, has observed : "The science of medicine
is based on mere guess-work." Sir John Forbes has remarked :
"Notwithstanding the skill of physicians, it is Nature which cures
most men of their diseases. "Dr. Baker tells us : "In cases of night
fever many more patients die of the drugs than of the disease." Dr.
Froth declares that it is difficutl to find a more disbounest profession
than that of medicine. Dr. Thomas Watson writes : "In the most
important matters our profession drifts on a sea of dubious
hypotheses·." Dr. Caswell feels that the human race would benefit
immeasurably if the entier medical pr~fession was ended. Dr. Frank
avers that thousands have been killed in hospitals. Dr. Mason Good
says: "Drugs claim a heavier sacrifice of human lives than do wars,
epidemics and famines." We find that an·increase in the number of
doctors is followed in one place after another by a rise in the
incidence of disease. Large advertisements appear in newspapers
which do not accept other advertisements. When Indian Opinion
used to accept advertisements, its workers had to go about soliCiting
these from others, but as for drug advertisements, their
manufacturers pressed them on the. journal and would even tempt
[us] with large sums. We pay a rupee for medicine which should
cost no more than a pie. Most manufacturers generally do not let us
know what the drugs are made from. A drug-manufacturer recently
brought out a book entitled Secret Medicines, his object being to
ensure that people ·are not misled. He reveals therein that the
ingredients of sarsaparilla, fruit salt, syrup and other well-known
patent medicines, for which we pay from three to seven shillings a URINE THERAPY -ALREADY A SCIENCE : 183
bottle cost from a farthing to a penny. This means that we P~Y from
36 to' 336 times the actual cost of the medicine. The proftt to the
dealer is thus 3500to 35000 per cent.
The reader ought surely to see from all this that it is unnecessa~
for a patient to rush to a doctor or buy drugs in a hur~. But few WI~ I
so forbear. All doctors are not dishonest. That every time the drug IS
harmful, the common man wi.ll not admit. To such persons, one may
say: n Forbear as much as you can. Do not bother a do_ctor as long
as you can help it. If you must call in one, get only a reliable_ person
and, having called him, stick to him. Consult another onl~ ~f h~ so
advises. Your disease is not under your doctor's control. If It IS given
to you to live, you will get well and if, in spite of all that you ~ave
done death comes to your or to your relatives, know that death IS no
I.
more than a transition."...
(From Gujarati : Indian Opinion, 11-1-1913)
The Coll~cted Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XI
(March 1964), pp. 434-36
CHAPTER Ill
URINE THERAPY -ALREADY A SCIENCE
I have ~ust now read the book Water of Life. T~e autho~ has
mentioned human urine itself as water of life. The unn_e of ant_m_als
also is water of life, i.e. the water produced ~y life or ltvtng
organism. The new system of urine therapy cl_alms that ~ good
number of ailments can be cured with human unne. The ~als~.avas
will disagree with this. They would ask -'Is urine also a ~nnk. But
the author says that while on one hand the human betng spends
thousands of rupees for medicines, on the other they do n?t car~ to
have any benefit from this supreme medicine. Eve~ybody IS advtsed
to drink aut~-urine. It is a panacea for diff~_rent. dtseases. Any~y
can come to me and see that book. Shri RaOJibhal Patel, an assoetate 184 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
of Gandhiji in South Africa, has written a book in Gujarati entitled
Ma~av Mutra (The Human Urine) on the basis of the book. This
subject ~as also become a science. It is, therefore, advised that in
future urrne and stools should no more be objects of hate.
From an address by Saint Vinoba on 4-4-1959
CHAPETER IV
THE FOLLOW-UP WORK
..E~ery mission. requires a follow-up work. But unlike politics,
m1~S1onary work 1tsefl creates its own missionaries and workers.
u.nne therapy is a missionary work and it has created its own
p1oneers for its development anc;J propagation. It is a universal
remedy and it is developed in different countries to a greater or
lesser e~tent. From the foregonig chapters it can be seen that it was
kn.own.m En~land and Armstrong gave it a scientific form. Protestant
prrests 1n Afnca used to cure the natives by urine therapy of their
own and they had two books on this therapy with them. They gave
them to Dr. Manubhai Patel, District Medical Officer of Mehasana
when he was in Africa. In lnd,ia this therapy was commonly known
to the ~randmothers and the artisans. It is very well mentioned in
Ayurved1c.and other texts. Shri Raojibhai took up Armstrons's thread
a~d experrmented not only on himself but on his relatives and
frrends and the mission spread automatically. So urine therapy
bega~ to ~evelop. Shri Raojibhai was not alone to do
experrmentat10n in the field of urine therapy. Shri Juthabhai Shah
gave Raojibhai Armstrong's book and intorduced him to this
thera~y and at the same time carried on his own experimentation
on urrne. Dr. M~n~bhai. Patel also knew about this therapy from
the Protestant ~ISSionanes in Africa. Some allopathic doctors also
kn~w about th1s therapy and they used it to cure thousands of
pat1ents during the first and second World Wars. All these facts THE FOLLOW-UP WORK : 185
prove the universality of urine cure. But somehow it could not
become popular. It required missionaries for its develpment and
propagation. Armstrong in England did a real pioneering work in this
field. shri Raojibhai took up his mission and gave it a great impetus
not only to. its propagation but to its development by
experimentation. Urine therapy by its very nature is in a way easy
for a trial and hundreds of people took up his suggestion to cure
themselyes by auto-urtne. There were hundreds of successful cases
of urine experiments and the experimenters gladly wrote and
informed Shri raojibhai of their successful urine treatments. It was a
self-styled propagation of urine therapy. But there was the moving
and guiding spirit of Shri Raojibhai to gave impetus to the self-styled
experimenting patients whenever they required guidelines at the
time of difficulty. So the idea of urine therapy caught fire ·and
began to spread automatically. It was as if in the air and at that very
time there were others too, who were independently thinking and
trying to propagate this therapy.
Such a worthy person was and still is Dr. Paragjibhai D. Desai.
He had read Armstrong's book of his own in 1955. He first tried
this therapy on himself and found it very useful. Himself being a
doctor and an eye-specialist, he could very well understand the
limitations and abuses of medical science. He was t.he only popular
eye-specialist in this area of South Gujarat during the years between
the two great World Wars. Being a very experienced doctor and
having an altruistic attitude of mind, urine therapy caught his
imagination and he began to use it on some willing patients and
thus he began to gather sufficent material in support of this therapy.
When Shri Raojibhai began to propagate this therapy he heartliy
welcomed his activity and so naturally after Shri Raojibhai's demise,
his mantle fell on Dr. Paragjibhai's shoulders. Now he is 82, but he
works so hard for its propagation and development that it seems the
spirit of Shri Raojibhai has entered his body! Once somewhat shy,
he has now become an active prapagandist of urine therapy!
Dr. Paragjibhai has already started two urine therapy centres at 186 : AUTO-URINETHERAPY
Bulsar and at Bombay for the last seven years. For sometime he
used to visit Poona and Baroda and Ahmedabad to give guidance to
patients in urine treatment. He was honoured for this philanthropic
work in an assembly at Bombay presided by Shri K. K. Shah, the


pour a very little into a flat‐bottomed  bowl ‐place the hands  in the bowl
so as to get just sufficient  of the fluid on the palms, and  then start the
rubbing till 'he hands are dry. Pour a little more  urine into the bowl, and
repeat the process.  By dint of taking only a little at a time on one's
hands, none of the urine drops  on to the floor.
As to compresses,  from all that has already been written in this  book
when relating case‐ histories, how and  when to apply them will have
become obvious. However,  it will do no harm to repeat myself. Cloths
soaked in urine should be placed over the local  site of the trouble, and
kept moist  by adding more  urine when required. They  should be
applied wherever  there  are boils, bums, wounds, lumps, swellings,  or
other  aberations.  Naturally,  the body will not be rubbed at the actual
place where  a compress  is required. In no circumstances  should
suspicious  lumps be rubbed  or the tissues in the near vicinity.
I have already mentioned  briefly that the most  important  parts to rub
are the neck, face, head and  feet. But that does not mean to say that
the whole body should not be rubbed  as well.  Unless  the  malady
requires a compress  at one or other  site, this  is an essential  part of
urine‐therapy  in order to supply nourishment  to the patient during a
urine‐fast. Apart from that, urine is the most wonderful  skin‐food  that
exists;  as may  be seen from the hands of those who do the rubbings.   108
 It has been suggested  by sceptics that a dry rub or a rut with plain cold
water would be equally effective.  But  the  answer is an emphatic
negative. I have tried  both. Even urine‐fasts  without  the urine rubbings
are attended  with palpitations,  just as are fasts  on plain water only. I
grant that the rubbing is both excellent exercise and  acts as excellent
massage,  but without the urine it does not and  cannot rebuild  wasted
tissues. Only in very bad cases where  the patient is too weak and
emaciated  to stand  it, have I dispensed  with the rubbings,  in which  o.se
the urine can be absorbed  via the skin  by means of the urine packs.
I will now give a case‐ history to show that continued  poulticing  with
any other  substance,  however  apparently  harmless,  can prove highly
strength‐sapping to the patient as well  as quite unproductive  of a cure.
 Gentleman,  well  over 50. Had  been an enthusiastic  follower of what
may  be called a "caterpillar  diet" It consisted  of one meal a day, chiefly
of wholemeal  bread, salads, fresh  fruits, fresh  milk, nuts  and honey. He
had  by this  means hoped  to reduce  his "corporation"  and  to cure  an
arthiritic and  dropsical  condition  and  other  troubles as well‐ chronic
costiveness  being one; for which  he resorted to salts  and high  enemata.
When he finally sent for me, he had  been in the doctor's hands  for
some time,  and  was in such a state  that he had  to have two nurses.
Although now taking two meals and four snacks a day,  he was  under  10
stone, very weak,  bedfast, suffering from bed‐sores, and  spending half
the day and most  of the night coughing up phlegm and ropy mucus. But
what I would draw  special  attention  to here, was the state of his arm.
About  two  years previously  a running sore had  manifested  itself, to
which  poultices had  been applied. In spite of this (or in my opinion
largely  because of it) he now had  five discharging  sores the poulticing  109
 having been continued  all that time (two  years). I at once  suggested
that all this  poulticing  was responsible  more  than any other  factor for
his loss of strength, in that the constant  "draining"  of nourishment  via
his arm was starving both his limb and  his torso.  The upshot was,
though the nurse protested,  that the poulticing  ceased,  and the arm
was simply bound in plain unmedicated  rag, and  not touched  for a
week. His meals were regulated  to two a day,  with no snacks, and  only
plain cool water to drink. All medicines  (they had  merely  upset his
digestion)  were discarded.  At the end of a week, the plain bandages
were removed for inspection,  but  although  the sores were still
suppurating,  there  was evidence  to suggest that the bulk  of the matter
had been asorbed by the heat of the blood  via the pores of th skin.  In a
month, even though there  was still a little discharge,  the arm was
usable, and the patient could write letters for the first  time in years.
Without  massage or any remedial local  measures  whatever,  he had
gained  14 lbs. in weight. The most  marked changes showerd in his face,
both arms, chest, shoulders  and buttocks.  I may  add, by the way,  that I
healed his bed‐sores with nothing more  "scientific"  than my own saliva.
The chief point to note in this  case, however,  is that as soon  as the
medicated  poultices  were stopped, the patient put on more  flesh
though he was taking less food. He was subsequently


 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frthe order that the renovation processes take. It's
difficult to predict anything in this regard, since
the set of diseases is always different. The in-
stinctive mind always knows bette r what and in
which order should be'repaired.' There is often
entirely unexpected pain, unrelated to an exac-
erbation of an existing disease. This is the elimi-
nation of the diseases that have not manifested
yet. For instance, an unclear tenderness in a joi nt
testifies to prevention of looming arthritis. An
upset pancreas points to pancreatitis that is not
destined to happen.
A certain woman was suffering from headaches
so severe that she was forced to have 5 enemas in
a row and take sorbents. The scientific  approach
prevailed and the pain was gone.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frStrong pain may occur when kidney stones are
passing, and in this case, one may take drotaver-
ine compounds and take a hot bath. However, it
does happen that stones disappear entirely un-
obtrusively, possibly after dissolution.

10.9. Toothache
All teeth that require treatment should be
treated prior to undertaking a long -term fast, so
that there are no troubles on their part. Strong
pain is a rare occurrence during fasting, but
teeth are best treated in advance. There are many
other things to take care of during a fast.
If the teeth are still bothering you, if pus, ten-
derness or other unpleasant sensations appear,
dry white wine may be used to rinse the mouth.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frDuring a fast, the desire to clean one's teeth fre-
quentl y appears. Many note that a literally com-
pulsive need to cleanse them emerges. This
should not, however, be done, since during fast-
ing the composition of the saliva changes, and it
becomes capable of dissolving the teeth enamel.
Normally, the teeth are covered with an accre-
tion that prevents damage. However, teeth may
be cleansed once a week, if the desire to do so is
strong. Cleaning the teeth too often may lead to
their loss.

10.10. Egress of pus
Certain gum diseases and maxillary sinusitis
may be accompanied by the egress of pus to the
mouth cavity during the fast. That is normal and
requires no special measures. The pus should be
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frspat out, and the mouth – rinsed with water di-
luted with either white wine or a weak lemon
juice solution.

10.11. Nausea, re gurgitation and vomiting
(sorbents required)
When you feel weak and nauseous, and want to
stop the fast, fight fire with fire – move around
and walk a lot. Physical activity makes all the or-
gans and muscles work, pumps the blood
around and quickens the cleansing. Apathy is
not as strong and passes faster after a three -hour
walk. On the contrary, indulging apathy makes
it stronger and stretches out the body cleansing
process. You need to know that the body re-
quires three times as much fresh air when fast-
ing. Do take walks!!!
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frPeople with troubled digestion often have sour
regurgitation during their first fasts. When such
regurgitation occurs, the stomach should be
cleansed (by drinking water and inducing vom-
iting), so as to avoid self -poisoning and disrup-
tion of normal internal feeding. In the most se-
vere cases, when regurgitation is worsened by
persistent heartburn, and 2 -3 daily cleansings
don't provide the required result, you can drink
small amounts of diluted still mineral water with
sorbents added.
Green or even black vomit is possible in case of
an ailing liver. The vomiting is a sign of the be-
ginning of liver cleansing, the general state may
worsen, and irritation may increase. It's most
prudent to just wait for several days. You can
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fralso lavage the stom ach with warm or even hot
water and apply a hot- water bottle to the liver.
When the unpleasant sensations pass, stomach
cleansing is terminated. There is no reason to
undergo this procedure without a reason.

10.12. Palpitations
Palpitations aren't dangerous in and of them-
selves. The pulse may drop to as few as 40, or
leap to as many as 100 beats per minute. If it is
not accompanied by severe weakness or pain, no
special measures are required. Otherwise, it's
best to take warm soothing baths. If the palpita-
tions cause strong concerns, half a cup of hot wa-
ter with ¼ teaspoon of honey may help alleviate
them. However, if it exceeds 120 beats per
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frminute and you feel ill, you absolutely have to
stop fasting.

10.13. Heartache
In the presence of persistent heartache or in-
creasing arrhythmia, it’s necessary to restore the
heart chakra, sometimes remove the magic spell
from the heart, etc. If that's impossible, it's best
to resort to an electrocardiogram, and in some
cases the fast has to be broken. Tolerable pain
usually passes on its own, it may be soothed in
the same way as palpitations, as well as with ac-
upressure. Sometimes self -hypnosis, general re-
laxation and contemplation work well. There is
also a special mudra that relieves a hear t attack.
It's called the “Life -saving mudra” in the Orient.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frTo form this mudra, bend the index finger and
touch the palm of the hand as low as possible.
The thumb is placed on top, pressing on the in-
dex finger. The thumb, index and middle finger
should be  placed together, while the little finger
remains straight. The same is done with the
other hand. The mudra should be held for 2 -3
minutes and more, and the heartache should
begin to be relieved within the first minute. Of
course, the mudra is not only use d during fast-
ing, but at any time and for any attacks. If a per-
son is unconscious, the fingers are positioned in
the mudra by the person administering aid, and
the mudra does warrant its name - “one that
saves life.” I have seen people coming out of ma-
jor attacks using it, and the face that was already
growing bluish or greenish would assume a
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frnormal color in mere minutes, the pain would be
gone and the bodily functions would be more or
less restored.

10.14. Muscle pain from overstrain
Such pains are present when a person over-
strains oneself with sports, forcedly stretches the
muscles or is engaged in heavy labor. They are
especially unpleasant during fasting, against the
background of general weakness. One does not
need to take any measures, but during fa sting
these pains are very slow to pass. If they are seri-
ously disturbing, small amounts of ointments
with snake or bee venom or shilajit are recom-
mended for application on the troubling areas.
They are usually applied once daily, or twice if
the pain is severe. One does need to be aware
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frthat during fasting the body practically eats up
all fats and creams that are applied to the skin,
including lipstick.

10.15. Colds
It's an extremely rare occurrence, but some-
times people do get colds during fasting. It's rec-
ommended to avoid exposure to cold, drink less
water (a day or two of dry fasting may even be
recommended), and wait patiently for the cold
to pass. The energy field's potential during fast-
ing increases so much


 standard eating to 80/10/10  overnight, and never looked back.
You do not have to think of yourself as becoming a vegetarian, vegan, or raw foode r to be an 80/10/10  fan. Just keep
decreasing the fat and increasing the amount of fruits and vegetabl es you add into your already-existing program.

Actual Stories of Transition to 80/10/10
The following are actual posts (slightly edited for space) from my VegSource discussion board.
From:  turtle (dialup-4.243.137.125.dial1.sanfrancisco1.level3.net)
Subject:  transition from high fat raw to low fat raw
Date: December 17, 2004 at 8:40 am PST
I have been doing the high fat … nuts, seeds, and oils raw food way of eating a nd would like to transition over to the low-fat
fruit-based 811. Is there a good way to transition? I would like to hear people’s experie nces with this … so if any of you have any
suggestions, I am all ears!
I know that I am eating way too many nuts and seeds and that this has not su pported my well being. I have found it difficult to
let go of the nuts and seeds on an every meal basis. Thanks for your help.

From: Janie (66.180.141.217) Subject: Re: transition from high fat raw to low fat raw
Date: December 17, 2004 at 7:39 pm PST
Since it seems that you have already been attempting to go cold turke y and it hasn’t been working out, it seems that
transitioning may be the way for you. I did a low-fat transition myself a t first by keeping my overt fats to 10% of my calories or less,
which translated to about 20% or less of the amount of calories I was eating  at the time. Later I brought it down to 10% or less
overall.
The way I would approach transitioning from where you are to a lower fat wa y would be to try to do two adjustments:

I would try to eat more calorie-dense fruits
I would also try to move my nuts or seeds eating to my evening meal only

Then after that, I would work on decreasing the fat from the nuts and seeds  overall so that I approach 10% or less, more and
more often, until I’m doing it all the time (on average).
I would approach it as a transition, and be easy on yourself psychologically w ith your slip-ups (if you have them) by just letting
them go and realizing that you have another opportunity to get going agai n towards your goals coming up as early as your next meal
choice. You may find as I did with going 100% raw again, that the transition  period ends up being shorter than you thought it would
be.  ;-)
Aloha!

From: Jaime (ip68-4-209-131.oc.oc.cox.net)
Subject:  Re: transition from high fat raw to low fat raw
Date: December 17, 2004 at 12:20 pm PST
I found that my ideal was to go cold turkey, but I ended up transitioning, as 811  involves more than just diet, in my opinion.
My transition began months before, if not years. I read the posts of others on t his board, took note of how my body reacted
to particular foods, noted what worked and what didn’t, and then practiced wh at worked more and more. I cut out supplements,
gourmet raw food and dehydrated food, frozen food, spices and salt, onions and garlic, ra w dairy, and juice (even raw juice).
I used to think raw juice wasn’t so bad, then I’d have it and would feel so i mbalanced I’d eat some raw vegan sushi or raw
cheese, then I’d be off 811 completely. I’d say I played this back-and-forth game for a year or mor e. I would think 811  doesn’t
work, but really I was not doing it completely. So I decided to incorporate everyth ing I knew that worked.
For me what works is: getting loads of sleep (up to 12 hours a night) as this he lps with 811 immensely, exercising before
eating (I used to exercise after), eating one or two meals per day, waiti ng until 11 a.m. or noon to eat, having only one type of fruit
per meal, and following that with one type of green such as celery or lett uce, no raw juice, raw vegan food only, no dates or
bananas unless they are ripe and fresh picked, and eating whole foods.
I did not add all of these things at once. It took me about a month to add them and I stil l consider myself in transition. So I
guess what I am saying is 811 is more than just percentages and involves whole foods, rest, exercise, f resh air, sunlight, etc. Once I
set my intention for how I was going to follow 811  it took time to actually put it into practice. Also, I am constantly learn ing what is
useful and what is not and make adjustments accordingly. So I think this  whole thing is a process, and intentions of “cold turkey” do
not manifest, at least not for me.

From: Dr. Doug Graham (DrGraham.vegsource.com)
Subject: Another way
Date: December 17, 2004 at 1:17 pm PST
(Author’ s note: I posted this message to offer another perspective to J aime’ s message above, which emphasizes
giving up certain foods. Approaching 80/10/10  with a focus toward the foods and other practices to add  into your life,
rather than those to eliminate, can make all the difference in your success with—and enjoyment of—the 80/10/10  plan.)
I recommend that the transition from standard American raw to 811  be done as follows:

Increase the percentage of whole, fresh, ripe, raw, organic plants in you r diet, at each meal.
Increase the percentage of fruit in your diet, at the beginning of eac h meal. Increase the total carbs in your diet, at each meal.
Increase the quantity of fresh whole ripe raw organic greens in your  diet until you reach close to 3% of total daily calories or
slightly more.
Increase the amount of sleep you get until you can honestly say that  you are getting “enough” each night.
Increase the amount of physical activity you perform until it accoun ts for a minimum of 2/5 (40%) of your total calories used.

Hope this helps,
Dr. D.

The Formula
So, what are we talking about in terms of foods? 80/10/10  works out easily and naturally if your calories break down
approximately as follows:

90 to 97% from sweet and nonsweet fruits.
2 to 6% from tender, leafy greens and celery.
0 to 8% from everything else (other vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, plus  fatty fruits, nuts, and seeds).

You can generally accomplish this with two or three large fruit mea ls during the day, plus a large salad in the evening. Fruit
predominates heavily, yet you consume as many greens as you like.

Average Caloronutrient Ratios by Food Category
Here is a rough estimate of the average caloronutrient ratio for var ious whole raw food categories, expressed in terms of
percentage of calories from carbohydrates, protein, and fat (C/P/F):

Fruits average 90/5/5
Vegetables average 70/20/10
Nuts average 10/10/80
Seeds average 18/12/70
Avocados average 20/5/75

How Much Overt Fat?
When contemplating reducing your fat consumption to 10% or less of total cal ories consumed, you must remember that
somewhere around 5% of your calories will likely come from fat even if you e at only  fruits and vegetables. Thus, as a rule of thumb,
you should plan on having about 5% of your calories in the form of nuts, seeds, avoc ados, nut butters, and the like. On a 2,000-
calorie diet, you should be shooting for overt fat consumption in the neighborh ood of 100 calories (5% of 2,000 = 100).
What does this mean in terms of food? It means that in a single day, an ave rage person endeavoring to follow the 80/10/10
plan would consume in the neighborhood of:

1/3 of a medium-sized avocado (6-ounces edible portion), or
0.6 ounces of almonds (about 15 nuts), or
20 medium olives, or
less than 1 tablespoon of oil.

There is another option, however. You could choose to eat no overt fats at all f or a day or two, or longer, relying exclusively
upon eating a sufficient quantity of fruits and vegetables to meet  your calorie need. By doing so, you will have effectively “saved up”
for a day when you could eat a moderate quantity of fatty food without feeling  guilt or that you had gone off of the program. If you
average your caloronutrient intake for the week you should still be able t o achieve 80


 is
plenty! It is a very powerful substance! The flavor of wheat grass juice is sointense that some people have to mix it with carrot juice to get it down. DO NOTOVERUSE. The energizing effects of wheat grass can be so powerful that somepeople make a regular practice of drinking it. However, I’ve seen many peoplewho use wheat grass juice as a tonic become allergic to it much as antibioticdependent people do to antibiotics. Better to save wheat grass for emergencies.
I also have treated my own breast cancers—twice. The first time I was only
23 years old. One night I noticed that it hurt to sleep the way I usually did on myleft side because there was a hard lump in my left breast. It was quite large—about the size of a goose egg. Having just completed RN training two years prior,I had been well brain washed about my poor prognosis and knew exactly whatrequisite actions must taken.
I scheduled a biopsy under anesthetic, so that if the tumor was malignant they
could proceed to full mastectomy without delay. I was ignorant of any alternativecourse of action at the time.
I might add that before I grew my first tumor I had been consuming large
amounts of red meat in a mistaken understanding gained in nursing school that agood diet contained large amounts of animal protein. In addition to the stress ofbeing a full time psychology graduate student existing on a very low budget, I wasexperiencing I very frustrating relationship with a young man that left meconstantly off center and confused.
A biopsy was promptly performed. The university hospital’s SOP required
that three pathologists make an independent decision about the nature of a tumorbefore proceeding with radical surgery. Two of the pathologist agreed that mytumor was malignant, which represented the required majority vote. But thesurgeon removed only the lump, which he said was well encapsulated and forsome reason did not proceed with a radical mastectomy. These days manysurgeons routinely limit themselves to lumpectomies.
I never did find out why I awakened from general anesthetic with two breasts,
but I have since supposed that due to my tender age the surgeon was reluctant todisfigure me without at least asking me for permission, or giving me some time toprepare psychologically. When I came out of anesthesia he told me that the lumpwas malignant, and that he had removed it, and that he needed to do a radicalmastectomy to improve my prognosis over the next few years. He asked me tothink it over, but he signed me up on his surgery list for the following Monday.
I did think it over and found I was profoundly annoyed at the idea of being
treated like I was just a statistic, so I decided that I would be unique. I made afirm decision that I would be well and stay well—and I was for the next fifteenyears. The decision healed me.
When I was 37 I had a recurrence. At the time I had in residence Ethyl and
Marge, the two far-gone breast cancer cases I already told you about. I also hadin residence a young woman with a breast tumor who had not undergone anymedical treatment, not even a lumpectomy. (I will relate her case in detail shortly.)I was too identified emotionally with helping these three, overly-empathetic due to
my own history. I found myself taking on their symptoms and their pain. I went so
far into sympathy as to grow back my tumor—just as it had the first time—a lumpmushroomed from nothing to the size of a goose egg in only three weeks inexactly the same place as the first one. Just out of curiosity I went in for a needlebiopsy. Once again it was judged to be malignant, and I got the same pressurefrom the surgeon for immediate surgery. This time, however, I had an alternativesystem of healing that I believed in. So I went home, continued to care for myvery sick residents, and began to work on myself.
The first thing I had to confront about myself was that I was being a
compassionate fool. I needed to learn how to maintain my own personalboundaries, and clearly delineate what stuff in my mind and my body was reallymine and what was another’s. I needed to apply certain mental techniques of self-protection known to and practiced by many healers. I knew beyond doubt that Ihad developed sympathetic breast cancer because a similar phenomena hadhappened to me before. Once, when I had previously been working on a personwith very severe back pain with hands-on techniques, I suddenly had the pain,and the client was totally free of it. So I protected myself when working with sickpeople. I would wash my hands and arms thoroughly with cold water, or withwater and vinegar after contact. I would shake off their “energy,” have a coldshower, walk bare foot on the grass, and visualize myself well with intactboundaries. These prophylaxes had been working for me, but I was particularlyvulnerable to people with breast cancer.
I also began detoxification dieting, took more supplements, and used
acupressure and reflexology as my main lines of attack. My healing diet consistedof raw food exclusively. I allowed myself fruits (not sweet fruits) and vegetables(including a lot of raw cabbage because vegetables in the cabbage family such ascauliflower and broccoli are known to have a healing effect on cancer), rawalmonds, raw apricot kernels, and some sprouted grains and legumes. I drankdiluted carrot juice, and a chlorophyll drink made up of wheat grass and barley
green and aloe vera juice. I took echinaechia, red clover, and fenugreek seeds. I
worked all the acupuncture points on my body that strengthen the immune system,including the thymus gland, lymph nodes, and spleen. I also worked the meridians,and reflex points for the liver, and large intestine. I massaged the breast along thenatural lines of lymphatic drainage from the area.
Last, and of great importance, I KNEW that the treatment would work, and
that the tumor would quickly disappear. It did vanish totally in three months. Itwould have gone away quicker if I had water fasted, but I was unable to do thisbecause I needed physical strength to care for my resident patients and family.
Eighteen years have passed since that episode, and I have had no further
reappearance of breast tumors. At age 55 I still have all my body parts, and havehad no surgery except the original lumpectomy. Many, viewing my muscles andathletic performance, would say my health is exceptional but I know my ownfrailties and make sure I do not aggravate them. I still have exactly the same organdeficiencies as other cancer patients and must keep a very short leash on mylifestyle.
If for some reason I wanted to make my life very short, all I would have to do
would be to abandon my diet, stop taking supplements, eat red meat and icecream every day and be unhappy about something. Incidentally, I have had manyresidential clients with breast cancer since then, and have not taken on theirsymptoms, so I can assume that I have safely passed that hurdle.
I’ve helped dozens of cases of simple breast cancer where my treatment
began before the cancer broadly spread. Kelly’s case was not the easiest of thisgroup, nor the hardest. Sometimes there was lymphatic involvement that themedical doctors had not yet treated in any way. All but one of my early-onsetbreast cancer cases recovered. I believe those are far better results than achievedby AMA treatment.
Before I crow too much, let me stress that every one of these women was a
good candidate for recovery—under 40 years old, ambulatory and did not feel
very sick. And most importantly, every one of them had received no other
debilitating medical treatment except a needle biopsy or simple lumpectomy.None of these women had old tumors (known about for more than six months)and none of the tumors were enormous (nothing larger than a walnut).
Clearly, this group is not representative of the average breast cancer case.
Hygienic therapy for cancer is a radical idea these days and tends to attractyounger people, or older, desperate people who have already been through theworks. In every one of my simple cases the tumors were reabsorbed by the bodyduring the thirty days of water fasting and the client left happy.
Except one. I think I should describe this unsuccessful case, this “dirty case,”
so my readers get a more balanced idea of how fearsome cancer really isn’t if thesick person can clearly resolve to get better and has no problem about achievingwellness.
Marie was an artisan and musician from Seattle who grew up back East in an
upper-middle class dysfunctional family. She was in her late twenties. She hadbeen sexually abused by an older brother, was highly reactive, and had neverbeen able to communicate honestly with anyone except her lesbian lover(honestly?, maybe, about some things).
Three years prior to coming to see me Marie had been medically diagnosed as
having breast cancer and had been advised to have immediate surgery. Sheignored this advice; Marie never told her friends, said nothing to her family andtried to conceal it from her lover because she did not want to disrupt their life.
On her own she did begin eating a Macrobiotic diet. In spite of this diet, the
tumor grew, but grew very slowly. After two years the tumor was discovered byher lover, who after a year of exhausting and upsetting arguments, forced Marie toseek treatment. Since Marie adamantly refused to go the conventional medicalroute, she ended up on my doorstep as a compromise.
By this time the tumor was the size of a fist and had broken through the skin of
the left breast. It was very ugly, very hard. Biokinesiology showed


ike. He has drawn a circle and taken in all people of all nations and loves all, and says, "Anyone can love the loveable, but it takes an adult saint to love the unloveable, and when you can do that you know that you have been through the fire of tribulation." He does not con-done sin, but sees a saint in every si nner. He sees a healthy person in
every sick person. It is his desire that America will become the health-iest nation on earth, receive this health message and extend it to our children in the schools. It is his desire to see the hospitals emptied, ex-cept for those persons that harm themselves, or persons who are acci-dentally injured, or for childbirth.
He believes that women should be in a hospital to bring forth their
children because there are many things that could happen and there a physician has everything to do with that is necessary.
He believes that surgeons do a very remarkable job. He finds most
good surgeons and physicians do the best they have been trained to do, but know very little about tailor-making diets for individuals. 164 Reams believes in surgery, but he believes in using surgery as a
means of last resort. During the war he was blown up in a truck and
his right kidney was tom out and had to have surgery a number of times to get this kidney back into place. He also had to have 177 piec-es of shrapnel taken out of his body. One piece went through his pan-creas and to this day the pancreas does not perform its normal func-tion. He has to take a certain medicine (it is also considered a food), which is and could be used as a drug, if used unwisely. As long as it is
used with temperance, It permits his body to stay normal.
He is one of the six soldiers of World War II whose temperature
went below 90 degrees and he still lived. His went down to 76 degrees for a number of months and he was almost freezing to death when everyone else was just dying of heat and sweat 10 the South Pacific. This pancreas is something he has to live with, and he handles his problem well. You could be around him for months and not know that there was anything of this nature  still giving him a problem. He does
not discuss this unless someone happens to be around when he needs to take the medicine.
He says, "I have been arrested more times than the Apostle Paul. I
have not stayed in jail as long as Paul but I have been falsely accused every time. I have never broken the la ws of our country," then adds, "I
thoroughly enjoy being falsely accused by Satan for we are told in Revelation 12: 10 that Satan is the accuser of  the brethren." It deeply amuses him when the hounds of hell blacken him because, "Then I know I'm on the King's highway. When I go three days without hear-ing the hounds of hell barking I become afraid that I'm on a detour."
"I never cease to be amazed," says Reams, "how eager some peo-
ple are to get to the cemetery. They just can't wait.. They break every rule in the book. They smoke, drink harmful liquor, eat the wrong way, never take a day's rest, always so busy walking on themselves until they simply burn themselves out. This type of people never grow old, they always die young. They are never happy. They are misera-ble." He also comments how tightly some people hold everything they have-with a clenched fist. "You cannot receive the blessings of God unless you open your hand and receive. You can only keep that which 165 you give away. You cannot take money to heaven with you. The one
question that is going to be asked you when you stand before the great
white throne of God (if you stand th ere, many Will not stand there,
and those who do it will not be to determine whether or not they are going to be in heaven or hell. It is going to be to determine your re-wards): 'Whom did you bring with you? Where is that pretty flock that I gave you?' "(Jer. 13 :20).
Reams appreciates good, clean humor, as well as jokes on himself. He laughs with the Amish people who say that his clinics or re-
treats are places where people get well on lemonade and stale jokes. They have named the streets of the retreats such as Lemonade Lane, Prune Juice Circle, and Green Drink Lane, etc..One bright May day we went into a restaurant in Tampa, Florida. He had on his driving glasses. In the restaurant they had beautiful white tablecloths and linen napkins, plus handsome waiters. They were dressed in long-sleeved, cuffed white shirts, black vests, white pants with a black stripe down each side. The waiter brought a glass of water, then a many-page numbered menu. There was a pencil and little pad hanging on the menu. All one needed to do was to write the number of the menu on the little pad. The pad also had the table number and chair position.
Suddenly Reams realized he had his driving glasses on instead of
his reading glasses. He said, with a big smile, to the waiter, "Would you mind reading this menu for me?"
With his big white teeth showing, this dark-skinned waiter said to
him, ''!'m awfully sorry, boss man, but I'm just as ignorant as you is!"
The honesty of this young waiter tic kled him. He left the restau-
rant, got his reading glasses and then read the menu.
He thoroughly enjoys other people disagreeing with him because
"where you and I disagree, there one or the other of us will begin to learn," he says.
He finds many people are afraid of progress and have enmity to-
ward the Biological Theory of Ionization. "If more people loved each other this world would be a better place to live in. 166 This nation is dying for leadership, men who are statesmen that
can become heroes of our youth, and dying for want of love for their
fellow man.
"Churches are something like grades in school. When you get all
that church has to offer, then you should become so religious until you get kicked out. This is the way G od promotes you. You will not ever
amount to anything until you get kicked  out of at least six churches.
Then you will know that you are growing up. You will know then that your life is beginning to become pleasing to God."
One thing that simply irritates Reams is the harm that is being
done in the Kingdom of God by beggar preachers that drive old cars, live out of the missionary barrel a nd are all the time begging for their
daily bread from man and then think that they are holy. "What rich sinner wants to be like this poor preacher?
Or what healthy sinner wants to be like a sick saint? God wants
His people to be examples of His Kingdom and to exalt Him in word, possessions, deeds and actions. There are many church people who think wealth is a disgrace. Look at Moses. He was one of the highest educated men in the whole earth, trained to become the prime minister of Egypt. Then God took him out to the wilderness for 40 years and taught him how to be and how to do things the way that God wanted them done. What God commands us to do often does not make any sense. However, we should do it whether or not it makes any rhyme or reason. It does not make sense to lead 300,000 Jews from the land of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through th e wilderness and into the land of
Canaan; yet, God did it. And when they got to the land of Canaan (which is only about a six-hour automobile drive today) they were afraid to go in. They refused to obey Moses and to go into the land. So God let them march in the wilderness for 40 years and have nearly 298,000 old-fashioned funerals by letting all the old persons die. Then God led them to the land of Canaan. By this time Moses became a bit over-enthusiastic because this time the young were ready to go into the land. God said to Moses, 'Speak to the rock and let water come forth.' Instead of speaking he struck the rock. Then the Scripture tells 167 us God buried him in the land of Moab and no man knows the where-
abouts of that grave.
"Moses learned in 40 years absolute obedience and this is one of
the greatest tasks for us today. In order to learn absolute obedience, we must learn absolute forgiveness, and absolute forgiveness is abso-lute forgetfulness. Faith is absolute expectation.
And faith without works is dead. The weaker and sicker we are,
the less our works. The healthier we are the greater our works."
This is the philosophy of Carey Reams. He believes if more of the
pastors would feed the sheep instead of teaching them history, church-es would be filled and running over with noisy, hungry sheep.
Mr. John C - one day was introducing Carey Reams to an audi-
ence and said the Reams Biological Theory of Ionization for perfect health is the greatest message to mankind since the word was pro-claimed to the world that Jesus had arisen.
"It is the most neglected message in the entire Bible " says Reams.
He believes that it is the message that will unite the saints for the com-ing of Jesus. He believes and lives what he preaches and does it with-
out fear.
He has


me, “but the label says it is raw, vegan, all natural, and healthy.” When large sums of money are
potentially to be made, marketers blur the line of reality to in order to sell more products. Just
because the label presents a convincing marketing pitch does not mean you should be the next human
guinea pig. Healthy sweeteners affect your blood sugar level. That is what sweet foods do. There is
nothing healthier about an exotic sounding, imported sweetener than correctly processed cane sugar.
Evaporated Cane Juice and White Sugar
 – The empty calories from sugar provide energy but
do not provide nutrients to the body. White sugar will cause blood sugar fluctuations which over time
will result in mineral losses from your teeth and bones. Queen Elizabeth the 1 st is remembered for
her black teeth from excessive sugar consumption. They turned black, but did not have huge painful
cavities probably because of her otherwise protective diet rich in fat-soluble nutrients. Processed
sugar consumption depletes chromium, zinc, magnesium and manganese.
13a
 Health food product
labels often list organic evaporated cane juice. Do not be fooled by this natural-sounding
interpretation; this is simply sugar. Sugar is recognized by the body so it is far better than any of the
sugar replacements. If you are going to choose to buy a packaged food that is sweet, you want it to
contain either sugar or fruit as a sweetener. That being said, consuming sugar gives us calories that
are not nutrient dense. The replacement of nutrient-dense foods with nutrient-poor sugar in our
modern diet is in part what has contributed to tooth decay with the rise of modern civilization.
Xylitol
 – A research report in the
Journal of the American Dental Association
 suggested that
claims that xylitol stops cavities need further studies.
14a
 Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, and not simply a
sugar. Pets can overdose on xylitol, with side effects ranging from seizures to liver damage, and even
death. Xylitol does not have what is known as "GRAS" status, or Generally Recognized As Safe for
consumption status by the federal government. It is approved as a food additive instead.
15a
 That is
why it is chiefly found in products that are “cosmetic” by legal definition, such as toothpaste or
chewing gum.
16a
 Xylitol is metabolized primarily in the liver.
17a
 Xylitol’s anti-cavity properties are
purported to depend on the fact that bacteria cannot digest sugar alcohols and convert them into acids.
Yet in chapter one I clearly demonstrated that bacteria and acids are not the primary culprits in tooth
decay. Also avoid the other unnatural sounding sugar alcohol sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol,
maltitol, and erythritol.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (Corn Sugar)
– This is by far the worst sweetener for our teeth and
overall health. What is confusing to people about fructose, is that fructose in manmade products is not
the same as fructose in fruit. A synthetic sugar and a natural sugar have been given the same name.
Because high fructose corn syrup contains the synthetic form of fructose, it is toxic to the body. This
explains why in study after study high fructose corn syrup is linked to serious diseases like pancreatic
cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
18a
 My experience is that consuming foods containing fructose is a
recipe for glandular imbalances that lead to severe tooth decay. Avoid high fructose corn syrup like
the plague. Manmade fructose is hiding in processed foods under different aliases including: the
highly processed fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or inulin as well as fructose, or corn syrup.
Sweetened drinks, soft drinks and food bars are just a few of the foods commonly sweetened by
fructose. The prevalence of the dangerous high fructose corn syrup in our foods is due to government
subsidies to the corn industry which make fructose cheaper than natural sugar. This policy is not agood use of our tax dollars.
The Double Danger of Soft Drinks
Soft drinks contain tons of sugar and are highly acidic. They rob your body of calcium and
magnesium once because of the sugar, and twice because of the acidity.
Agave Nectar
 – Agave nectar is a high-fructose-containing food masquerading as a health food.
It contains as much or more fructose as high fructose corn syrup. Extensive research has shown that is
not a raw or unrefined product despite marketing claims to the contrary. Watch out because agave
nectar is hiding in many “health food” products such as “health food” bars. There appears to be a
disconnection between products marketed as health foods, and what is really healthy to eat.
Glycerin
 – This sweet byproduct was originally from animal fat used in candle making. Now it
can come from a variety of sources including biodiesel manufacturing. Although glycerin has many
uses, it seems toxic to the body to take internally.
Malted Grain
 S
weeteners
– Watch out for malted grains like barley and corn. Either the type of
the sugars in the grain, or the plant toxins from the grains, can cause severe tooth decay.
Brown Rice Syrup
 – The sugar in brown rice syrup is recognized by the human body. However,
I am very concerned about the presence of grain anti-nutrients, and the enzyme methodology of
processing and creating the syrup. The similarity of brown rice syrup to malted barley syrup (which I
know promotes cavities significantly) is a cause for serious concern.
Molasses
 – This is a byproduct of beet or cane sugar production. It probably has a similar level
of safety to cane sugar in relation to tooth decay, but I am not sure.
Sugar Isolates
 – Maltodextrin, sucrose, dextrose and so forth are isolates of naturally occurring
sugars. Avoid these.
Fake Sweeteners
 – These are sucralose, aspartame, and saccharine. A wide body of evidence
and concern exists regarding the hazards of artificial sweeteners.
If you want further information about toxic sugars, visit
www.sugarshockblog.comProtein for Your Teeth
Eating protein with each meal balances your blood sugar. Since blood sugar fluctuations over
time are a key reason for our body losing minerals, having at least a small amount of protein with
every meal will help ensure your body stays biochemically balanced. Protein provides essential body
building tools. The higher the quality of protein you eat, as in grass-fed or wild game, the higher
quality of protein you will be made up of. Having at least some protein in your diet is absolutely
essential to balancing your blood sugar, and to healing tooth cavities.
A nourishing supply of fat, protein and minerals comes from eating animal flesh. Many
successful indigenous groups that Dr. Price studied consumed large amounts of animal flesh.
Depending on your particular needs and desires, muscle meats can be consumed anywhere on the
spectrum from fully cooked to totally raw. Since muscle meats are a common food in our culture, one
needs to make sure to balance these with eating enough fat and vegetables. Good quality muscle meat
(chicken, beef, fish etc.,) contains phosphorus, amino acids, and other minerals that can build healthy
teeth. Vegetarians can obtain protein from eggs and cheese.
Dry Aged Beef
Grass-fed beef can be aged by hanging it in a cold room for several weeks. The beef’s natural
enzymes tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor. Dry aged beef is a tasty and easy to digest protein.Protein Assimilation
The flavor of our life is enhanced when we prepare proteins to ensure for maximum taste and
digestion. Animal proteins that are not digested properly release toxic by-products into our bodies.
When our bodies are healthy—and most people are not in optimal health—the chemical fires of our
digestive system neutralize and fully assimilate proteins, and the toxic by-products are easily
removed. For the majority of us, cooked animal proteins leave some toxic residues in our bodies.
The cooking methods mentioned here will all significantly increase your ability to safely digest
and utilize proteins. Since proteins are body builders, easy to digest proteins in your diet are
important to stop tooth decay. Here are some delicious variations to cook proteins that enhance their
flavor and digestion.
Barbecue
 - Grill your food on wood coals. This adds a wonderful flavor and juicy texture to
your food. Commercially prepared charcoals with chemicals added can make food toxic, but real
wood for barbecues leaves your proteins juicy and flavorful.
Rare
 – A well-done steak generally does not taste as good as medium rare or rare. Beef, lamb,
and ahi tuna all taste great seared but not fully cooked.
Stews
 – Eating fully cooked proteins with a gelatin-rich broth as stew or as gravy enhances your
body’s ability to absorb the protein. Cooked protein repels digestive juices in our stomach. But
mixing cooked protein with a gelatin-rich broth makes the protein attract digestive juices and digest
well.
Raw
 – Our culture’s many cuisines are full of raw protein foods; we just do not usually notice.
Body builders consume raw eggs in smoothies. Other common raw foods are: steak tartare, sushi and
sashimi, cheese, and oysters. I usually have no problems eating certain types of animal foods raw.
Other people prefer to freeze or marinate animal proteins before they consume them raw to destroy
possible pathogens. Raw protein can be very easy to digest because it absorbs water.
Chemical “Cooking


 of thrombotic stroke can
be induced experimentally by cautery or by photothrombosis of the MCA, which differs from those due to cerebral ischemia induced by mechanical ligation or intra -
luminal occlusions of intracranial brain arteries
182 (Figure 8.5).
There are two commonly used surgical approaches to provide direct access to
the arterial circulation of rodents. The first approach is to perform a craniotomy that allows access to distal branches of the ICA, such as the much used MCA, to be occluded either with a neurofilament or by cautery
183,184 (Figure 8.5). Other types of
occlusion to achieve focal ischemia have been reported such as photothrombosis, ligation of an arterial vessel, or drugs to cause local embolism, such as endothelin, a powerful vasoconstrictor.
185
One early report by Tamura and his colleagues186 described an approach that
occludes MCA proximal to the lenticulostriate arteries and produces the infarction of both the cortex and the lateral part of striatum. Figure 8.4 shows two popular
techniques used in rats to induce focal brain ischemia.
Rat brain MCA oc clusion
ACA
(a) (b) (c)MCANylon
filamen t Cautery
PCA
ICA
ECA
CCA
FIGURE 8.5  (See color insert.)  Normal arteries at the base of rat brain (a) and approaches
to induce focal brain ischemia using a nylon filament introduced from the ICA to the MCA (b) and thrombotic occlusion (c) of the MCA. Such occlusions of the MCA will mimic human ischemic stroke and involve parts of the cortex and subcortical regions, produc -
ing sensory loss and paresis or paralysis of the contralateral side of the body. See text for details. Key: ACA (anterior cerebral artery), MCA (middle cerebral artery), PCA (posterior
cerebral artery), ICA (internal carotid artery), ECA (external carotid artery), CCA (common carotid artery).162 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
The intraluminal suture model, developed by Koizumi and his team (koizumi)
and Longa and his group,187 is undoubtedly the most frequently used focal isch -
emia model in rats and mice but is also one of the trickiest to produce a consis-
tent outcome. This may be due largely to the varied technical approaches, rodent model, rodent age, and gender of rodents.
The intraluminal monofilament model of MCA occlusion involves the insertion of
a surgical filament into the external carotid artery and threading it forward into the ICA until the tip occludes the origin of the MCA, resulting in a cessation of blood flow and subsequent brain infarction in the MCA territory ( Figure 8.5).
The technique has a number of variations and can be used to model permanent
or transient occlusion. If the suture is removed after a certain interval, controlled reperfusion can be achieved accompanied by an ischemic penumbra, which drug therapy can target. If the filament is left in place over 24 h, the procedure is suitable as a model of permanent occlusion. One useful advantage of the filament occlusion is that it does not require craniectomy or craniotomy, which can result in undesired variables to the experiment.
Because the intraluminal suture model occludes the tip of the intracranial ICA, it
cannot be considered a strict MCA occlusion.
188
For this reason, the filament occlusion technique results in a wider ischemic zone
and higher mortality than when MCA is directly occluded, especially when permanent occlusion is made.
188 Nevertheless, the filament occlusion technique has become the
most frequently used method to mimic permanent and transient focal cerebral isch-emia in rats and mice and has also been used in rabbits,
189 gerbils,190 and marmosets.191
However, despite their usefulness in stroke research, these focal ischemic models
are not consistently reliable. The surgery to access and manipulate the cerebral ves-sels requires skilled and experienced hands, and for practical purposes, the results can vary from one laboratory to another and even within the same laboratory where findings are often highly variable. But the variabilities in stroke research are not due to technical difficulties only.
It should be noted that the intensive research done in the past and up to the pres -
ent, using experimental stroke models, displays many technical, behavioral, and pathological shortcomings to mimic human stroke, and a considerable number of pharmacological agents have been seen to dramatically improve or reverse tissue injury after brain ischemia in rodents have failed to be translated into effective clini -
cal use. Many reasons have been suggested for this bench to bedside failure, and some of these reasons have been reviewed elsewhere.
192,193
One obvious reason for the lack of success in translating rodent findings into
effective human stroke therapy is the basic difference between the rodent cerebral circulation, hemodynamic responses to vascular stress, and relative tolerance to brain ischemia with those of humans.
194 In addition to anatomic and physiological
differences between rodent and human cerebrovasculature, most human strokes occur in elderly individuals, while a majority of animal stroke models are performed
on young rodents.
195
This lack of correlation between small mammals such as rodents and human
brain vasculature has produced no effective treatments in the last century for human
ischemic stroke other than fibrinolytic therapy. The only FDA-approved therapy for 163 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
the treatment of acute ischemic stroke is the thrombolytic tPA,196 and curiously, the
initial basic research was done in rabbits.197,198
As effective as they are when properly used, fibrinolytics have the limitation that
makes them ineffective when administered after a 3 h time window following isch -
emic stroke onset.199 This time window is often difficult to obtain due to the onset of
symptoms in a stroke patient who often waits several or more hours before seeking
medical help at the emergency department.
The effect of the large number of failed human trials that followed dramatic pre -
clinical results obtained primarily from rodent research has visibly reduced current levels of funding among the pharmaceutical industry to invest in research of new neuroprotective agents.
194
Another major reason for the lack of progress in ischemic stroke can be found in
the difference between human brain and those of smaller mammals such as rodents, marmosets, and rabbits. Human brain is gyrencephalic (cortex convoluted with gyri and sulci), and those of many smaller animals are lissencephalic (smooth cortex). Human cortex and subcortex are highly organized, which includes deep gray nuclei and white matter tracts like the internal capsule.
200 Moreover, human brain lacks the
collateralization of cerebral vessels found in rodents and other small mammals so their vulnerability to ischemia is enhanced.
These species differences between human and rodent brain can be diminished
when nonhuman primates are used to mimic human ischemic stroke.
This has been the recommendation of the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry
Roundtable (STAIR), a collaborative group made up of industry, academic mem -
bers,
201 and other many independent investigators.202–204
This group met to discuss the failure of finding therapy that could be useful in
human stroke and came to the conclusion that stroke research would benefit from using an animal with a gyrencephalic brain such as macaque rhesus monkeys.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR USING
NONHUMAN PRIMATES IN CNS INJURIES
The use of macaques and other nonhuman primates comes with the ethical chal -
lenges that need to be considered and that involve the need to eradicate or dimin -
ish pain, emotional stress, and depression associated with the neurological deficits
following experimental stroke. This can be achieved to some extent by providing proper analgesia during and after surgery and intensive veterinary care to com -
pensate during the recovery period.
205 The trade-off in using a nonhuman primate
model would likely accelerate the discovery of a treatment that could reverse or significantly limit the neurological and cognitive deficits seen after human or ani -
mal stroke.
Another more vulgar consideration in using nonhuman primates is their high
cost, specialized technical personnel needed, veterinary care, and enriched
living environment, factors that can discourage most researchers with limited
research budgets.
It should be emphasized that the use of successful therapy against ischemic
stroke induced in nonhuman primates does not guarantee success in human stroke. 164 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
A number of examples support this conclusion. For example, the experimental radi -
cal trapping agent NXY-059 was used in marmoset monkeys 4 h after permanent
MCA occlusion and obtained excellent therapeutic results 10 weeks after treatment, resulting in fewer neurological deficits and better neurohistologic picture when com -
pared to saline controls.
206,207 When NXY-059 was tried in human ischemic stroke in
a randomized, double-blind study comprising 3190 patients, it was found ineffective when given 6 h after stroke onset.
208
Thus, the recommendations of the STAIR group for using nonhuman primates for
ischemic stroke research have not been validated except for one instance, the use of intravenous DMSO. After canvassing the extensive stroke literature, DMSO appears to be the only agent that has so far shown significant neuroprotection in nonhuman primate ischemic


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Arno, I.C., Wapner, P.M., and Brownstein, I.E., “Experiences With DMSO in
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Ayre, J.E., and Leguerrier, J., “Some (Regressive) Effects of DMSO
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Bernath, Z., Chacon, E., Bennett, N., and Riveros, A., “Experiencia Clinica en


 as fever and irritability, brought on by patterns of excess heat.
Taking Medicines
The Chinese tradition relies heavily on formulas, which are set mixtures
of herbs that have proven effectiveness as tonics or remedies for specific illnesses. Many are available over the counter and are used by millions of people every day in China and around the world. Chinese herbalists often take a formula as a starting point and then add other herbs to the mixture. There are hundreds of formulas, one of the most famous being “Four Things Soup,” a tonic given to regulate the menstrual cycle and tone the reproductive system. It consists of dong quai ( Angelica sinensis,
p. 63), rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa, p. 125), chuang xiong ( Ligusticum
wallachii), and white peony (Paeonia lactiflora, p. 117).
 Chinese herbal medicine uses tinctures or alcoholic extracts of herbs, but only infrequently. Generally, patients are given mixtures of roots and bark to take as decoctions two or three times a day.
The Chinese Influence in Japan & Korea
Japan and Korea have been strongly influenced by Chinese medical
ideas and practices. Kampoh, traditional Japanese medicine, traces its
origins back to the 5th century ce, when Buddhist monks from Korea introduced their healing arts, largely derived from Chinese medicine, into Japan. In the following century, the Empress Suiko (592–628 ce) Goji berries
Goji berry plant bark
Ephedra tincture
Dried EphedraMany herbal preparations are available to Chinese
practitioners.
US_040-043_China.indd   42 26/02/16   4:42 pm43China, Japan, and southeast asia
sent envoys to China to study that country’s culture
and medicine. Direct Chinese influence on Japanese
medicine, which was practiced for the most
part by the monks, continued for 1,000
years. In the 16th century, Japan started
to assert its cultural identity, and kampoh
developed its own characteristic traits,
emphasizing the Japanese ideals of
simplicity and naturalness. However,
certain Chinese concepts, such as
yin and yang and ki (qi), continued
to have a central role.
 In 1868, the Japanese embraced
Western conventional medicine.
Formal training in kampoh  officially
ceased in 1885, but a few committed
practitioners passed their knowledge
on to younger generations, keeping
the tradition alive. In the last 40 years
the number of medical practitioners who use kampoh  within their
practice has greatly increased. Many Japanese medical schools now
include training in kampoh  as part of the curriculum.
 Korean herbal medicine is very similar to mainstream Chinese herbal
medicine, and almost all the Chinese herbs are used in Korea. Ginseng
(Panax  ginseng, p. 118) has been cultivated in Korea for home use and
export since 1300.
Importance of Chinese Herbal Medicine
Since 1949 when the Communists gained control, the herbal tradition
has flourished in China ( see p. 29) and today it is recognized as a valid
medical system, available to the Chinese on an equal footing with
conventional Western medicine. As is often the case elsewhere, herbs
seem to be used mainly for chronic conditions, while Western medicine
is more frequently employed for serious acute illness.
 Chinese herbal medicine, however, is not just of significance in China
and the surrounding regions, but is practiced by trained practitioners in
every continent and, in some countries, now has official government
recognition. For example, there has been a traditional Chinese medicine
hospital in Paris since 1996, and in 2013 the French government agreed
to open three new traditional Chinese medicine hospital centers. Herbal
medicine is now taught in 34 Chinese universities. This development (and
the massive input of resources involved) has helped revitalize herbal
medicine around the world over the past 30 to 40 years.
 The impact of these developments has not been confined solely
to those taking herbal medicines—whether in China or elsewhere.
In 2015 Dr. Tu Y ouyou, a researcher trained in traditional Chinese
medicine and conventional medicine, was awarded the Nobel Prize
for medicine for her lifelong study of sweet Annie ( Artemisia  annua,
p. 67) and its key active constituent artemisinin. From her base at the
Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, she proved that
the herb (and its active constituent) had unusually potent antimalarial
activity. Artemisinin has now become the standard treatment for
acute malaria.The tai chi symbol (in the center of the silk material)
illustrates the harmony of yin and yang. An imbalance
of these principles leads to illness. Corydalis rhizome
Corydalis tincture
Lycium aerial partsJu hua
(Chrysanthemum  x
morifolium, p. 78) is
popular as a relaxing
infusion. It also
improves vision.
Corydalis
(Corydalis yanhusuo,
p. 86) has a potent
painkilling action.
Zhe bei mu  (Fritillaria
thunbergii ) is taken
in eastern China for
coughs and bronchitis.
Coptis (Coptis
chinensis, p. 195)
has been shown to
improve tuberculosis
in a clinical trial.
Fo ti
(Polygonum multiflorum,
p. 124) is thought
to concentrate qi
(vital spirit) in its
root, and is taken to
improve longevity.
Shan yao
(Dioscorea opposita )
is used in the “Pill of
Eight Ingredients,” a
traditional Chinese
remedy for diabetes.
Suan zhoa ren
(Ziziphus spinosa,
see Z. jujuba, p. 283)
is used in Chinese
medicine to “nourish
the heart and
cleanse the spirit.”
US_040-043_China.indd   43 26/02/16   4:42 pm
44The developmenT  of herbal medicine
44Calumba (Jateorhiza
palmata, p. 224) is a bitter herb that is used as a digestive remedy and as a means to improve the appetite.
Buchu (Barosma betulina,
p. 71) has a diuretic and tonic effect within the urinary tract. It is infused in oil to make perfume.
Coffee (Coffea arabica,
p. 192). According to legend, an Islamic mullah discovered the stimulating effect of coffee by observing the frisky behavior of goats who had grazed on the beans. Coffee is used medicinally to treat headaches.
Visnaga (Ammi visnaga,
p. 62) is mentioned in  an Egyptian medical  text of c. 1500 bce
as an herb that relieves  kidney stones. Visnaga  seeds were used to  clean the teeth.
Myrrh (Commiphora
molmol, p. 85) exudes an astringent resin that is used to treat sore throats.The therapeutic use of medicinal plants in Africa dates back to the
earliest times. Ancient Egyptian writings confirm that herbal medicines
have been valued in North Africa for millennia. The Ebers papyrus  (c. 1500 bce), one of the oldest surviving medical texts, includes over  870 prescriptions and formulas, 700 medicinal herbs—including gentian (Gentiana lutea, p. 99), aloe (Aloe vera, p. 60), and opium poppy  (Papaver somniferum, p. 244)—and covers conditions ranging from  chest complaints to crocodile bite. The medicinal arts put forward  in this and other Egyptian texts formed the intellectual foundation  of classical medical practice in Greece, Rome, and the Arabic world.
Trade & the Arabian Influence
Herbal medicines have been traded between the Middle East, India,
and northeastern Africa for at least 3,000 years. Herbs widely used
in the Middle East, such as myrrh (Commiphora molmol, p. 85), originally
came from Somalia and the Horn of Africa. From the 5th century ce  to the 13th century, Arab physicians were at the forefront of medical advancement, and in the 8th century, the spread of Arabic culture across northern Africa had an influence on North African medicine that lasts  to this day. In the mid-13th century, the botanist Ibn El Beitar published  a Materia Medica that considerably increased the range of North African plant medicines in common use.
Ancient Beliefs & Indigenous Herbs
In the more remote areas of Africa, nomadic peoples, such as the Berber
of Morocco and the Topnaar of Namibia, have herbal traditions that remain largely unaffected by changes in medicine in the world at large.  For these peoples, healing is linked to a magical world in which spirits influence illness and death. In Berber culture, possession by a djinn (spirit)
is a major cause of sickness, and herbs with “magical” properties are given to restore health. If the patient fails to recover, their condition is likely to be attributed to a curse or to the “evil eye.” The Topnaar formerly depended completely on their environment for
medicines, using the few medicinal plants that grow in such harsh and arid


 the relief of hemorroids and ulcers. In medieval times it was believed that simply carrying lesser celandine on one’s person was sufficient to cure hemorroids.Quercus robur (Fagaceae)
English Oak
Description Slow-growing, long-lived
deciduous tree reaching 150 ft (45 m). Has  deeply lobed leaves, long catkins, and green to brown fruit (acorns).
Habitat & Cultivation English oak
grows throughout the northern hemisphere, in woods and forests, and along roadsides. The bark  is collected in spring and the fruit is harvested  in autumn.
Parts Used Bark, galls (growths produced by
insects or fungi).
Constituents English oak bark contains
15–20% tannins (including phlobatannin, ellagitannins, and gallic acid). Oak galls contain  about 50% tannins.
History & Folklore Sacred to the Druids, the
oak tree has been esteemed in European herbal medicine for its astringent bark, leaves, and acorns.
Medicinal Actions & Uses English oak bark,
prepared as a decoction, is often used as a gargle to treat sore throats and tonsillitis. It may also be applied as a wash, lotion, or ointment to treat conditions such as hemorroids, anal fissures, small burns, or other skin problems. Less commonly,  a decoction of the bark is taken in  small doses to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and  rectal bleeding. Powdered oak bark may be sniffed to treat nasal polyps, or sprinkled on eczema to dry the affected area.
Caution Do not take oak bark internally for
more than 4 weeks at a time.
Self-help Use Hemorroids, p. 302. Oak bark
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   260 26/02/16   12:47 pm261 other medicinal plantsRhamnus f Rangula
Habitat & Cultivation Radish is believed to
be native to southern Asia. Cultivated varieties are
grown around the world both as vegetables and
for medicinal use. The root is unearthed in autumn.
Part Used Root.
Constituents Radish contains
glucosilinates, which yield a volatile
oil, raphanin, phenolic compounds,
and vitamin C. Raphanin is antibiotic;
the phenolic compounds are
antioxidant. The leaves are a highly
nutritious and underused food.
History & Folklore Herodotus
(c. 485– c. 425 bce) wrote that the builders of the
pyramids in ancient Egypt were paid in radishes,
onions, and garlic. In Egypt, the plant was used as a
vegetable and a medicine. In ancient Rome, radish
oil was applied to treat skin diseases. In China,
radish was listed in the Tang Materia Medica
(659 ce) as a digestive stimulant.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Radish stimulates
the appetite and digestion. The common red
radish is eaten as a salad vegetable and an
appetizer. The juice of the black radish is drunk to
counter gassy indigestion and constipation. Black
radish juice has a tonic and laxative action on the
intestines, and indirectly stimulates the flow of bile.
Consuming radish generally results in improved
digestion, but some people are sensitive to its
acridity and robust action. In China, radish is eaten
to relieve abdominal distension. The root is also
prepared “dry-fried” to treat chest problems.
Caution Avoid if gallstones are present.until 1946 that conventional Western medicine
recognized the herb’s efficacy. After that date, the
whole plant, and its reserpine extract in particular,
were widely used in conventional medicine to lower
high blood pressure and lessen the symptoms of
mental illness.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Indian snakeroot
is useful in the treatment of high blood pressure
and anxiety. The root has a pronounced sedative and
depressant effect on the sympathetic nervous
system. By reducing the system’s activity, the herb
brings about the lowering of blood pressure. It may
also be used to treat anxiety and insomnia, as well
as more serious mental health problems such as
psychosis. Indian snakeroot is a slow-acting remedy
and it takes some time for its effect to become
fully established.
Research As indicated above, Indian snakeroot
and its alkaloids have been extensively researched
since the 1930s. Despite concerns raised in the
medical journal The Lancet in 1974, there is little
evidence to show that the root has serious side-
effects at normal dosage.
Related Species The West African species
R. vomitoria is used as a sedative, aphrodisiac, and
anticonvulsant in traditional African medicine.
 QCautions  T ake only under professional
supervision. Indian snakeroot is subject to legal
restrictions in some countries.Medicinal Actions & Uses Lesser celandine
makes a useful ointment or suppository for treating
hemorroids.
Related Species Various other Ranunculus
species have been used in herbal medicine, even
though all are toxic and irritant to a greater or
lesser degree. In North America, the Meskawi
people used the flowers and stigma of the yellow
water crowfoot ( R. delphinifolius ) as a snuff to
provoke sneezing, and mixed it with other herbs
to treat respiratory conditions such as mucus
and nasal congestion.
 RCaution Do not take lesser celandine orally.
Self-help Use  Hemorroids,  p. 302.
Raphanus sativus  (Brassicaceae)
Radish
Description Bristly annual growing to about
3 ft (1 m). Has a swollen taproot, deeply cut
compound leaves, pale violet to lilac flowers, and
cylindrical seed pods.Lesser celandine is
used fresh in ointments
and suppositories to
treat hemorroids.
Radish has been used since the 7th century
to aid digestion.Rauvolfia serpentina  (Apocynaceae)
Indian Snakeroot,
Sarpagandha (Hindi)
Description Evergreen shrub growing to
3 ft (1 m). Has whorls of elliptical leaves, tiny pink
and white tubular flowers, and glossy red berries.
Habitat & Cultivation Indian snakeroot is
native to much of southern and southeastern
Asia, including India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It is
widely cultivated for medicinal use, notably in India
and the Philippines. The root of plants at least
18 months old is unearthed in late winter.
Part Used Root.
Constituents Indian snakeroot contains a
complex mixture of indole alkaloids, including
reserpine, rescinnamine, ajmaline, and yohimbine.
Ajmaline has been used to regulate heartbeat.
History & Folklore Indian snakeroot is listed
in the Charaka Samhita, the earliest Ayurvedic
medical text ( c. 400 bce). The plant has been used
since at least that time to treat mental illness and
insomnia. Indian snakeroot’s status as a healing plant
was first recorded in Europe in 1785, but it was not Rhamnus frangula
syn. frangula  alnus  (Rhamnaceae)
Alder Buckthorn
Description Deciduous shrub or small tree
growing to 16 ft (5 m). Has smooth brown bark,
oval to elliptical leaves, white flowers in late spring,
and small round berries ripening from yellow to black.
Habitat & Cultivation Alder buckthorn grows
in Europe (except for the Mediterranean region and
the extreme north), and in northeastern parts
of the U.S. It prefers marshy woodland. The bark of
trees at least 3–4 years old is collected in late spring
and early summer, and is dried and stored for at
least 1 year before use.
Part Used Bark.
Constituents Alder buckthorn contains 3–7%
anthraquinones (including frangulin and emodin),
anthrones, anthranols, an alkaloid (armepavine),
tannins and flavonoids. The anthrones and anthranols
induce vomiting, but the severity of their effect
lessens after long-term storage. The anthraquinones
found in alder buckthorn and closely related species
act on the wall of the colon, stimulating a bowel
movement approximately 8–12 hours after ingestion.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Alder buckthorn
is a laxative and a cathartic, and is most commonly
taken as a treatment for chronic constipation.
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   261 26/02/16   12:47 pm
262
other medicinal plantsRhus glabR a
Once dried and stored, it is significantly milder than
senna (Cassia senna, p. 75) or common buckthorn  (R. catharticus) and may be safely used over the
long term to treat constipation and to encourage the return of regular bowel movements. Alder buckth


	waiting	for.	The	biggest	event	in	anyone’s	life	is
when	you	make	the	cosmic	connection,	and	Baba	was	about	to	show	me	just
how	it’s	done.Day	Three
:
What	Is	the	Supreme	Force	in
the	Universe?Alchemy
F
or	a	long	time	I	didn’t	see	Baba	again.	I	looked	for	him	under	his	favorite
tree,	but	weeks	passed	and	he	wasn’t	there.	I	knew	he	was	a	wanderer.	He
didn’t	actually	live	under	the	tree	but	only	rested	until	he	felt	the	urge	to
roam.	Summer	came,	and	I	gave	up	looking.	I	found	myself	thinking	a	lot.	I
would	retreat	to	the	cabin	that	Baba	had	found	during	the	storm.	It	was
perfectly	hidden	in	the	green	gloom	of	the	woods	by	its	thick	layer	of	vines.
I	arrived	one	day	to	hear	somebody	laughing	inside.	And	the	laugh	sounded
like	it	could	be	only	one	person’s.
“Baba!”	When	I	threw	open	the	door,	he	was	standing	in	the	middle	of	the
cramped	little	hut	dressed	in	his	immaculate	white	clothes,	exactly	as	before.
“What	were	you	laughing	about?”	I	asked.
“A	cosmic	joke,	which	I’ll	tell	you	later,”	he	said.	Whatever	that	meant,	I	had
a	lot	to	tell	him	and	a	lot	to	ask,	but	Baba	didn’t	let	me	do	either.	“So	your
third	day	begins,”	he	announced.
“Perhaps	I	forgot	to	tell	you,	but	I	practice	alchemy,	the	science	of	changing
lead	to	gold.	Only,	that’s	too	easy	I	prefer	the	real	alchemy,	the	kind	that	will
work	on	people.”
“Does	that	exist?”	I	asked.
“It	must.	It’s	working	on	you,”	he	said.	“You’re	changing	before	my	eyes,	and
no	wonder:	I’ve	unleashed	a	force,	the	supreme	force	in	the	universe,	in	fact.”
“And	what	is	that?”	I	asked.
“Love.”
I	could	feel	myself	blushing;	I	didn’t	know	what	to	say.	Baba	didn’t	laugh	at
my	embarrassment,	but	said,	“If	I	just	loved	you	like	a	grandfather	or	a
favorite	uncle,	you	would	flourish.	Love	is	like	fertilizer	to	the	heart—it
makes	it	grow	and	reach	for	the	sun.	But	I	am	talking	about	something
cosmic,	a	force	that	is	much	more	powerful	than	family	love	or	even	romantic
love.“This	reminds	me	of	a	story	I	heard	when	I	was	your	age,”	said	Baba,	who
then	told	me	the	following	tale:
Once	there	was	a	man	who	loved	God	so	much	that	he	left	home	to	live	inside
a	temple.	In	India,	God	can	be	either	father	or	mother.	This	man	loved	the
Mother	God	more	than	anything	else	in	the	world,	and	so	he	spent	every	day
arranging	flowers	on	her	altar	and	praying	to	her	statue.	He	always	went
around	wearing	a	dreamy	smile,	and	people	used	to	argue	behind	his	back,
some	claiming	that	he	was	amazingly	devoted,	and	others
	scoffing	that	he	was
more	than	a	bit	touched	in	the	head.
One	day	the	highest	priest	in	that	part	of	the	country	stopped	by	the	temple,
which	was	on	the	banks	of	a	river.	Stepping	off	his	boat,	he	stumbled	across
the	devotee.	“You	are	said	to	worship	the	Divine	Mother	every	day,”	said	the
priest.
“Yes,”	said	the	devotee,	who	was	nervous	and	shy	before	such	a	great	man.
“Do	you	know	the	proper	prayers?”	the	priest	sternly	asked.
“No,	I	sing	to	Mother	with	the	words	that	are	in	my	heart,”	the	devotee	said.
The	priest	frowned.	“Do	you	know	the	proper	rituals	and	sacrifices?”
“No,	I	was	never	taught	them,”	admitted	the	devotee,	who	was	getting	more
nervous	by	the	minute.
The	high	priest	said,	“I	am	worried	about	you.	Sit	with	me	and	I	will	teach
you	the	proper	way	to	worship	God.”
So	they	sat	together,	and	even	though	the	devotee	was	slow	and	uneducated,
after	a	while	the	priest	was	satisfied	that	he	had	taught	him	the	correct	way	to
worship.	The	day	ended,	and	the	priest	got	into	his	boat	to	sail	back	down	the
river.	He	was	a	hundred	yards	from	shore	when	he	heard	the	whole	crew
shouting.
“What’s	the	commotion?”	the	priest	said	irritably.
Then	he	saw	the	devotee,	who	was	walking	over	the	water	toward	the	boat.
He	came	up	to	it,	and	in	a	humble
	voice	he	said,	“I’m	so	sorry,	but	could	you
teach	me	the	right	way	to	pray	again?	I	think	I	forgot.”But	the	high	priest	had	fallen	to	his	knees	in	awe	before	a	true	lover	of	God.
“That	story	is	about	what	love	can	do	when	it	is	a	cosmic	force,”	said	Baba.
“Nothing	in	the	universe	is	more	powerful,	and	yet	if	you	look	inside,	the
same	force	is	within	you	at	this	very	moment.”
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
Can	love	really	transform	human	nature,	the	way	the	ancient	alchemists	tried
to	turn	lead	into	gold?	Baba	wanted	to	prove	that	it	could.	For	him,	love	is	a
force	that	flows	through	everyone	and	everything.	Many	years	later	I	came
across	a	wonderful	experiment	that	applies	here.	It	involved	a	group	of	rabbits
in	a	laboratory.	They	were	kept	in	cages,	and	instead	of	eating	lettuce	and
carrots,	these	rabbits	were	fed	an	extremely	unhealthy	diet	to	see	if	they
would	develop	high	cholesterol	and	hardened	arteries,	just	as	human	subjects
do	when	their	diet	is	extremely	unhealthy.
In	time	the	rabbits	became	sick,	as	the	researchers	had	expected—all	but	one
group,	and	no	one	could	understand	why,	because	this	group	was	eating	the
same	diet	as	all	the	others.	Then	it	was	discovered	that	something	different
was	happening	to	them.	One	of	the	college	students	assigned	to	feed	this
group	of	rabbits	used
	to	stroke	and	cuddle	them	before	they	were	fed.	The
experimenters	were	forced	to	see	that	love,	in	the	form	of	touching	and
caring,	can	actually	change	the	body’s	chemistry.
I’ve	never	forgotten	this	experiment,	but	as	a	child	I	already	knew	a	saying,
“If	you	give	nectar	to	an	angry	man,	he	will	turn	it	into	poison,	and	if	you
give	poison	to	an	enlightened	man,	he	will	turn	it	into	nectar.”	So	it	wasn’t
hard	for	me	to	believe	Baba	when	he	said	that	love	is	more	than	a	feeling.
Love	has	the	power	to	create	change.	What	is	it	that	people	really	want	to
change?
They	want	to	be	healed
.	This	means	in	both	mind	and	body,	because	life	hurts
us	in	both