Health News

PNEUMONIA OR INFLAMMATION OF LUNGThe usual cause of pneumonia is the pneumonia germ, which exists in many varieties. Pneumonia can, however, be caused by the streptococcus or other germs, or by viruses. Pneumonia was once the most feared of diseases, but sulfonamides and antibiotics now control it. The condition can be diagnosed by use of the X-ray, since it produces a congestion and solidification of the lungs which shows in the X-ray pictures. In a typical case, pneumonia follows a cold or some infectious disease. There is a chill. A sharp stabbing pain is felt in the side; the pain is made worse by breathing. Then comes coughing, with bloody or brownish expectoration, and fever. Headache, nausea and vomiting occur, and sleep is difficult because of the general misery and pain. Prostration and weakness occur often. The outpouring of blood and serum into the lung cause it to solidify, so that there is insufficient breathing space and difficulty in the circulation of blood through the lungs back to the heart. As a result fingernails and skin turn blue, indicating shortage of oxygen. The patient will recover suddenly by what used to be called crisis, or gradually by lysis. With the development of the antibiotic drugs, particularly such drugs as sulfadiazine and penicillin, the pneumonia now is brought quickly under control. What used to be a six-weeks illness has been shortened to one week in most instances. The greatest danger of pneumonia is to the young and to the very old. The condition is more dangerous to women than to men. The sustaining of the patient’s heart action is obviously of the greatest importance, in order to maintain body strength until the disease is broken up and the patient begins to convalesce. Unlike other infectious diseases, pneumonia may occur more than once in the same person, and as a result certain types of people seem to be frequently its victims.*33/318/5*

TREATMENT OF STRESS BREAKDOWN: ANXIETY AND UNNECESSARY STRESSES
Treatment of stage one symptoms – anxietyThe most effective treatment for anxiety due to overload of the nervous system is not to overload the nervous system. The simple advice is: ‘Take it easy, don’t take on more responsibility than you can handle.’ This simple advice, however, is usually the most difficult to follow, because of three factors:1.   People are so adaptable that we tend to accept more and more load and responsibility up to a point where we begin to fail. We often simply don’t know how much is too much.2.   As much as we’d like to, we may not be able to avoid the stress and responsibilities which are thrust upon us.3.   We always experience some anxiety whenever we have to perform a new task which is unfamiliar to us. We recognize this as normal and accept that some anxiety is unavoidable in acquiring new skills. We therefore become used to ignoring anxiety and fail to notice when it is a signal of overload.
Identifying unnecessary stressesThe first thing to do to avoid needless stress is to identify the unnecessary loads we place on ourselves.The most easily identifiable unnecessary stresses, I believe, are those we impose on ourselves by demanding guarantees of adequate performance. For example, a person undertaking a particular task, and who is concerned with getting ready in advance for the possibility of not being able to complete the task satisfactorily, has possibly quadrupled the load on the nervous system.I commonly find that people suffering from stress-breakdown symptoms have often used up too much of their nervous system’s processing capacity by demanding from themselves answers to various unanswerable questions about the planned outcome of the tasks they face.Had they concentrated on the task in hand, they would have perhaps been able to complete it without experiencing anxiety. The overload is often not from the task they have to do, but from trying to service all the unnecessary guarantees they have demanded from themselves. We often find ourselves demanding answers to unanswerable questions about our performance, such as:•   How can I be perfectly sure?•   How do I know I’ll be able to cope if…?•   What will they think if I fail?•   What will I do if…?
*40/129/5*

ASTHMA DEVICES: THE TURBUHALERThe Turbuhaler has just been released in Australia and is used in metered doses for both Bricanyl (terbutaline) and Pulmicort (budesnnide). The Turbuhaler is considered an environmentally friendly asthma aid, as it is breath activated and contains no chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), fillers or additives. The principle of turbulence is fundamental to the operation of this device. The drug is inhaled through a spiral channel in the mouthpiece, which creates a turbulent air flow and delivers tiny particles of the medication to the lungs. Since the Turbuhaler is breath activated, the need for co-ordination is eliminated.technique for useUnscrew the cap and lift off;Hold the Turbuhaler upright and turn the grip to the right as far as it will go. Then twist the grip back again to the left until it clicks;Breathe out gently. Put the mouthpiece between your lips and breathe in deeply through the mouth. There is no need to hold your breath after inhalation;Replace the cap and screw it shut.When a red mark appears in the space on the side of the Turbuhaler, it means there are only 20 metered doses left.*27\148\2*

For a chronic middle ear infection with pus the following direc­tions will help give the patient relief. Place an onion poultice behind the affected ear, but if relief is not forthcoming, change to a mustard poultice. If even this does not produce the desired result, you will have to resort to the Baunscheidt method (see page 439). It is always important that the inflammation, especially in chronic cases, is drawn away from the head by some form of stimulation therapy, so that the focus of infection is drawn from the inside to the surface. Inflammation in the ears, eyes and nose can be diverted to the neck or shoulders. Internal remedies are Belladonna 4x, five drops every two hours, and Ferrum phos. 6x, two tablets also every two hours. The patient takes one of these remedies every hour, say Belladonna first, an hour later Ferr. phos., then back to Belladonna again. For as long as the ear continues to discharge and suppurate, Hepar sulph. 4x is effective. When there is no more pus, Silicea 12x is indicated to stabilise the improvement. Follow up with one drop of St John’s wort oil and one drop of Plantago (ribwort juice) once daily into the ear. When the ear infection is accompanied by nasal catarrh and pharyngitis, which is most likely due to the germs spreading, use Cinnabaris 4x and Plantago. You can also put five drops of Plantago on cotton wool and place this in the ear, replacing it every day.

This treatment will heal even a chronic inflammation so that the hearing will return to normal. On the other hand, if the described treatment is not strictly followed, the patient’s sense of hearing will be endangered. The auditory nerve together with the intricate structures of the inner ear can be permanently damaged by bac­terial toxins; the infection can actually cause erosion of the ossicles of the middle ear. When this happens, no treatment will restore the hearing apparatus. So never lose time in starting an intensive natural treatment as soon as problems with the ear begin to mani­fest themselves. Take into account the patient’s general state of health and adopt a natural diet. This will help nature to heal and regenerate.
*131/28/1*
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Middle ear infections are frequently not given enough attention. If a child complains of earache and has perhaps a slight runny dis­charge which turns to pus, we put the child in a warm bed and think our duty is done. Unfortunately, however, the correct treat­ment is overlooked. The reason why so many people are hard of hearing and in some cases are deaf in one ear is because an inflammation of the middle ear in childhood had been neglected. Ear infections can also affect the brain, and the eyes may suffer if the infection becomes chronic. Neighbouring organs, as well as those in different parts of the body, can also be harmed. It is therefore imperative that no time is lost in treating the ear when the first symptoms of this serious condition appear, and that treat­ment is continued until the patient is cured.
*130/28/1*
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The therapeutic use of juices is suggested in the biological treatment of virtually every condition of ill health. Juice, as a medicine, is one of the major biological therapeutic modalities. Most biologically oriented doctors and biological clinics use juice therapy with remarkable results. In the famous Dr. Max Gerson’s cancer clinic, fresh juice comprised a major part of the therapeutic program. All European biological clinics use raw juices in their programs of treatment, both in conjunction with fasting and in a therapeutic diet.
Juices, being extracts from plants and fruits, possess definite medicinal properties. Therefore, they should be used – specific juices for specific conditions.
In addition to specific medicinal properties, raw fruit and vegetable juices have an extraordinary revitalizing and rejuvenative effect on all the organs, glands and functions of the body. For this reason raw juices are universally used in all health and beauty spas.
Raw juices have a cleansing and detoxifying effect. They purify the blood and all the tissues of the body, neutralize the waste products of metabolism, and help in building new tissues. They are rightfully called “the internal baths of health and youth”.
The favorable effect of raw juices in the treatment of disease, particularly in combination with juice fasting, is attributed to the following physiological facts:
• Raw juices are extremely rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes and natural sugars.
• Almost 100% of the vital nutritive elements in juices are assimilated directly from the stomach into the blood stream, without putting a strain on the digestive system.
• Raw juices speed the recovery from disease by supplying needed substances for the body’s own healing activity and cell regeneration.
• Raw juices provide an alkaline surplus which is extremely important for normalizing the acid-alkaline ratio in the blood and tissues, since over-acidity is present in most conditions of ill health and is considered to be a contributing factor in disease development.
• Generous amounts of easily-assimilable organic minerals in juices, particularly calcium, potassium and silicon, help to restore biochemical and mineral balance in the tissues and cells. Mineral imbalance in the tissues is one of the main causes of diminished oxygenation which leads to premature aging of cells and disease.
• Raw juices contain nature’s own medicines, vegetal hormones and antibiotics. String beans are known to contain insulin-like substances. Cucumber and onion juices contain hormones needed by the cells of the pancreas in order to produce insulin. Antibiotic substances are present in fresh juices of garlic, onions, radish and tomatoes.
• Studies show that raw juices contain an as yet unidentified factor which stimulates micro-electric tension in the tissues and is responsible for the cells’ ability to absorb nutrients from the blood stream and effectively excrete metabolic wastes from the cell.
• Even coloring substances, yellow, red, green and blue, in all shades and intensities, which are present in large quantities in all raw vegetable and fruit juices, are vitally important from a therapeutic point of view. They increase production of red blood corpuscles, influence digestive and assimilative processes and take part in the metabolism of proteins and cholesterol.
It is easy to see from the above why raw vegetable and fruit juices have taken such a prominent place in the biological programs of treatment of virtually every known disease.

*127/103/5*

In 1984, scientists at the University of California at Irvine developed another way of joining egg and sperm called GIFT, which stands for gamete intrafallopian transfer. Instead of mixing sperm and eggs in a glass dish, the scientists insert a thin plastic pipe carrying the sperm and eggs into the fallopian tubes, where they unite just as they would in a normal pregnancy.
After 8 years of trying all sorts of techniques, GIFT worked for Jerry and Susan White, both 38, of Mission Viejo, California. He’s a police officer; she’s a flight attendant.
“We had every test possible,” Mrs. White recalls. “Doctors could not pinpoint the problem. The sperm were not reaching my tubes. There was nothing physically wrong with either of us.”
In 1987, Mrs. White received the eggs and sperm directly into her tubes. Two weeks later, she got the word: she was pregnant. Two weeks after that, sound-wave pictures revealed that she was carrying twins. “I was in total disbelief,” she says.
It was a difficult pregnancy: anemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a 12-hour labor 5 weeks early. On January 20, 1988, Katie and Sarah, fraternal twins, were born. The girls came from two eggs, two embryos. (Identical twins share one egg.)
Mrs. White, who is Roman Catholic, was able to have her babies with church approval, since fertilization occurs naturally in the fallopian tubes with GIFT. However, the church’s stand against IVF and other “artificial” techniques – as well as fear of opposition from other religions and anti-abortionists -has had an influence on federal support and regulation of fertility research, including the use of human embryos. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the leading supporter of medical research in the United States, provides no money for IVF research.
Pro-choice and anti-abortion forces have turned IVF research into a political battleground. In 1996, the Republican-dominated Congress passed a law that blocked NIH funds for research on embryos and fertilized eggs. However, the law still permits scientists to explore fetal tissue from induced abortions. Such tissue could lead to cures for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. Paradoxically, the NIH may not fund work that could show whether fertility techniques are safe.
The lack of funds and leadership dismayed many scientists at the National Institutes of Health, but they do not speak out for fear of reprisals.
Says Dr. Jon Gordon, who extensive fertility researches at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center: “It’s irrational. It slows the progress of science. It’s very frustrating to me that I cannot get NIH funds. Those who want to limit this research stand to lose as much as patients who want and need the research.”
Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, opposes using human embryos in research. “They are human beings,” she says, “not property. We are opposed to technology that risks the life of an innocent person. These are moral absolutes. You don’t kill an innocent person. Science has advanced beyond its moral limits.”
*126/266/5*

Everyone possesses preconceived notions regarding eating. We often behave as if we’re experts on diet, primarily because we’ve absorbed so much information – much of it false – as we’ve "shopped" through the vast diet marketplace. For instance, many individuals don’t think they are eating too much; some actually think they don’t eat enough, or they’re eating too many carbohydrates or too much protein. To better understand eating behavior, it is first necessary to separate why you are eating from what you are eating.

Years ago my comments would have been significantly different: When I am eating I feel great. I love food. I love to taste. I definitely love to crunch. Hook forward to eating and often decide in advance what I am going to eat and when I am going to eat it.

I did not say, "When I eat, I feel comfort." I no longer experience that feeling when I eat. I turn to other things or people, not food, for comfort. I did not say, "When I eat, it masks the pain." I no longer use food to minimize or eliminate emotional pain. Also notice that I did not say, "When I eat, I feel less stress." To be honest, I sometimes feel more stress when I sense that I am overeating. I did not say, "When I eat, I don’t feel as lonely." Eating no longer is my "friend." For so many individuals struggling with their weight, overeating is not the issue. Overeating is the consequence of some other factor in their life.

*50/280/5*

WEIGHT LOSS/BODY-BUILDING

The most important thing to remember about treating diarrhoea is to make sure that the child has enough to drink. The best fluid to use is an oral rehydration fluid such as Gastrolyte. This can be bought over the counter from the chemist. Make sure that you make up the liquid carefully according to the instructions on the packet.

If Gastrolyte is not available, then diluted lemonade or fruit juice can be used. You should use 1 part of lemonade or juice to 4 parts of water. An alternative is to mix 1 level teaspoon of sugar in 120 ml of water. Do not use full-strength lemonade or fruit juice — this may make the diarrhoea worse and can be harmful.

If you have a young baby who is breastfed, you should continue to breastfeed but offer extra oral rehydration fluid between feeds. For babies that are bottle-fed, oral rehydration fluid should only be given for the first 24 hours and then full strength milk reintroduced, but with extra oral rehydration fluids given between feeds.

Food can generally be given after one to two days’ treatment with oral rehydration fluid, especially if the child is hungry. It is generally best to start with bland foods such as plain biscuits, bread, rice, potato, or jelly. Other foods can be added gradually.

When to see your doctor

It is always wise to consult your doctor if your child has diarrhoea, especially if the child is under 3 months old.

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Recent research confirms what some authors have been saying for many years. They claim that continued use of the term ‘colic’ to denote a specific pathological condition is probably incorrect. Repeated studies suggest that infant crying and fussing is part of normal development and that it gets better with time irrespective of any treatment. It most likely represents a transient phase in the maturation of the baby’s nervous system; he moves away from crying as a reflection of his underlying physiological state (hunger, irritation, overstimulated, tiredness) towards crying as a means of communicating with his care-givers.

In the younger baby, there seems to be a biological component to the crying, which is linked to his temperament, sleeping cycles, and feeding patterns (‘expressive crying’). Later, the crying and fussing is more likely to be responsive to the environment, and to reflect maternal responses (‘communicative crying’).

Maternal anxiety and stress do not cause crying and fussing, but can exacerbate them. It is perfectly natural for mothers (and fathers) to become concerned about a baby’s crying. Most adapt and are able to cope with it, knowing it is a phase that the baby is going through and that it will pass. Other parents perceive the baby’s crying as somehow a reflection on their own competence as parents (‘If I was a good mother, my baby wouldn’t cry like this’). It is very important for parents to understand that the crying seen so commonly in infancy has very little to do with their competence as parents. The most ‘together’, calm and competent mothers will also have babies who cry all the time.

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