Man eats and drinks whatever he likes without the slightest regard for the nutritive quality of the food, whether it contains the elements the body needs for proper nutrition and maintenance in health. His drinks are either bad concoctions, too hot or too cold, or they contain drugs or alcoholic stimulants; he turns his mouth, nose, throat and lungs into a chimney for burning up tons of tobacco every year, and he breathes air polluted with smoke, carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases.
In his daily work and occupation he is often subjected to hardships and dangers of all kinds, to undue strain, to jars and physical punishment; his occupation may require abnormal postures
and distortion of the body; and he is exposed to dangers, to accidents, and to injuries of various degrees and severity in these times of speed and machines.
It is, therefore, no wonder that the delicate balance and adjustment between structures and organs of the body may become disturbed and deranged. This condition may not affect or disturb the vital activity on the plane of the life force, but it will affect the normal functioning of organs, and it may cause local pressure and reflex symptoms to distal organs and parts. The bony frame may get out of plumb, parts and organs may become displaced and lose their interrelated functioning ability; and there may be pressure on nerves or blood vessels, causing muscular spasm, congestion and pain.
Such complaints and symptoms are due to mechanical derangements and can one should be corrected by physical means. On the other hand, if not corrected in time they may lead to serious disorders and diseases which ultimately require the service of destructive surgery. Of course, I am aware of the fact that we have in the homoeopathic practice special remedies useful in disorders due to trauma and mechanical injuries; but this does not change the fact that simple physical treatments would facilitate and hasten the cure of these conditions.
This discussion of modern man and his modes and habits of living has established, I think, a sound basis for the usefulness and importance of simple physical therapy in the treatment and care of disorders and diseases, particularly those caused by traumatism.
Such simple physical treatments as are found in hydrotherapy, in the application of infrared hear or radiant light or the manual manipulation of the tissues and structures of the body judiciously and skillfully applied cannot and do not interfere with the action of the homoeopathic remedy, nor do they cause suppression of symptoms. On the other hand, I am fully convinced from studies and personal experience extending over a period of many years, that such treatments assist the action of the internal remedy. In the class of simple physical treatments I do not include such modalities or x-rays or radium. These modalities go deeper into the human body and may change the vibratory activity of the normal body, and hence interfere with the operation of the vital forces of the body.
To be able to recognize abnormal mechanical conditions of the body, it is essential that the physician should not only understand the normal anatomical structures, and interrelated functions of the body but he should also understand distal and reflex symptoms caused by pressure or irritation to a part of organ of the body distal from the seat of pain or a dysfunctioning organ, otherwise he may be badly misled in the diagnosis and the treatment of the condition. None is more difficult to understand and interpret correctly than the effect of reflex symptoms on distal parts or organs.
For instance, a patient may complain of some heart symptoms; the heart in itself may be perfectly sound but a loaded and inactive colon or some disturbances of the digestive organs may cause the heart symptom. If the physician should be misled to treat the heart either by a heart remedy or otherwise and ignore or neglect the condition of the loaded colon or other digestive organs he certainly would not obtain the result he expects from his remedy or any other form of heart treatment.
Many good homoeopathic physicians and surgeons who have not investigated or studied the therapeutic value of physical treatment may be inclined to the opinion that these treatments are useless and can in no sense be substituted for surgical interference in cases where surgery seems indicated. To these I wish to say, and say it modestly but emphatically: simple physical treatments when properly understood and applied do not interfere with the action of the remedy but have marked therapeutic value in the treatment of many conditions particularly of a mechanical or traumatic nature and can be safely substituted for surgery in many conditions.
But it is important that the physician understands the physiological action of the treatment as well as its therapeutic value. He must know what a treatment will accomplish and what it will not do, otherwise it would not be safe to substitute them for surgery. Of course, in making this statement I recognize the fact that this class of treatments has limitations and that the physician will meet many cases in his practice where surgery is the only treatment, and when such is the it is important that he shall be able to recognize this fact.
To apply these principles in the treatment of a few diseases generally considered surgical, let us see what can be accomplished.
Acute or chronic appendicitis is generally treated surgically, not only by “old school” surgeons but by many good homoeopathic physicians and surgeons.
Personally, I do not see many cases of acute appendicitis since I discontinued general practice, but I see a few and a great many patients suffering from chronic appendicitis and some of these when they may have an acute attack. Some of these chronic patients refuse to employ surgery and they come to me because they have heard that I treat this condition or disease with so-called simple natural treatments.
How do I treat these cases? Usually an “old school” doctor has diagnosed the case before the patient comes to me and, of course, I always put the patient through a physical examination before starting the treatment. Either my diagnosis verifies the former one or I may find the diagnosis to be incorrect. If the patient is able to come to the office I begin the treatments by applying infrared rays or heat to the abdomen.
This relieves the pain by relaxing the spastic condition of the abdominal muscles and increases the circulation in the deeper tissues as well as relieving the general nerve tension of the patient. The next step is a colonic irrigation, and this is administered in such a way that no water or solution is forced up into the colon, which might push gas and other debris towards the appendiceal region. The entire colon from the rectum to the caecum is irrigated and cleaned out gently but thoroughly.
This will relieve the pressure and distension of the large intestine and permit gas to pass out freely. This treatment is repeated daily if possible until all the symptoms have disappeared. All food is withdrawn, but fresh grapefruit juice diluted with hot or cold water is administered, a glassful every hour or two, particularly if the patient has temperature.
If the patient cannot come to the office or to my private hospital but has to be treated at home, the procedure is quite similar except that of using colonic irrigations and infrared heat, hot abdominal compresses or so-called abdominal packs are used. If I can get hold of a nurse who is equipped and trained to give colonic irrigation at the bedside. I always call her in; but if she is not to be had the nurse in charge is instructed to give small sectional enemas, one after the other, until a fairly clean bowel has been obtained.
In giving enemas, however, it is very important that small quantities are give not a time, not more than perhaps 4, or 6, or 8 ounces, but after this has been expelled another enema of the same quantity is used. This may be repeated three or four times until the entire colon is cleaned out. But it must always be borne in mind not to push up gas or fecal debris or cause distention of the abdomen. The feeding regime is similar to the one give to office patients.
Of course, I always take the symptoms carefully before beginning the treatment and a remedy is prescribed.
Under this regime of treatment the patient usually recovers in a few days, and if he is willing to continue colonic irrigations once or twice a week for an indefinite time and to have his diet adjusted to his physical needs, the absolute cure of chronic appendicitis is always certain.
Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule and sometimes I meet patients that must be referred to the surgeon for the removal of the offending organ.
These principles and this form of physical treatments with some modifications to meet the individual need of each patient can be applied satisfactorily and successfully in the treatment of numerous acute and chronic disorders, such as cholecystitis, renal colic and pyelitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers and even cancer of the digestive system may be treated successfully in this manner. Of course, it is understood that the diet must be adjusted to meet the individual need and condition of each patient.
