Theory of nutrition : the treatment of disease, and philosophy of healing, without medicine / by Laroy Sunderland.

  • Sunderland, La Roy, 1802-1885.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Theory of nutrition : the treatment of disease, and philosophy of healing, without medicine / by Laroy Sunderland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    mind, that, if matter be a unit so must Life be a unit, and if disease be a disturbance in the processes of Life, then disease must be a unit in a similar sense that Life is a unit, or the Nutritive Fluid is so. Indeed, it is worthy of notice, that more than two thousand years ago, Hip- pocrates announced this very idea, when he declared that All disease is one and identical. Human life, as we know, puts forth a variety of phenomena; it makes nu- merous appearances, while Life, itself, is a unit, one and indivisible. It should follow, therefore, that the phenom- ena we denominate disease, are, all, traceable to that same unity which is characteristic of Nutrition, and Life, itself. Fever and disease are one and identical. They are neither essences to extract, nor entities, to combat — they are simple variations in the phenomena of corporeal movements ; and, in most cases, happily for mankind, may be controlled with- out the aid either of physic or physicians. The same repar- ative power by which a cut or a bruise, in favorable circum- stances becomes healed, may equally enable every part of a disordered body to resume its wonted harmony of action. How often has nature in this way triumphed over physic, even in cases where the physician had been too busy with his interference. It is in such cases of escape that the gen- erality of medical men arrogate to themselves the credit of cure.* Correspondence. Disease, in all its forms, must correspond with the phe- nomena of Life and health. What, then, are the chief characteristics in the predominating Phenomena of Life ? They may be understood by Sleeping and Waking. Life is made up of a series of alternating motions or states, one of which is positive to another which is nega- tive. If waking be positive, then we say sleeping is negative. Motion is before animal life, and, when asso- * Dr. 8. Dickson.