George William Russell - "AE in the Irish Theosophist"

William N. Harben - "The Land of the Changing Sun"

John Lothrop Motley - "The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1569 70"

Sydney G. Fisher - "The Quaker Colonies"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: Nature Cure

H >> Henry Lindlahr >> Nature Cure




The further claims of Dr. Still as to the cause and cure of disease
are briefly as follows: Partial displacements of any of the various
bones of the body exert pressure on neighboring blood vessels,
thereby interfering with the circulation to the corresponding
organs. These displacements, called "bony lesions," are best
"reduced" by manipulations called osteopathic "moves."

Chiropractic

In 1895, Dr. D. D. Palmer put forth the following claims as to the
cause and cure of diseases: Sprains of the spine result in partial
displacement of one or more of the vertebrae which go to make up the
spinal column, thus exerting pressure on the neighboring nerves.
This shuts off the vitality of the organs supplied by the affected
nerves, hence disease results. These displacements, called
"vertebral subluxations," are best "adjusted" by means of
manipulations in the form of chiropractic "thrusts."

As soon as osteopathy and chiropractic were properly established,
the more broad-minded exponents of both systems began mutual
investigation and amalgamation. As a result, we find that only seven
years after the birth of chiropractic, osteopathic literature began
to mention vertebral subluxations as pressing on nerves, thereby
causing disease. On the other hand, advanced chiropractors soon
began to realize the importance of relaxing tense muscles prior to
delivering their thrusts. They also began to pay attention to the
bony lesions other than those occurring in the spine. Many of the
chiropractic principles and much of its technique of today has been
gleaned from osteopathy, while the reverse statement holds equally
true.

Naprapathy

The "connective tissue doctrine of disease" was first proclaimed by
Dr. Oakley Smith in 1907. It may be briefly stated as follows: A
vertebra does not become misplaced without being fractured or
completely dislocated. What is called a bony lesion by the osteopath
and a subluxation by the chiropractor, is in reality a "ligatight,"
that is, a shrunken condition of the connective tissue forming the
various ligaments that bind the vertebrae together.

Ligatights are best "corrected" by means of naprapathic "directos."
These differ from chiropractic thrusts in that they aim not at
adjusting subluxated vertebrae but at stretching definite strands of
shrunken connective tissue. Ligatights occur not only in the spine
but also in other parts of the body.

Neuropathy

This system of manipulative treatment was originated in 1899 by Drs.
John Arnold and Harry Walter of Philadelphia. Their claims may be
briefly stated as follows: Morbid matter, poisons and irritants of
various kinds, acting upon the vasomotor nerves which control the
blood vessels, produce abnormal changes in circulation which, if
perpetuated, finally lead to disease manifestations. The nerve
impulses coming from diseased parts travel to the spinal cord and,
like all other nerve impulses, are transmitted along those branches
of the spinal nerves which supply the structures (muscles, blood
vessels, etc.) along each side of the spine. Here these impulses
bring about abnormal circulatory changes similar to those found in
the diseased organs or parts.

Since nerve impulses are transmitted from diseased organs to the
spine, it is evident that they can be made to travel also in the
reverse direction. Neuropathic treatment, therefore, consists of
manipulations and thermal applications which aim at correcting the
abnormal circulatory changes as found in the spine, thereby
correcting corresponding abnormal processes in the organs or parts
supplied by the nerves coming from that region of the spine.

These men also emphasized the fact that the circulation within the
blood vessels, being propelled by the heart, needs less attention
during disease than the circulation of the fluids in the spaces
between the cells and through the lymph vessels and glands.
Neuropathy, therefore, also lays great stress on applying
manipulation and thermal applications to the lymphatic system.

Neurotherapy

While the exponents of the above systems of spinal manipulation
differ widely in their theories as to the cause of disease and the
means of removing such cause, their methods of treatment furnish
considerable evidence of satisfactory results. This seems to suggest
that there must be some real value in each system and that a great
deal of the difference between these apparently opposed methods of
treatment lies in the claims of their exponents. It will be shown
presently that, in their final analysis, the osteopathic spinal
lesion, the chiropractic subluxation and the naprapathic ligatight
represent one and the same thing.

Natural Therapeutics is broad enough to embrace all methods of
treatment, no matter what their source, provided they harmonize with
the fundamental laws of cure.

Gradually, therefore, after having gathered the constructive
elements from all the various methods of manipulation, after
considerable spinal dissection and, above all, after close
observation of the results obtained in hundreds of obstinate acute
and chronic cases, we of the School of Natural Therapeutics have
evolved our own system of spinal manipulation and have named it
neurotherapy.

The Relation of Neurotherapy to

Other Manipulative Systems

Osteopathy, chiropractic, naprapathy, neurotherapy and
spondylotherapy, as we have learned, are various systems of
maipulative treatment which have been devised mainly to correct
spinal and other bony lesions, shrinkage and contracture of muscles,
ligaments and other connective tissues.

Important as these methods are in the treatment of acute and chronic
diseases, by themselves they are not all-sufficient because they
deal only with the mechanical causes of disease, not with the
chemical, thermal or with the mental and psychical. The most
efficient spinal treatment cannot make good for the bad effects of
an unbalanced diet which contains an excessive amount of
poison-producing materials and is deficient in the all-important
mineral elements or organic salts. Just as surely as mental
therapeutics and a natural diet cannot correct bony lesions produced
by external violence, just so surely is it impossible to cure
dementia praecox, monomania or obsession, or to supply iron, lime,
sodium, etc., to the system by correcting spinal lesions.

The trouble with the manipulative schools and their graduates is
that they adhere too closely to the mechanical theory and treatment
of disease; that they reject practically all natural methods of
treatment aside from manipulative and that so far as the osteopathic
school is concerned its practitioners show a strong tendency to fall
back upon the "Old School" methods of drugging and of surgical
treatment. This is due to the fact that in many types of diseases
manipulative treatment by itself has proved insufficient to produce
satisfactory results.

In order to do justice to our patients and not neglect our
responsibilities toward them we must use in the treatment of disease
all that is good in all the natural methods of healing. In serious
chronic cases any single one of these methods, whether it be pure
food diet, hydrotherapy, massage, spinal treatment, mental
therapeutics or homeopathy, is not by itself sufficient to achieve
satisfactory results or to produce them fast enough.

To use an illustration: Suppose a wagon full of freight requires the
combined strength of six horses to move it and suppose that number
of horses is available, would it not be foolish to try to move the
load with one, two, three, four or even five horses? Would not
common sense suggest the saving of time and effort by putting all
six horses to work at once?

In Natural Therapeutics every one of the various methods of
treatment is supplemented and assisted by all the others.

The manipulative schools of healing maintain that practically all
disease is caused by mechanical abnormalities of the spinal column
or of muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues, due to
abnormal strain or injury. The philosophy of Natural Therapeutics,
on the other hand, points out that a large percentage of such spinal
and other mechanical lesions are secondary manifestations of
disease, not primary causes; that acute or subacute inflammatory
conditions in the interior of the body may cause nervous irritation
and thereby contraction of muscles and ligaments and, as a result of
these, subluxations of vertebrae or of other bony structures.

The naprapathic theory of disease postulates that it is the
shrinkage and contraction of the connective tissues, which serve as
a support and protection for the nerve matter contained in the nerve
trunks and filaments, that cause interference with the normal nerve
supply of cells and tissues and thereby abnormal function and
disease.

The philosophy of Natural Therapeutics points to the fact that this
shrinkage and contraction of the connective tissues surrounding and
permeating the nerve trunks and filaments is caused by certain acids
and other pathogenic materials which are produced by faulty diet and
defective elimination and that the same causes produce accumulation
of waste and morbid matter in the tissues of the body which, all
through the system, interfere just as effectually with nutrition,
drainage and innervation of the cells and tissue as do spinal
lesions and ligatights.

While the other systems of manipulative treatment confine themselves
almost entirely to the correction of bony and other connective
tissue lesions, to "pressing the button," as it is called,
neurotherapy, besides this, aims at other very important results.

In disease the tissues are either in an abnormally tense and
contracted or in a weak, relaxed condition. The functional
activities are either hyperactive as in acute inflammation, or
sluggish and inactive as in chronic atonic and atrophic conditions.
These extremes can be powerfully influenced and equalized by
manipulative inhibition, relaxation or stimulation.

During an acute attack of gastritis, for instance, the
neurotherapist would exert strong inhibition on the nerves which
supply the stomach. This is accomplished by deep and persistent
pressure on the nerves where they emerge from the spinal openings
(foramina). This diminishes the rush of blood and nerve currents to
the inflamed organ and thereby eases but does not suppress the
inflammatory process and the attending congestion and pain.

In case of extreme tension in any part of the system, relaxation of
the shrunken tissues can be brought about by gentle but persistent
stretching of the nerves and adjacent muscles and ligaments, in a
manner similar to that of the naprapathic directos.

When the vital organs and their functions are weak and inactive or
when nerves, muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues are in
a relaxed, atonic or atrophic condition, certain stimulating
movements applied to the nerves where they emerge from the spinal
column will energize the vital functions all through the system.

Many patients imagine that such manipulative treatment is
superficial. To them it is just "rubbing" and seems all alike. They
do not realize that manipulative stimulation applied to the nerves
near the surface of the body travels all along their branches and
filaments like electricity along a complicated system of copper
wires and thus reaches the innermost cells and organs of the body,
making them more alive and active. This internal stimulation of
vital activities is attained also by good massage through energizing
the nerve endings all over the surface of the body.

The Fundamental Difference Between Neuratherapy
and Other Manipulative Systems

The following paragraphs will explain the fundamental difference
between neurotherapy and the older systems of manipulative
treatment. The older systems, the same as the allopathic school of
medicine, look upon acute diseases as destructive processes
dangerous to health and life; therefore they endeavor to check or
suppress them as quickly as possible by their various methods.

Neurotherapy so far is the only system of manipulative treatment
that bases its work on the fundamental laws of Natural Therapeutics.
According to these laws every acute disease is the result of a
purifying, healing effort of Nature. Therefore neurotherapy would
not suppress acute processes by manipulative treatment any more than
by drugs, ice, antitoxins, surgery or any other suppressive method.

To illustrate: Supposing that spontaneously or as a result of
natural living and treatment a patient suffering from chronic
constipation, indigestion, etc., develops a vigorous purging, which
we of the Nature Cure school would consider a splendid healing
crisis. Under allopathic as well as under the treatment of other
manipulative schools such an acute reaction would be immediately
suppressed. This can be accomplished very easily by a few
manipulative moves, but it would mean the suppression of a purifying
healing crisis and this would result in throwing the patient back
into his old chronic condition. The underlying causes of disease
must be removed before we can cure chronic disease and bring about a
normal condition of the organism.

Suppose manipulative treatment should succeed in stopping a fever
instantaneously. This would suppress Nature's purifying,
regenerating efforts, the patient would continue to "load up" more
morbid materials (especially since these schools do not teach the
importance of natural living) and it would only be a matter of time
until the morbid accumulations in the body would excite new acute
reactions, necessitating more adjustments. This may be all right for
the practitioner; but what about the patient? In the long run it can
only have one result, and that is chronic disease.



Chapter XXXIII


Legitimate Scope and Natural Limitations
of Mental and Metaphysical Healing


During the last generation people have perceived more or less
clearly the fallacies of "Old School" medicine and surgery. They
have grown more and more suspicious of orthodox theories and
practices. From allopathic "overdoing" the pendulum has swung to the
other extreme of metaphysical nihilism, to the "underdoing" of
mental and metaphysical systems of treating human ailments.

Some of these systems and cults of metaphysical healing have met
with success and wide popularity and this is looked upon by their
followers as a proof that all the claims and teachings of these
cults and isms are based upon absolute truth.

However, a thorough understanding of the fundamental Laws of Cure,
as I have explained them in this volume, will reveal in how far
their teachings and their practices are based upon truth and in how
far they are inspired by erroneous assumptions.

Let us then apply the yardstick and the weights and measures of
Nature Cure philosophy in testing the true value of the claims of
metaphysical healers.

For ages people have been educated in the belief that almost every
acute disease will end fatally unless the patient is drugged or
operated on. When they find to their surprise that the metaphysical
formulas or prayers of a mental healer or Christian Scientist will
"cure" baby's measles or father's smallpox just as well as, and
possibly better than, Dr. Dopem's pills and potions, they are firmly
convinced that a miracle has been performed in their behalf and
straightway they become blind believers in and fanatical followers
of their new idols.

They simply exchange one superstition for another: the belief in the
efficacy of drugs and surgical operations for the belief in the
wonder-working power of a metaphysical formula, a self-appointed
savior or a reason-stultifying and will-benumbing cult. They have
not been taught that every acute disease is the result of a healing
effort of Nature and therefore fail to see that it is vital force,
the physician within, that, if conditions are favorable, cures
measles and smallpox as easily as it repairs the broken blade of
grass or heals the wounded deer of the forest.

"That is exactly what we say," exclaim healer and scientist. "Have
unlimited faith in the God within and all will be well."

True, faith is good, but faith and works are better. Though we
cannot heal and give life, we can in many ways assist the healer
within. We can teach and explain Nature's Laws, we can remove
obstructions and we can make the conditions within and around the
patient more favorable for the action of Nature's healing forces.

When the Great Master said: "Go forth and sin no more, lest worse
things than these befall you," he acknowledged sin, or the
transgression of natural laws, to be the primary cause of disease,
and made health dependent upon compliance with the Law. The
necessity of complying with the Law, in all respects and on all the
planes of being, is still more strongly emphasized in the following:

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all."

The skeptic and the superficial reader may reply: "This saying is
utterly unreasonable. Stealing a penny is not committing a murder;
overeating does not break the law of chastity; how, then, is it
possible to break all laws by breaking any single one of them?"
There is, however, a deeper meaning to this seeming paradox which
makes it scientifically true.

Self-Control, the Whole Law

Obedience to all laws on all planes of being depends primarily on
self-control. Self-control is, therefore, in a sense, the whole law,
for man cannot break any one law unless he breaks first this
fundamental Law of all Laws. This implies that the demoralizing
effect of sinning or law-breaking, on any one of the planes of
being, does not depend so much upon the enormity of the deed as upon
the loss of self-control. Continued weakening of self-control in
trivial things may therefore, in the end, prove more destructive
than a murder committed in the heat of passion. If there is not
self-control enough to resist a cup of coffee or a cigar, whence
shall come the will-power to resist greater temptations?

Truly, lack of self-control in small things is the "dry rot" of the
soul. Is it not, then, somewhat unreasonable to expect God or Nature
to strain and twist the immutable laws of Nature at the request of
every healer in order to save us from the natural consequences of
overeating, red meat eating, whisky drinking, smoking, tobacco
chewing, drugging and a thousand and one other transgressions of
natural laws?

In spite of the finest-spun metaphysical sophistries, we continue to
burn our fingers in the fire until we know enough to leave it alone.
Herein lies the corrective purpose of that which we call
evil--suffering and disease. The rational thing to do is not to deny
the existence of Mother Nature's punishing rod, but to escape her
salubrious spankings by conforming to her Laws.

What about the "Cures"?

As in medicine, so also in metaphysical healing, men judge by
superficial results, not by the real underlying causes. The usual
answer to any criticism of Christian Science or kindred methods of
cure is: "That may be all right; but see the results! Nobody can
deny their wonderful cures," etc.

Let us see whether there really is anything wonderful or
supernatural about these cures or whether they can be explained on
simple, natural grounds.

In another chapter we explain the difference between functional and
organic disease and show how in diseases of the functional type the
life force or healing force, which always endeavors to establish
normal conditions and the perfect type, may work unaided up to the
reconstructive healing crises and through these eliminate the morbid
encumbrances from the system and reestablish normal structure and
function.

It is in cases like these that metaphysicians attain their best
results simply because Nature helps herself.

On the other hand, in cases of the true organic type, where the
vitality is low and the destruction of vital parts and organs has
progressed to a considerable extent, the system is no longer able to
arouse itself to self-help.

In such cases, faith alone is not sufficient to obtain results. It
must be backed and assisted by all the natural methods of treatment
at our command.

Healers Work with Laws that

They Do Not Understand

In our critical analysis of "Old School" methods we found that by
far the greater part of all chronic ailments is due to drugging and
to surgery. People commence doctoring for little troubles, which are
aggravated by every dose of medicine and every surgical operation
until they end in big troubles.

Is it marvelous that such patients improve and that many are cured
when they are weaned from drugs and the knife?

Metaphysical healers unwittingly do their best and most beneficial
work because they induce their followers not to suppress acute
diseases and healing crises by drugs and surgical operations, thus
allowing them to run their natural course in harmony with the
fundamental law of Nature Cure, which states that every acute
disease is the result of a cleansing and healing effort of Nature.
People will refrain from the suppressive drug treatment under the
influence of metaphysical teachings, which appeal to the
miracle-loving element in their nature, when they cannot be
convinced by common sense Nature Cure reasoning.

Thus metaphysicians assist Nature indirectly by noninterference and
directly by soothing fear and worry, by instilling faith, hope and
confidence. Frequently they also aid Nature by prohibiting the use
of tobacco, alcohol and pork, and by regulating otherwise the life
and habits of their followers.

Let us consider the problem from another point of view. Let us
assume, for argument's sake, that the average person passes in the
course of a lifetime through a dozen different diseases. He recovers
from eleven of these, no matter what the treatment. It is only the
twelfth to which he succumbs. Yet, whosoever happened to treat the
first eleven diseases claims to have cured them and, perhaps, to
have saved the patient's life when, as a matter of fact, he
recovered very often in spite of the treatment and not because of
it.

These explanations account for the seemingly miraculous results of
metaphysical healing. If healers and Christian Scientists were to
explain their cures by the laws and principles of Nature Cure
philosophy, mystery and miracle would be taken out of their
business.

"Faith Without Works" Is Dangerous

To believe that God or Nature will overcome the natural effects of
our ignorance, laziness and viciousness by wonders, signs and
metaphysics, or to deny the existence of sickness, sin and
suffering, must lead inevitably to intellectual and moral stagnation
and degeneration. I am a thorough and consistent optimist and New
Thought enthusiast, but I do not overlook the fact that in this, as
in everything else, there lurks always the danger of overdoing and
of exaggerating virtue into fault.

The greatest danger of this revulsion from old-time pessimism to
modern optimism lies in the fact that the Higher Thought enthusiast
may cut from under his feet the solid ground of reality; that he may
become a dreamer instead of a thinker and doer; and that he may
mistake selfish, emotional sentimentalism for practical charity and
altruism.

This unhealthy "all-is-good, there-is-no-evil" emotionalism leads
only too often to weakening of personal effort, a deadening of the
sense of individual responsibility and thereby to mental and moral
atrophy; for any of our voluntary functions, capacities and powers
which we fail to exercise will in time become benumbed and
paralyzed. Unprejudiced observers who come in close contact with
metaphysicians cannot help perceiving the pernicious effect of their
subtle sophistries on reason and character.

A chronic invalid who had been under the treatment of a faith healer
for several years exclaimed, when we gave her our various
instructions for dieting, bathing, breathing exercises, etc.: "How
glad I am that you give me something to do! I fear I have been
imposing too long on the goodness of the Lord, expecting Him to do
my work for me." Often afterwards, while recovering from lifelong
ailments, she expressed her happiness and contentment in that she
herself was doing something which in her opinion was rational and
helpful because it assisted Nature's healing efforts.

We believe firmly and fully in the influence of mind over matter, in
the fact that vibrations of the physical plane by continuity create
corresponding vibrations on the mental and psychical planes and vice
versa. We know that, in accordance with this law, anything which
affects the mind or the moral life of a person affects also his
physical condition; but instead of hypnotizing the minds of our
patients by law-defying, reason-and will-benumbing dogmas and
formulas, we strengthen and harmonize their mental vibrations by
appealing to reason, by teaching and explaining natural laws instead
of obscuring and denying them.

The more intelligent the patient, the more amenable he will be to
such normal suggestions based on scientific truth and on the
dictates of reason and common sense.