Health and medical news blog

A burn is the destruction of human tissue from overheating. It may range from a relatively mild and localized burn in which only the surface skin is affected, to third degree burns—burns penetrating deep into the flesh-to burns of varying degrees covering large areas of the body.

Painstaking research done by the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia), has revealed that there is a critical loss of magnesium in burn victims. Using a technique called atomic absorption measurement they were able to make very accurate chemical analyses of various substances.

The first and obvious problem is that a great deal of tissue has been destroyed and, in its dead form, has become toxic to the body. Not so obvious is the fact that there has been, especially in a major burn situation, a dramatic loss of magnesium.

“It (atomic absorption measurement) saved the life of a young boy who went into violent convulsions after being admitted to a Sydney hospital with severe burns. Atomic absorption tests showed the boy had suffered a critical loss of magnesium. Given doses of that element, he recovered. Today his photograph has a special place in Walsh’s office. (Scientist Walsh is the man who developed this technique.)

“Other atomic absorption tests solved the riddle of the crazed Minamata cats which were diving into the sea off Japan. The discovery that they had eaten mercury-polluted fish saved thousands of people from crippling illness and death. Similar tests recently explained the soaring delinquency rate in Sudbury, Ontario, revealing that a lead-smelting plant was contaminating the town. Atomic absorption has detected tainted baked beans during canning and helped find huge mineral deposits in Western Australia.”

Understanding the problem created by the burning enables us to understand how to treat it. The first task must be to draw off the poisons to prevent their circulation through the system. Secondly, external oxygen must be kept away from the burned areas because oxygen will accelerate decomposition of tissue, and continued decomposition only serves to manufacture more toxins in the form of dying cells. The third objective is to replace the depleted supply of magnesium.

TREATMENT

Let us deal with small burns first, such as are encountered in the kitchen when you bump against the hot stove, dip a finger unexpectedly in scalding water, or such like. For these burns, nothing can compare with the application of Epsom salts. Everyone should keep a jar containing a saturated solution of this on their kitchen shelves or in their first aid cabinet. [A solution is considered saturated when the water's capacity to dissolve any more salts is exhausted.]

Some people advocate the use of honey for burns, but we have not had as successful a result with it as with the methods described above. Epsom salts also have the added advantage of not being as messy as honey.

The moment the burn is experienced, quickly dip a bandage in the Epsom salts solution and wrap it around the injury. Burnt fingers can be plunged directly into the jar. In a few moments, the heat and the pain will disappear from the wound, and there will be no blistering. Eight or ten hours later there will not even be a red mark to show where the burn was. Unbelievable? No, not really, because this treatment satisfies all three of the above requirements for a burn. First of all, Epsom salts have long been recognized as a substance having the capacity to draw off poisons and fluids. Secondly, binding up the wound excludes the oxygen; and third, Epsom salts are a magnesium salt, and the skin will absorb the magnesium, thus replacing any deficiencies caused by the burn.

DEEPER BURNS

These may be successfully treated with a potato poultice, either with or without Epsom salts mixed in with it. Potato is also excellent for drawing off poisons, sealing off the oxygen, and being rich in potassium, it likewise makes up deficiencies. Furthermore, the concentration of cold pulp absorbs the heat from the tissues.

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A poultice is the application, to an affected part, of crushed vegetable matter such as comfrey, potato, charcoal, onion, banana, linseed (flaxseed), slippery elm, etc. Its purpose is to isolate infection and draw off the poisons by absorption. It is used for such things as boils, abscesses, kidney complaints, sore throats, chest congestions, infected toes or fingers, arthritic or rheumatoid joints, etc. You will notice that some conditions covered here are included also in the section on compresses. This is because the effects of the compress and the poultice are similar, but there are times when a warm poultice may be more effectively used as an alternate method of treatment. This is especially true when the complaint has reached a stage that calls for more drastic measures. A compress breaks up congestion and disperses it into the bloodstream, while a poultice breaks up congestion and draws it off through the skin. There are times when it is better to isolate the problem and deal with it without disturbing the eliminative organs of the whole body. The skin is porous, and poisons can be drawn out through it as well as fluids being absorbed by it. This is true to such an extent that the fluid in the tissues can be changed by the particular material used in the poultice.

The poultice is applied much in the same way as the compress, although not quite as much covering is needed over it as with a compress.

General Method:

Make the cloth into a bag or sack, either by sewing or folding. Grate or blend the potato, comfrey, onion—as the case may be—until it is a wet mush. Pour this into the sack or inside the folded cloth. Pat it out to an even thickness and apply it to the area to be treated. Wrap the plastic around this, being careful to turn the edges of the plastic back under about an inch to prevent leakage. Then, bind semi-firmly with the elastic bandage to keep the whole thing in place. The best time to apply this is in the evening because during the night there will be a minimum of movement. Remove it in the morning and replace with a fresh one if further treatment is necessary.

In most cases one application is all that will be needed. But in some instances, the patient’s condition will indicate that it should be applied more often. It stands to reason that in an acute situation a poultice is drawing off poisons at a fairly fast rate, and it can only absorb so much. Therefore, in an acute situation, fresh material must be applied about every two hours.

Once a poultice has been used, discard it. It is a mistake to use it over again because the poisons drawn out of the body by it may be re-absorbed by the skin. Do not make up poultices ahead of schedule for use several hours later. This will diminish their effectiveness. The poultice material must be fresh when applied to the affected area if it is to be effective.

It is important to keep the poulticing continuous. While the first one is in place, have a second one in the process of preparation so that it can be applied as soon as the first is removed.

When a poultice is applied cold, the body should be able to bring the material to body temperature in a short time. If this does not happen and there is no warming reaction to the poultice, either place a hot water bottle over the cold poultice in order to help the body to warm it, or replace the poultice with one that can be applied warm. The patient should not feel chills coming from the poultice. Its intent is to bring comfort to the suffering area as well as to accomplish healing.

Sometimes it is good to alternate the substance used in the poultices—-i.e. first a potato poultice, next a charcoal one, then back to potato, etc.

In addition to vegetables, many different herbs are used in poultices. Consequently, study should be given to the various herbs to determine which should be used and when. Following are examples of several herbs and vegetables and some of the problems for which they have been proven useful.

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1. A little three-year-old had a heavy cold. When she was put to bed at night, she coughed continually. This was distressing to the child and also the parents. A heating compress was suggested, and it was applied as indicated in the pictures. Within ten minutes the coughing had stopped, and a good night’s sleep was enjoyed by all. The compress stimulated a healing reaction, and the little girl was soon over her cold.

2. Another family was travelling on a Queensland train overnight. One of the children, about nine years old, had a distressing cold, and nothing could ease the coughing. So, right there on the train, a wet heating compress was put on the child’s chest, and silence soon reigned.

Do not be afraid to use the wet heating compress. If the coughing does not cease in about ten minutes, then it is possible that it has not been applied correctly. Check to see that all air has been blocked from the chest. The cold, moist doth causes the body to react by heating this area with extra blood flow; hence the name, ‘heating’ compress. In addition to carrying away the poisons, the increased circulation causes relaxation of the underlying muscles and thus reduces nervous tension. Use on the throat in the same way. Place the wet handkerchief or cloth around and cover with plastic and I he warm cloth. This will relieve the sore throat and break up the inflammation.

This same basic treatment can be used for the elimination (if toxins via the skin by placing the whole body in a heating compress. Usually a chronically ill person will find this a mild and yet very effective means of eliminating poisons. If the patient is a person who is inclined to chill easily, put him into a warm bath or shower first for five or ten minutes to warm him up. Then proceed with the treatment as follows:

Wrap the body in a sheet wrung out of warm water using the same method as described for the wet sheet pack. During the wrapping process the warmth will diminish, mid the sheet will feel cool to the patient, but the fact that you did use warm water will be comforting to him. Next a plastic sheet is applied to help retain body heat. A woolen blanket is added to this, and, if necessary, another blanket over all. A cold cloth is placed on the forehead, and a hot water bottle is put at the feet. In a short time the face will reveal that the patient is sweating inside the pack. When a strong reaction has taken place, remove enough blankets to slow it down to a comfortable sweating. The patient will be your best indicator to determine when this has taken place. Enough body heat to keep the perspiration going is all that is necessary. Bathe the face in cool water quite often during the process which is usually continued for about two hours. When the treatment is over, have the patient take a cool shower. The treatment has brought the blood to the surface, stimulating the elimination of poisons through the skin, so they need to be washed away. You may be surprised how lovely and healthy the skin will feel and how relaxed the patient will be.

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In 1965, a strong and active young man of our acquaintance came down with a particularly severe fever. The cause was unknown, and it was puzzling and surprising that he should be so afflicted since he had been careful to obey the laws of health and was not especially aware of having violated any particular one.

His body was burning with fever, and he decided to commence with the cold sheet treatment at once, but he felt that the ordinary wet sheet was not cold enough to handle the heat his body was generating. So, he advised his assistant to place the sheets, after wetting them, in the deep freeze. This was done, and the sheets were duly delivered, as stiff as boards. He paused only long enough to thaw them till they were flexible and then applied them to his body. This proved to be effective, but even then it took twelve applications before the heat was drawn off and the fever abated.

In this case, the patient was intelligent in regard to the treatment, believed in it implicitly, and supervised the application himself. This meant that the powerful healing force of his mind was added to the treatment. The next day he was able to depart as scheduled on a very long and arduous journey. Curiously enough, while he has suffered various minor illnesses in the thirteen years since, he has never again come down with a severe fever. The treatment had assisted nature in its work, resulting in the strengthening of the area where the disease found entrance previously. Of course, it should be stressed that this patient was naturally very vital and strong so that the one course of treatment proved to be all that was needed to provide lasting protection. In a person with less vitality, the treatment may have to be repeated many times before immunity is achieved. In some cases, it might never be achieved. But, in any case, the patient will be considerably strengthened by the treatment, and for this reason alone it is well worth while.

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A good portion of the value of natural home treatments lies in the understanding of what is happening in the body. For this very reason, when the practitioner has decided upon a course of action to be followed for a problem, both the nature of the problem and the proposed course of treatment is openly discussed with the patient. This is of tremendous value because the more intelligent the patient is in this respect, the more his mind will cooperate with the treatment, making it more effective on the body.

The cooperation of the mind of the patient is very important to you, as the practitioner, and winning the patient’s confidence is the first requisite in a successful course of treatment. Many scientific studies have produced evidence leading to the inescapable conclusion that the mind has a great deal of influence over leading a person into or out of illness or even death. An article from Psychology Today, November 1977, by Dr. George Engel of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry revealed interesting results from several studies done on cases of sudden death. In an outstanding percentage of the cases studied, the victims were confronted with situations in which they felt as though they had lost control. Seeming to conclude that it was no longer worthwhile to try and change the situation, they mentally resigned themselves to death, and it was not long after that this result did indeed follow the assuming of this hopeless surrender.

The mind can have an effect just as powerfully positive as negative. The wise practitioner will do everything he can to remove the skepticism and enlist the willing cooperation of his patient, knowing that the result will be a significantly speedier recovery. When this relationship between the mind and the body is understood as it should be, it will be recognized that the best and most skillfully carried out treatments will bring little success if forced upon the patient against his will.

With this in mind, discuss with your patient, if he is of an age of understanding, what laws you think have been violated. Tell him when you think there is a congestion indicated by the pain he is having, and show him how the water, or steam, or whatever you will apply will increase the power of the circulation to take away poisons and wastes from this area toward the eliminative organs. When using natural treatments, every little thing will help and you should never feel that you are losing time by attempting to bring the patient’s body into a cooperative state through enlisting the support of his mind.

The effect of the influence of the health worker on the patient should not be underestimated. Each of us possesses an atmosphere around us that makes it impossible for us to live to ourselves. This personal atmosphere affects every person with whom we come into contact. And its effect is not neutral; it is either negative or positive. The successful health worker’s life will be charged with faith, courage, and hope. This is the only atmosphere that will be of benefit to the sick person who will be discouraged, morose, and faithless. Much of the patient’s final outcome depends on the practitioner’s attitudes and frame of mind.

It is the privilege of the home healer to be an instrument through which the healing power of Christ’s love may be conveyed to the sick one. As it is received, the love of Christ will be a vitalizing power that diffuses through the whole being. “Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul joy that nothing earthly can destroy— . . . health-giving, life-giving joy.” The Ministry of Healing, Ellen G. White, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, 1942.

In this light it is to be seen how important love as a healing power really is. The power that Christ exercised to heal disease, cast out demons, and raise the dead was the power of faithful, never-changing love. His patients had faith in Him because they received from Him love which was so constant and unchanging that they knew His promises would always be realized. His word was sure. “The same power that Christ exercised when He walked visibly among men is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons. … It is in these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power. . . . Nothing else can have such healing power.” ibid.

However, it is a fact that a person cannot give what he does not have. The healing power of love comes from God, for God is love. Only as the health worker receives Christ’s healing power into his own life will he be able to impart it to others, and the more of His love he receives, the more healing power he will have to impart.

The love that God gives is based on total freedom. Under His government compelling power is never to be found. Down through the annals of history it has been His policy to allow men to perish, if they so choose, rather than to force His will upon them, even though it would have been for their own good.

Likewise, we must in love give this freedom to our patients. If at any time the patient is hesitant or reluctant to proceed with a certain course of treatment, the practitioner should respect his wishes. He must never assert himself over a patient nor insist that the patient submit to a course against his will. It is a mistake to suppose that in doing this it would be done “for the patient’s own good.” The use of force is contrary to the principle of love and will inhibit rather than activate the healing powers of the body.

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There are three main types of prostate disorder — cancer of the prostate, prostatitis and prostatic hypertrophy or enlargement of the prostate. Cancer of the prostate is the third most common cancer experienced by males and is usually found in men over the age of sixty. Common symptoms are frequent and difficult urination and the presence of blood in the urine. Sometimes, however, there are no apparent symptoms. Prostatic examination by a medical practitioner is recommended for men in this age group.

Prostatitis is an infection of the prostate caused by bacteria and is treated with antibiotics. Enlargement of the prostate is a common complaint in men over 50. Symptoms include a lessening in the force of the urinary flow, difficult or patchy flow followed by dribble, and a feeling that the bladder is never completely empty. Some of these symptoms are a result of the enlarged prostate compressing the urethra, producing pressure on both bladder and urethra.

Treatment of benign enlargement of the prostate involves dietary, herbal and vitamin intake. Legumes, sprouted seeds and whole grains are valuable because of the hormones they contain. Other helpful foods include green string and red kidney beans, beetroot, cabbage, onions, parsley and pumpkin seeds. The herb saw palmetto forms the basis of herbal treatment and should be supplemented with horsetail. Anise is also recommended because of its mild oestrogenic action. Other herbal treatments are clivers, nettle, ginseng and couch grass. Zinc should also be taken as a supplement, as lack of zinc has been suggested as a possible cause of prostate enlargement.

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Considering the buzz surrounding the new herbal anti-depressant, it is likely that many people will choose to try and switch from the conventional anti-depressant they are already taking to the herbal remedy. Let me repeat a few suggested guidelines if you should choose to do so. I would recommend first that you involve your doctor in the process (someone must be prescribing the antidepressant, after all); second, that you switch gradually, overlapping the two medications in the transition phase; third, that you monitor your progress carefully to ensure that you do not suffer a relapse; and finally, that you be open-minded about returning to your previous treatment sooner rather than later if the exchange does not appear to be working out. The following story of one of my former patients illustrates a successful transition from a conventional to an herbal anti-depressant.

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These are among the most troublesome and mistreated forms of environmental disease. In the following paragraphs, the overall scope of systemic problems related to the withdrawal stage will be surveyed and an overview provided of the complexity of the problem.

HEADACHE (MINUS-TWO REACTION)

The pain may be localized in one part of the head, or it may be generalized. It may occur with or without nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, or muscle involvement. It can meet the classical picture of migraine, with visions of flashing lights, and a general malaise. It is frequently accompanied by blurring of vision, weakness of the limbs, or pains in the nape, shoulders, and upper back—for this reason headache qualifies as a systemic, not just a local, problem.

Sometimes a headache is followed by a period of relative good health in which no pain is present. This “breathing space” tends to occur in the earlier stages of the problem, however. As it develops, headaches tend to become increasingly common and more severe.

MUSCLE ACHES AND PAINS (MINUS-TWO REACTION)

Both fatigue and headache are commonly associated with myalgia, or muscle pain. The frequency of this association has led some doctors to refer to it as the “tension-fatigue syndrome.” While the term suggests that the syndrome is caused by psychological tension, it is most commonly related to food and chemical susceptibility.

Myalgia, although frequently centered in the nape of the neck, may involve many other muscles. Muscle spasms (such as torticollis, lumbago, and sciatica), muscle cramps, aches, pains and weakness, chest pains (through the involvement of muscles of the chest wall), and abdominal pains are all possible symptoms.

Ignorance of the allergic basis of these pains sometimes leads to incorrect diagnoses of pleurisy, appendicitis, and even heart attacks.

JOINT ACHES AND PAINS (MINUS-TWO REACTIONS)

Arthritis of all types, arthralgia (joint aches), joint swelling, and bursitis all frequently have an allergic basis and can be controlled through altering the environment, as the case histories will make clear.

fatigue (minus-two reaction)

By allergic fatigue is meant tiredness which is unrelieved by the customary, or even an excessive, amount of rest. Fatigue is possibly the most common systemic symptom caused by allergy.* Although there are many variations on this theme, fatigue resulting from food allergy is usually at its worst in the morning and gradually improves as the day advances. This is due to the daily schedule of the food addict. Allergic fatigue is associated with general weakness, drowsiness, and the sensation of heavy limbs. It is also frequently associated with other allergic responses, such as swelling, headache, irritability, and low levels of confusion and depression.

Fatigue caused by exposure to pollen and other inhalants is also known, but is usually seasonal and easier to recognize and control.

brain-fag or impaired thinking ability (minus-three reactions)

“Brain-fag” is a designation for a rather severe, but unfortunately common, condition. This is the minus-three category, and its symptoms are systemic, but predominantly “mental” rather than physical. Such patients suffer from mild depression, with sadness, moodiness, and sullenness; mental confusion and disturbed thinking; impaired memory and reading comprehension; minimal brain dysfunction; indecisiveness; mental lapses, including aphasia and blackouts; and, in general, the whole gamut of “neuroses,” hypochondria, and so-called psychosomatic illnesses.

All of these problems can occur, but more commonly only a few of them are found in a single individual. The condition may get somewhat better for a while, or it may change back to a minus-two reaction (systemic and physical). But the general tendency is for it to linger or to get worse with the passage of time.

In a sense this is the most characteristic form of food and chemical allergy, for it represents the “bottom-of-the-barrel” for a great many advanced cases.

severe depression, with or without altered consciousness (M1NUS-three and minus-four reactions)

Depression straddles the fence between minus-three and minus-four reactions. In its most severe form, the patient experiences stupor, lethargy, and impaired responsiveness. Childish thinking, disorientation, amnesia, paranoid feelings, and even hallucinations may occur. Apathy, lethargy, and stupor are seen. The patient at this extreme level may lapse into a coma.

The minus-four stage also includes the various forms of “psychosis,” including manic-depressive disease and schizophrenia.

Most allergy patients never reach this extreme level of depression. However, once they do, it is difficult to treat them or even to obtain a history. In the latter stages of this kind of illness, a patient often cannot take care of himself and often cannot even give his correct name, much less a coherent history of his illness. The cause of the problem can usually be detected, but a great deal of family support is necessary for complete recovery. Schizophrenics who have become used to, and comfortable with, state welfare support or institutionalized care often make poor patients and may not be properly motivated to get better.

It should be obvious, then, that the scope of environmental disease is great. It includes many of the common chronic ailments which send people to doctors, although of course other causes of these ailments are also possible and should be investigated along with food and chemical susceptibility. It would be impossible in a book such as this to give a more thorough treatment of all of these syndromes. Instead, four common illnesses will be discussed at greater length below. The first is a physical ailment—headache—which is often erroneously diagnosed as psychosomatic in origin. The second is a physical, systemic illness—rheumatoid arthritis. The third is “brain-fag,” the most characteristic form of illness caused by food and chemical allergy. Finally, the most severe form of the problem, depression (which straddles minus-three and minus-four categories), is examined in greater depth.

The case histories in each chapter should add a human aspect to the rather bare bones of theory and show how even the seemingly incurable cases can be properly diagnosed and treated, and how many patients have been enabled to start leading normal lives once more.

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Sponge rubber is another “modern miracle” with unexpected drawbacks. Sponge-rubber pillows, mattresses, upholstery, seat cushions, rug backings, typewriter pads, and certain noise-reducing devices have all been identified as the sources of chronic illness.

Some allergy patients, having substituted sponge rubber for other bedding in order to reduce exposure to household dust, find to their dismay that the rubber fumes are even more troublesome. More commonly the effects of the rubber go undetected.

Frequently, a susceptible person will experience flushing of the face, irritability, and “air hunger,” upon first entering a room with rubber rug-pads, upholstery, or rubber-tiled floors. At night, he may suffer from insomnia, restlessness, night sweats, or fatigue, in reaction to rubber pillows, mattresses, or the rubber insulation of electric blankets. Natural fiber substitutes for all of these things are available, however, and their use is essentially the solution to this aspect of the chemical-susceptibility problem

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Eczema is a common, non-contagious rash in children. Generally, it starts between one month and two years of age, but sometimes it begins later. Eczema may disappear after two years of age, or it may appear oft” and on throughout childhood.

The cause of eczema is questionable but the condition is usually inherited. Eczema is a form of atopic dermatitis (any inflammation of the skin due to allergy). Children who have eczema often later develop other allergies, such as hay fever, asthma, and eye allergies.

Eczema sometimes is an allergic reaction to foods, beverages, and medications (including vitamin supplements). It also may be an allergic reaction to substances that come in contact with the skin. In some children, conditions such as heat or cold or emotions such as anger may cause itching and scaly skin all over the body.

Skin affected by eczema can easily become infected, especially if the skin is scratched. Common complications of eczema include infections with herpes simplex virus, vaccinia virus, and impetigo.

The eczema rash is dry, slightly scaly, pink, and itchy. The rash becomes red from rubbing and scratching. There is no fever or other symptoms, except when scratching causes an infection.

Eczema often begins on the cheeks (“clown” eczema) and around the mouth. It may also crop up on the buttocks or elsewhere. The most common location is behind the knees and in the folds of the elbows. Eczema rarely covers the entire body. It sometimes takes the form of round coin-like patches scattered on the body (nummular eczema). When it appears in this round patchy form, eczema may be confused with ringworm and pityriasis rosea. Often eczema occurs in combination with seborrhea (cradle cap).

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