Valere Aude: Dare to Be Healthy, Or, The Light of Physical Regeneration

by Louis Dechmann

Physical: Partial Packs.

SO-CALLED "NEGATIVE CHILDREN'S DISEASE".

In strong contrast to the conditions of "positive" disease amongst children, due, as I have explained, to over-vitality and too rapid vibrations, we have to consider the opposite condition of Negative disease, comprising all physical disturbances wherein cold negative electrical forces and reduced vibrations produce unhealthy action of the mucous membranes, resulting in degeneration of the tissues known as Catarrh in various forms. Bronchitis, Grippe, Influenza and light catarrhal inflammation of the respective organs. One of the most serious in this chapter is summer-complaint (Cholera infantum). This disease, which causes the death of so many, is due to the bringing up of infants on artificial food instead of on the mother's breast. It is one of the negative diseases caused by diminished vitality. The disease is similar to Asiatic cholera. An extensive description of the same is given in Chapter XI A of my book, "Regeneration or Dare To Be Healthy." Frequent vomiting and diarrhoea, with rapid collapse of all vitality, and severe brain disturbances manifest themselves, and death frequently occurs after 36 hours. During hot weather bacterial germs impregnating the air, frequently enter the milk, and many children succumb to the disease at the same time, until wind and rain improve the general conditions. This is the explanation of the occasional epidemic appearance of Cholera Infantum—and its established cause.

Therapy.

Diet: The mother's breast or the breast of a healthy wet nurse is the very best remedy for this complaint, if applied at an early stage. If this is impossible, a gruel of barley, oats or mucilaginous rice-water, a decoction of salep (1 teaspoonful to 1 pint of water), or rice water (1 teaspoonful of crushed toasted rice to ½ pint water) are recommended. The missing nutritive substance is best supplied by calcareous earth (calcium carbonate), giving ¼ teaspoonful in a tablespoonful of sweetened water every 3 to 4 hours, for a day or two. It is the simplest, yet most wonderful remedy ever discovered. It is in cases like this that physiological chemistry celebrates its victory. Try it and you will be convinced. For more vigorous means the physician must be consulted, as he should be in any case of this kind, and that as quickly as possible.

Physical: Sponging the entire body of the child with lukewarm vinegar and water, using one-half vinegar and one-half water, may prove very successful. Warm packs around the abdomen and extending down to the soles of the feet, often prove very effective. The abdomen must be kept warm. The employment of coloured light for curative purposes has been already explained in the preceding pages. The use of blue curtains is, accordingly enjoined here on account of the invigorating influence of the more violent vibrations of blue light upon an organism suffering under the reduced vibration of a "negative disease."

The Contagious Character of Children's Diseases.

In strict adherence to the biological standpoint, it is recommended that a child be separated from the other children in the house as soon as it becomes ill, and if it is not convenient to send the other children away to be taken care of by friends, they must at least be excluded from the sick-chamber. Each one of these diseases develops some sort of bacillus in its first appearance, and this leaves the body and may fall on receptive soil in the body of another child. Since all the children in one family live in the same environment and receive practically the same nourishment, and are of the same parentage, the presumption prevails that each one of them is equally susceptible to the disease with which one of the children has been affected. It is, therefore, advisable to adopt preventive and protective measures with them all, by applying abdominal packs and giving them Dechmann's Plasmogen, which will strengthen the white corpuscles of the blood in their fight against possibly intruding bacilli; also Dechmann's Tonogen, in order to give the red corpuscles and the heart the power to endure the greater efforts which the demand for increased vitality will necessitate. The application of these measures will in many cases entirely prevent an impending attack of the disease, and if not, will at least make it easier to control.

The golden rule: Keep the head cool, the feet warm and the bowels open; that is the golden rule to be followed in the treatment of all children's diseases. All means that are applied must have but the one object, that of making the condition of the blood as good as possible, so that it will maintain a fluid form and circulate readily, richly supplied with all the necessary upbuilding substances. This, and not the use of anti-toxins, will guarantee a speedy return to normal conditions.

Diet: The importance of the diet in all of these diseases has been indicated on several occasions. Its application is treated extensively under the fever diet; exceptions to be determined by the physician.