RHEUMATISM—THE CAUSE
The cause of both rheumatism and gout are practically the same—that is, overeating, especially of flesh and starchy foods. Meat and bread are the two things that cause nearly all rheumatism, though rheumatic symptoms often appear among vegetarians, caused by the overconsumption of starchy food, especially when acid fruits are used. The ideal diet for producing rheumatism is cereals, white bread, meat, acid fruit and eggs.
RHEUMATISM—THE SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of rheumatism often manifest themselves a year or more before an attack comes on.
The earlier symptoms are—
Languor, stupidity and dulness
in the morning
Impaired circulation and a
sense of body-heaviness
The later symptoms are pain in the joints or muscles, often followed by inflammation and severe soreness and stiffness.
The rheumatic usually has good digestion. In fact, it is the ability of the digestive organs to force more nutrition into the circulation than is needed, that produces this dis-ease.
In nearly all cases of rheumatism and gout the patient will be found to have been a large consumer of starchy food, especially of the cereal family, which is the most difficult of all starches to dissolve.