Immunity - Herbert M Shelton

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Immunity

Herbert M Shelton

Dr Shelton's Hygienic Review

 

 

What is " immunity " ? As ordinarily defined it amounts to an abrogation of

the law of cause and effect.

 

Men are said to be " immune, " or not, to certain microbes or to certain

parasites, but there seems to be no clear conception of what this " immunity "

consists, nor of its basis. Natural " immunity, " therefore, is little regarded

while empirical tamperings with the body are resorted to in a vain endeavor

to establish artificial " immunity. " Microbes and parasites are, at most only

the " last straw " laid upon the back of an already overloaded camel. How

foolish to seek to immunize against the last straw, and ignore all the

preceding straws that produced the susceptibility.

 

Vaccinia is said to be a milder disease than smallpox, a " lesser evil "

that is alleged to immunize against smallpox. The folly of attempting to

" immunize " the body against evils to which it has otherwise rendered itself

susceptible, by the introduction therein, of " lesser evils " should be

apparent to all.

 

Well might we ask: " Is there some dismal fate overhanging us, and is there

no degree of legitimacy that will secure us from bacterial and parasitic

invasion? "

 

Does susceptibility exist without the previous operation of definite and

ascertainable causes? Must we ignore law and order and depend upon the

Medicine Man's Magic? "

 

" Physiologically, " says Reinheimer, " there is but one kind of solvency,

and nothing that in any way lessens any part of it can increase the true

" immunity " of the system. In other words, an existing susceptibility can be

immunized only by avoidance or removal of its causes, never by artificially

importing elements of the lesser evil type. Only in respect of total

stability can a system be immunized in accordance with the principle of cause

and effect. "

 

The body is able to defend itself and does not require protection from the

pus and serum vats. How true is the statement: " Providence protects organisms

in so far as they protect themselves, and in this sense it is true that unto

him that hath shall be given. " Retention of susceptibility is by no means a

necessity, it is rather a lapse, a disease.

 

" Immunity " is physiological integrity and depends upon integrity of

behavior. Huxley said, " the Physiological activities manifested by the

complex whole represent the sum, or rather the resultant, of the separate and

independent physiological activities resident in each of the simpler

constituents of that whole. " If the resultant of this correlated

physiological activity is to point in a positive direction, if it is to give

scope for enhanced vito-dynamic influences of a desirable character, if

stability is to be preserved and instability avoided, the general conduct -

dietetic, emotional. sexual, etc. - of the individual must be of a

biologically legitimate character.