Acute and Chronic
Dis-eases are also considered to be acute or chronic. A dis-ease is in the acute stage when there is a “hot box” found at the causative subluxation. When adaptation has taken place and the “hot box” has disappeared, the condition is in the stage of chronicity. Taut fibers will then be present and by their presence the palpation and location of the major subluxation may be verified.
It is well for the student to understand what is meant by such expressions as the stage of exposure, the period of infection, the stage of incubation, the period of invasion, the degree of infection, even though we have no particular reason to use such terms in our chiropractic explanations of dis-ease.
Stage of Exposure
The time during which the person is exposed to the morbific agents is known as the stage of exposure.
Period of Infection
The period of infection is the time during which the pathogenic germs actually enter the body.
Stage of Incubation
The stage of incubation is the time during which the morbific agents develop within the body and for the time being have overcome the natural resistance. The incubation period varies greatly in different so-called contagious dis-eases, it being governed largely by the character of the invading germs and the general health of the patient.