions how to re-adjust, scrape, burn, prop and cut out, the organs of women, and the unfortunate women allow themselves to be injured and tortured and maimed without need.
The great majority of these poor sufferers can be restored to health by an appropriate diet, bowel regulation, the use of surgical belt, such as the Curtis belt, if there is sagging of the organs and the wonderful homoeopathic remedies, such as Pulsatilla, Sepia, Hydrastis, Caulophyllum, Cimicifuga, etc., with which every good homoeopath is familiar. Pessaries irritate the inside of women, create foul discharges, and lead often to the most dangerous developments, while the suppression of a discharge by douching with the usual astringents and antiseptics is dangerous. It is equivalent to stopping up a foul discharging drain.
Two years ago a Mrs. C., a healthy looking woman, came to me complaining about a vague swelling in the abdomen. She had a foul breath similar to the typical cancer smell. A purifying diet and bowel regulation, together with the indicated homoeopathic remedies, led to her prompt improvement, but then a foul discharge appeared. The growth, whatever its character, started discharging for the patients good. The lady was horrified at the evil smelling discharge. Her doctor sent her to a gynaecologist and three or four of the most eminent specialists in London agreed that the case called urgently for treatment by radium.
The patient was promised that she would have “at least five years of a happy life without pain” if she would undergo radium treatment. Daily burning with radium led, indeed, to the complete disappearance of the foul discharge, but the suppression of the issue was promptly followed by a huge swelling of the knee which caused unbearable pain. By X-ray it was established that the knee had become filled with the foulest pus which had eaten away the knee-cap. So there was a second operation. However, the growth continued discharging the foulest pus into the blood stream, the ordinary outlet having been most efficiently closed by burning with radium rays.
Soon after the operation on the knee a similar terrible growth appeared on the back. The usual procession of experts appeared at the bedside and a third operation was undertaken. Then the eye became enlarged to a prodigious size, the pus seeking an outlet in the eyeball and destroying it. The eye was taken out and after a few months of the most terrible martyrdom the poor sufferer died, mercifully.
The death certificate started that Mrs. C. died of “streptococcal septicaemia,” which in plain English means blood poisoning. She died in reality from medical and surgical incompetence. The distracted husband told me that she was perfectly well and strong when she underwent her radium treatment and that probably she would have lived for many years if she had continued to follow the dietetic and homoeopathic treatment she had been given. “Unfortunately we were overawed by the highest authorities in Harley Street and that has been our undoing.” These were the words of the poor widower.
For fibroid tumours, as for cancer, orthodox medicine knows no treatment except operation. In a large number, probably in the majority, of fibroid tumours, both of the bleeding and of the non-bleeding variety, a cure can be effected by the regulation of the bowel, of the diet, and the potent homoeopathic remedies which the orthodox gynaecologist does not know.
Lane pioneered internal fixation of displaced fractures, procedures on cleft palate, and colon resection and colectomy to treat "Lane's disease"—now otherwise termed colonic inertia, which he identified in 1908—which surgeries were controversial but advanced abdominal surgery.
In the early 1920s, as an early advocate of dietary prevention of cancer, Lane met medical opposition, resigned from British Medical Association, and founded the New Health Society, the first organisation practising social medicine. Through newspapers and lectures, sometimes drawing large crowds, Lane promoted whole foods, fruits and vegetables, sunshine and exercise: his plan to foster health and longevity via three bowel movements daily.