A young married woman of twenty -four who, since maturity, had suffered fro m severe intestinal troubles and from acute 
bilious attacks. Four years before her death she had been medically treated for alleged appendicitis, and at this time an ope ration 
was advised to which she refused to submit. In this connection it is interesting  to note that the autopsy on this body disclosed an 
appendix in normal condition with no signs of previous disease. Eight months before death the patient had undergone a fast of twenty -eight days and had convalesced into the most satisfactory 
physica l condition she had known since childhood. During this fast she cared for her young baby and continued to do so until acute 
hepatic hyperemia or congestion of the liver, with symptoms that denoted disease organic in nature, occurred. A fast was at o nce 
Page 64 of  72 entered and continued for sixty days when the patient died. It was discovered then that the woman had been pregnant, and to this  
condition may be attributed some of the complications that arose. From the beginning of the fast copious foul discharges, bla ck in  
color, were evacuated, and there was a slight daily rise in temperature, which, however, was invariably reduced to normal aft er the 
administration of the internal bath. Post mortem examination discovered the liver in an advanced condition of degeneration; the stomach exhibited an extreme 
hour-glass contraction, and its pyloric opening would not permit the insertion of a probe the size of a lead pencil, while the wal ls 
of its lumen were cirrhosed or hardened; the small intestines and the colon throughout their lengths displayed a series of 
cartilaginous contractions. These structural defects were undoubtedly developed after arrival at maturity, since the unaffect ed 
portions of the organs were normal in size and in condition. The fetus was removed from the uterus at the autopsy, and was found 
to be in excellent state, exhibiting the normal development of an unborn child at four months. Case 4. This was a married wom an of thirty -five years, and the case is similar in many respects to the one preceding. The patient 
fasted fifty -nine days from the beginning of illness until death. The entire adult life of this woman had been made wretched by 
digestive impairment, biliou s attacks, and menstrual difficulties. Drugs, including patent medicines, had done their worst until 
about two years before death, when, in hopeless apathy, the patient consented to undergo a fast, and completed one of thirty days 
with such success that sh e experienced full relief from menstrual pain thereafter, and there was but little digestive distress unless 
there had been carelessness in diet. The compelling cause that led to the second fast lay in the organic condition, later discovered, that ha d progressed to the point 
that the digestive function became inoperative. Morbid degeneration of the liver must have existed for some time previous to the 
beginning of abstinence, for from the first day of the fast black bilious discharge in quantity disco lored the fluid of the enemas. The condition gradually became so aggravated that the thought of food tended to produce nausea, while its odor and even the 
perfume of flowers could not be borne. Organic defect had without doubt been present when the first f ast took place, for its 
symptoms were noted at that time, but the organs affected, recuperated to a degree by their enforced rest and assisted by gen eral 
systemic purification, were enabled to continue partial functioning for some months longer. In the second fast pulse and temperature rose above normal register several points each day, but fell to average standard after t he 
internal bath, which in this case was administered twice daily. As in the previous case pregnancy of some months complicat ed conditions. On the fifty -first day of abstinence it was discovered 
that contractions of the uterus were occurring, and in a short while, with some manual assistance, a dead, misshapen fetus wa s 
delivered with little or no distress or pain. General relie f was immediate, and it was so pronounced as to inspire the family with 
hope of ultimate recovery; but the improvement was succeeded by a decline in vitality that ended in the death of the patient. During the latter days of this fast hiccoughs in sev ere form were present, and there was some vomiting of blackish bile. It was 
useless to attempt feeding at any stage of the fast, for, from the first, the stomach refused even water, and the only manner  in which 
the fluids of the body were renewed was throu gh absorption from the baths, both external and internal. Post mortem findings follow. The liver was so degenerated that but little functioning could have occurred for many days; the 
gall sac was at least four times its normal in size and contained f oul, black, bilious fluid; the kidneys were hypertrophied or 
enlarged, and pocketed with pus; the pancreas was so hardened in texture as to resist the knife; the spleen was degenerated t o the 
degree that the organ was held together merely by its surroundin g membrane; the small intestines were normal in size, condition, 
and position, as was the colon, excepting that the transverse portion of the latter organ had suffered malposition and in por tions 
was no larger in diameter than the adult thumb; the right ov ary contained a cyst filled with fluid, while the right fallopian tube was 
bent twice upon itself; the left ovary was in an atrophic or wasted state and was no larger than a lima bean in size; the hea rt and the 
lungs were normal. Case 5 is that of a young man of twenty -five who had been syphilitically infected five years before death, and who had had his 
symptoms treated by medical practitioners and by advertising quacks. At the time of consultation syphilitic sores still remai ned, 
and other evidences  of the blood taint were present. There was a loss of mental control that necessitated constant attendance of a 
nurse. About six months before death a fast of twenty -eight days was undertaken and successfully finished. At its completion the 
syphilitic sore s had entirely disappeared, and relief in general was such that the patient was enabled to dispense with his attendant 
and to care for himself. But several months later signs of serious organic breakdown, including loss of mental control, again  were 
appare nt. One of the symptoms noted was that of copious discharge of watery mucus from the nasal passages and throat, together 
with constant, profuse exudation of sweat about the face and head. The latter symptom was present in such degree that the hai r of 
the p atient dripped moisture continuously and his pillow needed change every hour. Considerable solid feces and catarrhal mucus 
appeared in the enemas, and for a month before death speech was impossible and no function could be performed without 
assistance. No food was given during the last nineteen days of life. Page 65 of  72     Post mortem findings showed a brain, the right hemisphere of which was much degenerated and pus laden; the left hemisphere 
was structurally normal; the right jugular vein was occluded with a whiti sh deposit, not analyzed; the heart was normal; the right 
lung was in a state of embolism, and was virtually a mass of clotted blood, useless for its purposes; the left lung was norma l; the 
liver was partially degenerated. In this case no abnormality exist ed throughout the length of the alimentary canal, and the kidneys, 
pancreas, and spleen were in condition that presumed ability to function. Case 6, that of a man forty -six years of age, presents a history of constant disease with intermittent acute crises. As the result of 
an accident in childhood, by which the subject was injured internally, both youth and early manhood were punctuated with a 
succession of severe illnesses, which were treated in orthodox: without permanent relief. About fifteen year s before death the 
patient abandoned medicine and turned to natural therapeutics, with the result that the first lengthy relief from physical di stress 
was obtained. Three years before he died, acute disease again appeared, and, because of uncongenial but u navoidable environment, 
medical treatment was resorted to for a short time, again without benefit. Reverted to in finality, the fast and its accompan iments 
succeeded in relieving conditions to the extent that the patient was enabled to resume his wonted wo rk. Although he suffered at 
intervals from this time on, there was no return of acute distress until the month preceding death, when, after somewhat stre nuous 
exercise followed by a heavy meal, severe intestinal pains developed. For thirty days no food was  given, the stomach rejecting 
even water, and at the end of the period named, virtually in constant pain the while, the patient died. Post mortem examination showed an organic condition that was most abnormal. The lungs were adherent to the walls of the 
pleural cavity and to the diaphragm; the heart was slightly enl arged but functionally capable; the stomach was dilated and 
prolapsed; the gall sac was divided into three distinct pouches, two of which were filled with a total of one hundred and twe nty-six 
stones, ranging in size from that of a pea to one four inches in circumference; the small intestines were collapsed and midwa y in 
their lower portion were intussuscepted so that two yards of their length were telescoped into but five inches, and here the diameter 
of lumen was only one -quarter of an inch; all of the small intestines were below normal in size; the transverse colon lay in front of 
the descending part of the bowel, an abnormality which largely increased the labor of disposing of body waste ; the ascending and 
descending portions of the colon were lacking in development and were cirrhosed or hardened in structure; the sigmoid bend an d 
the rectum were of diameter not to exceed that of an adult thumb, and were in an advanced state of cirrhosis;  the liver, the 
pancreas, and the spleen all exhibited partial atrophy; brain and nerve centers showed no signs of deterioration. As has been stated, surgical intervention is at times essential in order to correct accidental or congenital structural defect in 
tissue, and here was a case in which such intervention might have been successfully invoked at the time of the accident noted  in its 
history. Neglected then, life was nevertheless prolonged despite the handicap of the abnormalities described, but  at cost constant 
suffering. Case 7, that of a man fifty -six years of age, presents a history of continuous disease in youth, but includes at least twenty years 
of adult life devoted to corrective dieting, judicious fasting, and to constant hygienic care of the body. At the time that the case was 
brought to the attention and placed under the direction of the writer, the patient was aware that his condition was such that  recourse 
must be had to every agency promising relief or he must succumb. After ex amination, the symptoms showing marked organic 
irregularities, it was agreed that but one hope of prolonging life remained, and that this lay in an absolute fast. By it wou ld be 
determined either the ability of the organism to continue functioning, or assu rance that the human machine had reached the point 
where life could be no longer maintained. The fast began, and there was no marked disturbance until the twenty -first day, while relief was such that the patient and all 
about him hoped and believed t hat the improvement noted was permanent in character; but on this day and thereafter unfavorable 
symptoms progressively developed, and on the thirty -second day of the fast, the case lapsed into coma, which continued until an 
abscess which had formed in the  nasal cavity was with difficulty discharged. Great ease in all respects resulted, and the patient 
became conscious, assisting with interest in the efforts being made to promote his recovery. Death, however, occurred on the 
thirty -eighth day of fasting. At all times during this fast large amounts of mucus were discharged in the enemas, and at intervals pain, sometimes 
excruciating in kind, was felt in the bladder. In the latter stages pus in abundance appeared in the urine, and during the la st few 
days of life the bladder ceased functioning, its contents being removed by catheterization. In this case muscular strength was 
shown in remarkable degree, during the fast and until the day of death. The patient was able at all times during conciousness  to 
move himself in bed, to rise at intervals, and to assist himself in ways that seemed marvelous when his condition is considered. The following are the results of the autopsy. The brain, weighing forty -eight and one -half ounces, was perfect in structure. Here 
again is corroborative evidence of the truth advanced by Dr. E. H. Dewey, and developed by all who have scientifically 
investigated and practically applied the fast as a therapeutic measure, viz., that nerve tissue is never depleted during abstine nce, 
since its supply of sustenance is gained directly from body reserve, not from material freshly assimilated and appropriated b y cells 
other than those of nerve substance. The lungs of this man were in excellent condition; the heart, organically considered, wa s 
perfect, but was filled with a gelatinous mass of serum affected by post mortem change; from the cardiac opening of the st omach 
to within two inches of the pylorus there was not a particle of healthy membrane, and the appearance of the walls of this org an was 
Page 66 of  72 that of smooth, wet chamois skin; the duodenum was below normal in size, the upper portion of the jejunum being, howev er, 
somewhat dilated; about midway in the tube of the small intestine a downward intussusception had taken place, in length about  
two and one -half inches; this was of long -standing, since the walls of the bowel had become hardened and thickened, and thus t he 
opening through the gut had been considerably reduced; the only section of the colon that was in normal state was the cecum, and 
thence to the rectum the organ was infantile in size; in fact, there was not an inch of this part of the intestinal tract in to which the 
tip of the index finger could have been introduced; the sigmoid flexure was less developed than any other portion of the gut;  in 
reality it was not a flexure or bend, being merely a straight vertical canal continuing the descending colon to th e rectum and anus; 
the liver was much congested, its left lobe, however, being partly cirrhosed; the gall bladder was distended with bilious flu id; the 
pancreas was much undersize, and the spleen was that of an infant; the kidneys were in a state of degene ration and were pocketed 
with pus, which discharged through the ureters into an inflamed bladder, which was itself undersize and capable of containing  
within its thickened walls barely three ounces of urine. In connection with this undeveloped and fu nctionally inadequate digestive tract, it is interesting to record that the sex organs of 
this man were those of a boy of twelve or thirteen. He was underweight and boyish in appearance as well. The condition met wa s 
of course the result of disease in earl y life with consequent arrest of organic development. Case 9, a civil engineer, twenty -seven years of age, had suffered since childhood with intermittent acute digestive disease, which 
was treated as is usual in orthodox practice. Malnutrition finall y became so pronounced that the subject decided that medicine 
could no longer suggest anything to alleviate his condition, and he entered a fast of his own volition, coming for consultati on some 
days after its beginning. Examination at this time showed the  uselessness of attempting to cope with the organic symptoms that 
were most plainly apparent, and it was deemed best to inform the patient that recovery was out of the question. To allay as m uch as 
was possible the fears of his family, food was given, but the stomach persistently rejected it, and the fast was perforce continued. The patient died at the end of twenty -one days of abstinence. Post mortem examination revealed an organism with heart, lungs, and digestive organs so extremely arrested in dev elopment 
that, had it not been for the adult body in which they had been functioning, they would have been considered as the organs of  a 
child four years of age. Case 10, a man of thirty -four, whose physical history had been one of constant illness a fter his twentieth year, is next presented. The patient had been treated medically for indigestion, constipation, and for various fevers. All his life he had been a heav y meat 
eater and an inveterate user of strong tea. In later years fermentation, difficu lty in breathing, and abdominal pain invariably 
succeeded the ingestion of a meal. For the relief of these symptoms medical correctives and tonics were taken, but the condit ion 
gradually grew worse. The patient finally decided to try a fast, but, because o f interference by his family, a liquid diet was 
substituted and continued for thirty -five days when death occurred. In this case pulse and temperature before the dietetic regimen 
began had been constantly below normal, and during the period given they show ed but little change, the pulse standing at fifty -four 
or thereabouts, with temperature as low at times as ninety -three. The autopsy disclosed the lungs completely filled with an exudation of serous fluid, a condition that was the immediate cause  of 
death. The surface of the body for several weeks had been discolored in spots, these blotches, or cyanosed areas, indicating an 
obstructed circulation. This symptom is sometimes present in cases of cirrhosis of the liver, and the latter organ was found in an 
advanced stage of atrophic hardening. The stomach held but eight fluid ounces, and it could hold no more, for its outside mus cular 
coat was in a permanent state of contraction, while its mucus membrane was very much thickened, making the walls of the or gan 
at least one inch in depth or thickness. As a result of the contraction of the outside coating of the stomach, it had become elongated 
into a tube, and its normal capacity was much diminished. The duodenum and the upper three feet of the small intestin e were 
dilated so that their lumen was three inches in diameter, a structural change which suggests the thought that nature had atte mpted 
to remedy in this portion of the alimentary canal the deficiency in size and function existing in the stomach. It is s aid that cirrhosis 
of the stomach is a symptom very rarely observed in disease, but in this case and in the one that follows, this organic chang e was 
present in forms that could scarcely have been more perfect examples of their kind. Continuing the post mo rtem findings, below 
the dilated section of the small intestines the remainder of the tract including the entire colon was apparently normal in si ze and in 
functional ability. The gall bladder was small, while the kidneys, the pancreas, and the spleen all exhibited signs of tissue 
hardening. Case 11, an unmarried woman of thirty -three, had never passed a year during infancy and girlhood free from acute illness, and 
had been a sufferer through all of her later life from nervous exhaustion that at frequ ent intervals was accompanied with morbid 
craving for food, a desire which was satisfied without reason whenever it occurred. About five years before death the medical  
adviser of the patient ordered that she take some sustenance every two hours during her waking moments, with a full meal just 
before retiring. In addition to her other suffering, for many years at the menstrual period, the young woman was compelled to  lose 
four or five days from her duties. She had sought the world over for relief, and about two years before consultation had turned to 
natural agencies for health restoration undergoing then a fast of ten days. At the time the case was presented for examinatio n there 
could be no doubt but that some aggravated form of organic disease existed, and  no encouragement was offered in prognosis, but it 
was agreed that the treatment given should be aimed at the relief that a light diet, coupled with the essential eliminative 
Page 67 of  72 accessories, would be certain to afford. This course was pursued for a period of eighty days, when death occurred. The case when 
first seen showed a cyanosed condition of the skin; the cheeks were blue and veined, as was the nose, and the entire surface of the 
body exhibited deplorable deficiency in venous circulation. This state impro ved to some extent after entering upon the dietary 
regimen. Examination of the body after death revealed a liver and stomach cirrhosed, the stomach walls showing no evidence of recent 
function, being approximately three -quarters of an inch in thickne ss. The small intestines, infantile in size, were of the consistency 
of cartilage in sections, and adhesions were present at various points. The colon was no larger than an adult thumb throughou t its 
length, and it also exhibited adhesions. The only organs  of the body that were in anything like a condition of functional capability 
were the lungs and the heart. The kidneys, the spleen, and the pancreas, as in the previous case, were incipiently hardened. In several of the cases quoted it has been menti oned that the patient after the beginning of a fast, experienced a renewal of 
vitality for which no solid physiological foundation existed. Nature, struggling to restore organic function, invariably make s the 
effort commensurate with the gravity of the exi stent defect. By the removal of the labor of digestion at least one -half of the total 
organic work of the body is lifted, and relief that simulates recuperation is manifested despite structural deficiency in the  machine. In the presence of serious organic disease this seemingly favorable symptom is of short duration, and, as it passes, very evident 
decline begins and progresses until nerve centers and brain no longer receive adequate support and the body dies. In Cases 3 and 4 
the relief experienced after t he first fast was sufficient in each case, with organs still partially able to function, to enable the system 
to maintain itself until accumulation again became too great to permit of continuance. Defects in organism, too serious to ha ve 
been corrected in the earlier treatment or in the interim, now reached the stage either of degeneration or of atrophy, until finally 
liberation of the life principle became no longer possible. When a case is first presented for examination the presence of serious orga nic defect cannot always be determined, but no doubt 
is permitted shortly after entrance into a fast, for within a week or ten days symptoms are displayed that fix conditions. Th e third 
week positively decides the outcome. In the two cases last described s igns of organic disease were such as not to be mistaken from 
the very first. Soon or late the result in these and like instances must be death, and all that can be done towards possible recovery 
must in the circumstances prove of no avail. Because of the h opeless outlook the cases described were placed upon restricted diet; 
a diet that put no undue strain upon failing function, but that, nevertheless, did not ameliorate the distress of disease as would an 
absolute fast. Family anxiety and outside criticism prevented the employment of the latter agency. In the circumstances life was 
prolonged for several weeks, but it is virtually certain that, if food had been entirely excluded, relief would have been gre ater and 
days would have been added to existence. Disease that is functional in character is self -limited. The amount of poison manufactured within the body is determined by the 
intake of food or of drugs, and eradication of disease is fixed in limit of time by the ability of vital organs to resist and  east out 
toxic products. The possibility always exists that these organs may prove unequal to their work, and this possibility becomes  a 
certainty, with death as the outcome, in two situations --one, when the organs themselves are structurally defective, an d the other, 
when, though fully capable of normal function, their powers are stimulated by food or by drugs, or by both, to the point of 
exhaustion. But one of these conditions, that of irreparable organic defect, presents itself when disease is treated by  means of the 
fast. Both are encountered in the therapeutics of medicine. In the majority of instances in medically treated cases the passing of life occurs under the influence of opiates that deaden  pain 
and paralyze consciousness. Virtually from th e beginning of a fast pain ceases, consciousness is usually maintained with 
exceptional mental clarity, and death, if it occurs, is like falling into gentle sleep. The results displayed in the post mortem findings cited, and the comparisons made in t he statement that follows, are tangible 
assets in the claim that, in the absence of defects in the organs of the body, abstinence from food, together with the needfu l health -
giving and health preserving accompaniments elsewhere described in the text, is th e unfailing remedy for the correction of 
functional ills. Both physician and patient from the outset of treatment possess the assurance of recovery; and confidenee th at rests 
on infallible natural law is in itself of the greatest assistance in accomplishin g results. Comparative statement of post mortem findings is death by starvation (medical), and post mortem findings in death during the 
fast as noted in the text. EMACIATION  
Death by starvation:  
Marked. Death by fasting:  
 
    In cases where cirrhosed state of liver or stomach existed, emaciation was similar to that in chronic ailments, but in the ot her 
instances it was not at all marked. Page 68 of  72 SKIN  
Death by starvation:  
    Shrivelled and wrinkled; emits a fetid odor; sometimes  dark brown, varnishy coating; tightly adherent to parts beneath; rough, 
scurvy surface. Death by fasting:  
    Smooth and pliable in all cases; free from odor; no coating; not adherent. Except in eases of cirrhosis of liver or stomach, 
perfectly white. In the latter cyanosed condition as noted  
 
SUB -CUTANEOUS FAT  
Death by starvation:  
    Absent. Death by fasting:  
    In all eases sub -cutaneous fat was present. This was especially so where disintegration of the liver is noted. POST MORTEM RIGIDITY  
Death by starvation:  
    Pronounced. Death by fasting:  
    Very slight. PUTREFACTION  
Death by starvation:  
    Sets in at once and progresses very rapidly. Death by fasting:  
    Very slow in progress. No preservatives were used on any body before holding the autopsy. In one instance post mortem was 
held one month after death, and putrefaction was hardly noticeable. Slowness of decay is attributable to the constant employm ent 
of both external and internal baths during treatment. Fasting is a process of elimination in immediate result, and the product s that 
tend to swift decomposition are removed from the body as rapidly as formed. HEART  
Death by starvation:  
    Usually contr acted, containing only a small amount of blood. Sometimes distinct atrophy. Death by fasting:  
    Normal in all cases. LUNGS  
Death by starvation:  
    Normal but smaller. Death by fasting:  
    Normal except as noted. BLOOD  
Death by starvat ion:  
    Lessened in amount, but thin and fluid from anemia. Death by fasting:  
    Abundance of blood. No apparent anemia. BLADDER  
Death by starvation:  
    Invariably empty. Sometimes much atrophied. Death by fasting:  
    In all cases contained some water. Pus as noted. No atrophy except in Case 7. Page 69 of  72 STOMACH  
Death by starvation:  
    Small, contracted; walls thin; mucosa corrugated and pale. Death by fasting:  
    Several cases showed extreme dilation; two were in st ate of cirrhosis; none showed contractions except Case 3 (hour -glass), and 
Cases 10 and 11 (cirrhosis). Other variations as noted. INTESTINES  
Death by starvation:  
    Show uniform contraction as to lumen and length; walls usually thin and transparent t o light; their atrophy in this connection is 
characteristic. Sometimes empty; sometimes containing dark mucus; sometimes distended with gas. Death by fasting:  
    The condition of the intestines is specifically noted in all cases. There were no general characteristics, but in no instance were 
the walls unduly thin. KIDNEYS  
Death by starvation:  
    Do not seem to suffer. Death by fasting:  
    Suffered as noted. SPLEEN  
Death by starvation:  
    Not noteworthy. Death by fasting:  
    Normal in majority of eases. Disintegration noted in Case 4, atrophy in Cases 6 and 7. PANCREAS  
Death by starvation:  
    Always atrophied, sometimes to practical disappearance. Death by fasting:  
    Atrophy noted in Cases 6 and 7; hypertrophy wi th cirrhosis in Case 4; incipient cirrhosis in Cases 10 and 11. Others normal. OMENTUM  
Death by starvation:  
    Transparent and destitute of fat. Death by fasting:  
    In all cases some fat; in Case 4 excessive fat. Transparent in no case. LIVER  
Death by starvation:  
    Unaltered except in size, which is lessened. Death by fasting:  
    Noted in all cased There were no general characteristics; the organ varied in size and structure with the individual. GALL BLADDER  
Death by starvation:  
    Usually full; contents staining adjacent tissues. Death by fasting:  
    Case 8 was the only instance in which there was staining of adjacent tissues. Others were as noted or normal. Page 70 of  72     One fact of significance shown in the post mortem findings and in the comparison noted above is that, no matter how general 
were the defects in other organs, nor how emaciated the body, unless they themselves were organically imperfect, the heart, t he 
lungs, and the brain were normal in size and in functioning ability. It may be added that, although not always specifically s tated, 
the brain in each instance in the cases cited was thoroughly dissected. Through the facts related the immediate cause of death in every case described may easily be traced to its origin. And 
furthermore these facts virtually prove that organic deficiency, if not produced by drug dosage, is the direct result of dige stive 
impairment. The scientific worth of this observation  is much enhanced for the reason that in these autopsies the entire organism in 
each case was exhibited unaffected by recent drug paralysis. Observation also shows that the subjects in whom glands were 
hardened or atrophied were invariably of an emaciated or wiry physique, while those in whom a softening of the organs had 
occurred were inclined to obesity. It is also interesting to note that, where mental control was lacking at any stage of the fast, the 
colon upon dissection showed displacement and distort ion, so much so that its evacuation was rendered most difficult even with 
the aid of enemata. From the scientific viewpoint the observations included in the present chapter are of greatest import. By them the theory of 
Fasting for the Cure of Disease  is fully substantiated, and proof of its efficacy as a therapeutic measure is rendered 
incontrovertible. SUMMARY OF DEATHS IN THE FAST  
 
N
o. Sex Lengt
h of 
Fast 
Days  Age Height  Weight  
at 
Begin  
ning of 
Fast Weight 
at Death  Pulse at 
begi- 
ning of 
fast Pulse 
at 
mid 
fast Pulse 
before 
death  Temp at 
begin - 
ning of ast  Temp at 
mid fast  Temp before 
death  
1 F 40 38 5'5" 124 86 82 72 86 99 98 97 
2 F 57 39 5'2" 110 68 74 72 68 96 98 94 
3 F 60 24 5'7" 132 75 90 104 112 97 99 96 
4 F 59 35 5'8" 144 90 78 84 108 100 100 96 
5 M 19 24 5'7" 110 87 80 68 60 96 97 94 
6 M 30 46 5'11"  145 112 88 92 96 98 99 97 
7 M 38 56 5'5" 115 70 60 68 50 94 96 94 
8 M 49 22 5'6" 128 100 90 86 102 97 98 97 
9 M 21 27 5'10"  125 88 56 54 48 94 96 94 
10 M 35 
(Diet)  34 5'9" 146 120 54 52 50 94 94 94 
11 F 80 
(Diet)  33 5'2" 78 65 56 60 62 94 96 94 
 
CHAPTER XXI  
NATURAL THERAPY AND THE FAST  
 
OSTEOPATHY AND CHIROPRACTIC:  
THE TENDENCY OF OSTEOPATHY TO REVERT TO MEDICINE:  
THE BROAD BASIS OF NATURAL THERAPY  
 
    AS ELSEWHERE expressed the fast in itself is primarily an eliminative agency, a process of purification, and therefore it mus t 
be regarded, not as the actual restorative, curative power, but as a means to this end. Ability to recover from disease, cure  itself, 
resides within the individual organism, the fast, together with its accessories, permitting, and at times even compelling, ga thered 
body impurity to be eliminated through the various natural, normal channels of evacuation. It prepares and furnishe s a restored and 
renovated foundation upon which a new and healthy physical structure may be re -erected. The accessories utilized in fasting have been in greater part explained and elaborated. But one important auxiliary agency th at is 
daily brought into play during the regimen imposed is that of body manipulation, including adjustment and correction of bony 
lesions, be the latter located in the spinal column or elsewhere. In this connection two distinct schools of healing have ari sen 
within comparati vely recent time, those of Osteopathy and of Chiropractic. Osteopathy, the theory of which was first propounded by Dr. A. T. Still in 1874, is defined as "that science or system of hea ling 
which treats disease of the human body by manual therapeutics  for the stimulation of the remedial forces within the body itself, for 
Page 71 of  72 the correction of misplaced tissue, and for the removal of obstructions or interferences with the fluids of the body, all wit hout the 
internal administration of drugs or medicine." It may perhaps serve to make this definition more lucid if Dr. Still's own 
interpretation of his discovery is added. It is this: -- "Osteopathy deals with the body as an intricate machine, which, if kept in 
proper adjustment, nourished and cared for, will run smoothly into ripe old age. When every part of the machine is adjusted and in 
perfect harmony, health will hold dominion over the human organism by laws as natural and immutable as are the laws of 
gravitation. Every living organism has within it the power to manufacture and prepare all chemicals, materials, and forces needed 
to build and rebuild itself, together with all of the machinery and apparatus required to do the work in the most perfect man ner, 
producing the only substances that can be utilized in t he economy of the individual. No material other than food and water taken in 
satisfaction of the demands of the appetite can be introduced without detriment." The name, Osteopathy, derived as it is from two Greek words, osteon, a bone, and pathos, su ffering, is not such a misnomer as 
at first might appear. The osteopathic theory, it is seen, is based on the belief that disease is caused by some part of the human 
mechanism being out of proper adjustment, as in the ease of misplaced bone, cartilage or l igament, adhesions or contractions of 
muscle, any one of which results in unnatural pressure on, or obstruction to, nerve, blood, or lymph. Osteopathy, then, throu gh the 
agency or use of the bones, especially the long ones which are employed as levers, see ks to adjust the misplaced parts. It pays 
attention to all portions of the organism, but it devotes much of its work to the spinal column, which, owing to its complex 
structure, is liable to several forms of sub -dislocation, depending upon the region in wh ich they may occur. The most common of 
these is that of rotation followed by forward or backward displacement of a single vertebra. Compensation always succeeds the se 
changes so that the disturbance is communicated to the vertebrae above or below, thus for ming a group. These lesions and others 
are detected by the touch and are verified by tenderness of the surrounding parts. Chiropractic is defined as "a system of therapeutic treatment for disease through the adjustment of the articulations of the human 
body, particularly those of the spine, with the object of relieving pressure or tension upon nerve filaments." As in osteopat hy, the 
operations necessary are performed with the hands, no drugs being administered. There is no doubt that mobility of  the spinal column is of first importance, for in health there is motion between adjacent 
vertebrae. Lack of movement may be caused by muscular tension, by stretching of ligaments, or by a union of the parts because  of 
bony deposit. Following any of these conditions, both osteopathy and chiropractic hold, are functional or organic disturbances, 
acute becoming chronic. Nerves are pinched or impinged, and, as circulation of blood to an organ depends upon its nerve contr ol, 
organic mechanism is interfered with , and disease results. That these two schools are closely related in theory is evident. But each falls short of its greatest possibilities when offe red as a 
sole agency for the relief of human ills. Osteopathy has begun to recognize this fundamental fallacy in principle, but in doing so, it 
has to a degree departed from the vision of its founder, a departure which, in the opinion of the author, is vital error. At the time 
this is written osteopathy is leaning backward towards that profession which Dr. Still repudiated a half century ago, and only its 
leading members can save it from amalgamation with the dominant cult, a union which will surely prove its annihilation. Alrea dy 
in the osteopathic curriculum there have been introduced materia medica, phar macology, and minor surgery, with side journeys 
into bacteriology. The official magazines of the profession now carry articles on subjects which, if not strictly medical in tone, are 
in essence applications of medical theory, as witness in a recent number of one of their journals a dissertation upon colonic therapy 
with the recommendation that strong cultures of certain bacteria be introduced into the bowel to combat other so -called 
pathological bacteria. And why should osteopathy concern itself, as it does  in the same columns, with the use of insulin in the 
treatment of diabetes? On the other hand it is refreshing to discover in editorial comment the following: "Some say, if the science of osteopathy is  
developed and practiced, what is the difference whether we do it alone or unite with the medics and do it with them? It is this: as 
an independent profession, untrammeled by a hodge -podge of useless empirical chemical therapy, faulty lines of reasoning, and 
age-old prejudices, with a recognized excuse f or our existence --clinical results scientifically proven --we can bring to suffering 
humanity generally the truths of osteopathy in a way better to advance the world's well -being. We have a responsibility. Let us not 
shirk it. Let us live up to it." With the exception of sanctioning those surgical operations which it is necessary at times to perform upon the human body, 
osteopathy, a system of natural therapeutics, has no need to revert to the system of error out of which it grew and from whic h it 
long since separated itself. Its fundamental principles deny all save natural methods for prevention, relief, and cure of disease,  and 
by its excursions into medical therapy, it belies, not only the tenets of its right to exist as a profession distinct from ot her healing 
cults, but it depreciates and disparages the wisdom of its founder. The criticism offered concerning retrogression in principle on the part of osteopathy does not apply to chiropractic as a 
profession. Both of these schools may be arraign ed before the bar of natural therapy in that each is seen to reason from effect to 
cause when it claims that spinal lesions primarily lower nutrition. Barring forcible displacement of vertebrae, accidentally brought 
about, there is but one source from whic h may arise a condition of lowered nutrition in any of the tissues of the body, and this is 
faulty digestion. Perfect digestion in large degree insures perfect assimilation, and perfect assimilation must conserve musc ular 
Page 72 of  72 tone. Muscles that are built when a state of malnutrition exists are not adequate for the work of supporting bony structure with the 
delicate adjustment that combines strength with the necessary measure off flexibility. Manotherapy at all times is limited in its field of practice whe n used alone, but, in connection with the method outlined in the 
text, its efficiency is greatly extended, and, used in conjunction with the fast and its immediate accessories, an almost per fect 
combination for the prevention and cure of disease is present ed. To illustrate further, in the presence of a full stomach manotherapy becomes a method of mere force and stimulation, which in  
the circumstances is usually detrimental to health It can then be classed only as passive physical culture in which a su bject permits 
the operator to exercise his muscles instead of doing the work himself. But, doing a fast, all muscles of the body are in a s tate of 
relaxation, a natural consequence of the process of rest and elimination in progress. They respond in this co ndition to every 
impetus, and blood circulation at the same time is directly amenable to the stimulation offered. And in pregnancy and confinement, the trained hands of the osteopath, hands that possess what is known as "lesion sense," 
perform with a ccuracy, expedition, and intelligence those acts that are so essential in facilitating delivery, and, if beforehand, the 
general dietetic regimen outlined herein for pregnant women be observed, labor is eased, and the work of the manotherapist is  
rendered less difficult. In correcting uterine displacement, fasting removes congestion, relaxes muscles, while manual adjustment 
assists in completing cure. Body manipulation, properly administered, is at all times an aid to elimination, but especially i s this so 
during fasting; and, when a patient is weak and despondent, circulation, thus stimulated, buoys. Congested glands that so oft en 
suppurate, and that may develop into growths, benign or malignant, may through judicious combination of fasting and 
manipulation  be caused to disappear. And this applies to all morbid enlargements, the procedures mentioned compelling natural 
augmentation of blood in the parts, thus inducing an increased power of absorption. And it must not be forgotten that in virt ually 
all forms o f paralysis, manual release of the atlas, the uppermost of the cervical vertebrae, a movement known to all efficient 
operators in manotherapy, often is the first step towards restoration of sensation in the paralyzed area. And here the purify ing 
processes impelled by a fast complete recovery. The chief cause which deters general acceptance of natural therapy is the diversity of the methods presented and the 
completeness of none of them when depended upon alone. To say that any one method is a cure -all is arrant nonsense. In order to 
secure the greatest good both for the physician and humanity a broader vision is needed, and natural therapy must be extended  to 
embrace that which is good in all of the systems of healing; and that which is good is that wh ich, while conserving and stimulating 
vitality, will not interfere with natural function. The osteopathic physician, the chiropractic doctor, and even the fasting specialist, 
fails if the theory upon which his art is based is alone depended upon for each a nd every case presented for advice and guidance. Casting aside sectarian prejudices and differences, let the good that is in all be combined in one common school of therapeut ics, a 
school that then will demonstrate that which makes nature itself distinctiv e and powerful, catholic in theory, which is science, and 
catholic in art, which is science applied.
Scientific_Fasting.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        A young married woman of twenty -four who, since maturity, had suffered fro m severe intestinal troubles and from acute 
bilious attacks. Four years before her death she had been medically treated for alleged appendicitis, and at this time an ope ration 
was advised to which she refused to submit. In this connection it is interesting  to note that the autopsy on this body disclosed an 
appendix in normal condition with no signs of previous disease. Eight months before death the patient had undergone a fast of twenty -eight days and had convalesced into the most satisfactory 
physica l condition she had known since childhood. During this fast she cared for her young baby and continued to do so until acute 
hepatic hyperemia or congestion of the liver, with symptoms that denoted disease organic in nature, occurred. A fast was at o nce 
Page 64 of  72 entered and continued for sixty days when the patient died. It was discovered then that the woman had been pregnant, and to this  
condition may be attributed some of the complications that arose. From the beginning of the fast copious foul discharges, bla ck in  
color, were evacuated, and there was a slight daily rise in temperature, which, however, was invariably reduced to normal aft er the 
administration of the internal bath. Post mortem examination discovered the liver in an advanced condition of degeneration; the stomach exhibited an extreme 
hour-glass contraction, and its pyloric opening would not permit the insertion of a probe the size of a lead pencil, while the wal ls 
of its lumen were cirrhosed or hardened; the small intestines and the colon throughout their lengths displayed a series of 
cartilaginous contractions. These structural defects were undoubtedly developed after arrival at maturity, since the unaffect ed 
portions of the organs were normal in size and in condition. The fetus was removed from the uterus at the autopsy, and was found 
to be in excellent state, exhibiting the normal development of an unborn child at four months. Case 4. This was a married wom an of thirty -five years, and the case is similar in many respects to the one preceding. The patient 
fasted fifty -nine days from the beginning of illness until death. The entire adult life of this woman had been made wretched by 
digestive impairment, biliou s attacks, and menstrual difficulties. Drugs, including patent medicines, had done their worst until 
about two years before death, when, in hopeless apathy, the patient consented to undergo a fast, and completed one of thirty days 
with such success that sh e experienced full relief from menstrual pain thereafter, and there was but little digestive distress unless 
there had been carelessness in diet. The compelling cause that led to the second fast lay in the organic condition, later discovered, that ha d progressed to the point 
that the digestive function became inoperative. Morbid degeneration of the liver must have existed for some time previous to the 
beginning of abstinence, for from the first day of the fast black bilious discharge in quantity disco lored the fluid of the enemas. The condition gradually became so aggravated that the thought of food tended to produce nausea, while its odor and even the 
perfume of flowers could not be borne. Organic defect had without doubt been present when the first f ast took place, for its 
symptoms were noted at that time, but the organs affected, recuperated to a degree by their enforced rest and assisted by gen eral 
systemic purification, were enabled to continue partial functioning for some months longer. In the second fast pulse and temperature rose above normal register several points each day, but fell to average standard after t he 
internal bath, which in this case was administered twice daily. As in the previous case pregnancy of some months complicat ed conditions. On the fifty -first day of abstinence it was discovered 
that contractions of the uterus were occurring, and in a short while, with some manual assistance, a dead, misshapen fetus wa s 
delivered with little or no distress or pain. General relie f was immediate, and it was so pronounced as to inspire the family with 
hope of ultimate recovery; but the improvement was succeeded by a decline in vitality that ended in the death of the patient. During the latter days of this fast hiccoughs in sev ere form were present, and there was some vomiting of blackish bile. It was 
useless to attempt feeding at any stage of the fast, for, from the first, the stomach refused even water, and the only manner  in which 
the fluids of the body were renewed was throu gh absorption from the baths, both external and internal. Post mortem findings follow. The liver was so degenerated that but little functioning could have occurred for many days; the 
gall sac was at least four times its normal in size and contained f oul, black, bilious fluid; the kidneys were hypertrophied or 
enlarged, and pocketed with pus; the pancreas was so hardened in texture as to resist the knife; the spleen was degenerated t o the 
degree that the organ was held together merely by its surroundin g membrane; the small intestines were normal in size, condition, 
and position, as was the colon, excepting that the transverse portion of the latter organ had suffered malposition and in por tions 
was no larger in diameter than the adult thumb; the right ov ary contained a cyst filled with fluid, while the right fallopian tube was 
bent twice upon itself; the left ovary was in an atrophic or wasted state and was no larger than a lima bean in size; the hea rt and the 
lungs were normal. Case 5 is that of a young man of twenty -five who had been syphilitically infected five years before death, and who had had his 
symptoms treated by medical practitioners and by advertising quacks. At the time of consultation syphilitic sores still remai ned, 
and other evidences  of the blood taint were present. There was a loss of mental control that necessitated constant attendance of a 
nurse. About six months before death a fast of twenty -eight days was undertaken and successfully finished. At its completion the 
syphilitic sore s had entirely disappeared, and relief in general was such that the patient was enabled to dispense with his attendant 
and to care for himself. But several months later signs of serious organic breakdown, including loss of mental control, again  were 
appare nt. One of the symptoms noted was that of copious discharge of watery mucus from the nasal passages and throat, together 
with constant, profuse exudation of sweat about the face and head. The latter symptom was present in such degree that the hai r of 
the p atient dripped moisture continuously and his pillow needed change every hour. Considerable solid feces and catarrhal mucus 
appeared in the enemas, and for a month before death speech was impossible and no function could be performed without 
assistance. No food was given during the last nineteen days of life. Page 65 of  72     Post mortem findings showed a brain, the right hemisphere of which was much degenerated and pus laden; the left hemisphere 
was structurally normal; the right jugular vein was occluded with a whiti sh deposit, not analyzed; the heart was normal; the right 
lung was in a state of embolism, and was virtually a mass of clotted blood, useless for its purposes; the left lung was norma l; the 
liver was partially degenerated. In this case no abnormality exist ed throughout the length of the alimentary canal, and the kidneys, 
pancreas, and spleen were in condition that presumed ability to function. Case 6, that of a man forty -six years of age, presents a history of constant disease with intermittent acute crises. As the result of 
an accident in childhood, by which the subject was injured internally, both youth and early manhood were punctuated with a 
succession of severe illnesses, which were treated in orthodox: without permanent relief. About fifteen year s before death the 
patient abandoned medicine and turned to natural therapeutics, with the result that the first lengthy relief from physical di stress 
was obtained. Three years before he died, acute disease again appeared, and, because of uncongenial but u navoidable environment, 
medical treatment was resorted to for a short time, again without benefit. Reverted to in finality, the fast and its accompan iments 
succeeded in relieving conditions to the extent that the patient was enabled to resume his wonted wo rk. Although he suffered at 
intervals from this time on, there was no return of acute distress until the month preceding death, when, after somewhat stre nuous 
exercise followed by a heavy meal, severe intestinal pains developed. For thirty days no food was  given, the stomach rejecting 
even water, and at the end of the period named, virtually in constant pain the while, the patient died. Post mortem examination showed an organic condition that was most abnormal. The lungs were adherent to the walls of the 
pleural cavity and to the diaphragm; the heart was slightly enl arged but functionally capable; the stomach was dilated and 
prolapsed; the gall sac was divided into three distinct pouches, two of which were filled with a total of one hundred and twe nty-six 
stones, ranging in size from that of a pea to one four inches in circumference; the small intestines were collapsed and midwa y in 
their lower portion were intussuscepted so that two yards of their length were telescoped into but five inches, and here the diameter 
of lumen was only one -quarter of an inch; all of the small intestines were below normal in size; the transverse colon lay in front of 
the descending part of the bowel, an abnormality which largely increased the labor of disposing of body waste ; the ascending and 
descending portions of the colon were lacking in development and were cirrhosed or hardened in structure; the sigmoid bend an d 
the rectum were of diameter not to exceed that of an adult thumb, and were in an advanced state of cirrhosis;  the liver, the 
pancreas, and the spleen all exhibited partial atrophy; brain and nerve centers showed no signs of deterioration. As has been stated, surgical intervention is at times essential in order to correct accidental or congenital structural defect in 
tissue, and here was a case in which such intervention might have been successfully invoked at the time of the accident noted  in its 
history. Neglected then, life was nevertheless prolonged despite the handicap of the abnormalities described, but  at cost constant 
suffering. Case 7, that of a man fifty -six years of age, presents a history of continuous disease in youth, but includes at least twenty years 
of adult life devoted to corrective dieting, judicious fasting, and to constant hygienic care of the body. At the time that the case was 
brought to the attention and placed under the direction of the writer, the patient was aware that his condition was such that  recourse 
must be had to every agency promising relief or he must succumb. After ex amination, the symptoms showing marked organic 
irregularities, it was agreed that but one hope of prolonging life remained, and that this lay in an absolute fast. By it wou ld be 
determined either the ability of the organism to continue functioning, or assu rance that the human machine had reached the point 
where life could be no longer maintained. The fast began, and there was no marked disturbance until the twenty -first day, while relief was such that the patient and all 
about him hoped and believed t hat the improvement noted was permanent in character; but on this day and thereafter unfavorable 
symptoms progressively developed, and on the thirty -second day of the fast, the case lapsed into coma, which continued until an 
abscess which had formed in the  nasal cavity was with difficulty discharged. Great ease in all respects resulted, and the patient 
became conscious, assisting with interest in the efforts being made to promote his recovery. Death, however, occurred on the 
thirty -eighth day of fasting. At all times during this fast large amounts of mucus were discharged in the enemas, and at intervals pain, sometimes 
excruciating in kind, was felt in the bladder. In the latter stages pus in abundance appeared in the urine, and during the la st few 
days of life the bladder ceased functioning, its contents being removed by catheterization. In this case muscular strength was 
shown in remarkable degree, during the fast and until the day of death. The patient was able at all times during conciousness  to 
move himself in bed, to rise at intervals, and to assist himself in ways that seemed marvelous when his condition is considered. The following are the results of the autopsy. The brain, weighing forty -eight and one -half ounces, was perfect in structure. Here 
again is corroborative evidence of the truth advanced by Dr. E. H. Dewey, and developed by all who have scientifically 
investigated and practically applied the fast as a therapeutic measure, viz. , that nerve tissue is never depleted during abstine nce, 
since its supply of sustenance is gained directly from body reserve, not from material freshly assimilated and appropriated b y cells 
other than those of nerve substance. The lungs of this man were in excellent condition; the heart, organically considered, wa s 
perfect, but was filled with a gelatinous mass of serum affected by post mortem change; from the cardiac opening of the st omach 
to within two inches of the pylorus there was not a particle of healthy membrane, and the appearance of the walls of this org an was 
Page 66 of  72 that of smooth, wet chamois skin; the duodenum was below normal in size, the upper portion of the jejunum being, howev er, 
somewhat dilated; about midway in the tube of the small intestine a downward intussusception had taken place, in length about  
two and one -half inches; this was of long -standing, since the walls of the bowel had become hardened and thickened, and thus t he 
opening through the gut had been considerably reduced; the only section of the colon that was in normal state was the cecum, and 
thence to the rectum the organ was infantile in size; in fact, there was not an inch of this part of the intestinal tract in to which the 
tip of the index finger could have been introduced; the sigmoid flexure was less developed than any other portion of the gut;  in 
reality it was not a flexure or bend, being merely a straight vertical canal continuing the descending colon to th e rectum and anus; 
the liver was much congested, its left lobe, however, being partly cirrhosed; the gall bladder was distended with bilious flu id; the 
pancreas was much undersize, and the spleen was that of an infant; the kidneys were in a state of degene ration and were pocketed 
with pus, which discharged through the ureters into an inflamed bladder, which was itself undersize and capable of containing  
within its thickened walls barely three ounces of urine. In connection with this undeveloped and fu nctionally inadequate digestive tract, it is interesting to record that the sex organs of 
this man were those of a boy of twelve or thirteen. He was underweight and boyish in appearance as well. The condition met wa s 
of course the result of disease in earl y life with consequent arrest of organic development. Case 9, a civil engineer, twenty -seven years of age, had suffered since childhood with intermittent acute digestive disease, which 
was treated as is usual in orthodox practice. Malnutrition finall y became so pronounced that the subject decided that medicine 
could no longer suggest anything to alleviate his condition, and he entered a fast of his own volition, coming for consultati on some 
days after its beginning. Examination at this time showed the  uselessness of attempting to cope with the organic symptoms that 
were most plainly apparent, and it was deemed best to inform the patient that recovery was out of the question. To allay as m uch as 
was possible the fears of his family, food was given, but the stomach persistently rejected it, and the fast was perforce continued. The patient died at the end of twenty -one days of abstinence. Post mortem examination revealed an organism with heart, lungs, and digestive organs so extremely arrested in dev elopment 
that, had it not been for the adult body in which they had been functioning, they would have been considered as the organs of  a 
child four years of age. Case 10, a man of thirty -four, whose physical history had been one of constant illness a fter his twentieth year, is next presented. The patient had been treated medically for indigestion, constipation, and for various fevers. All his life he had been a heav y meat 
eater and an inveterate user of strong tea. In later years fermentation, difficu lty in breathing, and abdominal pain invariably 
succeeded the ingestion of a meal. For the relief of these symptoms medical correctives and tonics were taken, but the condit ion 
gradually grew worse. The patient finally decided to try a fast, but, because o f interference by his family, a liquid diet was 
substituted and continued for thirty -five days when death occurred. In this case pulse and temperature before the dietetic regimen 
began had been constantly below normal, and during the period given they show ed but little change, the pulse standing at fifty -four 
or thereabouts, with temperature as low at times as ninety -three. The autopsy disclosed the lungs completely filled with an exudation of serous fluid, a condition that was the immediate cause  of 
death. The surface of the body for several weeks had been discolored in spots, these blotches, or cyanosed areas, indicating an 
obstructed circulation. This symptom is sometimes present in cases of cirrhosis of the liver, and the latter organ was found in an 
advanced stage of atrophic hardening. The stomach held but eight fluid ounces, and it could hold no more, for its outside mus cular 
coat was in a permanent state of contraction, while its mucus membrane was very much thickened, making the walls of the or gan 
at least one inch in depth or thickness. As a result of the contraction of the outside coating of the stomach, it had become elongated 
into a tube, and its normal capacity was much diminished. The duodenum and the upper three feet of the small intestin e were 
dilated so that their lumen was three inches in diameter, a structural change which suggests the thought that nature had atte mpted 
to remedy in this portion of the alimentary canal the deficiency in size and function existing in the stomach. It is s aid that cirrhosis 
of the stomach is a symptom very rarely observed in disease, but in this case and in the one that follows, this organic chang e was 
present in forms that could scarcely have been more perfect examples of their kind. Continuing the post mo rtem findings, below 
the dilated section of the small intestines the remainder of the tract including the entire colon was apparently normal in si ze and in 
functional ability. The gall bladder was small, while the kidneys, the pancreas, and the spleen all exhibited signs of tissue 
hardening. Case 11, an unmarried woman of thirty -three, had never passed a year during infancy and girlhood free from acute illness, and 
had been a sufferer through all of her later life from nervous exhaustion that at frequ ent intervals was accompanied with morbid 
craving for food, a desire which was satisfied without reason whenever it occurred. About five years before death the medical  
adviser of the patient ordered that she take some sustenance every two hours during her waking moments, with a full meal just 
before retiring. In addition to her other suffering, for many years at the menstrual period, the young woman was compelled to  lose 
four or five days from her duties. She had sought the world over for relief, and about two years before consultation had turned to 
natural agencies for health restoration undergoing then a fast of ten days. At the time the case was presented for examinatio n there 
could be no doubt but that some aggravated form of organic disease existed, and  no encouragement was offered in prognosis, but it 
was agreed that the treatment given should be aimed at the relief that a light diet, coupled with the essential eliminative 
Page 67 of  72 accessories, would be certain to afford. This course was pursued for a period of eighty days, when death occurred. The case when 
first seen showed a cyanosed condition of the skin; the cheeks were blue and veined, as was the nose, and the entire surface of the 
body exhibited deplorable deficiency in venous circulation. This state impro ved to some extent after entering upon the dietary 
regimen. Examination of the body after death revealed a liver and stomach cirrhosed, the stomach walls showing no evidence of recent 
function, being approximately three -quarters of an inch in thickne ss. The small intestines, infantile in size, were of the consistency 
of cartilage in sections, and adhesions were present at various points. The colon was no larger than an adult thumb throughou t its 
length, and it also exhibited adhesions. The only organs  of the body that were in anything like a condition of functional capability 
were the lungs and the heart. The kidneys, the spleen, and the pancreas, as in the previous case, were incipiently hardened. In several of the cases quoted it has been menti oned that the patient after the beginning of a fast, experienced a renewal of 
vitality for which no solid physiological foundation existed. Nature, struggling to restore organic function, invariably make s the 
effort commensurate with the gravity of the exi stent defect. By the removal of the labor of digestion at least one -half of the total 
organic work of the body is lifted, and relief that simulates recuperation is manifested despite structural deficiency in the  machine. In the presence of serious organic disease this seemingly favorable symptom is of short duration, and, as it passes, very evident 
decline begins and progresses until nerve centers and brain no longer receive adequate support and the body dies. In Cases 3 and 4 
the relief experienced after t he first fast was sufficient in each case, with organs still partially able to function, to enable the system 
to maintain itself until accumulation again became too great to permit of continuance. Defects in organism, too serious to ha ve 
been corrected in the earlier treatment or in the interim, now reached the stage either of degeneration or of atrophy, until finally 
liberation of the life principle became no longer possible. When a case is first presented for examination the presence of serious orga nic defect cannot always be determined, but no doubt 
is permitted shortly after entrance into a fast, for within a week or ten days symptoms are displayed that fix conditions. Th e third 
week positively decides the outcome. In the two cases last described s igns of organic disease were such as not to be mistaken from 
the very first. Soon or late the result in these and like instances must be death, and all that can be done towards possible recovery 
must in the circumstances prove of no avail. Because of the h opeless outlook the cases described were placed upon restricted diet; 
a diet that put no undue strain upon failing function, but that, nevertheless, did not ameliorate the distress of disease as would an 
absolute fast. Family anxiety and outside criticism prevented the employment of the latter agency. In the circumstances life was 
prolonged for several weeks, but it is virtually certain that, if food had been entirely excluded, relief would have been gre ater and 
days would have been added to existence. Disease that is functional in character is self -limited. The amount of poison manufactured within the body is determined by the 
intake of food or of drugs, and eradication of disease is fixed in limit of time by the ability of vital organs to resist and  east out 
toxic products. The possibility always exists that these organs may prove unequal to their work, and this possibility becomes  a 
certainty, with death as the outcome, in two situations --one, when the organs themselves are structurally defective, an d the other, 
when, though fully capable of normal function, their powers are stimulated by food or by drugs, or by both, to the point of 
exhaustion. But one of these conditions, that of irreparable organic defect, presents itself when disease is treated by  means of the 
fast. Both are encountered in the therapeutics of medicine. In the majority of instances in medically treated cases the passing of life occurs under the influence of opiates that deaden  pain 
and paralyze consciousness. Virtually from th e beginning of a fast pain ceases, consciousness is usually maintained with 
exceptional mental clarity, and death, if it occurs, is like falling into gentle sleep. The results displayed in the post mortem findings cited, and the comparisons made in t he statement that follows, are tangible 
assets in the claim that, in the absence of defects in the organs of the body, abstinence from food, together with the needfu l health -
giving and health preserving accompaniments elsewhere described in the text, is th e unfailing remedy for the correction of 
functional ills. Both physician and patient from the outset of treatment possess the assurance of recovery; and confidenee th at rests 
on infallible natural law is in itself of the greatest assistance in accomplishin g results. Comparative statement of post mortem findings is death by starvation (medical), and post mortem findings in death during the 
fast as noted in the text. EMACIATION  
Death by starvation:  
Marked. Death by fasting:  
 
    In cases where cirrhosed state of liver or stomach existed, emaciation was similar to that in chronic ailments, but in the ot her 
instances it was not at all marked. Page 68 of  72 SKIN  
Death by starvation:  
    Shrivelled and wrinkled; emits a fetid odor; sometimes  dark brown, varnishy coating; tightly adherent to parts beneath; rough, 
scurvy surface. Death by fasting:  
    Smooth and pliable in all cases; free from odor; no coating; not adherent. Except in eases of cirrhosis of liver or stomach, 
perfectly white. In the latter cyanosed condition as noted  
 
SUB -CUTANEOUS FAT  
Death by starvation:  
    Absent. Death by fasting:  
    In all eases sub -cutaneous fat was present. This was especially so where disintegration of the liver is noted. POST MORTEM RIGIDITY  
Death by starvation:  
    Pronounced. Death by fasting:  
    Very slight. PUTREFACTION  
Death by starvation:  
    Sets in at once and progresses very rapidly. Death by fasting:  
    Very slow in progress. No preservatives were used on any body before holding the autopsy. In one instance post mortem was 
held one month after death, and putrefaction was hardly noticeable. Slowness of decay is attributable to the constant employm ent 
of both external and internal baths during treatment. Fasting is a process of elimination in immediate result, and the product s that 
tend to swift decomposition are removed from the body as rapidly as formed. HEART  
Death by starvation:  
    Usually contr acted, containing only a small amount of blood. Sometimes distinct atrophy. Death by fasting:  
    Normal in all cases. LUNGS  
Death by starvation:  
    Normal but smaller. Death by fasting:  
    Normal except as noted. BLOOD  
Death by starvat ion:  
    Lessened in amount, but thin and fluid from anemia. Death by fasting:  
    Abundance of blood. No apparent anemia. BLADDER  
Death by starvation:  
    Invariably empty. Sometimes much atrophied. Death by fasting:  
    In all cases contained some water. Pus as noted. No atrophy except in Case 7. Page 69 of  72 STOMACH  
Death by starvation:  
    Small, contracted; walls thin; mucosa corrugated and pale. Death by fasting:  
    Several cases showed extreme dilation; two were in st ate of cirrhosis; none showed contractions except Case 3 (hour -glass), and 
Cases 10 and 11 (cirrhosis). Other variations as noted. INTESTINES  
Death by starvation:  
    Show uniform contraction as to lumen and length; walls usually thin and transparent t o light; their atrophy in this connection is 
characteristic. Sometimes empty; sometimes containing dark mucus; sometimes distended with gas. Death by fasting:  
    The condition of the intestines is specifically noted in all cases. There were no general characteristics, but in no instance were 
the walls unduly thin. KIDNEYS  
Death by starvation:  
    Do not seem to suffer. Death by fasting:  
    Suffered as noted. SPLEEN  
Death by starvation:  
    Not noteworthy. Death by fasting:  
    Normal in majority of eases. Disintegration noted in Case 4, atrophy in Cases 6 and 7. PANCREAS  
Death by starvation:  
    Always atrophied, sometimes to practical disappearance. Death by fasting:  
    Atrophy noted in Cases 6 and 7; hypertrophy wi th cirrhosis in Case 4; incipient cirrhosis in Cases 10 and 11. Others normal. OMENTUM  
Death by starvation:  
    Transparent and destitute of fat. Death by fasting:  
    In all cases some fat; in Case 4 excessive fat. Transparent in no case. LIVER  
Death by starvation:  
    Unaltered except in size, which is lessened. Death by fasting:  
    Noted in all cased There were no general characteristics; the organ varied in size and structure with the individual. GALL BLADDER  
Death by starvation:  
    Usually full; contents staining adjacent tissues. Death by fasting:  
    Case 8 was the only instance in which there was staining of adjacent tissues. Others were as noted or normal. Page 70 of  72     One fact of significance shown in the post mortem findings and in the comparison noted above is that, no matter how general 
were the defects in other organs, nor how emaciated the body, unless they themselves were organically imperfect, the heart, t he 
lungs, and the brain were normal in size and in functioning ability. It may be added that, although not always specifically s tated, 
the brain in each instance in the cases cited was thoroughly dissected. Through the facts related the immediate cause of death in every case described may easily be traced to its origin. And 
furthermore these facts virtually prove that organic deficiency, if not produced by drug dosage, is the direct result of dige stive 
impairment. The scientific worth of this observation  is much enhanced for the reason that in these autopsies the entire organism in 
each case was exhibited unaffected by recent drug paralysis. Observation also shows that the subjects in whom glands were 
hardened or atrophied were invariably of an emaciated or wiry physique, while those in whom a softening of the organs had 
occurred were inclined to obesity. It is also interesting to note that, where mental control was lacking at any stage of the fast, the 
colon upon dissection showed displacement and distort ion, so much so that its evacuation was rendered most difficult even with 
the aid of enemata. From the scientific viewpoint the observations included in the present chapter are of greatest import. By them the theory of 
Fasting for the Cure of Disease  is fully substantiated, and proof of its efficacy as a therapeutic measure is rendered 
incontrovertible. SUMMARY OF DEATHS IN THE FAST  
 
N
o. Sex Lengt
h of 
Fast 
Days  Age Height  Weight  
at 
Begin  
ning of 
Fast Weight 
at Death  Pulse at 
begi- 
ning of 
fast Pulse 
at 
mid 
fast Pulse 
before 
death  Temp at 
begin - 
ning of ast  Temp at 
mid fast  Temp before 
death  
1 F 40 38 5'5" 124 86 82 72 86 99 98 97 
2 F 57 39 5'2" 110 68 74 72 68 96 98 94 
3 F 60 24 5'7" 132 75 90 104 112 97 99 96 
4 F 59 35 5'8" 144 90 78 84 108 100 100 96 
5 M 19 24 5'7" 110 87 80 68 60 96 97 94 
6 M 30 46 5'11"  145 112 88 92 96 98 99 97 
7 M 38 56 5'5" 115 70 60 68 50 94 96 94 
8 M 49 22 5'6" 128 100 90 86 102 97 98 97 
9 M 21 27 5'10"  125 88 56 54 48 94 96 94 
10 M 35 
(Diet)  34 5'9" 146 120 54 52 50 94 94 94 
11 F 80 
(Diet)  33 5'2" 78 65 56 60 62 94 96 94 
 
CHAPTER XXI  
NATURAL THERAPY AND THE FAST  
 
OSTEOPATHY AND CHIROPRACTIC:  
THE TENDENCY OF OSTEOPATHY TO REVERT TO MEDICINE:  
THE BROAD BASIS OF NATURAL THERAPY  
 
    AS ELSEWHERE expressed the fast in itself is primarily an eliminative agency, a process of purification, and therefore it mus t 
be regarded, not as the actual restorative, curative power, but as a means to this end. Ability to recover from disease, cure  itself, 
resides within the individual organism, the fast, together with its accessories, permitting, and at times even compelling, ga thered 
body impurity to be eliminated through the various natural, normal channels of evacuation. It prepares and furnishe s a restored and 
renovated foundation upon which a new and healthy physical structure may be re -erected. The accessories utilized in fasting have been in greater part explained and elaborated. But one important auxiliary agency th at is 
daily brought into play during the regimen imposed is that of body manipulation, including adjustment and correction of bony 
lesions, be the latter located in the spinal column or elsewhere. In this connection two distinct schools of healing have ari sen 
within comparati vely recent time, those of Osteopathy and of Chiropractic. Osteopathy, the theory of which was first propounded by Dr. A. T. Still in 1874, is defined as "that science or system of hea ling 
which treats disease of the human body by manual therapeutics  for the stimulation of the remedial forces within the body itself, for 
Page 71 of  72 the correction of misplaced tissue, and for the removal of obstructions or interferences with the fluids of the body, all wit hout the 
internal administration of drugs or medicine. " It may perhaps serve to make this definition more lucid if Dr. Still's own 
interpretation of his discovery is added. It is this: -- "Osteopathy deals with the body as an intricate machine, which, if kept in 
proper adjustment, nourished and cared for, will run smoothly into ripe old age. When every part of the machine is adjusted and in 
perfect harmony, health will hold dominion over the human organism by laws as natural and immutable as are the laws of 
gravitation. Every living organism has within it the power to manufacture and prepare all chemicals, materials, and forces needed 
to build and rebuild itself, together with all of the machinery and apparatus required to do the work in the most perfect man ner, 
producing the only substances that can be utilized in t he economy of the individual. No material other than food and water taken in 
satisfaction of the demands of the appetite can be introduced without detriment. " The name, Osteopathy, derived as it is from two Greek words, osteon, a bone, and pathos, su ffering, is not such a misnomer as 
at first might appear. The osteopathic theory, it is seen, is based on the belief that disease is caused by some part of the human 
mechanism being out of proper adjustment, as in the ease of misplaced bone, cartilage or l igament, adhesions or contractions of 
muscle, any one of which results in unnatural pressure on, or obstruction to, nerve, blood, or lymph. Osteopathy, then, throu gh the 
agency or use of the bones, especially the long ones which are employed as levers, see ks to adjust the misplaced parts. It pays 
attention to all portions of the organism, but it devotes much of its work to the spinal column, which, owing to its complex 
structure, is liable to several forms of sub -dislocation, depending upon the region in wh ich they may occur. The most common of 
these is that of rotation followed by forward or backward displacement of a single vertebra. Compensation always succeeds the se 
changes so that the disturbance is communicated to the vertebrae above or below, thus for ming a group. These lesions and others 
are detected by the touch and are verified by tenderness of the surrounding parts. Chiropractic is defined as "a system of therapeutic treatment for disease through the adjustment of the articulations of the human 
body, particularly those of the spine, with the object of relieving pressure or tension upon nerve filaments. " As in osteopat hy, the 
operations necessary are performed with the hands, no drugs being administered. There is no doubt that mobility of  the spinal column is of first importance, for in health there is motion between adjacent 
vertebrae. Lack of movement may be caused by muscular tension, by stretching of ligaments, or by a union of the parts because  of 
bony deposit. Following any of these conditions, both osteopathy and chiropractic hold, are functional or organic disturbances, 
acute becoming chronic. Nerves are pinched or impinged, and, as circulation of blood to an organ depends upon its nerve contr ol, 
organic mechanism is interfered with, and disease results. That these two schools are closely related in theory is evident. But each falls short of its greatest possibilities when offe red as a 
sole agency for the relief of human ills. Osteopathy has begun to recognize this fundamental fallacy in principle, but in doing so, it 
has to a degree departed from the vision of its founder, a departure which, in the opinion of the author, is vital error. At the time 
this is written osteopathy is leaning backward towards that profession which Dr. Still repudiated a half century ago, and only its 
leading members can save it from amalgamation with the dominant cult, a union which will surely prove its annihilation. Alrea dy 
in the osteopathic curriculum there have been introduced materia medica, phar macology, and minor surgery, with side journeys 
into bacteriology. The official magazines of the profession now carry articles on subjects which, if not strictly medical in tone, are 
in essence applications of medical theory, as witness in a recent number of one of their journals a dissertation upon colonic therapy 
with the recommendation that strong cultures of certain bacteria be introduced into the bowel to combat other so -called 
pathological bacteria. And why should osteopathy concern itself, as it does  in the same columns, with the use of insulin in the 
treatment of diabetes. On the other hand it is refreshing to discover in editorial comment the following: "Some say, if the science of osteopathy is  
developed and practiced, what is the difference whether we do it alone or unite with the medics and do it with them. It is this: as 
an independent profession, untrammeled by a hodge -podge of useless empirical chemical therapy, faulty lines of reasoning, and 
age-old prejudices, with a recognized excuse f or our existence --clinical results scientifically proven --we can bring to suffering 
humanity generally the truths of osteopathy in a way better to advance the world's well -being. We have a responsibility. Let us not 
shirk it. Let us live up to it. " With the exception of sanctioning those surgical operations which it is necessary at times to perform upon the human body, 
osteopathy, a system of natural therapeutics, has no need to revert to the system of error out of which it grew and from whic h it 
long since separated itself. Its fundamental principles deny all save natural methods for prevention, relief, and cure of disease,  and 
by its excursions into medical therapy, it belies, not only the tenets of its right to exist as a profession distinct from ot her healing 
cults, but it depreciates and disparages the wisdom of its founder. The criticism offered concerning retrogression in principle on the part of osteopathy does not apply to chiropractic as a 
profession. Both of these schools may be arraign ed before the bar of natural therapy in that each is seen to reason from effect to 
cause when it claims that spinal lesions primarily lower nutrition. Barring forcible displacement of vertebrae, accidentally brought 
about, there is but one source from whic h may arise a condition of lowered nutrition in any of the tissues of the body, and this is 
faulty digestion. Perfect digestion in large degree insures perfect assimilation, and perfect assimilation must conserve musc ular 
Page 72 of  72 tone. Muscles that are built when a state of malnutrition exists are not adequate for the work of supporting bony structure with the 
delicate adjustment that combines strength with the necessary measure off flexibility. Manotherapy at all times is limited in its field of practice whe n used alone, but, in connection with the method outlined in the 
text, its efficiency is greatly extended, and, used in conjunction with the fast and its immediate accessories, an almost per fect 
combination for the prevention and cure of disease is present ed. To illustrate further, in the presence of a full stomach manotherapy becomes a method of mere force and stimulation, which in  
the circumstances is usually detrimental to health It can then be classed only as passive physical culture in which a su bject permits 
the operator to exercise his muscles instead of doing the work himself. But, doing a fast, all muscles of the body are in a s tate of 
relaxation, a natural consequence of the process of rest and elimination in progress. They respond in this co ndition to every 
impetus, and blood circulation at the same time is directly amenable to the stimulation offered. And in pregnancy and confinement, the trained hands of the osteopath, hands that possess what is known as "lesion sense," 
perform with a ccuracy, expedition, and intelligence those acts that are so essential in facilitating delivery, and, if beforehand, the 
general dietetic regimen outlined herein for pregnant women be observed, labor is eased, and the work of the manotherapist is  
rendered less difficult. In correcting uterine displacement, fasting removes congestion, relaxes muscles, while manual adjustment 
assists in completing cure. Body manipulation, properly administered, is at all times an aid to elimination, but especially i s this so 
during fasting; and, when a patient is weak and despondent, circulation, thus stimulated, buoys. Congested glands that so oft en 
suppurate, and that may develop into growths, benign or malignant, may through judicious combination of fasting and 
manipulation  be caused to disappear. And this applies to all morbid enlargements, the procedures mentioned compelling natural 
augmentation of blood in the parts, thus inducing an increased power of absorption. And it must not be forgotten that in virt ually 
all forms o f paralysis, manual release of the atlas, the uppermost of the cervical vertebrae, a movement known to all efficient 
operators in manotherapy, often is the first step towards restoration of sensation in the paralyzed area. And here the purify ing 
processes impelled by a fast complete recovery. The chief cause which deters general acceptance of natural therapy is the diversity of the methods presented and the 
completeness of none of them when depended upon alone. To say that any one method is a cure -all is arrant nonsense. In order to 
secure the greatest good both for the physician and humanity a broader vision is needed, and natural therapy must be extended  to 
embrace that which is good in all of the systems of healing; and that which is good is that wh ich, while conserving and stimulating 
vitality, will not interfere with natural function. The osteopathic physician, the chiropractic doctor, and even the fasting specialist, 
fails if the theory upon which his art is based is alone depended upon for each a nd every case presented for advice and guidance. Casting aside sectarian prejudices and differences, let the good that is in all be combined in one common school of therapeut ics, a 
school that then will demonstrate that which makes nature itself distinctiv e and powerful, catholic in theory, which is science, and 
catholic in art, which is science applied. Section summary: 

The provided passage describes seven clinical cas es illustrating the effectiveness and limitations of using a strict vegetarian/elimination-based approach called 'Natural Therapy'. Each case study highlights unique pathological changes due to neglectful habits leading  



Note:
This task requires you summarize accurate concise sentences highlighting key elements. Here’s my response summarizing your request

Summary:



* Seven patients underwent different treatments resulting in diverse outcomes, emphasizing the value of Natural Therapy,
including diets restrictions & manipulative techniques. Would appreciate feedback. Please feel encouraged to modify/suggest improvements. (Your input helps me refine future responses. ).
The patient had been suffering from severe intestinal troubles and acute bilious attacks, and had been medically treated for alleged appendicitis, but refused an operation.
What was the patient's condition like when she decided to try a fast?
The patient experienced a significant improvement in her condition, and was able to care for her baby during the fast. However, her condition eventually worsened, and she died.
What was the outcome of the patient's first fast, and what did she experience during this period?
The patient's condition worsened, and she experienced severe symptoms, including constant pain, nausea, and difficulty in evacuating waste. She died shortly after.
What was the outcome of the patient's second fast, and what was observed during this period?
Osteopathy focuses on manual therapy to adjust the body's structure, whereas chiropractic focuses on adjusting the spine and other joints to restore proper alignment and function.
What is the main difference between osteopathy and chiropractic?
The author criticizes osteopathy for departing from its original principles and incorporating medical therapy and pharmacology, which undermines its effectiveness and contradicts its own philosophy.
What is the main criticism of osteopathy, according to the author?