A cool shower, or a sponge bath, together with a vigorous rub every morning immediately on rising, and a normal quantity of natural food, render the body almost entirely immune from colds, la grippe, and all forms of capillary congestion and effete and toxic (poisonous) substances. (For diet, see volume of Menus, p. 917.) In cases of Colds: OMIT EAT Confections Coarse cereals (very little) Desserts Fresh vegetables Fatty foods Fruit (See p. 524) Flesh foods Light vegetable soups Heavy starchy foods Nuts Intoxicants Wheat bran Whites of eggs CATARRH--THE CAUSE [Sidenote: Decomposition of unused food the primary cause of catarrh] The causes of catarrh are attributed by all old school writers to acute coryza and exposure to irritating dust, or cold, moist, and perhaps infectious air. These may be secondary causes and may augment catarrh after it has appeared, but experience has proved that the primary cause of catarrh is the decomposition of unused food material, and that Nature throws off the decomposition products resulting therefrom, through the nasal passage, in the form of mucus. In the support of this theory I may refer to many cases of ordinary stomach trouble, constipation, torpidity of the liver, etc., that have had my personal care. In nearly all these cases I found that, when the diet was balanced according to the age and the occupation of the patient, with the climate or time of the year, practically all catarrhal symptoms disappeared, and exposure to atmospheric changes, dust, and the usual things that had formerly brought on catarrhal conditions, did not affect the patient. CATARRH--THE SYMPTOMS The symptoms of catarrh are constant secretion of nasal mucus, which often passes off into the postnasal and nasopharyngeal spaces. This mucus is usually thin and of a light-colored watery character, varying in quantity according to exposure or activity, the quantity of food eaten, and the temperature of the atmosphere. CATARRH--THE REMEDY In the treatment of catarrh, avoid the following: All meats Heavy starchy foods (Especially white flour products) Sweets (See Lesson VIII, p. 334) The diet should consist of-- A reasonable quantity of proteid foods in the form of-- Beans Peas Eggs Sour milk Nuts Bananas Coarse cereals--twice a day; such as entire wheat and rye Fish (small quantity, occasionally) Fresh vegetables Green watery salads Non-acid fruits Wheat bran-- (Enough to keep the bowels in normal condition) [Sidenote: Nasal breathing]