A good dietetic maxim is to “feed according to the work to be done.” A low diet during illness, fruits and fresh vegetables or water alone, or milk in small amounts. Tea, coffee, or Postum according to the patients habit, and in small amounts.
Diet is a cause of ill-health and is a symptom producer. Before the ill-health manifests itself,the patient eats more than he can use. The foods rich in protein and in carbon do the damage. True, we must have protein to make blood, but meat is only one source of it; aside from met, there are eggs, beans, cheese, nuts and milk. Get variety in these for healths sake.
If one is not muscularly active, cut down heavy food one-half. Heavy foods are breads, cereals, beans and vegetables. Light foods are low starch vegetables, fruit, milk and nuts.
Food toxicity depends on their carbon content. Carbon is a vital necessity for the cells; it is positive and combines with the metal oxides. Too much carbon spells ill-health.
How do we know that carbon in excess is a poison? We know it by the fact that all forms of carbon with oxygen are poison. Carbon monoxide is extremely poisonous. Carbon dioxide is less toxic than CO. Alkaloids having the grater proportion of carbon are more poisonous than those with a lesser carbon content.
To combat carbon toxicity, sulphur is a great help. Wurmb says. “It accelerates the interchange of elements and fulfils all the demands upon which the removal of abnormal products is condition.” If the sulphur is combined with calcium, the antidotal effects of carbon toxicity are the more quickly obtained-calcium takes up carbon slowly but continuously.
3.ENERVATION SYMPTOMS.
From first to last, in spite of the many forms of enervation, there is a weak pulse, loss of weight and of strength. The mental state is not lowered in proportion to the physical state. There are other symptoms, not all constantly present; they are cold extremities, sweating feet, night sweats, mucous exudates, pain, fever, local congestions, flabby muscles, “all gone” feeling, vague nervous impression, pulse quick and moderately full during fever, but always with a weakened force. Takes cold at every change of weather.
TREATMENT OF ENERVATION.
To raise the nerve power is the first step in the treatment of enervation.
Nux vomica is an important remedy in his condition. It is a vital tonic and will help materially to reestablish nerve power and normal metabolism. But if the trouble has progressed or has had undesirable treatment, then calcium and sulphur will help to build up strength, and prevent invasion complications.
Here again, one or two epsom salt sponge baths will stimulate skin activity.
Some form of mineral salts such as mineral sal, hypophosphites, or alfalco tonic, will meet this requirement. If iron is needed the ferrous sulphate is effective in less dosage than the usual preparations.
This is an outline of the value of knowing symptom producers and that which they produce. Tracing symptoms to that which is their main cause is a help in classifying the case or, what is the same thing, arriving at a working diagnosis. The latter will necessarily be modified and one will necessarily be modified and one will reach more exactness but only as the case develops.
In the meantime what you do will aid in the symptom development as well as in their final relief.
