Part 29

1 (a) Omit all food except--

{Such as-- {Apples Juice of subacid fruits {Grapes {Peaches {Plums

This should be continued until the congestion is relieved, whether it be one day or a week. (For list of subacid fruits, see Lesson VIII, p. 313.)

(b) Drink copiously of pure, cool water

2 Select a light diet of--

Nuts Salads White of eggs Fresh watery vegetables Limited quantity of carbohydrates

If the cold is severe, a Turkish bath or any treatment that will produce liberal perspiration, will aid in the elimination of body-poisons and the relief of congestion.

Inasmuch as the blood is conveying an excessive amount of poisons to the lungs for oxidation, much depends upon the amount of pure air that is breathed and the cell capacity of the lungs for oxidation; therefore the sufferer, if unable to be out of doors, should be warmly clad and placed before an open window, or on a veranda in the sunshine, if possible, where every breath will be of fresh air. If, however, the patient is able to go out, every moment possible should be spent walking briskly in the open air. Every morning the patient should be given a vigorous "sponge" with a towel dipped in cold water, and rubbed down with a dry one. This should be done in a warm room, with the body well protected from undue exposure. The room should be thoroughly ventilated at night, and in severe cases all garments and sheets used during the day should be thoroughly aired or changed at night.

The old methods of drugging and of excluding the air and sunshine, which is in reality poisoning the patient both within and without, is little less than criminal.

A cool shower, or a sponge bath, together with a vigorous rub every morning immediately on rising, and a normal quantity of natural food, render the body almost entirely immune from colds, la grippe, and all forms of capillary congestion and effete and toxic (poisonous) substances.

(For diet, see volume of Menus, p. 917.)

In cases of Colds:

OMIT EAT

Confections Coarse cereals (very little) Desserts Fresh vegetables Fatty foods Fruit (See p. 524) Flesh foods Light vegetable soups Heavy starchy foods Nuts Intoxicants Wheat bran Whites of eggs

CATARRH--THE CAUSE

The causes of catarrh are attributed by all old school writers to acute coryza and exposure to irritating dust, or cold, moist, and perhaps infectious air. These may be secondary causes and may augment catarrh after it has appeared, but experience has proved that the primary cause of catarrh is the decomposition of unused food material, and that Nature throws off the decomposition products resulting therefrom, through the nasal passage, in the form of mucus. In the support of this theory I may refer to many cases of ordinary stomach trouble, constipation, torpidity of the liver, etc., that have had my personal care. In nearly all these cases I found that, when the diet was balanced according to the age and the occupation of the patient, with the climate or time of the year, practically all catarrhal symptoms disappeared, and exposure to atmospheric changes, dust, and the usual things that had formerly brought on catarrhal conditions, did not affect the patient.

CATARRH--THE SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of catarrh are constant secretion of nasal mucus, which often passes off into the postnasal and nasopharyngeal spaces. This mucus is usually thin and of a light-colored watery character, varying in quantity according to exposure or activity, the quantity of food eaten, and the temperature of the atmosphere.

CATARRH--THE REMEDY

In the treatment of catarrh, avoid the following:

All meats Heavy starchy foods (Especially white flour products) Sweets (See Lesson VIII, p. 334)

The diet should consist of--

A reasonable quantity of proteid foods in the form of-- Beans Peas Eggs Sour milk Nuts Bananas Coarse cereals--twice a day; such as entire wheat and rye Fish (small quantity, occasionally) Fresh vegetables Green watery salads Non-acid fruits Wheat bran-- (Enough to keep the bowels in normal condition)

Deep breathing through the nostrils and vigorous exercise should be taken freely, especially just after rising and just before retiring. Special attention should be given to breathing through the nose. When the air is pure, there is nothing more healing and remedial in the treatment of catarrh than the abundant passage of air through the nasal cavities.

In cases of Catarrh:

OMIT EAT

All meats A reasonable {Beans Heavy starchy foods (white flour quantity of {Eggs and grain products) Proteids {Nuts Stimulants and narcotics such as {Peas Sweets {Sour milk Bananas Coarse cereals--entire wheat and rye Fish, occasionally Fresh vegetables Green watery salads Non-acid fruits

Take vigorous exercise, together with deep breathing through the nose.