fasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frclaim that this exercise helps quench the sensa-
tions of hunger and thirst, and also cools the
body in the heat. It saturates the blood with ox-
ygen and so on, and so forth... In any case, fo-
cusing on breathing and counting helps to dis-
tract oneself from obsessive thoughts about food
and water for a while. The exercise is entirely un-
complicated.
If you are having a difficult time with it, you can
take an ordinary pebble or raisin in your mouth
to start the flow of saliva - a natural structured
liquid - and the thirst will subside. But the most
important thing is to breathe through your nose
and be silent.
About 80% experience sleeplessness. Let me
share my experience in dealing with insomnia. A
person has difficulties falling asleep due to
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frinternal anxiety, which causes subconscious ten-
sion of the muscles, so they require relaxation. If
you want to include relaxation among your ac-
tivities, but do not have the appropriate training,
then spend some time on the next exercise,
which details the process of relaxation based on
the “concentration - muscle tension - stress de-
lay - stress relief - relaxation” cycle for each of
the muscle groups.

Relaxation exercise
This exercise requires twenty minutes and a
quiet room where you will not be distracted. It is
more convenient to perform it in loose clothing.
Record the instructions or ask someone to read
them to you slowly out loud until you memorize
the sequence of st eps. Lie calmly on your back
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fron a hard surface for a couple of minutes, con-
centrating on your breathing.
Then switch the attention to the hand and the
forearm of the right hand. Make a fist and
tighten your forearm muscles. Keep them tense
for a few second s, and then relax them as quickly
as possible. Continue to relieve tension until the
muscles become completely relaxed. Rest for a
minute and then move the focus to your right
arm above the elbow. Bend your right arm at the
elbow and tighten your biceps. Hold this state,
then relieve tension; relax your muscles and wait
for one minute. Then focus on the hand and
forearm of your left hand. Squeeze the left fist
and tighten the muscles of the forearm. Hold the
tension – then let it go and relax your muscles.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frWait one minute, then move on to the left arm
above the elbow. Bend your left arm at the elbow
and tighten your biceps. Tension delay – let it go
- relax – wait for one minute. Now focus on your
forehead. Raise your eyebrows as high as possi-
ble - delay - withdrawal - relaxation - waiting.
Focus on your eyes, nose and cheekbones. Close
your eyes tightly and wrinkle your nose - delay –
letting go - relaxation - waiting. Next, do the
neck and throat. Lower the chin so that it almost
touches the chest, while exerting pressure on the
chest - delay – let go - relaxation - wait. Next
comes the chest and shoulders. Bring the shoul-
der blades together and take a deep breath — de-
lay — let go — relax — wait. Now the belly.
Tighten the abdominal muscles, as if to protect
from a blow - delay – let go - relax - wait. Right
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frthigh. Tighten the muscles of the upper right leg
- delay – let go - relax - wait. Right calf. Extend
your right leg and pull the toe toward you - delay
- let go - relax - wait. Right foot. Bend the toes of
the right foot and turn the foot with the toe in-
side - delay - stress relief - relax - wait. Left hip.
Tighten the muscles of the upper left leg - delay
- stress relief - relax - wait. Left calf. Pull your left
leg and pull the toe toward you - delay - stress
relief - relax - wait. Left foot. Bend the toes of the
left leg and turn the foot with the toe inside - de-
lay - stress relief - relax - wait.
This sequence of actions should be repeated
until they are executed with complete automa-
tism. When you reach this stage, you can also
learn short relaxation techniques that will help
you relax on the go and constantly maintain
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fryour feeling of well -being. Their purpose is to
achieve deep relaxation, with minimal time and
effort.
Another option is simultaneous mu scle relaxa-
tion, when all the muscles tense up at once, the
tension is maintained for some time, then the
tension is alleviated, and the muscles relax. After
that, you should switch to positive images from
nature: forest, mountains, etc. Although you
may n ot fall asleep, you will still get a good rest,
and time will pass quickly, which is crucial dur-
ing dry fasting.

11.7. Let’s move on to the day -to-day descrip-
tion of the 5 -day dry fast

Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frDay 1.
It is advisable to consume only fermented milk
produc ts on the day preceding the fast. You have
to become convince yourself that everything will
be fine, you will be able to complete the dry fast,
and, as a last resort, you can always withdraw
from the fast without any damage. If you are
well- prepared for dr y fasting, and you have
something to keep you busy, the first day usually
flies by.
Day 2.
On day 2, a desire to eat usually appears, but it
must be overcome. Do an exercise to relieve
hunger. Sometimes there may be dizziness,
headache, gnawing in the stomach. You should
not be afraid of these symptoms – they are
launching the process of the body’s endogenous
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frrestructuring and cleansing. You need to walk
more and spend time outside before bedtime in
the evening and do relaxation exercises.
Day 3.
On day 3, most people who are dry fasting usu-
ally develop acidosis. A very important point in
a dry fast is the acidotic crisis, which occurs after
the transition to endogenous nutrition. Do not
be afraid of feeling unwell during this period, for
beginners it u sually occurs on the third day.
(However, for some people, the period of transi-
tion to endogenous nutrition during a 5 -day dry
fast can take place without a pronounced aci-
dotic crisis).
An acidotic crisis occurs when the concentra-
tion of ketone bodies (products of incomplete
breakdown of triglycerides or fats) in the body
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frincreases, and there is no way to dispose of them.
During this period, you feel unwell and experi-
ence typical signs of intoxication. However, as
soon as the utilization of ketone bodies b egins,
their concentration ceases to increase, and since
ketone bodies are high -energy components, they
are used as fuel for the synthesis of new amino
acids, which can lead to tissue regeneration.
The regeneration process can be extremely
painful, and you should be aware of this in ad-
vance. In the initial stages of the dry fast, an aci-
dotic crisis can occur on the 4th, 3rd, or even
2nd day of the dry fast, occurring increasingly
earlier with each subsequent fast. The faster it
passes, the more time remain s for bodily reno-
vation. For example, if an acidotic crisis occurs
on the 2nd day, there will be 3 days to regenerate.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frAt this time, an acetone smell may be coming
from the mouth, you may experience nausea,
dizziness, shortage of air, weakness. The hunger
sensation is waning, the thirst becomes toler


EFA,” but twelve different
fatty acids are actually made from ALA and LA. And all of the fatty ac ids that stem from these are classified as omega-3 and
omega-6. Thus, by definition, not all omega-3 and 6 family fatty acids are ess ential. Only the polyunsaturated fats ALA and LA must
be attained from external sources. The omega-3 fatty acids made from AL A include some notable members such as EPA
(eiocosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). In the omega-6 fa mily, the most notable members are arachidonic acid
(AA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Interestingly, current research in nutritional science is que stioning whether ALA is actually essential, since evidence ex ists that
the body may be able to synthesize it, as well. Thankfully, we needn’ t worry about this, since both linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty
acids are both common in the makeup of plant lipids.
There is no established minimum recommendation for EFAs, but we do know that their ratio to one another is as im portant, if
not more important, than the quantity we consume. Scientists general ly accept that early man consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fatty
acids in roughly a 1:1 ratio. This happens to be the same ratio of essential f atty acids found in the human brain. 59
Historically, as grain consumption escalated and the use of oils heavi ly laden with omega-6 became commonplace in our diets,
this ratio began to shift. Current recommendations suggest that the  ideal ratio is between 1:1 and 4:1 (omega-6 to omega-3). In spite
of this “ideal’ range, the average American diet shows a ratio rang ing from 10 to 30:1, a dietary choice that contributes significantly
to the prevalence of inflammatory diseases and other very serious hea lth issues in our nation. This seriously skewed ratio
compromises the  body’s ability to convert ALA into longer-chain fatty acids, such a s EP A and DHA.
Lacking an agreed-upon minimum EFA requirement, we do have some data to gu ide us. In November of 2008, the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health  Organization convened a meeting of experts to review the
major developments in the field of fatty acids in human nutrition. Its f inal report is yet to be published, but a preliminary summary
concludes, “the available evidence indicates that 0.5 to 0.6%E [percenta ge of energy, or calories] alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per
day corresponds to the prevention of deficiency symptoms.” 60  Previously in 2002, the Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended an “adequate intake” (AI), wh ich is not a minimum, for omega-3 of 1.1 (women) to 1.6
(men) grams per day. 61  If consumed as oil (not recommended), this amount would be extraordinarily s mall: 1.6 grams equates to
approximately a third of a teaspoon, or a couple dozen drops … and even this low n umber may be substantially inflated. 62
The information above can be combined to guide us in determining our nutrit ional needs. On a 2,000-calorie diet, 0.5% of
calories from ALA, or omega-3 represents 10 calories. This is approximat ely 1.1 grams of ALA, which falls within the IOM’s
adequate intake levels (albeit at the bottom of the range). This quantit y of ALA can be obtained through the consumption of whole
fresh fruits and vegetables, with the occasional addition of nuts and se eds. The following table shows ALA and LA content of
selected whole foods.

Based on the above numbers, on a 2,000-calorie 80/10/10 diet, we could obtain recommended lev els of EFAs with the
following:

Breakfast: 1.5 lbs. of mangos (about 3) and 12 oz. blueberries.
Lunch: 44 oz. of bananas (about 11).
Dinner: 1 lb. of oranges, 1 lb. of romaine lettuce, and 8 oz. of tomatoes.
According to the USDA nutrient database, this meal plan (totaling 2048 cal ories) provides 1.3 grams of ALA and 1.4 grams
of LA. This maintains the 1:1 ratio and supplies the adequate EFAs without  including any overt fats at all. Adding healthful (very
small) amounts of overt fats on occasion will ensure your needs are met.
Since the average American consumes a higher ratio of omega-6 tha n omega-3, we are bombarded with nutritional
information directing us toward omega-3 supplements. The idea that we ne ed to consume more of some particular nutrient to
balance another that is overconsumed is as ineffective as taking vi tamin C to minimize the damage from smoking cigarettes. The
result of increasing fat consumption, whether from “good” fats or not, is  that we end up consuming too much fat. Our need to
supplement for nutritional balance would not exist if we were not harmi ng ourselves through our lifestyle and foodstyle choices in the
first place. In our natural diet, the foods are automatically balanced to s uit our nutritional requirements.

Cholesterol
Cholesterol, a sterol (combination steroid and alcohol) and lipid, is found in th e makeup of every cell membrane and is transported
in the blood of every animal. The precursor of the five major classes of ste roid hormones  (progestagens, glucocorticoids,
mineralocorticoids, androgens, and estrogens), cholesterol is not all bad but  is vital to human life. Some of its many functions include
the production of vitamin D and the formation of the bile salts, the sex horm ones testosterone and progesterone, and the myelin
sheath that surrounds our nerves.
Discovered during the late 1700s in gallstones, cholesterol is still the  subject of much study. We know that cholesterol is not
an essential nutrient for humans (we don’t need to eat it). Our liver s produce all the cholesterol we need. However, when we
regularly consume animal foods that contain cholesterol or saturate d fat, we ingest quantities that exceed our physiological needs,
with deleterious consequences to our health. Excess cholesterol accu mulates and forms plaques within artery walls, leading to
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), decreasing the oxyge n-carrying capacity of the blood, disrupting hormonal balance, and
sometimes decreasing cell permeability.

Saturated and Unsaturated Fats
Saturated fatty acids are so named because their long chain of carbon at oms contains the maximum possible number of hydrogen
atoms—in other words, they are saturated  with hydrogen. These fatty acids have the highest melting point and a re solid at room
temperature. Saturated fats are stable molecules, and as such are ve ry unlikely to change, making it impossible for the body to do
anything constructive with dietary saturated fats.
Yes, our brains are high in saturated fats, but eating saturated fats  will not improve brain function or slow its degeneration. In
fact, our bodies are simply not capable of utilizing dietary saturated fat s. At best, the body stores dietary saturated fats as body fat
and at worst, the fats accumulate along arterial walls.

Do We Need Lauric Acid from Virgin Coconut Oil?
Lauric acid is the subject of quite a bit of current research. This m edium-chain fatty acid is primarily found in mother’s milk,
coconuts and their oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. The latter th ree are highly saturated plant fats. While virgin
coconut oil may pose less health risk when consumed raw than saturated c ooked fats, it is still a fractional, artery-clogging refined
saturated fat that our digestive system is not designed to process. 63  Later in this chapter I talk more about why oils in general are
unhealthful; please see “Oil Is Not Health Food.” The antibacte rial and antimicrobial properties of lauric acid are not desirab le traits,
as slick marketing would have you believe. Antibiotic (literally  meaning “anti-life”) is not a property that we should seek in food. Th e
internal environment of a healthy adult who eats a low-fat, low-toxin  diet does not harbor excess harmful bacteria. 64  When we
develop healthful living habits, our body has all the resources it needs t o care for itself.
Unsaturated fatty acids make up the bulk of plant fats. Mono unsaturated fats contain one double or triple bond;
poly unsaturated fats have two or more double bonds. Hydrogen atoms are eliminate d where double bonds are formed. The body
adds hydrogen, a process that saturates the fat. In other words, the unsatu rated fat molecule is malleable and is subject to change
within the body. The body can work with it and utilize it. It then integrate s these self-manufactured saturated fats into our bodily
structure as needed.
Monounsaturated fatty acids can accommodate a single pair of hydrogen at oms. Monounsaturated oils have a lower melting
temperature than saturated fatty acids. Whole-food raw plant


 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


 eventually lead to cancer of the liver, or any other organ, if this condition is permitted to con-tinue over a long period of time. The weakest part of the body will be affected. 72 If there is a phosphate or calciums deficiency it could eventually
lead to cancer of the bone, and also  cavities in the teeth. There can be
two reasons for the mineral deficiency. One is that the gastric juices
are too dilute to digest the chlorine, fluoride, calciums, and phospho-rus which are necessary to make the enamel in the teeth. The second is even though the gastric juices are strong enough to assimilate them, the foods may not contain these elements. In the RBTI the tests denote these deficiencies and are shown in two ways:
LOSS OF ENERGY,
WHERE THE LOSS OF ENERGY IS.
Consequently, the RBTI tests can predict as much as ten years in
advance where cancer will strike, or whether or not the person is go-ing to have a heart attack, or whet her or not there are going to be
health problems. The deficiencies may linger for a long time. This is explained further in the discussion of the numbers which denote these deficiencies.
One of the great problems today is the deficiency of minerals in
the foods that we eat, whether it is fresh, canned, frozen or whatnot, it is a deficiency, or has a lack of mineral. I am going to lay this blame strictly where it should be: the agricultural experimental stations. I'm not casting reflections on any one person, all I'm doing is stating a fact for most of our textbooks on agri culture are written by the experi-
mental stations under the supervision of the fertilizer and the insecti-cide companies.
Most of our college graduates in agriculture today learn to do
three things: to buy fertilizers, machinery and sprays.
I was in the agriculture engineering business for 38 years, and had
32 engineers working for me when I retired in 1968. We were teach-ing farmers how to get a greater yield at less cost per acre. But the ex-perimental stations fought us in every way possible.
They never missed an opportunity to slander the work we were
doing. However, our work prospered, and we were never able to catch up with all the requests we had for help.
The average farmer in the United States today is producing less
than 25% of what that farm is cap able of producing. The greater the 73 yield per acre the higher the mineral content. The higher the carbohy-
drate content the higher the yield per acre.
The higher the yield of an acre the less time it takes to produce it.
High quality produce with a high carbohydrate content will not rot, it will dehydrate but it will not decay. A few years ago I showed in a fair in Orlando, Florida, for three consecutive years the same watermelons. They were marked and kept under supervision and under the eye of the county agent. The melons had been picked eight months before they appeared in the fair the first time.
The most successful farmers today have their own business, and
their own soil scientists to guide a nd direct them, and they are not giv-
ing out this information to anyone whatever. A very simple example is this: the difference in hard wheat and soft wheat is solely in the min-eral content that is in the soil. If the mineral content is high enough in the soil it is hard wheat. And if it is not high enough it is soft wheat. I know there are wheat growers who will disagree with this. However, 100 years ago much of that same soil produced hard wheat, and today it is producing soft wheat. This fact cannot be denied.
Many com growers used to produce 200 bushels of corn per acre,
and some of that same soil is down to 50 bushels yield per acre now. This is because the mineral has been taken from the soil and has not been replaced. The Bible prophecy is true: the earth shall wax old like
a garment. Men shall become weaker but wiser. These minerals are available, and are very economical to put back into the soil to help make American people more healthy.
Any farmer who is not producing 200 bushels of com per acre,
two tons of peanuts per acre, 20 tons alfalfa per acre, or 20 tons of wa-termelon per acre should be ashamed.
We are teaching seminars in agricultu re to teach the farmer how to
produce a greater yield per acre at less cost per pound or per capita. This system works, and is proven.
No one person, no one doctor, no one dietician, no one merchant,
no one farmer, no one dairy farmer, no one meat producer is responsi-ble. It is a chain reaction that is cause and effect of our entire society 74 regarding good health. Therefore, if we want to be healthy the best
way is to use a very, very great variety of foods.
In the laboratory tests that we do, the Reams tests are standard la-
boratory tests, made by standard laboratory instruments.
I was the first man to apply these biological needs to the function-
ing of these instruments. The Lord taught me how to do it, and this is the forty-sixth year that this system has been in use, and has been proven accurate.
One of the problems that we have been facing for the past 21 years
is the state laws made by the drug establishment, which has greatly re-stricted this knowledge, or greatly  kept this knowledge from the peo-
ple. Consequently, I have been in hot water so to speak with the drug establishment. I have been fighting them in the courts now for nine
years. And the battle still continues.
One of the great things that is going for the American people is the
National Health Federation, the International Cancer Society, and the International Association of Cancer Victims & Friends. These have done much to help in the fight for the freedom of choice and to en-lighten the people on their rights to choose whom to go to with their
health problems.
Humanity changes very slowly. An example of this is Moses lead-
ing the children of Israel from Egypt into the promised land when they were marching through the valley of snakes and serpents.
Moses put up on a pole a serpent and said to the people that all
who would look toward the serpent on the pole would be healed. Most of the people refused to look because they said it wouldn't do any good. So humanity today hasn't changed very much. They know to do better than they do. They are told what to do and they won't do it.
Many people come with dietary probl ems. They get tested and the
moment they think that they are goi ng to live they go back to the old
system until they again think they are going to die. Then they get test-ed again and get back to the point where they think they are going to live, and over and over they go through the same process. Never well, never sick enough to die.
This is human nature. 75 It is quite disheartening to the doctors and the testers who know
that they are able to help get the people practically well and the people
then not seeming to want to be perfectly well.
They just want to be able to think they are well. They want to do
what they want to do.
It is an interesting fact when Moses was leading the children of Is-
rael out of Egypt, in two years they arrived at the promised land. But the oldtimers were afraid of the enemy. They were afraid of change. They didn't want to rock the boat. Consequently they didn't get into the promised land. So for 38 years God let them march in the wilder-ness, until all the oldtimers died off.
Then God took the young people into  the promised land. Even so
today, the RBTI probably will be accepted by the young people.
People who break the rules of health grow old prematurely. So naturally they go to a premature grave. There are many names
for the diseases that caused them to die. However, the cause of the death was a mineral deficiency.
All illness is a result of a mineral deficiency. No drug can supply a
mineral deficiency. The reason most people get well in the hospital is because they rest. Some illness comes about because people do not rest, and lack of rest depletes minerals. The only way health can be re-stored is to supply the mineral needed for God to restore the decayed tissues.
If we will supply the minerals, God will do the rest. A famous doctor once said, "All I do is entertain a patient while
nature heals."
In the process of healing there is a divine process and a miracle in
itself. We cannot do miracles. We can onl y set the stage for God to do
His miracles.
One of the saddest things about Am erica is the fact of how much
we are abusing our children. The public schools are often giving them foods that their bodies cannot digest, and they are getting diets all alike regardless of whether or not their body chemistry is synchro-nized to accept it. If the body is not s ynchronized to take food then the
food moves the body chemistry out of the range of perfect, and the 76 further from perfect range the body chemistry gets, the more ill one
becomes.
It is not practical for every child in a public school to have the ex-
act same food. Some have diabetic tendencies, some have low blood sugar tendencies, and some have digestive problems, some are over-weight, some are underweight, some have worms, some have hyper-tension problems, and all of


 to be
helpful. “But you know, no one really knows
what God look s like.”
“Well,” chirped the little girl, “if you’ll just let
me finish....”
That’s a beautiful little joke. Do you know
what’s most beautiful? The little girl never  doubted that she knew exactly how to draw
Me!
Yes.
Now I’ll tell you a story, and with tha t we can
end this chapter.
Alright.
There once was a man who suddenly found
himself spending hours each week  writing
a book. Day after day he would race to pad
and pen —sometimes in the  middle of the
night —to capture each new inspiration.
Finally, someone a sked him  what he was
up to.
“Oh,” he replied, “I’m writing down a very
long conversation I’m having with God.”  “That’s very sweet,” his friend indulged him,
“but you know, no one really knows for  sure
what God would say.”
“Well,” the man grinned, “if you’l l just let me
finish.”
  Chapter 9
You may think this is easy, this “be Who
You Really Are” business, but it’s the most
challenging thing you’ll ever do in your life.
In fact, you may never get there. Few
people do. Not in one lifetime. Not in many.
So why try? Why enter the fray? Who
needs it? Why not simply play life as if it
were what it apparently is anyway —a
simple exercise in meaninglessness
leading to nowhere in particular, a game
you can’t lose no matter how you play; a
process that leads to the same result,
ultimately, for everyone? You say there is
no hell, there is no punishment, there is no
way to lose, so why bother trying to win?
What is the incentive, given how difficult it
is to get where You say we’re trying to go?
Why not take our good -natured time and just relax about all this God -stuff, and
“being Who You Really Are.”
My, we are frustrated aren’t we...
Well, I get tired of trying, trying, trying, only
to have You come here and tell me how
hard it’s all going to be, and how only one
in a million makes it anyway.
Yes, I see that you do. Let Me see if I can
help. First, I would like to point out that  you
already have taken your “good -natured
time” about it. Do you think this is your  first
attempt at this?
I have no idea.
It doesn’t seem as  if you’ve been here
before?
Sometimes.
Well, you have. Many times.  How many times?
Many times.
That’s supposed to encourage me?
It’s supposed to inspire you.
How so?
First, it takes the worry out of it. It brings in
the “can’t fail” element you just talke d
about. It assures you that the intention is for
you not to fail. That you’ll get as many
chances as you want and need. You can
come back again and again and again. If
you do get to the next step, if you evolve to
the next level, it’s because you want to,  not
because you have to.
You don’t have to do anything! If you enjoy
life at this level, if you feel this is the
ultimate for you, you can have this experience over and over and over again!
In fact,  you have had it over and over
again —for exactly that rea son! You love
the drama.  You love the pain. You love the
“not knowing,” the mystery, the suspense!
You love  it all! That’s why you’re here!
Are You kidding me?
Would I kid you about a thing like that?
I don’t know. I don’t know what God kids
about.
Not abo ut this. This is too close to the
Truth; too close to Ultimate Knowing. I
never  kid about “how it is.” Too many
people have played with your mind about
that I’m not  here to get you more mixed up.
I’m here to help you get things clarified.
So clarify. You’r e telling me I’m here
because I want to be?  Of course. Yes.
I chose to be?
Yes.
And I’ve made that choice many times?
Many.
How many?
Here we go again. You want an exact
count?
Just give me a ballpark estimate. I mean
are we talking about handfuls here, or
dozens?
Hundreds.
Hundreds? I’ve lived hundreds of lives?
Yes.
And this is as far as I’ve gotten?  This is quite some distance, actually.
Oh, it is, is it?
Absolutely. Why, in past lives you’ve
actually killed people.
What’s wrong with that? You said yourself
that sometimes war is necessary to end
evil.
We’re going to have to elaborate on that,
because I can see that statement being
used and misused —just as you’re doing
now—to try to make all sorts of points, or
rationalize all sorts of insanity.
By the highest standards I have observed
humans devise, killing can never be
justified as a means of expressing anger,
releasing hostility, “righting a wrong,” or
punishing an offender. The statement that
war is sometimes necessary to end evil  stands true —for you have made it so. You
have determined, in the creation of Self,
that respect for all human life is, and must
be, a high prime value. I am pleased with
your decision, because I did not create life
that it may be destroyed.
It is respect for life whic h sometimes makes
war necessary, for it is through war  against
immediate impending evil, it is through
defense against immediate threat to
another life, that you make a statement of
Who You Are in relationship to that.
You have a right under highest moral law—
indeed, you have an obligation under  that
law—to stop aggression on the person of
another, or yourself.
This does not mean that killing as a
punishment is appropriate, nor as retribution,  nor as a means of settling petty
differences. In your past, you have killed in
personal  duels over the affection of a
woman, for heaven’s sake, and called this
protecting  your honor, when it was all honor
you were losing. It is absurd to use deadly
force as  an argument solver. Many humans
are still using force —killing force —to solve
ridiculous arguments even today.
Reaching to the height of hypocrisy, some
humans even kill in the name of God —and
that is the highest blasphemy, for it does
not speak of Who You Are.
Oh, then there is something wrong with
killing?
Let’s bac k up. There’s nothing “wrong” with
anything. “Wrong” is a relative term,
indicating the opposite of that which you call “right.” Yet, what is “right”? Can you be
truly objective in these matters? Or are
“right” and “wrong” simply descriptions
overlaid on e vents and circumstances by
you, out of your decision about them?
And what, pray tell, forms the basis of your
decision? Your own experience! No. In
most cases, you’ve chosen to accept
someone else’s decision. Someone who
came  before you and, presumably, kn ows
better. Very few of your daily decisions
about  what is “right” and “wrong” are being
made by you, based on your
understanding.
This is especially true on important matters.
In fact, the more important the matter,  the
less likely are you to listen to yo ur own
experience, and the more ready you  seem to be to make someone else’s ideas your
own.
This explains why you’ve given up virtually
total control over certain areas of your  life,
and certain questions that arise within the
human experience.
These areas  and questions very often
include the subjects most vital to your soul:
the nature of God; the nature of true
morality; the question of ultimate reality; the
issues of life and death surrounding war,
medicine, abortion, euthanasia, the whole
sum and substa nce of personal values,
structures, judgments. These most of you
have abrogated, assigned to others. You
don’t want to make your own decisions
about them.  “Someone else decide! I’ll go along, I’ll go
along!” you shout. “Someone else just tell
me what’s rig ht and wrong!”
This is why, by the way, human religions
are so popular. It almost doesn’t matter
what the belief system is, as long as it’s
firm, consistent, clear in its expectation of
the follower, and rigid. Given those
characteristics, you can find peo ple who
believe  in almost anything. The strangest
behavior and belief can be —has been —
attributed  to God. It’s God’s way, they say.
God’s word.
And there are those who


 study, DMSO was shown to differentiate cultured P19
embryonic carcinoma cells into beating cardiomyocyte-like cells. The differentia -
tion by DMSO 1% was accelerated by a differentiation-inducing factor-1 (Br-DIF-1),
which turned the cancer cells into spontaneously beating  ca rdiomyocyte-like cells,
partly by enhancing the expression of the T-type Ca2+ channel gene.42 These results
suggest that accelerating DMSO-induced differentiation of embryonic cancer cells by using Br-DIF-1 as a supplement is able to spontaneously change cancer cells into beating cardiomyocyte-like cells, while lowering the concentration of DMSO to safer levels.
45
A similar P19 embryonic carcinoma cell line derived from stem cells confirmed
the ability of DMSO to differentiate these cells into cardiomyocytes. Experiments such as these suggest the possibility that differentiated cancer cells derived from stem cells are a promising intervention for cardiac repair and that DMSO may be a key agent in this transformation.
46
Just as important is the exciting possibility of induction by DMSO of cardiomyo -
cytes from embryonic stem cells that could be used for transplantation to repair the heart after a heart attack or in conditions where left ventricular failure impairs the heart’s pumping capacity. Although this clinical approach to a damaged heart is still in its research infancy, it raises optimism that one day it could become the great -
est revolution in cardiovascular medicine in a century. Work has already begun in attempting to make this heart repair a reality, and preliminary clinical findings have indicated the feasibility of this approach.
The versatility of DMSO can be seen when other cancer cell differentiators
are compared to DMSO. When oxytocin was used as a P19 cancer cell differen -
tiator, aggregated P19 cells could be differentiated into cardiomyocytes, but mono -
layer cells did not differentiate and express specific cardiac muscle marker genes. However, when DMSO was used instead of oxytocin, both aggregates and monolayer cells could be differentiated into cardiomyocytes.
47
A study explored the preventive effects of DMSO on experimental hepatic fibrosis
induced by dimethylnitrosamine in rats.48 DMSO 2 mL/kg daily for 4 weeks was
given orally in the drinking water, and at the end of the observation period, DMSO
was seen to prevent the dimethylnitrosamine-induced body and liver weight loss
with no major side effects. Significantly, DMSO also suppressed the induction of hepatic fibrosis and the expression of mRNA for type-1 collagen in the liver as deter -
mined by histological evaluation and reduced hepatic hydroxyproline.
48 This study 90 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
also determined that DMSO inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis
factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide production as reflected by reduced TNF-alpha mRNA levels.
48
TNF-alpha is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that can be produced by a wide vari -
ety of cells and is involved in an assortment of pathological processes and a wide spectrum of human diseases. TNF-alpha is associated with chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders as well as malignant disease and tumor development.
49
TNF-alpha is often used experimentally to produce cell damage. This was the
case in a study where TNF-alpha was added to human keratinocyte cultures to induce toxic production of metalloproteinase-9 and metalloproteinase-9 mRNA expression.
50 As metalloproteinases formed in the keratinocyte culture, an inflam -
matory environment was created that simulated impaired chronic wound healing. In situations where inflammation is allowed to continue, TNF-alpha and its product metalloproteinase-9 can persist in wounds and impede normal healing. Following DMSO 1% v/v administration to the inflammatory keratinocytic preparation,
 metalloproteinase-9 was inhibited, and metalloproteinase-9 mRNA expression lev -
els were significantly  l owered.50 The results imply that DMSO blocked TNF-alpha
induction of inflammatory metalloproteinase molecules possibly at the transcrip -
tion level.50
The pathological activities of TNF-alpha are not restricted to inflammation. Its
association with many disorders is reflected by its correlation with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
51 However, much research has focused on inhibiting the
effects of TNF-alpha in such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
For this reason, a number of anti-TNF-alpha inhibitors such as infliximab and
adalimumab have been approved by the FDA for prescription use in the United States for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, which constitute a billion-dollar industry despite their reported serious adverse effects that include non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, heart failure, demyelinating disease, and systemic infec -
tions, including tuberculosis.
52,53
Curiously, despite its relative cost-effectiveness, safety, and efficacy as a TNF-
alpha blocker and powerful anti-inflammatory agent, DMSO has not yet been tested in clinical trials against these debilitating disorders.
DMSO was studied as an anticancer agent by one of the great cell biologists of
the twentieth century, Charlotte Friend. Among the many contributions to the field of cancer research made by Charlotte Friend, while working at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, was to isolate the first virus shown to cause leukemia in adult Swiss mice. Her original observations had an enormous impact on the growing field of leukemia and sarcoma tumor viruses.
54 The last 20 years of Friend’s career was spent studying
cell differentiation induced by Friend leukemia virus made possible with the use of DMSO.
The Friend leukemia virus was originally perceived as a disorder resulting from a
defect in cell maturation. It was discovered that these leukemic cells were not subject
to control by normal regulators such as erythropoietin or hemoglobin. Investigators
using the Friend leukemia virus model reported that DMSO increased the infec -
tivity of some viruses, but when Friend tried to increase the virus infectivity with DMSO, she discovered instead that this solvent could induce differentiation of Friend 91 DMSO in Genetics
erythroleukemia cells with a loss of their malignant potential.55 This monumental
discovery has led to the hope that less toxic forms of cancer therapy using DMSO or
similar agents may be achieved based on the induction of cytodifferentiation. Friend and her coworkers published a series of papers showing induced cytodifferentia -
tion of Friend leukemia cells to normal erythrocyte maturation, thus confirming the role of DMSO in the differentiation process.
56,57 The experiments by Friend et al.
were reproduced by others who reported erythroid cell–transforming spleen focus-forming virus exposed to DMSO-induced erythroid differentiation of these cells.
58,59
Treating malignant tumors through the induction of cell differentiation as shown
in a number of experiments using DMSO thus became an attractive concept in onco -
logical research that still continues to this day.
Friend speculated that the loss of malignancy potential for the leukemia cells
might reflect a toxic action by DMSO, which could injure these cells so they were not able to replicate and grow malignant after a prolonged (96 h) exposure to 280 mM DMSO.
55 However, this assumption was never proven. Despite these
encouraging in vitro  results, in vivo  experiments to test the chemotherapeutic
potential of DMSO in infected Swiss mice using a 7% DMSO solution in the drinking water neither prolonged the life of the infected mice nor improved their disease course when compared to nontreated controls.
55 The 1975 study by
Friend and Scher55 was a kiss of death for DMSO investigations as an anticancer
agent for nearly a decade because after Friend’s negative DMSO findings, sci -
entists decided that this research avenue was not worth pursuing. On the other hand, the negative rodent findings by Friend and Scher
55 have not, to the best
of our knowledge, been replicated. If another rat experiment using DMSO in
the drinking water is attempted, a  m inimum 28% or higher solution of DMSO
in the drinking water for several weeks may be a more realistic dose than a 7% solution as used by Friend in her study.
55 The reason is that DMSO is quickly
excreted from the body after oral ingestion, and a cumulative therapeutic serum concentration is unlikely to result from a dose of 10% or less. The trick is to get rats to drink the same amount of water daily at a comparable rate to untreated controls using the bitter-tasting DMSO solution mixed into the drinking water. This was achieved using 28% DMSO in the drinking water to which several drops of an artificial sweetener had been added. Rats were observed to drink their daily 100 mL water ration for several months consistently in both DMSO and untreated controls.
60
This trick of neutralizing the bitter taste of DMSO in water may have been used in
another experiment. For example, a study was done to determine whether DMSO is able to potentiate anticancer activity when given in conjunction with other antitumor drugs against a rodent tumor.
61 DMSO was given in the drinking water at nontoxic doses rang -
ing from 25% to 32% mixed with other anticancer agents. It was found that continuous DMSO ingestion from daily water drinking potentiated the antitumor agents’ ability to significantly reduce tumor growth and prolong the survival time of tumor-bearing rats


 a solubilizer that could dissolve the
intrahepatic bilirubinate calcium stones proved to be a tremendous boon for the
patients. The surgeons accomplished this step by injecting DMSO through a
postoperative catheter or PTCD catheter. Up to that time a chelating agent, so-
called hexametaphosphate (HMP) had been used for removing
the calcium from
calcium bilirubinate. But this chelating agent, in itself, could not dissolve thebilirubin.
Then the three Japanese surgeons found a direct solubilizer for bilirubin,
dimethyl sulfoxide, which they knew to be a bi-polar, non-protonic solvent, and
used it as an accelerator for bilirubin determination. After purifying the DMSO to
99.98 percent, they examined its toxicity by oral administration, intravenous
administration, and infusion into biliary tracts of animals. No toxicity or side
effects were detected on biochemical and pathological examinations. Next they
used their solution on humans in the amount of 90 percent DMSO together with 5
percent HMP and achieved a satisfactory effect by attaining the solubilizing of
their patients’ bilirubinate calcium stones.
10
CLINICAL STUDIES SHOWING RESPONSE TO DMSO IN
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS
Successful treatment of lupus erythematosus, a chronic inflammatory disease of
connective tissue, affecting the skin and various internal organs, including the
bladder, was carried out using dimethyl sulfoxide. Typically, lupus exhibits a red
scaly rash on the face, affecting the nose and cheeks; arthritis; and progressive
damage to the kidneys. Often the heart, lungs, and brain are also affected by
progressive attacks of inflammation followed by the formation of scar tissue
(fibrosis). In a milder form of the disease only the skin is affected.
Lupus erythematosus is regarded as an autoimmune disease and can be
diagnosed by the presence of abnormal antibodies in the blood stream, most easily
detected by a test that reveals characteristic white blood cells (LE cells). In 1984,
four physicians joined together in reporting on two female patients who were
victims of systemic lupus erythematosus with pathologically confirmed lupus
interstitial cystitis. Their urinary bladders were highly symptomatic. Treatment
with prednisone had been tried but without success. Then the two patients
responded very well to instillations of DMSO intravesically (into the bladder) and
had their conditions disappear.
11
DMSO works well to alleviate an unhealed wound at the site of a tooth
extraction, the well-known “dry socket” that defeats the surgical skills of many
dentists. Characterized by intense pain, discharge of pus, and sequestra (residual
symptoms, signs, and other ill effects), dry socket is most often associated with a
difficult extraction. Dripping DMSO directly into the extraction site tends to
prevent this problem from arising.
12Lastly, dimethyl sulfoxide has been used to offset inflammations associated
with sunburn. Phytophotodermatitis arising in the summer months in temperate
climates varies from mild to severe erythematous reactions (inflammation of the
skin due to widening or clogging of capillaries near the skin surface) with or
without vesicles or bullae (blisters) on the exposed parts of the body. By treating
the skin with a membrane labilizing agent (an agent that causes chemical change)
such as DMSO and a membrane stabilizing agent such as the steroid
desoximethasone, comfort for the patient is achieved.
13
DMSO ANTI-ARTHRITIS THERAPY
DMSO is not a cure for arthritis. It is one part of a five-part treatment program that
consists of:
1
.
Nutrition
2
.
Microendocrinology
3
.
Immunotherapy
4
.
Food allergy elimination
5
.
DMSO
Powerful chemical agents such as cortisone, phenoprophins, phenylbutazones,
and gold have no place in this arthritis treatment program.
Nutrition writer Adelle Davis, the idol of health food enthusiasts who has been
wrongly, in my opinion, sneered at by numerous medical traditionalists, was way
ahead of her time. Many of her nutritional suggestions have been confirmed by
good scientific research. The ultimate traditionalist in nutrition, the United States
Department of Agriculture, has, in fact, adapted much of her wisdom in its
“Dietary Goals” for Americans. The National Research Council of the National
Academy of Science proved Adelle Davis correct when it issued its 1982 report—
two years in the making—on
Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer.
 The Council was
chaired by Dr. Clifford Grobstein of the University of California, and made up of
fourteen highly respected medical scientists.
As we know from high school biology, and were reminded in college and
medical school, the anterior pituitary gland is the so-called “master gland.”
Through the action of ACTH, it directly controls the adrenals.
But something we were not taught, and which is of great clinical significance, is
that the highest concentration of certain nutrients is in the adrenals and pituitarygland. The highest concentration of vitamin
E in the body is stored in the pituitary;
the highest concentration of vitamin C is held by the adrenals. Also, the pituitary
gland needs sufficient protein for efficient function, and the greatest concentration
of pantothenic acid lies in the adrenal glands.
Adelle Davis reasoned that if the adrenals were excreting enough natural
cortisone, exogenous cortisone would not be needed in the treatment of arthritis.
She knew from the work of Dugal (
Endocrinology
 44: 420, 1949) that animals
under stress need
seventy times
 the normal requirement of vitamin C to protect the
adrenals and that people in the “arthritis years” require twice as much vitamin C as
the young.
As we can see from my simple little diagram (see
Figure A-1
), vitamin E
deficiency will lead to pituitary insufficiency and, from hyposecretion of ACTH,
adrenal insufficiency follows.
Therefore, a
deficiency
 of vitamin C, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, and protein,
or perhaps certain combinations of these deficiencies, will, over a period of years,
lead to arthritis. Because of the high intake of sugar and junk food in this country,
subclinical deficiencies of these nutrients (and others) are common.
Vitamin C deficiency is the easiest to measure. Studies of the night nursing
personnel of the Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida,
were revealing. These women were under extreme stress (which decreases vitamin
C levels) due to the abnormal hours they worked and the nature of the cases they
saw—such as gunshot wounds—with the concomitant responsibility. All of the
nurses smoked cigarettes, which drastically depresses vitamin C levels. Most of
them were on the birth control pill, which depresses vitamin C. They ate large
amounts of sugar-filled foods and drank copious amounts of cola drinks, which
drive down vitamin C levels. And they took frequent doses of aspirin (C-
depressing) for the headaches induced by their usual hypoglycemic swings brought
on by the colas and other junk food they ate.
Figure A-1
 Diagram showing that adrenal insufficiency follows vitamin E deficiency.
Eighty percent of these young women, who appeared to be in good health, were
vitamin C deficient. Over a period of years they have had chronic adrenalexhaustion, and arthritis is likely to follow. Yet, these workers were registered
nurses who should have known how to take care of themselves.
I have barely scratched the surface on the importance of nutrition and arthritis.
But, contrary to the pronouncements of the Arthritis Foundation, nutritional
deficiencies play a major role in the etiology of arthritis, something the writings on
orthomolecular nutrition by Adelle Davis and other authors will teach you.
MICROENDOCRINOLOGY
Dr. Melvin Page’s extensive work with the calcium-phosphorus ratio,
anthropometric measurements, and microendocrinology is a major advance in the
treatment of arthritis in particular and degenerative disease in general.
ALLERGY TESTING
For good results in the treatment of arthritis, food allergies must be investigated.
The method I like best is cytotoxic testing of the blood. But, unfortunately,
cytotoxic labs are available in only a few cities. Sublingual testing or the
cumbersome elimination diet technique might possibly be used as a substitute.
For excellent assistance with the various sophisticated allergy tests, including
the paper radioimmunosorbent (PRIST) test, the cytotoxic (or leukocytotoxic) test,
the radioallergosorbent (RAST) test, the fluoroallergosorbent (FAST) test, the
autoradiographic (MAST) test, the immunoperoxidase (IP) test, and the enzyme-
linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, you might use the services of several
laboratories that I am listing here. Note: of all the tests, the RAST and the ELISA
have proven most popular among those physicians specializing in environmental
medicine, because these two diagnostic procedures seem to


benefits. The index of key medicinal plants (pp. 54–155) contains many herbs that are
readily available in health stores and pharmacies, for example St. John’s wort ( Hypericum
perforatum, p. 106). It also includes herbs that are more commonly known as foods, such as
lemon ( Citrus limon, p. 82), but which, nonetheless, are valuable medicines. The index of other
medicinal plants (pp. 156–283) contains some less commonly known but important medicinal
herbs, such as andrographis ( Andrographis paniculata, p. 167), a traditional Indian medicinal
plant that stimulates recovery from infection and supports normal liver function.
 A global overview of the history of herbal medicine puts the development of different
herbal traditions from earliest origins to the present day into perspective. This is complemented
with features on herbal medicine in Europe, India, China, Africa, Australia, and the Americas,
providing a rounded picture of herbal medicine worldwide.
 Herbal medicine is nothing if not practical in its approach, and the Encyclopedia  has a
detailed self-help section with advice on preparing and using herbal medicines to treat
a range of common health problems.
 If more people come to appreciate the immense richness of the world of herbal
medicine and are able to benefit from the curative properties of medicinal herbs, this
book will have achieved its aim.
US_006-007_Introduction.indd   7 07/04/16   4:36 pm
US_008-009_The_Development_of_Herbal_Medicine.indd   8 26/02/16   4:42 pmThe
developmen T
of herbal
medicine
From the earliest times, herbs have been prized for their pain-relieving and
healing abilities, and today we still rely on the curative properties of plants
in about 75 percent of our medicines. Over the centuries, societies around
the world have developed their own traditions to make sense of medicinal
plants and their uses. Some of these traditions and medicinal practices may
seem strange and magical, others appear rational and sensible, but all are
attempts to overcome illness and suffering, and to enhance quality of life.
 “a wise man ought
to realize that health
is his most valuable
 possession.”
Hippocrates
US_008-009_The_Development_of_Herbal_Medicine.indd   9 26/02/16   4:42 pm
10
The developmen T of herbal medicineHow Medicinal Plants Work
Many of the thousands of plant species growing throughout the world have medicinal
uses, containing active constituents that have a direct action on the body. They are used  both in herbal and conventional medicine and offer benefits that pharmaceutical drugs  often lack, helping to combat illness and support the body’s efforts to regain good health.
There is no doubt that in extreme situations, the treatments
devised by modern medicine can offer an unparalleled opportunity to relieve symptoms and save lives. A newspaper article in 1993 described the terrible conditions in a hospital in war-torn Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Deprived of conventional medical supplies and drugs, the doctors were forced to use a well-known European herb, valerian (Valeriana officinalis, p. 148), as a painkiller for the wounded and as an anesthetic. Valerian is an effective herbal medicine for anxiety and nervous tension, but it is woefully inadequate as an analgesic or anesthetic. Orthodox pharmaceutical medicines sustain life and counter
infections in situations where other types of treatment
may have little to offer. Modern surgical techniques, such as keyhole surgery and plastic surgery, and the whole range of diagnostics and of life-support machinery now available, can
all be used to improve the chances of recovery from serious illness or injury.
The Benefits of Herbal Medicine
Y et despite the dramatic advances and advantages of conventional medicine, or biomedicine as it is also known,
it is clear that herbal medicine has much to offer. We tend  to forget that in all but the past 70 years or so, humans
have relied almost entirely on plants to treat all manner
of illnesses, from minor problems such as coughs and colds
to life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Today, herbal remedies are coming back into prominence because the efficacy of conventional medicines such as antibiotics, which once had near-universal effectiveness against serious infections, is on the wane. Over the years, infectious organisms have developed resistance to synthesized drugs, and the herb sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua, p. 67) and
its active constituent artemisinin, for example, are now the standard treatment for malaria in tropical areas where
the protozoa causing the infection no longer respond to conventional treatment. Herbal medicine often complements conventional
treatments, providing safe, well-tolerated remedies for chronic illnesses. It is experiencing a dramatic renaissance in Western countries, partly because no effective conventional treatment as yet exists for many chronic illnesses, such as asthma, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, concern over the side effects of biomedicine is encouraging people  to look for more gentle forms of treatment. It is estimated that 10–20% of hospital patients in the West are there due to the side effects of conventional medical treatment.
Using Herbs Wisely
Most commonly used herbs are extremely safe to use.
But some plants can produce side effects and, like all medicines, herbal remedies must be treated with respect.  It is essential to take or use certain plants only under the guidance of a well-trained practitioner, to avoid adverse consequences. Ma huang (Ephedra sinica, p. 95), for example, can be extremely toxic at the wrong dosage, and comfrey (Symphytum officinale, p. 138), a very popular herb in the
past, is thought to cause severe or even fatal liver damage
in rare circumstances. When an herbal medicine is used correctly, however, the chances of developing a serious side effect are remote.
Potent Plant Chemicals
The ability of an herbal medicine to affect body systems depends on the chemical constituents that it contains. Scientists first started extracting and isolating chemicals from plants in the 18th century, and since that time we have grown accustomed to looking at herbs and their effects in terms of the active constituents they contain. This Encyclopedia
is no exception, providing details of all the main active constituents of the medicinal herbs featured and explaining their actions.
Opium poppy fields in Tasmania. Opium, derived from the seed capsules of the opium
poppy, yields the narcotic alkaloids morphine and codeine, powerful painkillers that are widely used in conventional medicine.
US_010-013_How_Medicinal_Plants_work.indd   10 26/02/16   4:42 pm11 How Medicinal Plants workResearch into isolated plant
constituents is of great
importance, for it has given rise
to many of the world’s most
useful drugs. Tubocurarine, the
most powerful muscle relaxant
in existence, is derived from
pareira ( Chondrodendron
tomentosum, p. 189), and the
strongest painkiller of all,
morphine, comes from opium
poppy ( Papaver somniferum,
p. 244). Many anesthetics
are also derived from plants—
for example cocaine comes
from coca ( Erythroxylum
coca, p. 206).
 Today, biomedicine still
relies on plants rather than
the laboratory for at least 25%
of its medicines, and many of
these are among the most effective of all conventional drugs.
It is hard to think of a world deprived of the antimalarial
properties of quinine (derived from Cinchona  spp., p. 80); or
the heart remedy digoxin (from Digitalis  spp., p. 202); or the
cough-relieving properties of ephedrine (from Ephedra sinica,
p. 95), which is present in many prescription and over-the-
counter cold remedies. These and many other conventional
medicines are all derived from isolated plant constituents.
Value of Whole Plants
Although it is important to understand the actions of
individual active constituents, herbal medicine, unlike bio-
medicine, is ultimately about the use and actions of whole
plants—medicines that are literally god- or goddess-given, rather than developed in a laboratory. In the same way that
taking a watch apart and identifying its key parts will not show
you how it works as a whole, dividing up a medicinal herb
into its constituent parts cannot explain exactly how it works
in its natural form. The whole herb is worth more than the
sum of its parts, and scientific research is increasingly showing
that the active constituents of many herbs, for example those
in ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba, p. 100), interact in complex ways to
produce the therapeutic effect of the remedy as a whole.
 Plants contain hundreds, if not thousands, of different
constituent chemicals that interact in complex ways.
Frequently, we simply do not know in detail how a particular
herb works—even though its medicinal benefit is well
established. The pharmacological approach to understanding
how whole herbs work is like working on a puzzle where only
some of the pieces have been provided. Furthermore,
although it is very useful to know that a plant contains certain
active constituents, such information can be misleading on its
own. For example, Chinese rhubarb ( Rheum palm


 L. europaea (Pinaceae)
Larch
Description  Deciduous conifer growing to 165 ft
(50 m). Has clusters of needle-like leaves, male and
female flowers, and small, light brown cones.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the Alps
and the Carpathian mountains of eastern Europe, larch grows to altitudes of 6,600 ft (2,000 m). It is widely cultivated for its timber. The resin is tapped in autumn; the bark is collected when the tree is felled.
Parts Used  Inner bark, resin.
Constituents  Larch contains lignans, resins,
and volatile oil (consisting mainly of alpha- and beta-pinene and limonene).
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Larch has
astringent, diuretic, and antiseptic properties.  The bark may be used to treat bladder and urinary tubule infections such as cystitis and urethritis,
and respiratory problems, including bronchitis.
The resin is applied to wounds, where it protects and counters infection. A decoction of the bark  is used to soothe eczema and psoriasis.
Caution  Do not take larch if suffering from
kidney disease.acid. The latter is reportedly harmful to the lymph glands and kidneys, though recent research shows that it has beneficial antidiabetic properties. U.S. research published in 1996 demonstrated that other lignans have antiviral activity against HIV.
History & Folklore  Widely used by Native
Americans, chaparral was taken in the form of a decoction to treat stomach troubles and diarrhea. Y oung twigs were used for toothache. The leaves were applied as a poultice for respiratory problems and as a wash for skin problems.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Until the 1960s,
chaparral remained in wide use in the U.S., with an average of 10 tons (9.07 tonnes) consumed each year. It was thought to be a beneficial remedy for rheumatic disease, venereal infections, urinary infections, and certain types of cancer, especially leukemia. Chaparral was also taken internally for skin afflictions such as acne and eczema, and applied as a lotion to sores, wounds, and rashes. In the early 1990s, sales of chaparral were banned in the U.S. and Britain due to concern over its potential toxic effect on the liver. It now seems likely that this is another herb that can, in rare cases, cause liver damage, as with some conventional medicines. In view of the uncertainty about its safety, any potential benefit from taking the herb must be weighed against the risks.
Related Species  The North American
L. divaricata, a close relative of chaparral, contains lignans, which have been shown to inhibit lymphoid tumor growth with no apparent harmful effect on normal lymphatic tissue.
 QCautions Only take chaparral on
professional advice. People with a history of liver disease should never take chaparral.
Laurus nobilis (Lauraceae)
Bay Laurel
Description  Aromatic evergreen shrub or tree
growing to 65 ft (20 m). Has leathery, dark green leaves, small yellow male and female flowers, and shiny black berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to
Mediterranean countries, bay laurel prefers damp and shady sites. It is also a popular garden herb, cultivated largely for culinary use. The leaves are picked year round.
Parts Used  Leaves, essential oil.
Constituents  Bay laurel contains up to 3%
volatile oil (including 30–50% cineole, linalool, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol acetate, mucilage, tannin, and resin).
History & Folklore  In ancient Greece, bay
laurel was used in divination by the Delphic Oracle. From ancient Rome comes the tradition that the sudden withering of a bay laurel tree bodes disaster Habitat & Cultivation  White deadnettle
is native to and widespread in Europe and
central and northern Asia. It thrives in fields
and in open areas. It is gathered when in
flower in summer.
Parts Used  Flowering tops.
Constituents  White deadnettle contains
a saponin, flavones, mucilage, and tannins.White deadnettle is used to treat gynecological
conditions.Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae)
Chaparral,
Creosote Bush
Description  Thorny shrub growing to 61⁄2 ft
(2 m), with small finely divided leaves.
Habitat & Cultivation  Chaparral is found
in large numbers in the deserts of the
southwestern U.S. and Mexico.
Parts Used  Aerial parts.
Constituents  Chaparral contains about 12%
resin and lignans, including nordihydroguaiauretic
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   226 26/02/16   12:47 pm227 other medicinal plantsLepidium virginicum
for the household. In ancient Rome, bay laurel
leaves were used as a medicine, a spice, and a
decorative garland during the December festival of
Saturnalia. Bay laurel was sacred to the gods Apollo
and Asclepius, who together oversaw healing and
medicine. The herb was thought to be greatly
protective and healing. An infusion of the leaves
was taken for its warming and tonic effect on the
stomach and bladder, and a plaster made from
the leaves was used to relieve wasp and bee stings. Lawsonia inermis
syn. L. alba  (Lythraceae)
Henna
Description  Heavily scented evergreen shrub
or tree growing to 20 ft (6 m). Has narrow
pointed leaves, clusters of small white or pink
flowers, and blue-black berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the Middle
East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent,
henna grows in sunny areas and is widely
cultivated for use as a hair restorative and dye.
The leaves are picked during the growing season.
Parts Used  Leaves, bark.
Constituents  Henna contains coumarins,
naphthaquinones (including lawsone), flavonoids,
sterols, and tannins.
History & Folklore  Henna has been used for
thousands of years in North Africa and Asia as a red
dye and as a scent. Mummies were wrapped in
henna-dyed cloth in ancient Egypt. In the Middle
East and India, the leaves have traditionally
been used to make a pigment for dyeing
intricate linear patterns on the fingers, palms,
and feet. The leaves have also been used to dye not
only human hair but the manes and tails of horses.
Before meeting Antony, Cleopatra reputedly
soaked the sails of her barge in heady henna flower oil.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Used mainly
within Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, henna leaves
are commonly taken as a gargle for sore throats,
and as an infusion or decoction for diarrhea and
dysentery. The leaves are astringent, prevent
hemorrhaging, and strongly promote menstrual
flow. A decoction of the bark is used to treat liver
problems. Applied in the form of a plaster, henna
treats fungal infections, acne, and boils.Motherwort  has been used to treat palpitations since
at least the 16th century.Culpeper stated that “there is no better herb to
drive away melancholy vapours from the heart, to
strengthen it and make the mind cheerful” (1652).
The Italian physician and herbalist Pierandrea
Matteoli held it “useful for palpitations and a
pounding heart, spasms and paralysis… [it] thins
thick and viscid humours [and] stimulates urine
and menstrual bleeding” (1548).
Medicinal Actions & Uses  A remedy for
the heart and nerves and often prescribed for
palpitations, motherwort strengthens heart function,
especially where it is weak. Antispasmodic and
sedative, the herb promotes relaxation rather than
drowsiness. However, motherwort stimulates the
muscles of the uterus, and is particularly suitable for
delayed periods, period pain, and premenstrual
syndrome (especially if shock or distress is a factor). It
should not be used if menstrual bleeding is heavy.
Bay laurel
adorned victors in
ancient Greece.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Bay laurel is used
mainly to treat upper digestive tract disorders
and to ease arthritic aches and pains. It is settling
to the stomach and has a tonic effect, stimulating
the appetite and the secretion of digestive juices.
When used as an ingredient in cooking, bay laurel
leaves promote the digestion and absorption
of food. The leaves have much the same kind of
positive effect as spearmint ( Mentha spicata ) and
rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis, p. 128) in assisting
the breakdown of heavy food, especially meat.
Bay laurel has also been used to promote the
onset of menstrual periods. The essential oil is
chiefly employed as a friction rub, being well
diluted in a carrier oil and massaged into aching


 materials arriving daily from the digestive tract. What more natural than that, given
the rest that fasting provides, it should be able to repair itself and renew its functional vigor?
The rest provided for the heart is accounted for in two primary ways:
1.
There is a marked lessening of the number of pulsations of the heart.
 A heart that is
pulsating eighty times a minute will fall to sixty or even fewer beats a minute. If the heart is
pulsating at a more rapid rate than eighty a minute, the fall in the pulse rate is even more dramatic.
If we use the first figure of eighty pulsations a minute to work from and take the figure of sixty
beats a minute to represent the level to which the pulsations fall, we have a saving of twenty
pulsations a minute or twelve hundred pulsations an hour or 28,800 pulsations in twenty-four
hours. This represents a great reduction in the amount of work the heart does.
Of course there are the usual fluctuations of the heart rate due to exertion and emotion.
2.
Another restful factor is the fall of blood pressure.
 If the pressure is 160 mm. it will
speedily fall to 140, 130, even 115, where it will remain for the rest of the period of fasting. I saw
one case of a woman who had a systolic pressure of 295 mm. in which the pressure was reduced
in less than two weeks to 115 mm. This means that the heart is working against lessened
resistance. It beats with less force. Less forceful pulsations coupled with reduced number of
pulsations provide a rest for the tired and impaired heart. Under such conditions it repairs and
strengthens itself, and in a good number of cases that have been declared to be
incurable
, the heart
has been fully restored.
I call the foregoing sources of heart rest,
primary
. There are other sources of rest for the heart
110that may be called
secondary
. First among these is the reduction of weight. This is most marked in
fat individuals whose size is such that the heart has to labor to keep the blood circulating through
so much bulk. While the pressure often falls in these cases more rapidly than the flesh is lost, the
loss of pounds relieves the long-suffering heart of a burden. Every pound that is lost relieves the
heart of work it has been forced to do.
Another factor to consider is that, in decompensation, the fall in the rate of pulsation is not as
immediate and rapid as in ordinary fasting cases.
Decompensation is the inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation. It is characterized
by difficult breathing (dyspnea) blueness of the lips and fingers (cyanosis) rapid, but feeble heart
actions, venous engorgement, a decreased urinary output, with, in severe cases, an accumulation of
fluid in the tissues—edema, dropsy, anasarca.
Although already greatly weakened, the increased work of the heart occasioned by the
accumulating fluid, adds to its difficulties. The heavier burden on the heart becomes intolerable
and it slowly weakens under the load. As the heart weakens the dropsy increases and as this
increases, the work of the heart is increased. A vicious cycle is established from which it is
difficult to escape.
Another source of edema is the taking of common table salt (sodium chloride). This salt is non-
usable and poisonous. It is excreted with difficulty, hence it tends to accumulate in the body of the
salt-eater. It is stored in the surface tissues just under the skin and in cavities, along with water that
is needed to dilute it, thus forming brine. This salt-occasioned edema, often sufficiently marked in
supposedly healthy individuals to be easily
 detected (in others existing as a hidden edema) places
an added burden upon the heart and kidneys.
The body of the fasting patient is able to bring the salt and water back into the circulation, from
where it is excreted. There is commonly an enormous urinary excretion of sodium chloride, in such
cases, up to 78 grams of salt a day having been observed to be excreted during a fast. It has been
shown by careful biochemical observations that fasting results in an absolute increase in the
amount of sodium chloride excreted, even in cases in which the total urinary output is small.
As the sodium chloride content of the blood remains normal during the fast, the indication is that
the salt excreted is from the edema and effusion flud accumulation.
The first step in the excretion of the salt-water accumulation is the return of the water and salt to
the blood stream. Fasting favors the absorption of the fluid from the tissues and its subsequent
excretion. When the fast is instituted and all intake of salt is entirely discontinued, the body is
enabled to rapidly withdraw the water and sodium chloride from the edematous tissues. The
hidden edema and dropsy disappear at a rapid rate.
The principle of lightening the work of the circulatory system and particularly that of the heart
by decreasing the food intake and by eliminating salt from the diet is carried to its ultimate stage
when the heart patient fasts. Often it is even found necessary to reduce greatly the amount of water
taken. Especially in cases of marked edema (dropsy) is it important to reduce the water intake in
order to facilitate the excretion of the fluid from the tissues.
In decompensation of the heart, there is commonly renal (kidney) stasis—stoppage of the blood
flow—which impairs the function of the kidneys. The fast seems to result in an instantaneous
improvement in the function of the kidneys, so that there is an immediate increase of elimination.
There are different views about water intake in this condition, some fasting advocates favoring
taking water freely, on the theory that the kidneys can function better if plenty of water is taken;
others holding that the intake of liberal quantities of water slows down the excretion of the
111edematous accumulation. I favor limiting water intake.
With the increased excretion, through the kidneys, of water and sodium chloride, so that the
edema is reduced or obliterated, the heart is greatly relieved. It has also been suggested that fasting
may favorably affect certain vaso-motor centers, (the nerve centers that control circulation), thus
causing improvement in the condition of the heart and arteries.
Certainly it would be folly to say that the excretion of water and sodium chloride in dropsical
conditions is alone responsible for the wide relief of symptoms that occur. The concomitant
general improvement of the heart and circulatory condition must be taken into full consideration,
but there is reason to think that the increased urinary outpout and the absorption of
 water and salt
from the tissues is due, in great measure, to the improvement of the general circulatory action, the
improvement tending to persist after eating is resumed.
An Italian physician, Giorgio Dagnini, M.D., studied the results of fasting in sixteen cases of
cardiac decompensation and presented a detailed account of his observations in the
Institute of
General Medicine and Therapeutics
 of the University of Modena, Italy. I am indebted to an
American physician, who is interested in fasting, for an English translation of the account.
Dagnini says of these sixteen cases, many of whom had previously proved “refractory of therapy
with cardiac drugs,” that all of them suffered with severe cardiac decompensation. In addition to
the fast, the patients were all given bed rest and all the water desired but no drugs. Twelve of
these patients suffered with edema of the serous cavities; four had no edema.
Of the twelve edematous patients the clinical diagnoses were myocardial sclerosis (hardening
of the heart muscle) in six cases; mitral stenosis (narrowing or stricture of the mitral valve of the
heart) in two cases; mitral and aortic stenosis (stenosis of both the mitral and aortic valves) in one
case; mitral insufficiency (failure of the mitral valve to close) in one case; malignant hypertension
and cardiac asthma in one case; hypertension and cardiovascular disease, fibrillation and
myocardial sclerosis in one case.
Both sexes were involved and their ages ranged from 24 years to 75 years. The fasts ranged
from five days (the shortest) to seven days (the longest). Of the non-edematous group, three had
mitral stenosis, one had hypertension with myocardial sclerosis. There was but one man in this
group. The youngest of the group was thirty-eight years, the oldest, sixty-four years. These patients
all fasted seven days.
All the fasts in these heart cased were short, but Dagnini says: “It was consistently observed that
cardiac patients treated with fasting show increased urinary output and a rapid resorption of edema
fluid and peritoneal and pleural effusions.” In the non-edematous group sodium chloride excretion
was about “normal.” This may indicate that the edema in the other cases was as much the result of
salt-eating as of heart weakness.
From among his twelve edematous patients, I would like to cite one case only, to picture the
developments as they occur when a cardiac patient is fasted.
The patient was a twenty-four-year-old man who had a clinical diagnosis of mitral stenosis. He
was in a grave condition, with failure largely on the right side of his heart. The heart was much


 the lovers of art. It is
sadly true that the periods of history benevolent enough for beauty
to reign have been few.
Many have seen in this apparen tly natural lack of beauty the
evidence that the appreciation of beauty, order and harmony is a
cultural acquisition and not a gene tic endowment. Those who have
favoured a hard, aggressive view of man have seen in the
preoccupation with beauty the evid ence of decadence. Yet there is
sufficient anthropological evidence that the more benign primitives,
living in the more benevolent environments, have a natural
appreciation of beauty, and express it in everything they touch, in
every gesture, movement and ritual. In these conditions such a
sensitivity to beauty goes hand in hand with an over-all
compassionate disposition absent among the more harassed
primitives, and among the civilized.
But the strongest indication that the beautiful is as
indispensable a human feature as brain or upright posture, is the
extraordinarily intense emotiona lism associated with it, and the
abundance of pleasure it can afford. That the appreciation of beauty
is part of the humanizing process is shown by the humanizing effect
such an appreciation has on human behaviour and predisposition in
general. As the evolutionists would say, it has survival value.
The opposite of beauty is ugliness, synonymous with the
bestial, with the mean, selfish and sordid, the disgusting and the
sickly, all hostile to the human condition. Had the earliest humans
not sensed the difference between ugliness and beauty,
humanization would have come to an end. The distinction between
beauty and ugliness runs close to the distinction between good and
evil, between order and disorder. An evolving, learning brain
requires a prolonged familial and social nature, which in turn was
only possible in an orderly and harmonious social setting.
The capacity for love is leagued with a sensitivity to beauty.
Many psychologists have observed that love is the guarantee of the
mind's stability and wholeness, and that love-failure, in hatred, violence and viciousness, is the agent of the mind's disintegration.
The appreciation of beauty, like love, can be defined as a condition
of wholeness, and a sensitivity to that quality in others and in
nature, providing the utmost degree of mental balance, of joy and a
sense of meaningful-ness in living. Whole food, fit for humans can
but be beautiful food.

3. Beauty Pursued

So important has beauty been in human evolution, that one can
expect the human being to be designed to find beauty in every
possible thing, in every possible way. Nothing would be undertaken
unless it had an aesthetic element to it. Such' a beatific condition
can still be observed among the few simple peoples left. In the
islands of the Pacific, among the native tribes of Central America,
people are bedecked with flowers, eating and love-making take
place in flowered boweries, every object is made attractive and
colourful, and the naked body variously adorned. The human body
is felt rightly to be the object of supreme beauty, which accounts for
the common nakedness.
One can learn much from the body's beauty, as the great
masters of European painting reali zed. All beauty is there incarnate.
The limbs are felt to be ideally proportioned, the smoothness of the
skin inviting touch and caress, the eyes particularly enticing. The
disappearance of body hair in the course of humanization has not
only been due to the presumably temperate conditions in which
human evolution occurred, but, of much greater importance,
represents the removal of animal associations. What is left of the
hair, around the head and, in the man, around the face, is evidently a
haloing and an adornment, with an emotional effect the very
opposite of animal. The only part of the body where the hair has not
been aesthetized, and remains animal in its appeal, is around the
genitalia. In a creature depending on social and familial harmony
for survival, a primary interest in the genitalia would have been self-
defeating. Consequently, the genitalia, and the hair associated with
them, were left uncouth and unattractive, with the obvious intention
of detracting attention from these parts. In a creature sensitized to
beauty, this would be as good a way as one could find of ensuring
that human relationships were not primarily sexual. All those
primitives who live in an essentially naked condition, help nature by
covering over the genitalia. A complete nudism, as much as
clothing, is an expression of the aesthetic impoverishment of
civilization; both are unnatural.
The female breast is a part of the body made particularly
beautiful, intended to serve as the focus of a love, erotic,
compassionate and social, echoing the ancient mammalian lineage
of mankind. Many of the great painters of the Renaissance were
alive to this appeal, picturing th e infant Jesus suckled with exposed
breast by Mary. There is something profound in this, for the
mammalian female was emotionalized  long before the male in the
selfless devotions of mother love. In an important sense, the woman
is more profoundly human than the man. But the echo of the breast
in the man is a reminder also of his mammalian kind. Threatened
male gorillas will beat their breasts like the angered elders of the
Bible. When men confronted one another in battle in a naked
condition, slaughter was minimal, compassion the rule. The human infant has been made beautiful in a particularly
tender, appealing way. It is interesting to note that the young of all
mammals share in this appeal. Ho wever ugly the adult may appear,
their young are invariably felt to be appealing, beautiful. In this
tender appeal, an important attri bute of beauty is apparent—its
denial of an opportunist, bestial sexuality. This is absolute in the
case of the infant; only the sick and the depraved feel sexually
drawn to the children. But it is also  evident, on another scale, in the
erotic appeals of the adult body, wherein caress, adoration and
tenderness can transfigure what can otherwise be an animal
encounter. It is in this sense that human sexuality becomes
transformed from the essentially reflex activities of animals into a
sexual love felt to be pure, noble and beautiful. Beauty is
incompatible with impurity, so much so that the demand for purity
is threaded in all the human sens itivities, in the very structure and
function of the brain and mind. In the visual arts, there is an
awareness of the purity of line, of form, of colour essential to the
expression of beauty. So potent is this transfiguring quality, that
even lewd and revolting subjects can become transformed, raised to
a higher level of appeal, through the materials and techniques of art.
Mere sexuality acquires an elysian quality, an eroticism steeped in
ecstasy. Hence the clash of pornography,. which is never art, and
the erotic, which can be high art. The current habit of labelling
attractive, beautiful things as'sexy' betrays a sad corruption of
perception and feeling. Unless beau ty was inherent and abundant in
nature, it is unlikely that it could ever have played a role in
humanization. Although the industrially jaded eye can become blind
to the beauty of nature, once the veil is lifted, it is everywhere
apparent still. Minerals can be ve ry beautiful, and as minerals must
have appeared at the dawn of Creation, as the first matter cooled
sufficiently, one can conclude that matter is inherently endowed
with beauty. Today, one knows that the beautiful symmetry of
crystals, their amazing geometric pur ity, is the echo of atomic order.
Since all things large or small are dependent on this order, one can
be confident that nature is basically aesthetically compatible, a
reassuring conclusion. This confidence is confirmed by the fact that
beauty is increasingly expressed as evolution progresses. The
ugliness of the early insects gave way to the beauty of the butterfly,
the gawky pterodactyl emancipated into the bird of paradise, and the
monotonous swamps of the Carbonife rous were succeeded by the
spectral orgies of flowers in the Cretaceous.
Without such a long preparation, persistently bringing out the
latent beauty in things and creatures, the eventual emergence of a
creature sensitive to beauty would have been impossible. Beauty in
human existence remains closel y dependent on beauty in the
environment, in all things featuring in human life, which explains
why an ugly age loses the meaning of beauty. Let us ponder well
upon this, for it touches upon our subject intimately. Bearing in
mind that the Creation is a whole, the evolution of beauty in
landscape, in flowers, in human beings, in art, and, as we shall see,
in such an important activity as eating, makes for a vast and
intricate ecology of the beautiful. Unless harmonious forms were in
existence before the earliest hum an appeared, in the wonderful
shapes of hills, of trees, of pebbles, of shells, it would not have been
possible for the earliest men to make the beautiful tools which accompany their remains. Unless flowers and fruits were already
there, to provide the external stimuli of colour, human