Nature Cure: Philosophy & Practice Based on the Unity of Disease & CureLindlahr, Henry
Philosophy
Nature Cure: Philosophy & Practice Based on the Unity of Disease & Cure
Lindlahr, Henry
Naturopathy
The caffeine, alcohol or whatever the stimulating poison may have
been has precipitated the fatigue products from the blood and
deposited them in the tissues and organs of the body. Furthermore,
the stimulant has benumbed the inhibitory nerves; in other words, it
has lifted the brakes from the driving part of the organism, so that
the wheels are running wild.
But this means drawing upon the reserve supplies of nerve fats and
of the vital energy stored in them, which Nature wants to save for
extraordinary demands upon the system in times of illness or extreme
exertion. Therefore this procedure is contrary to Nature's
intent. Nature tried to force the tired body to rest and sleep, so
that it could store up a new supply of vital force.
Under the paralyzing influence of the stimulant upon the inhibitory
nerves, the organism now draws upon the reserve stores of nerve fats
and vital energies for the necessary strength to accomplish the
extra nightwork.
At the same time, the organism remains awake and active during the
time it should be replenishing energy for the next day's work, which
means that the latter also has to be done at the expense of the
reserve supply of life force.
During sleep only do we replenish our reserve stores of vitality.
The expenditure of vital energies ceases, but their liberation in
the system continues.
Therefore sleep is the "sweet restorer." Nothing can take its place.
No amount of food and drink, no tonics or stimulants can make up for
the loss of sleep. Continued complete deprivation of sleep is bound
to end in a short time in physical and mental exhaustion, in
insanity and death.
That the body, during sleep, acts as a storage battery for vital
energy is proved by the fact that in deep, sound sleep the aura
disappears entirely from around the body.
The aura is to the organism what the exhaust steam is to the engine.
It is formed by the electromagnetic fluids which have performed
their work in the body and then escape from it, giving the
appearance of a many-colored halo.
With the first awakening of conscious mental activity after sleep,
the aura appears, indicating that the expenditure of vital force has
recommenced.
In the above diagram we have an illustration of the true effect of
stimulants upon the system. The heavy line A-B represents the normal
level of available vital energy in a certain body for a given time,
say, for twenty-four hours. At point C a stimulant is taken. This
paralyzes the inhibitory nerves and temporarily precipitates the
fatigue products from the blood.
As we have seen, this allows an increased, unnatural expenditure of
vital energy, which raises the latter to point D. But when the
effect of the stimulant has been spent, the vital energy drops from
the artificially attained high point not only back to the normal
level, but below it to point E.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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