ure‐ or rather‐suppress the
disease. (See  his New Science of Healing.)  89
 Jaundice. It must  be remembered  that jaundice is merely  a symptom  of
some chronic or acute affection  of the liver and is not a disease in itself.
My first and  most difficult case  where a jaundiced  condition  obtained
was in 1919, at the beginning  of my career as a urine‐therapist.  This
case  took 10 days to clear up on a urine‐fast plus tap‐water.
I have not had  a number of jaundice cases; but with those I have
treated it has been remarkable  to watch the discolouration  of the skin
gradually disappear  during the first two or three days of the fast, and
then as the penance has continued,  give place  to a colour as fresh  and
healthy as the complexion  of a diarymaid!  Ten days or less have usually
sufficed to clear up a jaundiced  condition,  that is provided it has not
been due to cancer of the liver. This dread disease I regard as
practically  hopeless  by whatever  means it is treated. Even biochemic
practitioners,  who have claimed to cure  some cases of cancer,  maintain
that if the liver is involved, nothing can be done.  Nevertheless  I once
supervised  a urine‐fast in the case  of a man who had been such a heavy
drinker that over a period of years he had drunk  a whole bottle of
spirits per diem.  This man  decided to try a urine‐fast  while his doctor
was away on holiday.  He drank all the urine he voided, but on the tenth
day it remained  as bloody and  as full of red sandy deposit  as it was at
the beginning  of the penance. On the day in question  the doctor
returned from his holiday, and  an incision was made in the scrotum.
The following  day the patient passed away in a state of
unconsciousness.  Whether his liver which  was "dead" could ever have
been made to function  again if the fast  had continued  and  there  had
been no surgical interference  is very problematical;  but I confess  I was
much distressed  that at any rate I was not given the chance  to try and 90
 save the unfortunate  man's life, especially  as during the fast he had lost
very little flesh except in the face, and  so, here  seemed some prospect
of his ultimate recovery.  And, after all, where  there  is life there is hope!
Case of paralysis,  premature  old age, loss of memory, etc. Male patient,
aged 60. Medical verdict, "a few weeks to live." Had  had  two paralytic
seizures, the first occurring  after an attempt to get rid of influenza by
means of fresh  fruit and fruit juices.  After the second  seizure he had no
memory, and  appeared  to be in his dotage, though only 60.  He
underwent  a urine‐fast with rubbings,  for 59 days, broke the spell for a
fortnight,  living on the one meal a day plan, then fasted further  for
another  35 days. Memory and  his speech returned in 20 days during
the first  fast, and the cure  was completed  during the second, the prime
cause of the trouble having been an arthritic condition.
Loss of hair. This same man who had lost his hair, not only regained it
during the second fast‐ his head was  rubbed  daily‐but instead of being
grey it assumed  its original  color… Many of my correspondents,  I may
add, report renewal of hair as the result of rubbing the head with old
urine as a daily habit.
Reports from  correspondents  on influenza,  pneumonia,  pleurisy and
appendicitis.
These reports show that as a general rule from three to eight days'
urine‐fast suffices to cure  influenza,  pneumonia  and pleurisy. The same
can be said of appendicitis.  In some cases of the latter,  one small meal a
day has been allowed, though all the urine passed  must  be taken. In
severe acute cases with fever, a complete  urinefast  is essential.   91
 And here  I would emphasise  the fact that to press food on a sick man  or
woman on the principle that strength, must  b.: kept up, is the height  of
medical folly.  To an invalid whose instincts and  organs  rebel against
taking nourishment,  food acts like a poison.
Cataract. Before  it became  illegal  for laymen to mention the fact that
cataract may  yield to treatment  without operation,  I found that in many
cases, 10 days'  urine‐fast  was sufficient  to dissolve the film that forms
over the eye. The longest required was a 28 days'  fast. Whether it is
against the now existing law for any layman to say that he has cured
cataract before the law was  passed, is a subtle point on which  I am not
qualified to pronounce.  But in case  the disclosure  should be illegal, we
must  assume that the cases cured had  been falsely ding nosed, since
the law implies  that no one save a qualifies oculist can cure  genuine
cases, namely with a knife Nevertheless,  it is only veracious  to say that
cataract is by no means always an isolated condition.  What we need to
remember  is that the eye is a part of the body, and therefore  in treating
the body


 evidence of a
comprehensive cleansing. But it’s worth empha-
sizing that you should drink an additional
amount of water o nly after the bulk of the
cleansing solution comes out — after you defe-
cate no fewer than 4 -5 times.
Additional fluid intake can be combined with
intake of bran (3 -4 spoons). Bran contains a lot
of so -called indigestible fibers in its structure.
These fibers, which have a low absorption capac-
ity, will gently complete the processes of cleans-
ing the walls of the digestive tract, stimulate stool
evacuation (usually after intestinal sorbent
cleansing there’s a delay of stool for 1 -2 days).
Besides, as a result of the bacterial flora breaking
up micro -cellulose contained in bran, fatty acids
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frare formed, which are required for nourishing
and restoring the surface layer of the colon.
 After you finish the procedure, it is recom-
mended to have a refreshing shower or bath.
After the end of the digestive tract cleansing
(for our purposes, it will be the time of the last
cleansing waters discharge), you need to refrain
from eating for 2 -3 hours. It’s advisable to start
your food regimen with rice porridge (optionally
with a small amount of butter) or other  gruels
(buckwheat, millet). You should abstain from
meat, spicy, sour foods, as well as fatty foods for
the next 24 hours.
If you follow all the listed instructions and di-
rections precisely, you shouldn’t have any side
effects or complications. But if you carry out the
intestinal sorbent cleansing procedure
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frerroneously, you’ll create a certain risk of a mas-
sive influx of sodium chloride and water into the
blood. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in
the amount of ci rculating blood, a minor in-
crease in arterial pressure, an additional burden
on the myocardium and an increase of the kid-
neys’ excretory function.
It has to be mentioned that such side effects
pose no threat to the functioning of the men-
tioned organs and systems and disappear with-
out exterior assistance within a very short
amount of time. In the worst -case scenario, you
can take some diuretics (i.e., furosemide). Also,
there’s no need to attach great importance to pe-
riodic spastic pains in the course of the  advance-
ment of the fluid along the gastrointestinal tract,
they appear unexpectedly and disappear quickly.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frIn those cases, we recommend you to gently
stroke your stomach clockwise, or apply some-
thing warm to your stomach.

Contraindications
When discussi ng the contraindications, we
have to note that the spectrum of diseases that
allow to cleanse the intestines is virtually unlim-
ited. However, certain difficulties may arise, for
instance, when the digestive tract patency is dis-
rupted, and also in the early  postoperative pe-
riod, when there is a risk of developing func-
tional intestinal insufficiency. In our opinion,
the use of this method in case of acute diseases
or an acute exacerbation of a chronic disease is
inexpedient. In such cases, it’s recommended  to
confine yourself to a course of sorbent intake.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frThere’s a possibility (although a small one) of a
massive uncontrolled influx of water and salt
from the intestines into the blood, which makes
us include in the list of contraindications (or, ra-
ther, a need  to consult a specialist) for using this
method diseases and conditions such as stage 3 -
4 hypertensive disease, renal hypertension, stage
3-4 heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, stage 3
chronic renal failure, cholecystitis.
After conducting intestinal sorbent cleansing, a
person, despite their sense of well -being and
good mood, might feel tired for a period of time
(1-2 days), as if after prolonged physical activity.
This proves that after the cleansing, important
and energy -intensive reconstructive and  restor-
ative processes begin in the organism, in the
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frdigestive tract, as well as in the other organs and
systems.
 What can cause such energy demands?
 First of all, the processes of restoring parietal
intestinal structures, which are ‘washed away’
during the sorbent cleansing; second, activation
of the mechanisms of endotoxin discharge into
the blood and subsequent temporary increase in
the activity of the natural detoxification systems
of the organism; third, adaptive reconstruction
of the systems and organs under the stress of in-
testinal sorbent cleansing.

9.4. Liver cleansing
Everybody says that you need to cleanse your
liver… ‘Why do I need to cleanse my liver, if it
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frdoesn’t hurt? You’re telling me that I’m going to
feel better after the “Liver cleansing” program,
but I’m feeling great now, without any cleans-
ing,’ you’ll answer.
Let’s take a different approach to this problem.
Nobody questions the fact that the oil filter in
your car (beloved Lada, Ford, Mazda, or Por-
sche) has to be changed. In general, it might be
good to clean the engine and the injector system.
Why? What for? Well, because, if you don’t do
it, the engine or the injector, or both, will fail at
some point. And to get it all repaired, you’ll have
to pay LOTS of money. If we were t o draw an
analogy, then the liver is our filter. And as you
can’t replace it, you have to clean it. And, of
course, it’s perfectly clear, that if you don’t do
this, your individual system will give up and it’ll
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frbe extremely hard to fix it. It’s well -known that
the function carried out by the liver are among
the most important in the organism. Toxins are
stored everywhere in the body, especially in the
fat tissues. They are particularly numerous in the
liver, which is our organism’s filtration plant.
Accordi ng to medical statistics, 4 -5 kg of chem-
icals enter the human body only from food and
drinks (including alcohol) every year. All this
goes into the liver and stays there.
People who disregard liver cleansing, end up
on a hospital bed sooner or later. The l iver,
which is full of toxins, is unable to discharge
them, which is akin to having a bomb filled with
several kilograms of poison inside your body.
Who needs liver cleansings? This question
can’t be answered unambiguously. I believe that
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.freverybody needs c leansings, but the specific
cleansing system and their time should be se-
lected individually.
What’s required for a cleansing, in order for
you to get the maximum result with minimum
effort?
First of all, your emotional state. Neutral or
positive mood, rel axed state, calmness — all of
these are required for success. If a person ap-
proaches cleansing as if it’s slave labor, then they
feel a certain degree of tension: physiologically,
the body is in a state of defense, which means
contraction: smooth muscles ( vascular, duct, in-
testinal walls) spasm, which results in hindered
discharge of toxins.
Secondly, it’s your attitude to get a positive re-
sult (a lack of a result is also a result). Humans
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frare curious creatures, and curiosity can become
a guarantee of a ple asant cleansing. When en-
gaging in a cleansing, a person becomes an ex-
plorer. When a person is curious to know the re-
sult, they have no fear, but have an interest:
what’s


of low-calorie greens and shunning fruits forces us to consume fats f or satiation and caloric sufficiency.
Whereas Americans consume between one-third and one-half of the ir calories as fat, most raw fooders consume at least 1½
times that amount. They eat a continuous stream of nuts, seeds, oils, cocon uts, olives, avocados, and other fatty fruits. Even when
the quantities eaten look small, the calories in these foods add up quickly. A s a result, many raw fooders attempt to live on a diet
where fat accounts for 50, 60, and even 70-plus percent of the mix. Here are some of  the reasons why:

Nuts and Seeds in Place of Meat and Dairy
Raw nut and seed loaves, pâtés, and cheeses are staples in every raw  gourmet kitchen and sure-fire favorites at raw food
restaurants. But nuts and seeds pack a caloric wallop that even the fat tiest meats cannot touch.

Seeds Instead of Grain
Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, and several other s have become popular as the “meal” of dehydrated
crackers. Some are more gelatinous than others, but seeds typically  are “sticky” enough to hold together when dehydrated, creating
a reasonable facsimile of a cracker.
These dehydrates look, feel, and taste pretty much like crackers. They hold di ps as well as any cracker. Of course, in contrast
to crackers made of grains that offer only a small percentage of their c alories from fat, the majority of calories in these crackers
(even when “cut” with a huge proportion of vegetables) come from f at, ranging from about 50 to 70%. But they remind us so much
of “real” crackers when we eat them that it is difficult to remembe r they are more than half fat. And what do we eat them with?
Why, a nice fatty nut and veggie spread, a seed cheese, or guacamole, of cour se.

Fat in Raw vs. Traditional Crackers
(percentage of calories)

66%: Sunflower flax crackers: (half sunflower seeds, half flaxseeds )
58%: Flax crackers (all flaxseeds)
49%: Veggie flax crackers (10 C. vegetables, 2 C. flaxseeds) †
47% Ritz  (9 Ritz = 140 calories)
38%: Nabisco Wheat Thins (15 Wheat Thins = 140 calories)
34% Triscuit (7 Triscuits = 140 calories)
22%: Nabisco Snackwell’s Wheat (10 Snackwells = 140 calories)
0%: Rice cakes (4 cakes = 140 calories)

†The “V eggie Flax” cracker listed above is an actual recipe from a r ecently published book by a popular raw food chef. In all
likelihood, at 49% fat, it is among the lowest-fat nut/seed-based cracker bei ng consumed in the raw food world today, as flaxseeds
contain the least fat (58%) among the nuts and seeds, and the recipe is loa ded with vegetables. The regular flax crackers shared at
potlucks and sold at festivals are virtually always significantly  higher in fat.
This “low-fat” cracker recipe yields approximately a hundred 3   3-inch crackers and contains a total of 1,840 calories, or
18.4 calories per cracker. Thus, about 8 of these raw crackers provide the caloric  equivalent of 9 Ritz, 15 Wheat Thins, 7 Triscuits,
10 Snackwells, or 4 rice cakes.

Nuts As Pastry Substitutes
Raw food chefs steer clear of bread, because it is a cooked food. But they still li ke to make pastries, pies, cookies, and other dishes that traditionally call for dough. Hence, they have learned to make pas try dough out of crushed nuts and even fluffy “bread flour” out
of leftover nut-milk pulp—both of which work exceptionally well, if your  goal is delicious food without regard for health.
Tastewise, raw pastries are definitely a hit. But the caloronutrie nt ratio is all wrong. As the following table shows, the fat in a
raw pie crust makes the Pillsbury Doughboy look lean.

True, raw pie crusts usually contain sweet fruits such as dates or r aisins, and many fillings also contain fresh fruit. These fruits
decrease the overall fat percentage of the recipe, but in even the best  case, not likely lower than 40% of total calories. But do not let
the percentages fool you. A raw fruit pie with a nut-based crust has a t remendous quantity  of fat, even before the filling and topping
are added. It is important to understand both calories and caloronutrient rat io in order to fully grasp the caloronutrient picture.

Coconuts for All Occasions
Creative raw food chefs have devised a wide range of culinary applicati ons for coconut meat and dried shredded coconut. Coconut
meat shows up in raw items such as icings, sauces, soups, smoothies, chee ses, and creams, whereas the shredded variety adorns
granolas, cakes, candies, cookies, pie crusts, tortes, and more.
Many raw fooders plow through a case of young coconuts weekly; some even dail y. In addition to the high fat inherent in such
a diet, imported coconuts are dipped in fungicide, thus contaminating both the  meat and the liquid.
Packaged or bulk shredded coconut, like all other products dehydrated to a crisp, is not  really a food in any sense of the
word. It is a party item at best. If you include dried coconut at all among  your list of acceptable “foods,” I urge you to use it
sparingly (maybe once or twice per year for very special occasions), and t o purchase only the unsweetened, organically grown
product. Otherwise, even the shredded coconut found in health-food stores usu ally contains sulfites to prevent browning, and often
other chemical preservatives and additives. Most commercial air-dri ed coconut is dehydrated at temperatures between 170 and 180
degrees F.

 Coconut Facts
Coconut is a versatile food with a delicious, unique taste. The fruit of th e coconut consists of a green or yellow-brown fibrous
husk inside which the coconut itself is found. The nut itself has a har d outer shell with a kernel inside.
In the young “green” coconuts, the kernel is soft and jelly-like, and th e central cavity is filled with coconut water. As the
coconut matures, the kernel becomes harder and the amount of water decrea ses. The edible parts are the water and meat or jelly.
Below are some of the many ways coconuts are used as food, as well as data on fa t content (from the USDA nutrient
database).

Coconut meat: The solid white flesh inside the mature coconut.
Coconut jelly: Young coconut meat still in a semiliquid state.
Coconut water: The translucent liquid inside a coconut.
Coconut milk:  Liquid expressed from grated coconut meat and water.
Coconut cream: Liquid expressed from grated coconut meat.
Coconut oil:  A soft solid at room temperature. Warms easily to liquid.
Dried coconut: Air-dried flaked or shredded mature coconut meat.

All manner of amazing health “benefits” are attributed to the coc onut, but I do not recommend using food as therapy for any
purpose. Coconut meat is nearly all fat, the vast majority of which (80%) i s saturated. If you eat a healthful low-fat raw vegan diet
and live healthfully, you will not need the “benefits” of coconut or any  other food.
I suggest eating and drinking fresh coconuts when you visit the tropic s, but otherwise reserving them only for an occasional
indulgence. Aside from fresh, organic young coconut “jelly” or coconut w ater, this luscious treat is, unfortunately, not the best choice
for your health—or your waistline.

Oils Supplant Foods
Many raw fooders believe that when they eat a large salad, they are con suming a low-fat meal. However, this is true only when the
salad includes no oil-based dressing or other high-fat ingredients. Jus t one liquid ounce (2 tablespoons) of any  salad oil transforms
an innocent, seemingly healthy salad into a high-fat fiasco. It is n o longer diet food, and it is no longer health food.
The simple salad example presented below includes 150 calories from vegeta bles and vegetable fruits, accompanied by a
dressing containing 2 tablespoons of oil. Note that even this small quanti ty of oil increases the calorie count to nearly 400, and the
calories from fat to 64%. In contrast, the same salad with no dressing, or perh aps with a blended fruit dressing, contains just under
10% of calories from fat, which is right on target.
Many raw fooders consume more vegetables and more oil in their “typical” salads. In addition, they add nuts, seeds,
avocado, olives, and other fatty accompaniments. In this case, both the total  calories and the percentage of calories from fat always
increase


 about their health until forced to bysome painful condition. If you are already sick there are a number of supplementsyou can take which have the potential to shorten the duration and severity of theillness, and hopefully prevent a recurrence.
The sicker you are, the more supplements you will require; as health is
regained, the dosage and variety of substances can be reduced. In chronic illness,megadoses of many nutrients are usually beneficial. Any sick adult should begin alife extension vitamin program unless they are highly allergic to so many thingsalready that they can not tolerate many kinds of vitamins as well. In addition to the
life extension program, vitamin C should be taken by the chronically ill at a dose
from 10 to 25 grams daily, depending on the severity of the condition.
Many people want to know whether or not they should take their regular food
supplements during a fast. On a water fast most supplements in a hard tablet formwill not be broken down at all, and often can be seen floating by in the colonicviewing tube looking exactly like it did when you swallowed it. This waste can beavoided by crushing or chewing (yuck) the tablets, before swallowing.Encapsulated vitamins usually are absorbed, but if you want to make sure, openthe capsule and dump it in the back of your mouth before swallowing with water.Powdered vitamins (Life Extension Foundation sells them) are well absorbed.
On a water fast the body is much more sensitive to any substance introduced,
so as a general rule it is not a good idea to take more than one half your regulardose of food supplements. Most fasters do fine without any supplements. Manypeople get an upset stomach from supplements on an empty stomach, and thesepeople should not take any during a water fast unless they develop symptoms ofmineral deficiencies (usually a pre-existing condition) such as leg cramps andtremors, these symptoms necessitate powdered or well-chewed-up mineralsupplement. Minerals don’t taste too bad to chew, just chalky.
The same suggestions regarding dosage of supplements for a water fast are
also true for a juice fast or vegetable broth fast. On a raw food cleansing diet thefull dose of supplements should be taken with meals.
There exists an enormous body of data about vitamins; books and magazine
articles are always touting some new product or explaining the uses of an old one.If you want to know more about using ordinary vitamins you’ll find leads in thebibliography to guide your reading. However, there is one “old” vitamin and a fewnewer and relatively unknown life extending substances that are so useful andimportant to handling illness that I would like to tell you more about them.
Vitamin C  is one of the first ones ever identified. If you are one of those
people that just hate taking vitamins, and you were for some reason willing to take
only one, vitamin C would be your best choice because it helps enormously with
any infection and in invaluable in tissue healing and rebuilding collagen. If I wasgoing on a long trip and didn’t want to pack a lot of weight, my first choice wouldbe to insure three to six grams of vitamin C for daily use when I was healthy (I’dtake the optimum dose—ten grams a day—if weight were no limitation). I’d alsocarry enough extra C to really beef up my intake when dealing with anunexpected acute illness or accident.
When traveling to far away places, exposed to a whole new batch of
organisms, frequently having difficulty finding healthy foods, going through timezones, losing nights of sleep, it is easy to become enervated enough to catch alocal cold or flu. If I have brought lots of extra vitamin C with me I know that myimmune system will be able to conquer just about anything—as long as I also stopeating and can take an enema. I also like to have vitamin C as a part of my firstaid kit because if I experience a laceration, a sprain, broken bone, or a burn, Ican increase my internal intake as well as apply it liberally directly on the damagedskin surface. Vitamin C can be put directly in the eye in a dilute solution withdistilled water for infections and injuries, in the ear for ear infections, and in thenose for sinus infections. If you are using the acid form of C (ascorbic acid) and itsmarts too much, make a more dilute solution, or switch to the alkaline form of C(calcium ascorbate) which can be used as a much more concentrated solutionwithout a stinging sensation. Applied directly on the skin C in solution makes avery effective substitute for sun screen. It doesn’t filter out ultraviolet, it beefs upthe skin to better deal with the insult.
I believe vitamin C can deal with a raging infection such as pneumonia as well
or better than antibiotics. But to do that, C is going to have to be administered atthe maximum dose the body can process. This is easily discoverable by a ‘boweltolerance test’ which basically means you keep taking two or three grams of Ceach hour, (preferably in the powdered, most rapidly assimilable form) until youget a runny stool (the trots). The loose stool happens when there is so much C
entering the small intestine that it is not all absorbed, but is instead, passed through
to the large intestine. At that point cut back just enough that the stool is only alittle loose, not runny. At this dose, your blood stream will be as saturated byvitamin C as you can achieve by oral ingestion.
It can make an important difference which type of vitamin C is taken because
many people are unable to tolerate the acid form of C beyond 8 or 10 grams aday, but they can achieve a therapeutic dose without discomfort with the alkaline(buffered) vitamin C products such as calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, ormagnesium-potassium ascorbates.
Vitamin C also speeds up the healing of internal tissues and damaged
connective tissue. Damaged internal tissues might include stomach ulcers (use thealkaline form of vitamin C only), bladder and kidney infections (acid form usuallybest), arthritic disorders with damage to joints and connective tissue (alkalineform usually best). Sports injuries heal up a lot faster with a therapeutic dose ofvitamin C. As medicine, vitamin C should be taken at the rate of one or twograms every two hours (depending on the severity of the condition), spaced out toavoid unnecessary losses in the urine which happens if it were taken ten grams ata time. If you regularly use the acid form of vitamin C powder, which is thecheapest, be sure to use a straw and dissolve it in water or juice so that the aciddoes not dissolve the enamel on your teeth over time.
And this is as good a point as any to mention that just like broccoli is not
broccoli, a vitamin is not necessarily a vitamin. Vitamins are made by chemicaland pharmaceutical companies. To make this confusion even more interesting, thebusiness names that appear on vitamin bottles are not the real manufacturers.Bronson’s Pharmaceuticals is a distributor and marketer, not a manufacturer. Thesame is true of every vitamin company I know of. These companies buy bulkproduct by the barrel or sack; then encapsulate, blend and roll pills, bottle andlabel, advertise and make profit. The point of all this is that some actual vitamin
manufacturers produce very high quality products and others shortcut. Vitamin
distributors must make ethical (or unethical) choices about their suppliers.
It is beyond the scope of this book to be a manual for going into the vitamin
business. However, there are big differences in how effective vitamins with thesame chemical name are and the differences hinge on who actually brewed themup.
For example, there are at least two quality levels of vitamin C on the market
right now. The pharmaceutical grade is made by Roche or BASF. Another form,it could be called “the bargain barrel brew,” is made in China. Top quality vitaminC is quite a bit more costly; as I write this, the price differential is about 40percent between the cheap stuff and the best. This can make a big difference inbottle price and profit. Most of the discount retail vitamin companies use theChinese product.
There’s more than a price difference. The vitamin C from China contains
measurable levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, iron and other toxic metals. TheFDA allows this slightly contaminated product to be sold in the US because theRecommended Daily Allowance for vitamin C is a mere 60 milligrams per day.Taken at that level, the toxic metals would, as the FDA sees it, do no harm.However, many users of vitamin C take 100 to 200 times the RDA. The cheapform of C would expose them to potentially toxic levels of heavy metal poisons.The highly refined top-quality product removes impurities to a virtuallyundetectable level.
I buy my C from Bronson who ethically gives me the quality stuff. I know for a
fact that the vitamin C sold by Prolongevity is also top quality. I’ve had clientswho bought cheaper C than Bronson’s and discovered it was not quite likeBronson’s in appearance or taste. More importantly, it did not seem to have thesame therapeutic effect.
The distributors I’ve mentioned so far, Bronson, NOW, Cooper, Prolongevity
and Vitamin Research Products are all knowledgeable about differences between
actual manufacturers and are ethical, buying and reselling only high quality
products. Other distributors I believe to be reputable include Twin Labs, Schiffand Plus. I know there are many other distributors with high ethic levels but I cannot evaluate all their product lines. And as I’ve mentioned earlier, businessescome and go rather quickly, but I hope my book will be read for decades. I doknow that


 there is no time. The Book of Revelation tells us, "time shall be
no more." When you go to sleep at night and wake up the next morn-ing, it's as though no time has passed. The event that revealed this so clearly to me was during the war when I was unconscious for 31 days and then I awakened. The last memory I had was that I was thrown above the trees and my last thought was "This is it." I was sure I was
going to die, and the next thing I knew was 31 days later, 2,400 miles away in the Seventh General Hospital in New Guinea on an operating table, and it was just like seconds because I said, "I sure did land easy." The 31 days to me was only a matter of a part of a second. I knew nothing of what happened during those 31 days. So in death there is no time.
To be absent in body is to be present with God, or, to await the
judgment day of the soul. We don't exactly understand it, but we do know that each of us has our own number as frequency, micronage, milli-micronage, or milli-milli-microna ge, as any chemical has in
chemical analytical numbers. When Jesus comes and we use the password that we've been told in Isaiah 25:9 to use when we see Him, "This is our God, we have waited for him," we shall go down in cor-ruption, but shall rise in incorruption-then we shall be like Him, we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
It can be assumed from the following verses that we will stand be-
fore God and our name, or "numbers," will be called:
Daniel 7:10: "... the judgment was set, and the books were
opened."
Daniel 12:1-2: "And at that time  shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every
one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that 142 sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Revelation 2: 17: "... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
Revelation 20: 12 and 15:..And I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 21 :27: "And there shall in no wise enter into it any-
thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
There are times when I personally ha ve wished I had nothing to do
with the healing arts. I have had to watch my prayers go unanswered. I have had to watch people as they departed from this earth to the world beyond, and it is not a pleasant thing. It is the doctor's business to con-sole the parents or the loved ones. I've always tried to do this when I knew by their numbers even days before the person passed into eterni-ty that we were losing the case. I was there to tell the loved ones to think of the passing of this person as them making a trip to the Holy Land, like going to Jerusalem, or to the Sea of Galilee, and coming back and telling you all about it, telling you where Jesus walked and what He did. Only this time they are going to the New Jerusalem where Jesus really is instead of wh ere He was, and they are not com-
ing back. Some day you will meet  them and they will be waiting,
ready to greet you. When you look upon death as being a promotion, promoted to glory, it is very beautiful.
You might say, "That's very easy for you to tell someone else, but
when it actually comes to your own it will be a different thing."
I had a son killed by a drunken driver  and this is the way I took it:
God needed him in His Garden and He took him and I'm looking for-ward to the day in which I shall see my son. Also, when my mother and father passed away I took it the same way. 143 It is the easiest thing in the world to die. It is just like going to
sleep. No one really knows when they die, but they will awaken and
be looking in the face of Jesus, face-to-face! I have no fear of death. People that weep when they lose a loved one are selfish. They think they know more about life than God, and many times they become bit-ter and hate God. God is seeking to draw them a little closer to Him. Who am I to question the ways of God?
I have tried to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those
who weep. I have tried to live in a house by the side of the road and be
a friend to man.   144 CHAPTER 20
DIGESTING FOOD

If you do not love your country enough to die for it that your chil-
dren might have liberty throughout their lives, you do not love your country. If you do not love your children and your grandchildren enough to die for them, you do not love them, neither do you love yourself. If you don't love yourself, you can't love God. This is what it means to be an adult saint.
We are to obey the laws of the land as far as it is within us without
disobeying the laws of God. But if th ere is a conflict between the laws
of God and the laws of man, then we are to obey God. This was the very reason that Paul was beheaded. He was told if he would renounce Christ, the Messiah, as his Lord and King, that his life would be spared. He refused and he was beheaded.
The kingdom of God is within you and you can't love anyone
more than you love the God within  you. Before you can hate anyone,
you must hate yourself. With the same hate that you hate yourself, you hate others. Hate is the finest cancer seed in the world.  No wonder
that 25 percent of the American people will die of cancer.
Do you know that it costs $40,000 to die from cancer with most
medical doctors, and that you can die for free with cancer without ra-diation, without any cobalt, without any chemotherapy, and without any false hopes, and with a lot less suffering? Ask anyone who has taken the chemotherapy treatment.
Do you know that it is possible to live to a ripe old age by obeying
the laws of God? The health message begins in the first chapter of Genesis and goes throughout the Bible. In First Timothy 4: 1-5 we read: "Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doc-trines of devils; speaking lies and hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron' forbidding to marry, and commanding to ab-stain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanks-giving of them which believe and know the truth." (if you know the 145 truth then you will know the eleventh chapter of Leviticus where we
are told which are the clean and unclean meats). Paul, a Jew,  was writ-
ing to Timothy who would not thin k of eating any of the unclean
meats, and when he says "every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving," he was talking about the clean meats that were offered to idols. There was quite a discussion among Christians in that day whether or not they should eat things that were offered to idols, or whether they should eat the sacri-ficial meat that was given to them by the priests. This was not refer-ring to the hog, shrimp, oysters, lobster, catfish and etc., because in the verse before it says, "which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving." God did not create a hog, or any other unclean meat, to
be eaten with thanksgiving. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, then God doesn't change either in the Old or the New Testa-ment. If God changed what it said in the Old Testament to what is said in the New, then God is a God of conflict and doesn't know what He is doing.
"For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (v. 5), this
speaks of the meat that was offered as a sacrificial offering. It was sanctified then by prayer, but there is no way to sanctify hog meat by prayer when either Jew  or Gentile eats it, for pork digests in three
hours and bums up in your system too quickly, bringing old age on too
rapidly, bringing you to an early deat h. This is true of all the unclean
meats. So there's


 Edition.
La Mesa: Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation; 2004:290.
39
 Ibid., 295.
40
 Ibid., 273.
41
 Ibid., 274.
42
 Ibid., 488.* * *Chapter 3
Make Your Teeth Strong with Fat-Soluble
Vitamins
Dentist Melvin Page followed in the footsteps of Weston Price’s findings, and then added the science
of blood testing to his research. Dr. Page believed that it requires a 25% imbalance of body chemistry
to cause teeth to decay.
1
 After 30 years and 40,000 blood tests, Dr. Page discovered the biochemical
cause of tooth decay and gum disease: a disturbance in the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the
blood. A ratio of 8.75mg of calcium per 100cc of blood, and 3.5mg of phosphorus per 100cc of
blood, with normal blood sugar levels, creates immunity to tooth decay.
2
 The healthy blood sugar
level is 85 milligrams per 100 cc of blood.
3
 When there are blood sugar spikes, minerals like
calcium are pulled from our bones. When the amounts of calcium or phosphorus in the blood deviate
from these levels, or if they are not in the exact proportion of 2.5 parts calcium to one part
phosphorus, minerals are withdrawn from the tooth or other tissues, resulting in tooth decay or gum
disease or both.
4
 Dr. Page wrote:
It takes a continued low level of phosphorus, over a period of several months, to deplete the dentin of
its mineral structure
.
5
Amazingly Dr. Price also believed that phosphorus was the essential and vital mineral for perfect
teeth. Dr. Page’s tests reveal the biochemical nature of what we saw in Dr. Price’s photographs and
observations. The rapid decline in health of native peoples subsisting on a modern diet is chiefly the
result of not enough available calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Throughout the rest of this book, I
will teach you how to use diet to restore your calcium and phosphorous balance to stop tooth decay.How Teeth Remineralize 101
Let’s look at how are teeth are designed so you can fully understand the process of tooth cavity
healing (remineralization) and tooth cavity formation (demineralization). Dentin is the hard, bone-like
middle layer of teeth. Enamel is the hard white surface covering your teeth. The root of the tooth is
embedded in the jaw. The tooth pulp is in the middle of the tooth. The pulp contains blood vessels,
nerves, and cellular elements including tooth building cells. Each tooth has a blood supply and a
nerve that travels through the center of the tooth roots into the jaw bone via the mandibular nerve. The
mandibular nerve is a branch of the largest cranial nerve in our body, the trigeminal nerve. This nerve
connection is what makes toothaches so painful and debilitating. The periodontal ligament lines the
root of the tooth. It connects the tooth to the jaw through millions of taut fibers running in different
directions. These fibers absorb the shock of chewing, and hold the tooth firmly in place. The cells in
the periodontal ligament can degenerate and regenerate. A worn out periodontal ligament is a primary
cause of tooth loss.
Anatomy of a Tooth
Each tooth contains about three miles of microscopic tubes called dentinal tubules. Dentinal tubules
are 1.3 – 4.5 microns in size.
6
 This is close to one thousandth the size of a pinhead. Dentinal tubules
are filled with a fluid that is estimated to be similar to the cerebral spinal fluid in the spinal cord andbrain.
7
 The tooth enamel contains about two percent of this fluid. In addition to the tooth fluid, the
tubules can contain parts of tooth growing cells, nerves and connective tissue.
8
Dentin and enamel are fed from tooth building cells called odontoblasts which transport or diffuse
certain nutrients through the dental lymph. Odontoblasts contain microscopic structures that act as
pumps. In effect, a healthy tooth cleans itself out. Microscopic droplets of nutrient-rich solution from
our blood are pumped through the tiny tubules. In a healthy tooth, the fluid flow from within the pulp
moves outward in a pressurized system that protects our teeth from corrosive substances in our
mouths.
9
Dentist Ralph Steinman discovered that our teeth’s ability to remineralize is based upon the regulating
action of the largest salivary glands, the parotid glands. Located near the inside of our jaw bone, the
parotid glands regulate the activity of the nutrient-rich dentinal fluid. The signal to the parotid glands
comes from the regulating center of the brain, the hypothalamus. When the tooth fluid flow is reversed
due to a signal from the parotid glands (as a result of a poor diet or otherwise), food debris, saliva
and other matter are pulled into the tooth through the dentinal tubules. When this happens over time,
the pulp becomes inflamed and tooth decay spreads to the enamel. Dr. Steinman identified the loss of
certain key minerals in this process of tooth decay. These are
magnesium
,
copper
,
iron
 and
manganese
, all of which are active in cellular metabolism and necessary for the energy-production
that allows the cleansing flow of the fluid through dentin tubules.
10
 An interesting note is that phytic
acid, an anti-nutrient in grains, nuts, seeds and beans, has the potential to block the absorption of each
one of these vital tooth building minerals.
Tooth decay therefore needs to be reclassified to accurately describe what it is. The traditional
definition of decay as an infectious bacterially-caused disease is false. Tooth decay really is:
Odontoporosis
 - a decrease in tooth density causing tooth weakness, and
Odontoclasia
 - the absorption and destruction of tooth enamel, dentin and tissue.Hormones and Tooth Decay
Another hallmark of the work of dentist Melvin Page was the connection between our hormones,
glands and tooth decay. Dr. Page found that when our endocrine glands (hormone-secreting glands)
were out of balance then people developed tooth decay or gum disease. The research of Dr. Steinman
showed us that tooth decay is triggered by a glandular mechanism. It makes sense then that by making
our glands healthy we can halt tooth decay.
The Pituitary Gland
Dr. Page recognized the importance of the functions of the pituitary, known as the master gland, and
its two discrete sections, based on the hormones each section produces. These sections are the
anterior pituitary and the posterior pituitary. One of the roles of the posterior pituitary gland is to
work in conjunction with the pancreas to control blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels, when
chronically out of balance, can often cause tooth decay or gum disease. If the posterior pituitary
cannot regulate the blood sugar properly, then this can create a biochemical imbalance that will cause
phosphorus to be pulled from the bones. The primary cause of a posterior pituitary deficiency is
white sugar.
Gum disease is caused by an overactive anterior pituitary gland. One of the roles of the anterior
pituitary gland is to produce growth hormones; this gland is balanced with testosterone or estrogen.
The lack of growth hormone production is therefore intimately connected with gum disease.
The posterior pituitary can be brought slowly back to health by eating a diet low in sugar which
includes avoiding natural sugars as well.
The Thyroid Gland
The thyroid is regulated by the anterior pituitary gland. Often the relationship of the thyroid to the
pituitary is not considered, leaving thyroid treatments ineffective. A malfunctioning thyroid also plays
a role in producing tooth decay and gum disease because the thyroid plays a role in maintaining blood
calcium levels. To repair thyroid function, the anterior pituitary gland usually needs attention. People
on medications that affect their thyroid can have significant tooth decay problems.
Sex Glands
Excess testosterone can be linked to inflamed gums and excess levels of phosphorus in the blood
stream.
11
 Excess estrogen can also cause inflamed gums.
Balancing Your Glands
The reason for highlighting the role of glands is because prescription drugs, birth control pills, and
other toxic or stress factors can significantly influence one or several of our glands leaving us
susceptible to tooth decay. Conversely, supporting the health of our glands can support a faster tooth
decay recovery. The regulation and balancing of these important glands will support healthy parotid
gland function and thus promote tooth remineralization. If you feel that your glands are out of balance,or you are taking prescription drugs that influence your glands, then you will need to seek additional
treatments beyond diet. In particular, herbal therapies, glandular supplementation therapies, and
traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Tibetan or Chinese medicine including acupuncture can all help
strengthen and balance your glands if you can locate an excellent practitioner.Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a vital building block for the production of hormones. To have proper hormone
function, we need cholesterol. Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of
all mammals.
12
 There is no evidence that too much animal fat and cholesterol in the diet promote
atherosclerosis or heart attacks.
13
 Many of us are wrongly afraid of eating delicious foods that contain
this necessary substance. Do not believe the television, the


O infusion may have been due to the ability of DMSO to extract brain water rapidly and lower brain pressure as a result. The decrease of cerebral blood flow induced for 60 min after a bolus of DMSO in animals receiving 144 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
indomethacin implies that ICP was quickly lowered and was not a factor in affecting
cerebral blood flow levels.65
Another explanation may be that indomethacin’s inhibition of the cyclooxygenase
pathway controlling the synthesis of PGs may temporarily block DMSO’s ability to stimulate vasodilating PGs such as E
1 or I2 in cerebral endothelium to increase
cerebral blood flow.70–72
FREE RADICALS IN BRAIN INJURY
Free radicals are atoms that contain an unpaired electron in its outer orbit, making this atom highly reactive. This highly reactive process takes place by the free radical stealing an electron from a healthy molecule in order to become stable. Instead, the original free radical creates a new free radical, resulting in a chain reaction. Free radicals can be generated during the production of ATP in mitochondria.
These free radicals can leak from the mitochondria to form ROS, including super -
oxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Free radicals use a number of biological pathways to create cell damage. For example, free radicals attack the nitrogenous bases of cell DNA where damaging mutations can result and prevent oxidative phosphoryla -
tion from taking place, thus preventing the cell from making ATP to fuel its energy metabolism. Repair of cell damage in the presence of decreased energy production following mitochondrial dysfunction aggravates cell damage by promoting second -
ary damage.
73
Secondary injury following brain trauma in humans or animals is characterized
by a host of pathophysiologic cascades that can additionally damage more brain mitochondria. These cascades include exposure of neurons to excitotoxic levels of excitatory neurotransmitters with intracellular calcium influx, of ROS, of production of peptides that participate in programmed cell death, and of glutamate generation, a primary mediator of mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed cell death.
74
Excessive free radical production can react with cell membranes, lipids, and
nucleic acids in a site-specific fashion that can unbalance proteins in healthy cells and damage or kill these cells.
75
Although free radicals perform some beneficial functions within the immune sys-
tem, their excess production can cause deadly toxic oxidation or oxidative stress.76
The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress following injury, and hence, much research has focused on how to arrest or reverse free radical damage after a traumatic or ischemic brain injury.
The role of toxic free radicals in brain trauma has been the object of numerous
studies in the past, and many therapies have been introduced to neutralize the pri -
mary and potentially secondary damages caused by these reactive molecules.
However, therapeutic strategies to control secondary damage following brain
trauma by focusing on blocking free radicals that generate oxidative products remain ineffective.
77
Nevertheless, studies carried out in preclinical models of traumatic brain injury
using DMSO have provided information that free radicals appear to be intimately involved in producing devastating brain cell damage and that blocking their chain reaction can lead to preserving brain tissue from further damage.145 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
A study by Ikeda and his colleagues,78 from Johns Hopkins University, looked at
the effects of DMSO and other hydroxyl radical scavengers such as dimethylthiourea
and deferoxamine in cats. A standard cortical freezing method for the production of vasogenic brain edema was used. The authors found a reduction in brain edema that correlated with a reduction of hydroxyl radicals in animals treated with DMSO and deferoxamine.
78 These results could be partly explained by the scavenging proper -
ties of DMSO when chain-propagating radicals such as the superoxide anion are present.
79,80
Superoxide has been associated with the pathophysiology of many diseases
including brain trauma, ischemic stroke, and inflammatory reactions. Superoxide can leak from brain mitochondria in response to these insults and convert to hydro -
gen peroxide, an important contributor to oxidative damage.
81
One study that supports the antioxidant-related damage caused by some mole -
cules that commonly develop after trauma showed DMSO’s antioxidant properties in rat brain homogenates were able to reduce both lipid peroxidation and protein oxida-tion induced by ferrous chloride/hydrogen peroxide.
82
The brain is a highly oxidative organ consuming 20% of the body’s oxygen even
though it represents only 2% of the total body weight. For this reason, oxidative activity involving ischemia or hypoxia resulting from brain trauma or stroke can have devastating effects on brain function if left untreated or when treatment is delayed.
83
Oxidative stress from ROS has been associated with the onset of systemic inflam -
mation, and it is generally recognized that increased oxidative activity plays an impor -
tant role in pathological process of brain tissue damage.84 The presence of excessive
free radical, ROS, and release of local inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, are a characteristic initiator of pathologic cascades following traumatic brain injury.
85,86
These inflammatory cytokines include inteleukin-6, nitric oxide, and tumor
necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α). They can lead to complications affecting immuno -
suppression and result in severe, systemic inflammation with multiorgan damage, causing death within days or weeks following brain trauma.
87 As discussed earlier
(see also the section “Anti-Inflammatory” in Chapter 2), DMSO has been shown to significantly decrease the levels of nitric oxide, IL-6, and TNF- α in injured rats,
21,36,37
as well as the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (see the section “Burns and Scar Tissue” in Chapter 2).
NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) is a pro -
tein complex that controls the transcription of DNA and modulates a large number of normal cellular processes, such as immune and inflammatory responses. DMSO has been shown to suppress the effects of activation of NF- κB immunoreactivity, which
is exerted by decreasing the production of TNF- α and inhibiting the transcription of
critically important adhesion molecules.
88
Finding a neuroprotective agent that can reduce systemic inflammation, cytokine
production, and free radicals after brain trauma is the task of numerous investigators that continues to this day. As seen in Figure 8.1, DMSO appears to fulfill many of
these requirements based on the research of this compound dating back to the early 1970s. This research will be reviewed in this section of this chapter beginning with a primary understanding of how cerebral blood flow behaves normally and after brain injury.146 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
CEREBRAL HEMODYNAMIC FUNCTION IN BRAIN INJURY
Traumatic brain injury is known to impair cerebral hemodynamic function.
Understanding and correcting hemodynamic dysfunction has become an impor -
tant therapeutic target in arresting or reversing secondary damage resulting from brain trauma, ischemia, or neurodegeneration from worsening or becoming irreversible.
Restoring cerebral blood flow to preinjury levels is a key therapeutic target
because when trauma, ischemia, or neurodegenerative damage occurs, nutrient delivery to the brain, including oxygen and glucose, which are the primordial mol -
ecules necessary for maintaining normal brain cell function, can fail to supply brain cells’ demand to carry out all metabolic activities.
Since most of the energy of the brain is obtained exclusively from aerobic meta -
bolic processes, a low supply and high demand for energy nutrients in the presence of trauma not only creates a neuronal energy crisis from the uncoupling of cerebral blood flow and metabolism but also ensures that motor, sensory, and cognitive func -
tions remain impaired or irreparably lost. Additionally, the brain cannot manufac-ture or store energy nutrients such as glucose and is totally dependent on optimal cerebral blood flow to deliver these nutrients as needed.
89
We will see in the “Cerebral Hemodynamic Function in Brain Injury” section
how brain trauma, stroke, and neurodegenerative conditions such as vascular demen -
tia (VaD) and AD can uncouple cerebral blood flow and metabolism by involving a multifactorial list of factors that can act independently or as part of a pathologic cascade to alter blood flow to the brain. This analysis is relevant in attempting to
Prevents glutamate e xcitoxicity
Free radical sca venger
Suppresse s
tissue facto r
Blocks NMDA r eceptors
Blocks Na+,Ca+ cell in/f_l ux
Inhibit s toxic c ytokinesDimethyl sulfo xide
in CNS injuryAnti-in/f_lammato ry
Incre ases CBF
(via prostaglandins)
Reduces brain edema
Platele t deagg regato r
Vascular smooth muscle
cell rel axant
FIGURE 8.1  Reported biological activity for DMSO in central nervous system (CNS)
injury. Most of the molecular and cellular factors listed in this illustration result from physical and physiological damages to the brain, but the chronology and the degree of damage caused by many of these factors on brain tissue have not been entirely clarified.147 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
understand the role DMSO plays when used therapeutically to improve the outcome
following primary injuries to the brain.
The most common factors influencing cerebral blood flow are cardiac output,
ICP, blood gas content, vasoactive substances such as nitric oxide, PGs, endothelins, thrombox


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(P)
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PD
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AU,NT,OSM,PM,PMR
Montreux
Claude Rossel, M.D., Ph.D.
(P)
Clinique Bon Port
1820 Montreux
CT,NT,PM
Netstal (Glarus)
Walter Blumer, M.D.
(P)
8754 Netstal
(Glarus bei Zurich)CT
(Honorary Life Member)
TAIWAN (R.O.C.)
Taipei
Paul Lin, M.D.
(P)
5 Lane 85 Sung Chiang Road
Taipei
CT,NT,PM
Yeh-Sung Lin, M.D.
(P)
154 Sec. 1 Chien Kuo N. Road
Taipei
AN,CD,DD,DIA,END
WEST INDIES
Jamaica
H. Marco Brown, M.D.
(D/C)
6 Corner Lane
Montego Bay, Jamaica
CT,NT,PMNotes
Chapter 1
The Painkiller With a Problem
1.
 Olver, I.N.; J. Aisner; A. Hament; L. Buchanan; J.F. Bishop; and R.S. Kaplan.
“A prospective study of topical dimethyl sulfoxide for treating anthracycline
extravasation.”
Journal of Clinical Oncology
 (Nov. 1988); 6(11):1732–1735.
2.
 Babenko, V.N. “Treatment of patients with generalized periodontitis with a
suspension of indomethacin in a dimexide solution.”
Stomatologiia
 (Mar./Apr.
1987); 66(2):26–28.
3.
 Goranov, K.; V. Zarankova; M. Velceva; and S. Dermend: zieva. “Clinical
results from the treatment of a hemorrhagic form of periodontosis with a
complex herb extract and 15 percent DMSO.”
Stomatologiia
 (Nov./Dec.
1983); 65(6):25–30.
Chapter 2
DMSO’s Controversial History
1.
 “DMSO Documents Sought,”
NHF Public Scrutiny.
 Vol. XXVII, No. 27,
January, 1981, p. 29.
2.
 Szmant, H. Harry. “Physical properties of dimethyl sulfoxide and its function in
biological systems,”
Biological Actions of Dimethyl Sulfoxide
, Stanley W.
Jacob and Robert Herschler (eds.), New York: Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences, Vol. 243, January 27, 1975, pp. 20–23.
3.
 Tackett, Michael. “Arthritis victims warned on solvent,”
Chicago Tribune
,
November 16, 1980, p. 1.
4.
 Dewitt, Karen. “Drug DMSO studied as unauthorized use rises,”
The New York
Times
, July 31, 1980, p. A11.
5.
 Sweeney, Thomas F. “Medicinal uses of marijuana get conflicting reviews,”
The Advocate
, January 28, 1981, p.2.
6.
 “Former Gov. Wallace travels to Oregon for special treatment,”
The Advocate
,
June 30, 1980, p.3.
Chapter 3
The Therapeutic Principle of DMSO1.
 Schlafer, H.L. and W. Schaffernicht.
Angew. Chem
, 72:618, 1960.
2.
 Ranky,
W.O. and D.C. Nelson.
Organic Sulfur Compounds
 (N. Kharasch, ed.),
Vol. 1, Pergamon, New York, 1961, p. 170.
3.
 MacGregory, W.S.
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.
, 141:3, 1967.
4.
 Martin, D.; A. Weise; and H.J. Niclas.
Angew. Chem
, 79:340, 1967.
5.
 Thomas, R.; C.B. Schoemaker; and K. Eriks.
Acta Cryst.
, 21:12, 1966.
6.
 Parker, A.J.
Advances in Organic Chemistry, Methods and Results
, (R.A.
Raphael, E.C. Taylor, and H. Wynberg, eds.), Vol. 5, Wiley (Interscience),
New York, 1965, p. 1.
7.
 Lindberg, J.J.; J. Kenttamaa; and A. Nissema.
Suomen Kemistilehti
, 34B:98,
1961.
8.
 Schlafer and Schaffernicht, op. cit.
9.
 Wiberg, K.B.
Physical Organic Chemistry
, Wiley, New York, 1964, p. 136.
10.
 Martin, Weise, and Niclas, op. cit.
11.
 Pruckner, H.; Erdoel; and Kohle,
Acta Shandia Med.
, 16:188, 1963.
12.
 Lindberg, J.J.
Finska Kemistsamfundets Medd.
, 77:130, 1968.
13.
 Kauzmann, W.
Advan. Protein Chem.
, 14:1, 1959.
14.
 Klotz, I.M.
Brookhaven Symp. Biol.
, 13:25, 1961.
15.
 Tanford, C.
J. Am. Chem. Soc.
, 84:4240, 1962.
16.
 Typley, J.A.
J. Phys. Chem.
, 68:2002, 1964.
17.
 Kligman, H.M.
J. Am. Med. Soc.
, 193:11, 1965.
18.
 Muset, P. Puig, and J. Martin Esteve.


 the most effective treatments for
breast cancer, was developed in this way.
 In this search through the plant world it is likely that
other remarkable medicines will be found, though far
fewer new drugs have been successfully developed via this
research than was originally anticipated. In fact, there is a key
problem to this approach, for it is geared to the production
of isolated plant chemicals which can then be synthesized
and patented. With a patent, a company can make a profit,
recouping the massive investment required to research
and develop new medicines. Herbs, however, are whole,
naturally occurring remedies. They cannot and should
not be patented. Even if the major
pharmaceutical companies were able
to find an herb such as St. John’s wort,
which proved to be more effective
and safer than conventional
medicines, they would prefer
to develop synthetic chemical
drugs rather than
plant medicines.
Herbal Synergy
One word more than
any other separates herbal
from conventional medicine:
synergy. When the whole plant
is used rather than extracted
constituents, the different parts interact, often, it is thought,
producing a greater therapeutic
effect than the equivalent dosage
of isolated active constituents
that are generally preferred in
conventional medicine.
 Increasingly, research shows
that herbs such as ephedra
(Ephedra sinica,  p. 95), hawthorn
(Crataegus oxyacantha, p. 87),
ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba, p. 100),
and lily of the valley ( Convallaria
majalis, p. 194) have a greater-
than-expected medicinal benefit
thanks to the natural combination
of constituents within the whole
plant. In some cases, the medicinal value of the herb may be
due entirely to the combination of substances and cannot
be reproduced by one or two “active” constituents alone.
The Future of Herbal Medicine
The main issue for the future of herbal medicine is whether
medicinal plants, and the traditional knowledge that informs
their use, will be valued for what they are—an immense
resource of safe, economical, ecologically balanced
medicines—or whether they will be yet another area of life
to be exploited for short-term profit.
 Another issue is convincing skeptics in the medical
world that herbal medicine is not just a poor substitute for
conventional medicine, but a valuable form of treatment in its
own right. In trials into the effect of certain Chinese herbs
on patients with eczema at London’s Royal Free Hospital in
the early 1990s, conventional specialists were astonished
when the addition of one extra herb to a Chinese formula
containing 10 others resulted in a dramatic improvement in a
previously unresponsive patient. This story offers evidence of
the skill and art involved in herbal practice. In tailoring the
remedy to suit the individual needs of the patient and in
treating the underlying cause, major improvements were
made. This approach is a far cry from the standard medical
view of using a single drug to treat a single disease.
 In India and China, there have been university courses in
herbal medicine for decades. In the West this process has
been slower, with undergraduate courses emerging only in
the last 20 years. There are now degree courses in herbal
medicine or naturopathy in several Western countries,
including Australia, the UK, and the U.S., while in Germany,
medical students have been required to study naturopathy
and phytotherapy (herbal medicine) as part of their medical
training since 2003. Such developments point toward a future
where patients might be able to choose between medical and
herbal approaches when considering what medical treatment
will suit them best.The Moreton Bay chestnut is being
investigated for its anti-HIV activity.
St. John’s wort’s traditional use as a remedy for
nervous exhaustion and depression has been
confirmed by clinical trials.
US_028-031_20th_Century_and_Beyond.indd   31 17/03/16   4:00 pm
Valerian tincture
St. John’s wort
infused oil
Dried St. John’s wort
Valerian (Valeriana
officinalis, p. 148) is a good herb for calming nervous tension.St. John’s wort
(Hypericum perforatum, p. 106)  is an astringent and antiviral herb, and
is widely used in
Europe as a remedy for depression.
Goldenrod (Solidago
virgaurea, p. 271) is  an astringent herb taken for sore throats, congestion, and problems of the urinary tract.
Fresh and dried
calendula petals Calendula (Calendula
officinalis, p. 73) is  an age-old remedy  for soothing  inflamed skin.Each of the world’s major herbal traditions developed its own framework
for making sense of illness. In Europe, the principal model for understanding and explaining illness was the “theory of the four humors,” which persisted well into the 17th century. It was laid down by Galen (131–201 ce), physician to the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Galen was born in Pergamum, and part of his medical practice involved caring for the gladiators of the city, which gave him the opportunity to learn about anatomy and the remedies best suited to healing wounds. He wrote literally hundreds of books and had a crucial influence on European medicine for over 1,500 years. To this day, plant medicines are sometimes called Galenicals to distinguish them from synthesized drugs.
The Theory of the Four Humors
Galen developed his ideas from the texts of Hippocrates (460–c.  377 bce)
and Aristotle (384–322 bce), who in turn had been influenced by Egyptian and Indian ideas. Hippocrates, expanding on the early belief that the world was made up of the elements fire, air, earth, and water, classified herbs as having hot, dry, cold, and moist properties. Aristotle developed and endorsed the theory of the four humors. According to the theory, four principal fluids—or humors—exist within the body: blood, choler (yellow bile), melancholy (black bile), and phlegm. The “ideal” person bore all four
in equal proportion. However, in most people, one or more humors predominate, giving rise to particular temperaments or characters. For instance, excess choler produced a choleric-type person, who was likely  to be short-tempered, sallow, ambitious, and vengeful. Galen also believed that pneuma (spirit) was taken in with each breath, and processed in
the body to form the “vital spirit.” Vitality and health depended upon the proper balance between the four humors and the four elements and
the correct mix with the inspired pneuma.
Influence of Classical Herbalists
Two other classical writers strongly influenced the European
herbal tradition. Dioscorides (40–90 ce), a Greek-born Roman
army surgeon, wrote the classical world’s most comprehensive
book on herbal medicines, De Materia Medica, based on
observations of nearly 600 plants. Pliny the Elder (23–79
ce) drew together writings from over 400 authors in
his Natural History, recording, among other things,
herbal lore of the time. Much traditional European
knowledge of medicinal herbs comes from
Dioscorides and Pliny. One of the most
interesting herbs mentioned by both is Europe
Despite regional variations, European herbal
practices largely arose from the common root  of the classical tradition. Today, herbalism is increasingly popular in Europe, and in some countries it is
widely practiced by orthodox medical practitioners as well as  by qualified herbalists.The developmenT  of herbal medicine
US_032-035_Europe.indd   32 26/02/16   4:42 pm33Cramp bark
berriesFresh hops
Dried hopsSeason  Winter
Part of the body
Brain
Humor
Phlegm
Temperament
PhlegmaticSeason  Summer
Part of the body
Liver
Humor
Y ellow bile
Temperament
CholericSeason
Spring
Part of the body
Heart
Season
Spring
Part of the body
HeartHumor
Blood
Temperament
Sanguine
Humor
Blood
Temperament
SanguineFire
earTHair waTermoiST
cold dryHoT
Hops (Humulus lupulus,
p. 104) are generally
sedative, but they
also stimulate
digestive function.
Feverfew (Tanacetum
parthenium, p. 140) is
hailed as a breakthrough
treatment for migraine.
yarrow (Achillea
millefolium, p. 56)
may have been used
by Achilles’ troops in
the Trojan war to
staunch bleeding.
angelica (Angelica
archangelica, p. 168)
treats indigestion.
chaste tree
(Vitex agnus-castus,
p. 151) relieves
menopausal problems.
Nettle (Urtica dioica,
p. 146) treats anemia.
Hyssop (Hyssopus
officinalis, p. 222)
was prescribed by
Hippocrates for pleurisy.
rosemary (Rosmarinus
officinalis, p


rhizomes also contain large amounts of starch, they
have been steeped in water, roasted, and eaten as
a vegetable in Russia and North
America. In addition, the young,
tender leaves of bistort may
be used in salads or,
alternatively, cooked
in the same way as
spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ).
Medicinal Actions
& Uses One of the most
strongly astringent of all
herbs, bistort is used to
contract tissues and staunch
blood flow. It makes a valuable
mouthwash and gargle for
treating spongy gums, mouth
ulcers, and sore throats, and is also
useful as a wash for small burns and
wounds, a douche for excessive
Rhizome
Bistort is one of the most
astringent of all medicinal plants.Polygonum aviculare
(Polygonaceae)
Knotgrass,
Bian Xu (Chinese)
Description Annual creeper growing to 20 in
(50 cm). Has lance-shaped leaves and clusters of
small pink or white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Knotgrass is found in
temperate regions throughout the world. It thrives
on wasteground and along shorelines. The plant is
gathered throughout the summer.
Parts Used Aerial parts.
Constituents Knotgrass contains tannins,
flavonoids, polyphenols, silicic acid (about 1%),
and mucilage.
History & Folklore Knotgrass has been
used as a diuretic in Chinese herbal medicine
for over 2,000 years. In the Western tradition,
the 1st-century ce physician Dioscorides
likewise considered knotgrass to be a diuretic,
as well as a remedy for heavy menstrual bleeding
and snake bite.
Medicinal Actions & Uses An herb with
astringent and diuretic properties, knotgrass is
used in European herbal medicine to treat many
conditions—diarrhea and hemorroids, to expel
worms, to staunch bleeding wounds, to reduce
heavy menstrual flow, and to stop nosebleeds.
Knotgrass is also taken for pulmonary complaints,
since its silicic acid content strengthens connective
tissue within the lungs. In Chinese medicine, it is
given to expel tapeworm and hookworm, to treat
diarrhea and dysentery, and as a diuretic,
particularly when urination is painful.
Research Chinese research indicates that the
plant is a useful medicine for bacillary dysentery.
Of 108 people with this disease treated with a
paste of knotgrass (taken internally), 104
recovered within 5 days. Results from Iranian
laboratory studies indicate that knotgrass
stimulates apoptosis (programmed cell death) and
might be of use in treating breast cancer.
Related Species See also bistort ( P. bistorta,
following entry ), and he shou wu
(P. multiflorum, p. 124).Solomon’s seal is
mostly used for throat
and chest problems.
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   253 26/02/16   12:47 pm
254
other medicinal plantsPolymnia uvedalia
vaginal discharge, and an ointment for hemorroids
and anal fissures. Internally, bistort may be taken to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and conditions such as dysentery and irritable bowel that give rise to diarrhea.
Related Species P. hydropiper, which is
native to Europe, may be used to relieve heavy menstrual bleeding. See also knotgrass (P. aviculare, preceding entry).
Caution Use bistort internally for no more than
3–4 weeks at a time.
Self-help Use Diarrhea, p. 307. Kumarhou is considered to be a detoxifier and “blood cleansing” plant, and is used to treat skin rashes and sores, including lesions produced by  skin cancer.
Populus x candicans syn.
P. x gileadensis (Salicaceae)
Balm of Gilead
Description Deciduous tree growing to 80 ft
(25 m). Has heart-shaped leaves, buds producing
a sticky resin, and female catkins.
Habitat & Cultivation Naturalized in northern
temperate regions, balm of Gilead is also cultivated as an ornamental tree. The buds and bark from young branches are collected in spring.
Parts Used Buds, stem bark.
Constituents Balm of Gilead buds contain
flavonoids, phenolic glycosides (including salicin), and fatty acids. Salicin’s analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and fever-reducing actions resemble those of aspirin. Many poplars have a similar chemical profile and are often used interchangeably as medicines.
History & Folklore Balm of Gilead has been
used for several thousand years to soothe inflamed or irritated skin. The 17th-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recorded that “The oyntment called populeon, which is much of this poplar, is singular for all heat and inflammation in any part of the body and tempereth the heat of wounds: It is much used to dry up the milk in women’s breasts.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses Balm of Gilead
is a common ingredient of cough mixtures. Its expectorant, antiseptic, and analgesic properties make it an excellent remedy for sore throats, dry irritable coughs, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments. In France and Germany, balm of Gilead  is applied as a salve to scrapes, small wounds, chapped and itchy skin, sunburn, chilblains, and hemorroids. A preparation of balm of Gilead, applied externally, may also help relieve the pain  of rheumatic joints and strained muscles. As Culpeper noted, the plant is also thought to reduce breast-milk production.
Research Studies
have demonstrated that balm of Gilead  buds have significant expectorant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Research undertaken into  the bud resin of this and  other poplar species has been prompted largely by the resin’s chemical similarity to propolis,  a natural antibiotic resin that  is gathered by bees.History & Folklore Polypody has been
used medicinally in Europe since ancient times.
Like mistletoe (Viscum album, p. 283), polypody  often grows on host trees, for example oak
(Quercus robur, p. 260). This was thought to impart great medicinal value to the plant. The Greek physician Dioscorides, writing in the 1st century ce, noted that polypody was used to purge phlegm and was an ingredient of a plaster applied to dislocated fingers and to sores that occur between the fingers.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Polypody
stimulates bile secretion and has been used to  treat such conditions as hepatitis, jaundice, and indigestion. A gentle laxative, polypody makes a  safe treatment for constipation in children. The rhizome is also expectorant, having a supportive and mildly stimulating effect on the respiratory system. It may be taken for the relief of congestion, bronchitis, pleurisy, and dry irritable coughs.
Caution Polypody may cause a skin rash when
applied externally.
Polypody is often seen growing in damp woodland in
Europe and northern Asia.
Balm of GileadPomaderris elliptica (Rhamnaceae)
Kumarhou
Description Branching tree growing to about
10 ft (3 m). Has shiny leaves and clusters of yellow-
white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Kumarhou is native
to New Zealand.
Parts Used Aerial parts.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Kumarhou is a
traditional Maori remedy that has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses. Its most common use is as a remedy for problems of the respiratory tract, such as asthma and bronchitis. However, it  has also been used in the treatment of indigestion and heartburn, diabetes, and kidney problems. Polymnia uvedalia (Asteraceae)
Bearsfoot
Description Perennial herb growing to 61⁄2 ft
(2 m) with large 3-lobed leaves and yellow flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Bearsfoot is native
to the eastern U.S. It grows from New Y ork southward, preferring rich soil. The root is unearthed in autumn.
Part Used Root.
History & Folklore Bearsfoot root was used
by Native Americans as a stimulant and laxative remedy. In the 19th century, it became a widely popular healing herb in North America, having  a specific use as a treatment for mastitis (inflammation of the breast tissue).
Medicinal Actions & Uses Bearsfoot is
perhaps best known for its use as a hair tonic, having traditionally been a popular ingredient in hair lotions. It is still used in this way, but today the root is more often taken internally as a treatment for nonmalignant swollen glands and especially for mastitis. The root is thought to have a beneficial effect on the stomach, liver, and spleen, and may  be taken to relieve indigestion and counteract  liver malfunction.
Polypodium vulgare (Polypodiaceae)
Polypody
Description Delicate perennial fern growing


	to	worry.	Worry	is	unreal.	It	makes	you	feel	pain
in	advance,	and	your	soul	isn’t	part	of	anything	painful.	Survivors	who	have
been	through	a	disaster	like	a	flood	or	tornado	will	tell	you	that	handling	the
crisis	was	ten	times	easier	than	waiting	for	it	to	occur.
	So	the	best	way	to	cure
worry	is	to	confront	the	thing	you	fear.
Worry	goes	away	when	you	face	the	thing	you	fear.	Once	you	know	how
you’re	going	to	deal	with	a	situation,	your	soul	will	help	bring	you	a	sense	of
security;	it	will	help	make	you	feel	safe.	See	yourself	in	the	situation.	Practice
what	you’re	going	to	do	and	say.	Be	totally	honest	about	what	you	know	is
true.	Every	time	your	mind	says,
What	if?
	answer	it	with,	“Then,	I’ll	do
X
.”
The	more	concrete	you	are	with	facing	your	fear,	the	better.	Some	champion
athletes	visualize	a	whole	game	in	advance	before	stepping	out	on	the	field.
Singers	practice	their	songs,	actors	recite	their	lines.	Of	course,	a	part	of	you
will	say,	“Just	don’t	think	about	it.”	But	have	you	really	succeeded	in	not
thinking	about	something	you	dread?	Your	mind	keeps	coming	back	to	it	no
matter	how	hard	you	try.
Above	all,	know	that	you’ll	survive,	no	matter	what.	And	if	you	doubt	that,
seek	someone	you	trust	so	that	you	can	hear	them	say	it	to	you.	Their
reassurance	is	an	echo	of	what	your	soul	is	telling	you.
3.	F
ORGETTING
Forgetting	your	soul	is	hard	to	describe.	It’s	like	being	a	millionaire	who
thinks	he’s	poor	because	he	doesn’t	remember	what’s	in	the	bank.	It’s	like
looking	for	your	glasses	and	forgetting	that	you	are	already	wearing	them.
In	other	words,	it’s	a	special	kind	of	forgetting.	When	you	forget	that	you	left
your	wallet	at	the	supermarket,	it	might	still	be	there	when	you	go	back,	or	it
might	not.	You	feel	anxious	not	knowing	which	it’s	going	to	be.	But	your	soul
is	always	there,	ready	for	you	to	remember	it.	The	way	of	the	mind	could	be
called	the	way	of	reminding—you	remind	yourself	that	your	spirit	is	alwayspresent;	it	is	in,	around,	and	everywhere.	The	whole	universe	vibrates	with
every	thought,	according	to	physics.	The	messages	sent	by	your	soul	are
sometimes	sudden	flashes,	sometimes	just	a	steady	feeling	that	tells	you,	deep
in	your	heart,	that	you	belong,	you	are	safe,	you	are	part	of	everything.	All	it
takes	to	receive	these	messages	is	never	to	forget	that	your	soul	is	sending
them.The	Way	of	Silence
W
e	were	back	in	the	shade	under	the	trees	because	it	was	the	hottest	part	of
the	day.	Baba	had	stopped	talking.	He	sat	very,	very	still	now.	I	watched	as	a
single	leaf	fell	from	the	tree.	It	fluttered	and	swiveled	through	the	air	as	it
dropped.	Baba	saw	it	too.
“Do	you	think	you	can	catch	that?”	he	asked.
I	knew	how	hard	it	is	to	catch	a	falling	leaf,	because	I	had	tried	before.	I
grabbed	at	it,	but	the	next	puff	of	air	seemed	to	carry	the	leaf	just	out	of	reach
—nothing	is	more	slippery	than	a	leaf	that	doesn’t	want	to	be	caught.
“Can	you?”	I	asked	when	my	try	was	over.
A	second	leaf	was	falling	toward	us.	Baba	didn’t	reach	up	or	even	look	at	it.
When	the	leaf	was	just	in	front	of	his	face,	his	hand	darted	out,	and	as	easy	as
that,	he	caught	it.
“You	see?”	he	said.	“I	am	just	like	a	snake	in	the	sun.	One	moment	I	am	so
still	that	I	could	be	sleeping,	but	when	I	strike,	I	move	instantly,	with	total
certainty	Now
	you	know	the	key	to	the	third	way	that	your	soul	wants	you	to
live	by,	the	way	of	silence.”
“I	don’t	think	being	quiet	makes	somebody	certain,”	I	said	doubtfully.
“You	haven’t	found	the	real	silence	yet,”	he	said.	“It’s	a	lot	more	than	being
quiet.	Silence	sharpens	the	mind	like	an	arrow	ready	to	fly	through	the	air.
But	it	also	softens	the	mind,	like	the	paw	of	a	cat	when	its	claws	are	drawn	in.
A	cat’s	paw	is	sensitive	and	sharp	at	the	same	time.”
“But	nobody	is	really	certain	of	anything,	are	they?”	I	asked.
“No?”	said	Baba.	“Haven’t	you	set	eyes	on	somebody	and	instantly	said	to
yourself,	‘He’s	going	to	be	my	new	best	friend’?	Haven’t	you	woken	up	one
morning	and	known	for	sure	that	something	special	was	going	to	happen	to
you?	The	soul	has	a	quality.
It	knows	for	sure
.
“The	way	of	silence	is	about	developing	the	ability	to	know	for	sure,”	saidBaba.	“You	can	learn	to	be	relaxed	and	still,	yet	when	it’s	time	to	make	a
decision,	you	will	be	able	to
go!
	Just	like	that.”
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
The	way	of	silence	isn’t	about	being	quiet	for	its	own	sake.	Silence	is	how
you	are	naturally	when	you	are	certain	about	something,	because	the	mind
keeps	talking	only	as	long	as	it	is	in	doubt.	Baba	was	really	teaching	me	about
being	a	spiritual	warrior.	That’s	a	term	you	may	have	read
	or	heard	about.
Spiritual	warriors	aren’t	fighting	other	people;	they’re	fighting	not	to	be
mentally	foggy	and	doubtful.	So	it’s	not	a	martial	art.
Instead,	spiritual	warriors	are	training	to	know	who	they	are.	When	you’re
certain	about	that	one	thing,	the	rest	is	simple.	In	India	there’s	an	ancient
saying,	“I	am	That.”	What	it	means	is	that	if	you	strip	away	all	labels,	you	are
pure	spirit	or	essence.	People	usually	say,	“I
have
	a	soul,”	but	the	spiritual
warrior	says,	“I
am
	the	soul.”	This	wisdom	is	one	of	the	most	glorious	goals
you	can	live	for.	In	ancient	India	they	would	have	said,	“Yes,	it’s	true.	I	am
That”	to	mean	the	same	thing.
You’ve	seen	pictures,	I’m	sure,	of	Buddhist	monks	in	saffron	robes	meditating
or	of	Christian	monks	in	silent	prayer.	Both	are	connecting	with	That.	They
are	in	training	to	awaken	all	the	qualities	of	spirit.	And	That	is	intelligent
beyond	anything	we	can	imagine.	It	breathes	life	into	raw	matter.	The	sugar	in
a	sugar	bowl	is	basically	the	same	as	the	sugar	that	your	brain	uses	for	food
(in	the	body	this	sugar	is	called	glucose),	and	yet	there


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wholeness, in love, in the pursuit of beauty, order and harmony. But
for the wholeness of the human condition to be attained, a
wholeness in all things contri buting to human existence is
indispensable. The importance of food to life in general emphasizes
its supreme importance in the attainment of human wholeness, and
only a highly specific pattern of eating can meet this highest
achievement of evolution.
Mankind on this planet has been the unfortunate victim of
terrible times and tribulations. Barely had humanization been
achieved, than the earth underwent a prolonged period of intermittent and devastating gl aciation, with world-wide
repercussions. During these terrible times, human beings were obliged to adopt ways of living in order to survive which departed
widely from the human ideal previously set by nature. Although
when the Ice Ages subsided some ten thousand years ago, the majority of human beings tended to resume ways of living more
tolerably human, inventing agriculture in the process to ward against further catastrophe, many bad habits have persisted,
particularly regarding feeding, which, as we have suggested,
accounts in large part for the horrors and abnormalities of human
behaviour.
Many parts of the world today should be sympathetic to a
properly human condition, but because of the importance of cortical conditioning, these bad habits persist and remain a most
dehumanizing influence, responsible for the terrors of human
existence and the ugliness of the environment. As the means of
expressing anger and hatred against nature, against other creatures,
against man himself have increased  with the industrial age, so
nature has become increasingly soiled and desecrated, and man's
chronic inhumanity to man has become more sharpened. The
situation is critical, for every aspect of the contemporary crisis examined shows a course set on annihilation and extinction. If further appeals to reason, to scien ce, to politics, to sociology, to
economics are certain to be frustrated unless backed by a genuine change of heart, so are the more simpleton calls for a return to
nature, for a denial of civili zation. Man is too wounded and
humiliated a creature, too complicated by culture to be able to act from such purity. Salvation is likely to be very, very demanding.
The change must begin from within, important as the tangible
aspects of life happen to be. One simply must first restore the belief
that the human being is a noble, sacred creature, holding the most
essential post in the creative enterp rise of the universe. Anything
less must entail alienation. Since no reasonable argument can change the colours of the soul, colour must be played, like music to the insane, in the hope that slowly, progressively, the divine
sensitivities will be recovered, and the mind made whole.
Although ugliness tends to cancel the craving for beauty,
wholeness and purity, to be surrounded by beauty and harmony, to
practise it at every possible opportunity, must in the long run work. One has the examples of this in the arts. People are often drawn to the arts as a reaction against the puerilities and frustrations of living, the deceptions of gain and material power. While artists, musicians and poets themselves are usually simple people, little good at
worldly tasks, the patrons have always been people of power, in
their lives ruthless and hard, yet st rangely softened in the presence
of the beauty and divinity of ar t. They are not likely to become
gurus and saints as a result, but they are more whole and human for it, certainly worse without it. The sensitivities on which the arts
trade should be pursued in every possible aspect of living; nothing
which is not beautiful should be tolerated, whatever its apparent
lures.
The aim of this book has been to emphasize that such
sensitivities are eminently applicable to man's most important
biological function, eating. Not only is it a matter of the choice of
the right kinds of foods. The attit ude towards food, the conditions
under which foods are eaten can provide a most important occasion for developing an overall, humanly compatible attitude and a recovery of the sensitivities, of the meaning of being human.
This is not a new appeal. All ot her peoples had discovered that
sacrament and myth are the supreme means of incorporating
thought, feeling and action into a meaningful human cosmology. One finds, among primitives, as among other less materialistically preoccupied civilizations, that nothing is left out. All is made hallowed, meaningful and sacred. Part of the tragedy of the West,
thanks to misinterpretation of the significance of science to society,
has been to purge life of mythical  meaning. Eating is an excellent
opportunity to restore this indispensable strategy.
How one eats is as important as what one eats. Eating cannot be
a matter only of belly filling, of meeting calories, proteins, and the other dietary essentials, but the daily recurring opportunity to
express joy, to contemplate beauty, to feel the craving for purity,
and, a need particularly ignored to day, to feel and express gratitude
for the bounties of the earth. All peoples and ages have in fact insisted that food should be communally partaken, making it a socially bonding ritual, a bodily f unction raised to a high social and
spiritual level, becoming in the process a joyful sacrament enacting
the glory and joy of life.
After all, food is not an incidental occurrence. It is the product
of a quite fantastic creative ecology  on the part of nature, which
began some fifteen thousand million years ago, and has been ever since groping for the expression of the inherent drive for harmony,
beauty, and creativity in all matter, ever more explicit, until its
culmination in the human being. As we have seen, the beauty of fruits and flowers, of all things humanly good, reflect this deep goading at work in all nature. Unless these qualities had found
previous expression in fruit and fl ower, the human mind would have
been an impossibility. In spite of the apparent fumblings and
distractions of time, of the long haul of evolution, seen with the unitive vision of gods, man finds a summit place in the operations of Creation. As an important constitu ent in this realization, such a
providential offering as food should be partaken in joy, and in humility and reverence, a thanksgi ving to the gods and powers
responsible for this strange and wonderful place.
The right kind of attitude to nature, to food, indeed to all whole,
natural things is best illustrated in Zen practice, which teaches that
loose, unconnected thinking is necessarily bad, while at the same
time it insists that a rigid, imposed direction, the kind favoured by the puritans and fascists, is also bad. Living is a constant juggling
for which every occasion becomes an opportunity of practice, every
thought, every touch, every sight, and especially every act.
How can this apparent contradic tion be resolved in ordinary
living? By sensing the inherent sanctity, dignity and cosmic connection of all that is worthy of human doing. Then, in the simple
outfolding of such an act, no matter how elemental and superficially
trivial, a sense of profound, exquisite meaningfulness results, beyond all analysis and doubt. This can  be practised in virtually any
aspect of living, in one's daily work, in one's relations to others, in the contemplation of nature, in the ar ts, in sport, in some particular
hobby. Eating is an excellent opport unity for so doing, which raises
the simple act to a high order, physically and spiritually enhancing, and providing a level of satis faction and joy beyond verbal
description.
Zen is not native to the European mind and tradition, and such a
suggestion will at first seem esoteric. Yet many people do in fact
attempt to practise what is being suggested in their daily lives,
having discovered intuitively that it is the best course through the jungles of civilized confusion and uncertainty. Many artists, for instance, are Zen practitioner; without realizing it. finding an integration and joy in their creative procedures which is pure Zen.
The fact is that with a modicum of desire, what is being suggested is
quite easily realizable, and all the more easily in the pursuit of a natural dietary.
This exercise can begin with the preparation of food, through
its presentation and serving, to consumption, stages necessarily demanding familial and social participation. Evidently, the
environment becomes of great importance. One should forgo eating
rather than eat in squalid, ugly  surroundings. Joyful, enticing,
uplifting conversation, music and periods of quiet and meditation should be an intrinsic aspect of the pattern. By contrast, the usual futile banter, the ribald and mischievous exchanges of usual
entertainment show themselves up as a counter strategy to deny the
humanizing relevance of the meal, one  more aspect of the subtle and
all-permeating impoverishment of the sensitivities.
Regular meal times constitute a device for the convenience of
cooks and the cortical conditioning to greed. Meals should be left to the kind of intuitive communal decisions one finds children
displaying in their games.
Eating can undoubtedly induce a 'high', an ecstatic type of
experience, of the kind one can derive in the most humanizing raptures of life, in love, in communion with' nature, in art, and, as every age and culture has discovered in its own ways, through
certain drugs. Although it