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[The Hygienic Etiology

 

Hygienic Review

Vol. XXXIV April, 1973 No. 8

The Hygienic Etiology

Herbert M. Shelton

 

In this article I desire to set forth the formulation of the cause of

disease contained in the writings of Dr. T. L. Nichols. In doing this

let me re-emphasize the fact that Dr. Nichols, who was a contemporary

of and co-worker with Jennings, Graham, Trail, et. al., but expressed

the generally accepted Hygienic theory of the cause of disease. Let

me begin with the following quotation from Nichols' book, Esoteric

Anthropology, for in this paragraph he clearly states the essential

unity of the many diseases. He says:

 

" Medical books are filled with the names of vast numbers of diseases,

as a precisely similar affection of each organ of the body receives a

corresponding name. Thus we have encephalitis, meningitis,

arachnitis, parotitis, otitis, iritis, glossitis, pharyngitis,

laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pleuritis, pericarditis,

carditis, gastritis, enteritis, peritonitis, hepatitis, nephritis,

cystitis, etc., etc., and all these hard words ending in ITIS, mean

simply an inflammation of the brain, its membranes, the parotid

gland, ear, tongue, throat, etc. The laws of one of these affections

govern all. Everywhere we have nearly the same phenomena, the same

causes, and similar modes of treatment. "

 

In tracing the cause of disease he says: " As all the functions of

life are carried on by the nervous energy, a loss of that is not only

a direct cause of functional debility, but by diminished vigor of

excretion, it prevents the waste matter being carried out of the

system; and this matter, thus retained, acts as a poison, and is a

cause of almost every kind of disease. This reacts again; exhaustion

causes impurity, and impurity produces exhaustion.

 

" Consequently, anything which exhausts the power of the organic and

animal systemanything which destroys the nervous energy, is in many

ways a cause of disease ... "

Here is a very clear and concise statement of the development of

enervation and toxemia and their basic importance in the development

of the many diseases. He says, " All disease is attended by a lack of

nervous energy, or the presence of morbid matter in the system, or

both combined. "

 

Among the causes of nervous exhaustion (enervation) and contributors

to the general poisoning (toxemia) of the body, he lists the

following: " Intense labor, care and anxiety, protracted watchings,

domestic unhappiness, any source of grief, may exhaust the nervous

energy, and be a cause of disease. Sedentary employments, or

monotonous labors, overtaxing one set of organs and leaving the

others without employment, may have the same effect.

 

" The undue, and, therefore, disordered activity of any passion or

appetite, is a cause of disease by turning aside or exhausting the

nervous energy that should be given to the whole system. Inordinate

eating and drinking, avarice, ambition, all single and excessive

passions, destroy the equilibrium of the system. But there is no

passion so exhausting as amativeness. Its abuses are in proportion to

its use. The nervous exhaustion from its excess is the cause of most

cases of dyspepsia, rheumatism, consumption, palsy, epilepsy,

apoplexy, the nervous and uterine disease of women and, in fact a

large proportion of all the diseases of mankind. "

 

Nichols lays much stress upon the exhausting effect of all forms of

sexual excess, both in and out of marriage in young and old and both

sexes alike. There seems, however, no reason to single out this form

of excess and attribute a whole catalogue of particular so-called

diseases to it. Enervation is enervation by whatever habit or

combination of habits produced. The toxemia thus resulting is the

real disease producer.

 

He mentions among the causes of exhaustion and poisoning,

overcrowding, lack of cleanliness, foul air, " diseased foodas the

flesh of diseased animals; the milk of distillery fed cows; fish and

flesh in the process of putrefaction; sausages made of offensive

materials; measly pork, narcotics and stimulating drinks; beer and

porter, made worse by drugs; tobacco . . . Uncleanly habits, wearing

filthy clothes, the neglect of daily bathing . . .

 

" The stimulants I have just mentioned, whether taken to relieve this

or any other debility, are all exhausting to the nervous system from

the reaction of their stimulating effects, and they are also poisons,

which are retained in the system, acting upon the nerves, as a direct

cause of disease. The concentrated extract of coffee, and tobacco,

will kill small animals like so much prussic acid. Tobacco is one of

the most insidious and debilitating of narcotics, stupefying and

gradually weakening the nervous system. When used by the young its

tendency is to stupefy the brain and bring on early impotence. "

 

Flesh eating, wrong dress, lack of light, monotonous and exhausting

labor and working under improper conditions are listed by him among

the causes of exhaustionenervation. To list all the causes mentioned

by him would unduly extend this article.

 

We pause here to summarize briefly what has gone before: Bad physical

and emotional habits, the use of stimulants and narcotics, wrong

diet, and all unfavorable influences exhaust nervous energy. Nervous

exhaustion lowers functional powers. Lowered functional powers permit

the accumulation of morbid matter (toxins) in the body.

 

These toxins produce disease of all kinds. As he puts it: " All the

waste matter of the body, arising from the action and consequent

disintegration, combustion, or destruction of all the tissues, which

are continually renewed by nutrition, becomes, if retained, a cause

of disease, a real virus, a true poison. This is known to be true of

urea, or the solid matter of the urine, bile, the faecal matter, the

matter of perspiration, and the carbon excreted by the lungs. Any

interruption of the functions of the skin, liver, kidneys,

intestines, or lungs, is, therefore, a cause of disease by the

retention of morbid matter. "

 

It will be interesting to follow Dr. Nichols a little further and

note briefly how he proposes to prevent -and remedy disease. He

says: " 'Prevention is better than cure.' Even the ratio in which it

is better is sometimes set forth; and we are told that 'an ounce of

prevention is worth a pound of cure.' Doctors find that prevention is

in no demand, or that it is too cheap to afford them any profit; for

they do not deal in the article. Quacks advertise their nostrums as

preventives of disease, especially when there is some prevailing

epidemic. Doctors are generally in favor of vaccination, for they are

paid for it; and if disease, as many believe, is thereby propagated

and even the smallpox but little, if any diminished, it is a

profitable preventive. "

 

This is to say, the prevention of disease would put physicians out of

jobs; therefore, they are not interested in its prevention. They have

cures to sell and if there is no disease there is no demand for their

wares. It is for this reason that they have made the prevention of

disease seem difficult and mysterious and taught the people that

disease prevention depends upon physicians with their expensive

technical processes.

 

" How can disease be prevented? " asks Dr. Nichols. He answers: " Simply

in two ways: by living, as far as possible, in accordance with all

the conditions of health; and by avoiding, in like manner, every

cause of disease. By keeping up the strength and purity of the

system; by avoiding all excesses, and every means of exhaustion; and

by living so as to keep free from all matter of disease. "

 

Remedy is equally as simple as prevention. Nichols says: " As diseases

consist of exhaustion and impurity; as exhaustion causes impurity and

impurity produces exhaustion, two things are requisite to a cure.

These two should be written in letters of gold-INVIGORATION and

PURIFICATION.

 

" Let me make this emphatic by two definitions:

" Pathology " Exhaustion and impurity resulting in disease and death.

" TherapeuticsInvigoration and purification resulting in health and

life. "

 

Today we say that health follows when toxemia is eliminated and nerve

energy is restored to normal. The terms are different; the meaning is

the same. In the days that have elapsed since the pioneer Hygienists

lived and worked we have been able to fill in many details and

correct many errors, but the broad outlines as constructed by these

men and women have not been altered. Often, today, we are able to

state our principles and theories with greater clearness or with more

accuracy, but we cannot justly claim to have added much to the real

fundamentals of the science of Natural Hygiene.

 

The present day Hygienist rejects a few of the measures employed by

many, or most, of the early Hygienists. We cannot say that we reject

any of those employed by Jennings, for his practice, after he

abandoned the use of bread pills, was pure Hygiene. Perhaps we know

more about the emotional and social causes of disease than the

pioneers knew, but we must acknowledge that they were not far behind.

Dr. Jackson placed so much emphasis upon psychological factors in

health and disease that he preferred to call his work psycho-Hygiene.

 

Dr. Nichols enumerated a whole group of social causes of disease and

then pointed out that " some of the benefits which patients receive "

at institutions and resorts " come from their having left such causes

of disease behind them; but when they go back (home), they are apt to

relapse, " because they go back to the same causes a scolding, nagging

wife, an irritable, domineering husband who demands too much of his

wife in the sexual sphere, etc.

 

It has long been recognized in Hygienic circles that many people do

not get well until they get away from home; away from their well-

meaning, but misguided and often selfish friends and relatives; away

from old associates and influences and into a new and different

environment with its inspiration to right living. Once well, all too

many of these people tend, upon returning home, to slip back into old

ruts, old habits and practices often only because old associates and

influences impel them in these directions.

 

We know more of diet, of fasting, of exercise and of sunshine than

did these men. We have a greater knowledge of physiology. Some

admirable progress has been made since these men lived and labored.

But we do well always to remember that they laid the foundation and

erected much of the superstructure.

 

Herbert M. Shelton ]