It’s Only Natural

Chapter XIII

Natural Pediatrics

 Tina’s Ear

It all started with a desperate telephone call from a young mother: "My daughter's been sick for three months. At first it seemed she just had a cold and then just as she was getting over one, she'd get another one. No matter what we did, she wouldn't improve. We took her to our medical doctor and he gave her antibiotics that seemed to make her better for a few days, but then it started all over again. He gave her stronger antibiotics and this seemed to help for awhile, but in a short time the problems returned and she again became worse. Not only is she stuffed up and can't breathe at night, but also her ear started to hurt and was running, with thick yellow matter.

"We took her back to the doctor for more antibiotics. The ear has stopped running, but she has never really gotten well. Her eyes look glassy; she is running slight fevers off and on. Her ears are always sore, she doesn't eat well, and I'm becoming frantic. I took her to an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. He said she was really in a bad way and had to have her tonsils and adenoids out and her ears were so bad that he had to cut the eardrum and put in little plastic draining tubes so that the infection could drain out, otherwise she'd never get well. Can you help me?"

This mother didn't want to go through with the operation. Some friend had told her about our Healing Center and although we were over fifty miles away, she decided to call us in hope of help.

I told her that although I couldn't be positive until I examined the child, I was sure that we could help her and could probably avoid surgery. She brought Tina in the next day and upon examination I found the usual pattern of mistreated (from our point of view) upper respiratory infection that had become so familiar to us. The nasal membranes were swollen, with bloody areas where the mucous membrane had become so inflamed that the surface capillaries had broken through. The tonsils were inflamed and swollen but not actually necrotic (dead tissue) or pussy.

Both eardrums were ballooning out, severely inflamed and the surface tissue looked like the wrinkled skin of an old person. The child was running a low grade fever of about 99.5°F, but though somewhat languid and lacking in natural sparkle, she otherwise did not appear to be sick.

I assured the mother that we could help her child. It would be necessary, however, for her to follow my instructions exactly. While I could not yet assure her that ear surgery would be unnecessary (because I had no way of evaluating the child's basic vitality), I nevertheless believed that we had better than a seventy-five per cent chance of preventing such surgery. The mother was overjoyed and, though still somewhat skeptical because of her previous experiences, she carefully followed our instructions and kept up Tina's treatment schedule.

Within two days, Tina's temperature was down to normal. Her ears no longer hurt and she was able to sleep at night without breathing difficulties. Within a week, the eardrum inflammation had been cut in half and the wrinkled appearance was diminishing. I was then able to tell the mother definitely that surgery would not be necessary.

Within two weeks, Tina looked like a different child. She was almost completely free of symptoms. Her ears, though not yet entirely normal, began to look like recognizable structures and she was playing outside with her old vim and vigor.

About this time, some of Tina's playmates came down with bad colds and flu. Her mother was very worried about Tina, and was certain that if Tina came down with the same condition all our work would be undone. I assured her that this would not happen, but mothers being mothers, I could not prevent her from worrying. Within a few days, Tina did, indeed, begin to run a fever and many of her old symptoms began to return. Her mother, again very distraught, called me, wanting to know if she should take Tina to her neighborhood physician for antibiotics. I assured her that if she did this, she then would really undo a great deal of the constructive healing we had accomplished and if she would only double the specific nutritional remedies I had given Tina, her present condition would very quickly abate.

Tina's mother followed my instructions with great trepidation, but she followed them nevertheless. Because it was physically impossible for the mother to bring Tina to my office for about two weeks, to reassure herself about the severity of Tina's condition she took her back to one of the medical doctors that had seen her originally. On examining Tina's ears, he simply shook his head in disbelief. "What have you done to this child?" he exclaimed. The tone of his voice struck fear into Tina's mother. "Oh my goodness," she thought, "what has that crazy quack doctor done to my child? What was wrong with Tina's ears now?" "Why, what's the matter?" she said. "Nothing," said the physician. "These ears are almost perfect. I can't understand it. I remember how bad they were. What did you do?"

Later when Tina's mother called me and described the incident, I asked her what she told the physician. "Oh nothing, doctor," she said, "Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything about you." I thought to myself, no wonder our methods are so poorly understood when patients are afraid to let their orthodox physicians know of our ability to help patients when they fail.

Tina has by this time made a complete recovery from her condition and as long as her mother follows the simple maintenance schedule I outlined for her, there is every reason to expect she will remain a healthy child with all thought of surgery completely dismissed.

Toby's Stomach

A friend who runs a hi-fi stereo business near Philadelphia called me one day about his daughter Toby. She'd had the stomach flu a few days earlier, but the abdominal cramps hadn't left. In fact, they were becoming worse and he wanted to know if I would see her. After I examined Toby, I thought the problem to be either a residual colitis caused by the virus or possibly acute appendicitis. Our resident osteopath at that time, Dr. Edwin Cook, also examined her and his tentative diagnosis was acute appendicitis. Her temperature was slightly elevated and her white blood cell count was somewhat above normal. While in serious cases of appendicitis we always recommend surgery, in a mildly inflamed appendicitis we have often been able to stop the process short of surgery with various natural remedies and treatments. Knowing that my friend wouldn't want surgery for Toby if it could be avoided, I suggested this mode of therapy, but I insisted that a white cell count be taken at least once a day until we were certain the girl was out of danger. Because they lived some distance from our Center, I suggested that such laboratory work be done at their local hospital and the results reported to me. The next day, although Toby's temperature was still a degree above normal, her white cell count had dropped from 11,600 to 9,500. This was thought to be a safe level by the hospital, so I suggested continuing the natural therapy. Their local pediatrician did not think the condition was appendicitis, but rather just an aftermath of the influenza, though he had no specific treatment to recommend for Toby's rather agonizing cramps.

After further white cell counts showed a slight but steady decrease, although the cramps continued, I too decided that it was not appendicitis but probably an acute spastic colon due to the flu virus. To correct this disorder, I suggested that they bring Toby back for a short series of our herbal colonic treatments. Following these, the condition began to improve-although not as rapidly as we are accustomed. Toby's mother, who was, at that time, not completely sold on natural methods, took the child back to her pediatrician, who conjectured that the disorder might be a urinary tract infection. He therefore gave Toby the rather strong antibiotic Macrodantin.

When her father told me this, I was somewhat surprised since Toby's examination had not revealed any symptoms of a urinary condition. Not wishing to cause a family argument, I told him to go ahead with the Macrodantin, but if it didn't clear up in a few days, it should be discontinued because it could have severe after effects on the normal bowel bacteria. If the pediatrician was correct, the pain should abate very quickly after use of this drug. The pain did not abate and so the pediatrician concluded that there was no urinary infection and the Macrodantin was stopped.

He admitted he really didn't know what was bothering Toby, but when he found out that I had recommended various nutritional supplements he convinced Toby's mother that these were possibly causing her distress and suggested that they be discontinued. This was done with the result Toby's difficulties pain and suffering increased.

At this time, Toby's father brought her to me again. Upon examination, I found the colon still inflamed, though not as much as it had been earlier. I suggested that we try herbal colonic irrigations once again because I thought that the diagnosis of acute spastic colon was correct and that we had discontinued this therapy too soon for the desired recovery. The father agreed and after two further colon treatments and the use of a mild bulk laxative, Toby's abdominal problems ceased and her rather long ordeal was over. In fact, the only problem remaining was an irritating body rash that apparently was a reaction to the Macrodantin. This also responded to natural methods with reasonable rapidity, although it is unfortunate that such treatment was necessary.

The Effectiveness of Natural Treatment in Children

These case histories have been presented because I find that very few people, including many physicians in my own profession, have a complete understanding of the usefulness of natural therapy in the problems of children. I believe there is no field of medicine in which natural methods can show their true wonders as fully and rapidly as in the treatment of common childhood disorders.

When I was first considering a career in healing, I met a young fellow whose interests were about the same as mine. When I told him I was going to be a naturopath and chiropractor, he was very intrigued, but he decided to become a medical doctor. Although he liked the idea of natural methods, he said he didn't "want to spend all his time treating old people." In fact, natural methods are more effective for the young than they are for older persons. This is due to the very nature of natural methods and the way they function in the body.

In almost all acute conditions, which are those most prevalent in children, we attempt to stimulate the disease fighting mechanisms of the body to greater activity. In order to accomplish this, the body must have sufficient inherent vitality so that such methods do not exhaust it-exactly the opposite of what we intend. At times, in the very aged and weak, we must be cautious about the methods we use to stimulate these defense processes, because the patient's body may run out of basic vitality before we can accomplish our purpose. In the older patient, we must therefore often choose a milder and slower-working method that is safer and less heroic in that particular case. (See Appendix A on the difference between active and passive treatments.) In children, however, this is only rarely necessary. Because their body's have not yet been subjected for a long time to the ravages of modern living, they can usually be stimulated by active treatment without any great difficulty or fear.

Also, because most children haven't been subjected to the long-term deleterious effects of smoking, refined foods, atmospheric pollution or emotional stress and strain as much as have their parents and older persons, their tissues respond much more readily to the natural elements we give them to encourage healing and repair. Their digestive and metabolic systems function better than those of most older people; therefore, when a product is given, it will usually be digested and assimilated, an assumption that can't be made with any certainty in adults.

Children are much closer to nature than their old contemporaries; they are not yet filled with the gross toxins and poisons characteristic of so much of the grown-up world. Being close to nature (God), their bodies respond well to things that are native to their own creation. In treating childhood disorders, the more closely allied the products we use are to the structures of nature, the more able the child is to accept and utilize them to his own benefit. On the other hand, the more foreign a substance is to a child's chemical structure, the more detriment it is capable of producing. Most modern drugs are complicated, man-created compounds that are structurally light years away from the substances the Creator placed in our world. Who knows what effects these distinctly foreign substances may have in time on all of us.

This isn't to say that there is not a place in pediatric emergencies for even the strongest and most chemically complicated of modern drugs, but they are frequently used where natural, much safe methods would be entirely adequate. In all too many patients, drugs may produce as much or more disorder than they cure. This is not my own conclusion alone, but also that of many reflective and honest pediatricians.

The natural physician looks on disease not as an entity that strikes the body, but as a condition brought about by various deleterious activities that have produced certain physical, chemical or emotional instabilities in the body resulting in the symptoms and manifestations we call disease. To overcome disease, the natural physician seeks to discover the imbalances, deficiencies or abnormalities that exist in the body and then to ascertain what actions have caused these disorders. Once this task is completed he makes every effort to correct these adverse actions and to utilize various natural methods to overcome the original defects and imbalances.

In children, such imbalances are usually mild and easy to detect. The child hasn't had the time, nor the inclination, to develop the bad mental, emotional or physical habits of many of our older patients. Because these imbalances in children are fairly simple, they usually respond to correspondingly mild and simple therapies. Frequently, we only compound the child's difficulties when we attempt to use harsh, non physiologic drugs.

Antibodies and Antibiotics

Our bodies contain marvelous agents of defense known as antibodies. When a foreign germ or substance invades the body, a body mechanism (or system) rapidly investigates the nature of this invader. In a way, you might say that this mechanism is like our body's CIA or FBI. This system examines the invader, finds out all his strong and weak points and then produces a specific entity called an antibody, which when it combines with the foreign invader renders it completely harmless.

Let us assume a foreign invader shaped as shown in example (A), Figure 12. The body knows that example B is a harmless substance. Its job then is to produce another substance (C) that when combined with the foreign invader (A) produces the harmless substance (B). When this is done, these (C) substances, which are now antibodies, is a ready and effective defense against the invader (A). If substance (A) ever again invades the body, the antibodies (C) present in the blood and in some of the other organs of the body are instantly drawn to this invader, combine with it and render it into the harmless substance (B), which is then eliminated by one of various body processes. Since antibodies are lost in this procedure, the mechanism functions so that each reinfection re-stimulates further antibody production to replace those lost in the process of neutralization.

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At this time, I want to draw attention to two factors involved in antibody production. First, no antibodies can be formed until an invader first attacks the body. Therefore, during the first infection or invasion, one must depend on something other than antibodies to control and overcome the invading agent. Second, it takes time and the stimulation of the foreign substance to produce antibodies. If anything is done to prevent this natural process from proceeding through its various stages, antibody production is retarded or even stopped entirely.

Although the infant obtains antibody protection from the milk of his mother, assuming he is nursed, he must produce his own antibodies for his proper protection throughout the rest of his life. He also must build a strong first-line defense mechanism, because antibodies are only produced as the first invasion is overcome and it is necessary that the reticuloendothelial system, the white cell phagocytes and the other first-line defenses also function properly.

The common modern medical treatment of children's disease relies heavily on antibiotics. Although these substances are effective, they take over and do the work of the body's defenses, frequently stopping an infection before the body has had a chance to build antibodies. If the child should become reinfected, which is most common in today's world, his body will have no antibodies to stop this infection. Thus, antibiotics are usually used again, further weakening the body's defenses. In time even the first-line defense mechanism is weakened and the child becomes what I call an antibiotic cripple. We do use antibiotics at the our Centers, but they are used only when we know that the body's defenses, even with our help, are truly inadequate to protect the patient.

If we take a case of simple tonsillar infection and follow it through with and without antibiotics, the possible damage that can be wrought by these often useful but frequently misused substances should become clear.

An invader attempts to enter the body through the mouth. The tonsils attempt to stop the invader by holding it in their special pockets (crypts) and a battle rapidly ensues. The white blood cells (leukocytes) are drawn to the area, the invader stimulates an inflammatory reaction and the tonsils swell, they become congested with blood bringing more white cells to the area and the body temperature rises. The child feels weak and languid because the energy normally used by his muscles and other tissues is now being used to overcome the invader and to produce antibodies to counteract any such future infections.

In our own treatment of this condition, the young patient is put to bed, to conserve his vitality for the fight. For a day or two he is to have nothing but diluted fruit juices, which give the body necessary elements for its defense and rest the digestive system so its energy can be diverted to the battle. Specific nutritional substances are given to the patient in an easily assimilable form, which provide the body with the raw materials needed for the proper function of its defense mechanisms. Certain herbal remedies are prescribed that enhance the bodies ability to fight the foe.

If the foregoing program is carefully followed, the body's defense mechanisms are usually readily able to overcome the invasion. The body has adequate time to survey the invading agent and to produce sufficient antibodies to protect the health of the child against further similar insults. This may take several days and in some instances up to two weeks, because antibodies sometimes are produced slowly. The patient is not entirely safe from reinfection until antibody production is well-advanced and the system can use these substances to control the invading agent adequately. If therapy is not continued until sufficient antibodies are produced for complete control, the encouraging results at the beginning of treatment may be followed by recurrence of the ailment within a few days or weeks.

When antibiotics are used, the course of the disease is changed drastically, assuming that the invader is sensitive to the drug. When the proper antibiotic is given, the bacterial invasion and the antibody production stimulated by this invasion are soon brought to a standstill. The child's parents are usually pleased to find that the disease is so rapidly "cured," little realizing that only a small battle has been won, but that the war is being lost because the body's defenses are now weaker than before the disease and not stronger, which would have occurred if natural methods, which allowed proper antibody creation, had been pursued.

If the only difficulty with antibiotics were that they prevent antibody production, we might be able to use them more widely, but they have other adverse effects as well, especially in the young. The first line of body defense-the inflammatory state, the phagocytosis of the white cells, and the fever reaction of the body-is stimulated by use. In other words, when these defenders are allowed to battle a condition to its ultimate successful conclusion, they, like any other army, become more effective as a fighting machine. If, when a young child develops symptoms of infection, the parents rapidly run to have his body saturated with antibiotics, the inherent natural defenses have little chance to develop. All too often, when viral infections (which aren't controlled by antibiotics) attack this child, he has little ability to fight it on his own. Viral conditions that are basically mild in most, can, in these children, become serious. Various overwhelming infections may occur in children whose defense mechanisms haven't been allowed to develop naturally.

Added to all this, we must remember that antibiotics are themselves foreign substances to the body and can trigger reactions which, although usually mild and transitory, have nevertheless been fatal in sensitive children.

I don't mean by this discussion to disparage completely the use of antibiotics. They have a place in overcoming severe infections that are obviously beyond the control of the body's defense mechanisms. Almost every conscientious researcher of pediatric medicine bewails the fact, however, that the average practitioner vastly overuses antibiotics, not only helping to culture a vast army of drug-resistant organisms (Since we originally wrote these words over twenty years ago even the most conservative of physicians is beginning to be concerned about the possible serious effect of these "Super Bugs.") because of such constant exposure, but also producing a generation of children that often have great difficulty in overcoming the simplest infections with their own defense mechanisms.

The Character of Childhood Diseases

The first book I read on natural healing, entitled Nature Cure and published originally in 1914, was written by Henry Lindlahr, the father of the former radio commentator on health, Victor Lindlahr. I still consider Henry Lindlahr the most dynamic writer I've ever read on this subject. It was this book that first awakened in me the desire to be a doctor of natural medicine. It was also in this book that I first read the rather heretical naturopathic point of view that disease was not necessarily a harmful process, but in fact that certain so called diseases, properly treated, could be very beneficial to the long-term health of the patient. According to Lindlahr, this was particularly true of acute childhood illnesses and he gave many examples to illustrate his point.

Lindlahr's theory, in a nutshell, is this: When we are born, we bring into the world, as indicated by the Bible, the sins of our father and father's fathers. In other words, Lindlahr believed that the child inherits many disease-producing congestions and toxin-like substances from its parents. He then theorized that many of the various childhood illnesses are an opportunity given to the body, through the action of the acute defense process, to throw off some of this inherited destructive matter. He therefore suggested that little effort be made to isolate our children from such common contagion and if and when it does occur, to treat such a disease by the methods then and now used by natural therapists. Such treatment should do all it can to stimulate the elimination process. In this way the body is given an opportunity to correct many of its congenital weaknesses.

Lindlahr observed, at least in his time, that children who go through their youth with very few childhood ailments often have considerable health problems in later life, whereas those who run the gamut of childhood illnesses successfully and are treated in such a manner that these conditions are not suppressed are often singularly free of disease in later life.

I realize that to talk of congestive or morbid matter in the system in this day and age may bring a smile of contempt from some of my sophisticated readers, but these terms were written originally in 1914, and at that time such words, although not accepted by the orthodox medical profession, were at least understood by the public. From my own experiences, and those of many other physicians in this field, there is a definite consensus that Lindlahr's theory may well valid. It may not work in the manner in which he hypothesizes, but the beneficial clinical effects are readily demonstrable.

Therefore, to this day, I stress to my patients that whenever an acute disease is present in their children, it is usually to the child's present and certainly ultimate benefit to treat that condition in as natural a manner as possible to enable the inherent body defense mechanisms to function as fully as they can. In this manner we aid the body in performing two vital functions. First, we enable the body to strengthen its own basic defense mechanisms and to develop antibodies to control similar conditions in the future. Second, we give the body the opportunity to utilize the acute reaction to rid itself of other adverse substances that can't readily be eliminated through its normal functions.

I realize that this last conclusion isn't supported by a consensus of medical opinion; yet it doesn't take much research to discover there have been times when the elite of orthodox medicine themselves use this method and use it successfully. In fever therapy, the patient with chronic syphilis has been treated by inducing an artificial temperature or fever, either mechanically or by injecting fever-producing organisms. This feverish state has been used to burn out disease conditions that, though injurious to the body, aren't able to produce a natural fever by themselves. Man devised this method from the simple observation of the way the body itself functions under certain circumstances. My thought, however, is this: if man can create in the body an artificial temperature in order to correct certain disease processes, isn't it just as possible that when the body produces a fever from a natural cause, might it not also use this fever to overcome other disease processes in the body in the same way? It seems that we may almost have a double standard as far as medical theories are concerned. As long as man does something, it's science. When nature does something, it's quackery.

Types of Children's Illnesses

The diseases I discuss here are common to childhood and are successfully treated by natural methods. These can be divided into four basic groups. The first group includes conditions that are mild and commonly encountered in children. The second group comprises those that are more severe, but that have generally been caused by improper or inadequate treatment of the mild conditions. Third, are conditions that are generally congenital; and fourth, are those that stem from inborn hereditary factors.

Most people have difficulty separating congenital from hereditary disorders. A congenital condition is one that may have been caused by some specific situation that occurred while the child was within the mother's womb (uterus) or that may have happened during the delivery. Hereditary conditions are those caused by genetic defects that have been handed down from the child's ancestors and are passed on to the child, even though its term in its mother's womb and delivery were entirely normal. The deformities caused by the tranquilizer thalidomide are examples of congenital defects; sickle cell anemia, which is a genetic disturbance present in the blood cells of many African Americans, is a hereditary defect.

In a child who is relatively free from congenital defects and whose hereditary deficiencies are not severe or overpowering, most of his early illnesses will fall into the first category. These usually consist of upper respiratory infections, chest congestions, tonsil problems, adenoid problems, spinal and other mechanical problems, a variety of infectious diseases, so called childhood diseases, worms, bed-wetting, and other similar conditions. If these conditions are treated by simple natural means, the child usually weathers them successfully and can look forward to a healthy adulthood. On the other hand, if these conditions are inadequately or over zealously treated, they often can give rise to more serious problems that may be the beginning of a lifetime of suffering and medical dependency.

It was an axiom of the early naturopaths that many chronic diseases were the result of acute conditions that had been improperly treated. They believed that if one does not properly treat a mild acute condition, it will worsen and turn into a chronic or permanent condition that is resistant to almost all forms of therapy. My own experience has time and again proven to me that this axiom is well-founded. Therefore, much of the discussion here is about therapy designed to show you, the parent, how you may treat your children's mild conditions so that you will be able to prevent them from developing into more serious or chronic conditions.

Congenital and hereditary conditions can also be treated by natural means. Because of their nature, however, each is an entity unto itself and must be handled by a natural physician well versed in this type of work.

Treating Childhood Diseases by Natural Methods

Acute Catarrh of the Head

As every physician knows, the most common childhood ailment is the upper respiratory infection-the cold, runny nose, inflamed ears, swollen tonsils and adenoid problems. Improperly treated, these can result in chest congestion and the various forms of bronchitis. Many names can be given this ailment, but it all comes from one thing-acute catarrh (mucus congestion) of the head.

The procedures used in treating this condition are basic to practically all infective childhood disorders. I therefore go to some lengths to describe this therapy; when discussing other acute childhood disorders, I will only elaborate on those parts that differ from this basic treatment.

The most common cause of all childhood illness is improper diet. Therefore, the diet must be the first correction made when we attempt to devise a treatment for childhood diseases. In this area the biggest mistake most parents make is to allow their children far too many sugars, starches and dairy products and insufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, and proteins-the protective foods.

If the child's upper respiratory condition does not elicit a fever, I usually restrict the child's diet to small amounts of lean meat, fish, seafood and plenty of fruits and vegetables. No dairy products (milk, eggs, cheese) or carbohydrates (bread, cakes, pies, cookies, candies) are allowed until the condition is well on the road to recovery. Even then, I recommend that the parents put the child on our Basic Maintenance Diet and keep him there to prevent a recurrence of the disorder.

If the child has a fever, I restrict him to a diet of half water and half fruit juices mixed to be given frequently during the day until the temperature returns to normal. Once the temperature is normal, I have the child follow the diet of lean meat, fish, fruits and vegetables until the child's tissues have again returned to normal. At this time, as in the first instance, the child is placed on the Basic Maintenance Diet as a general health precaution.

I can't emphasize too much that these dietary recommendations are an absolute must in treating these conditions. All the specific therapy we use is of little value unless the dietary recommendations are followed. I wish to reiterate again most emphatically, most childhood respiratory problems stem from improper diet and it is only by the permanent change of this diet that a true cure can be achieved.

After dietary regulation is assured, we recommend specific herbal and nutritional agents to help our young patients. The most common herbal mixture used is called EMP-Improved. This herbal product is a special mixture of extracts produced in our own laboratory. This grouping of herbs (EMP) has never been known to fail us in these conditions, and yet it is only rarely known to the profession as a whole.

EMP-Improved

This is the most commonly prescribed remedy at our Healing Research Center. Some of the ingredients are proprietary, but those that can be disclosed are described below.

Echinacea: was originally known as an alterative-an old term meaning "that which changes a morbid condition to one of health." An alterative was used to change the nature of a condition-in other words, to start the healing process. It has also been called a blood purifier. I dislike the term because it bespeaks of quackery, and Echinacea is too valuable an herb to have any whisper of quackery connected with it, but the name does describe its clinical effect. Some physicians have called Echinacea a natural antibiotic. I object to this because the action of the herb is entirely unlike that of an antibiotic. Although it controls infections and quickly hastens a return to normal in many, it does not effect its action by stopping the natural processes, as do antibiotics, but by stimulating to greater activity these self same natural processes. Thus, its general action is quite the opposite of that of antibiotics. It is truly a sovereign remedy, however, and is the most frequently used herbal substance at our Centers.

Myrrh: is the same myrrh brought by the Wise Men to the Christ Child. It was used then and now to prevent what has been called "mortification of the flesh"- another way of saying that it prevents abnormal destruction and breakdown of tissues. In this capacity it works happily and synergistically with the Echinacea.

Hydrastis (Golden Seal): is an herb that stimulates the lymphatic system. When the lymph glands are swollen and congested, as often happens in upper respiratory infections, Hydrastis aids in promoting a free and constructive movement of the lymphatic fluids. Hydrastis also acts as a catalyst in any compound containing it. It helps to make all the other herbs function more effectively.

Thuja (Arborivita): is an herb that helps the body rid itself of various toxic substances. It also has been reported to be effective against some viruses that Echinacea may not be able to handle alone.

The EMP-Improved is taken internally, usually in a dose of ten to fifteen drops, three to four times a day in mild congestions and as frequently as every half hour in severe infections with high fevers. It is also specifically effective for sore throats and swollen tonsils. In these instances, the condition is treated directly by swabbing the affected area with a cotton swab dipped in the full strength herbal liquid. This swabbing should be done two to three times a day or more often if the condition is severe. There are no known toxicities from this herbal compound, nor can I even remember a patient who was sensitive to it. It is most certainly one of the great natural therapeutic compounds.

The next therapeutic aid we suggest is a vitamin C preparation. I usually insist on a specific preparation that contains not only vitamin C but also a very high concentration of certain bioflavonoid factors in combination with other natural extracts, some of which have not yet been completely isolated. Although the ordinary vitamin C preparations often give protection in certain persons, the complete tissue repair I desire is not generally accomplished without the more esoteric factors that are part of some specific products available to the Natural Healing professions. Among other things these products now contain various compounds extracted from the Thymus, Adrenal and Spleen. We have found these extracts to be invaluable in all infective diseases not only those of children.

If the condition is mild and no fever is present, the prescribed diet, and the special Vitamin C preparations usually bring about a very successful recovery. More severe cases and all instances in which fever is present require the addition of more specific and stronger thymus activity. There seem to be in thymic material, properly processed, agents that stimulate body repair mechanisms. Recent researchers have discovered a substance in thymus called interferon, which can destroy viruses. Although it's doubtful that either of the thymic preparations we use has large amounts of interferon, it is possible that they may have precursors that aid the body in making a similar substance that helps control infections. These thymic materials help to control many infections for which antibiotics are apparently worthless. This fact has been verified not only by the members of the natural healing arts but also by an ever-increasing number of medical practitioners who have become disillusioned with the scientific wonders of their own profession and have begun to investigate some of the techniques that we've been using for decades. (This was written twenty years ago and the information is still valid today. The only difference being that we now know much more about the use of Thymic material and it is now available in many new forms including a liquid for the youngest of children.)

In upper respiratory infections that appear resistant to the agents just described, it is sometimes necessary to add fat soluble chlorophyll pertest The exact agents present in this fat-soluble chlorophyll compound that help fight infections are unknown, but clinically they are very effective. They are completely harmless and without any counter indications or adverse side effects.

If an upper respiratory infection ends in a tickling cough that doesn't rapidly abate, the body usually needs ionizable calcium, and vitamin F (unsaturated fatty acid substances) to aid in the utilization of the calcium. Several products may serve here. We usually prescribe a phosphorous free calcium and special Vitamin F tablets that rapidly correct this problem.

Other herbal, nutritional, and homeopathic remedies are used in individual cases, but this supplementation regimen usually is adequate in most upper respiratory infections.

The Cleansing Enema

Whenever a young child has a condition that produces a fever and in which diarrhea is not an early symptom, a cleansing enema can be an important part of therapy. This treatment is usually given early in the course of the disease and should consist of one quart of warm water in which have been dissolved half a teaspoon of table salt and half a teaspoon of baking soda. The enema should be given slowly with small amounts of solution being injected followed by a rest period before injecting more. This procedure-injection, rest, injection, and rest-if pursued, will cause less spasticity and cramping in the child and the enema will be accepted with less ruckus. The effectiveness of this treatment can be increased if the mother gently kneads the child's abdomen while the water is being injected to aid in its passage through the various convolutions of the large bowel.

Improvement in the child's condition frequently follows rapidly after the enema. In some cases, the enema must be given daily until the fever is down, but usually one or two enemas are all that are required. If you are in doubt about how to administer the enema or whether one should be administered, it is best to contact your Healing Research Center doctor before attempting this procedure. Some conditions that may be benefited from this treatment require the careful management of a physician trained in its operation.

Office Treatment

In our office treatment of these conditions, we usually use Magnatherm, treating the affected area and also the general organs of elimination. Chiropractic manipulation also is usually indicated. We generally find that the cervical vertebrae are rotated and a certain amount of fixation is present in most cases. Although a child will recover without a correction of these spinal problems, recovery is more rapid and seemingly more complete when we take these mechanical problems into account.

For the irritated tissues that are such an integral part of these conditions we use Chlorophyll nebulization in the office. This treatment brings almost instant relief to the inflamed tissues of upper respiratory infections.

Antibiotic Therapy

The procedure just outlined, as simple as it seems, adequately corrects most childhood upper respiratory infections, and furthermore it is the cornerstone of treatment for almost all infectious diseases of the young.

Although we make every attempt to refrain from the use of antibiotics in this general treatment, there are two times in which we are more or less forced to contend with antibiotic therapy: first, as often occurs, when a child has been treated by other physicians before we see him and is on antibiotics at the time of his first visit to us; and second when the child is brought to us so late in the progress of the condition that the infection is overwhelming and we think it necessary to use a specific antibiotic to preserve life. In the first instance, we have no control of the doses given; in the second, we try to use as harmless an antibiotic for as short a time as possible, stopping the antibiotic long before the regular practitioner would, because we can depend on natural methods to complete the necessary healing, once the antibiotic has prevented an overwhelming of the body defenses by the infection. When antibiotics have been administered, it is advisable to give some sort of bacterial culture to protect the intestinal flora from the adverse effects of the drug. Acidophilus yeast or even yogurt works in most cases.

Complication of Upper Respiratory Infections

The proper treatment of the simple upper respiratory infection is extremely important in childhood because of its possible rapid extension into nearby areas. The eustachian tube in the child is almost horizontal rather than directed diagonally downward as it is in the adult and it therefore is very easy for upper respiratory infections to pass along this tube into the middle ear of the child. Otitis media (middle ear infection) is very common in this age group. If the aforementioned therapy is begun early in the upper respiratory infection, such extension can usually be prevented. However, if it should occur, more specific therapy is needed. Magnatherm treatment of the ears given daily, when used in conjunction with the standard therapy, has proven most satisfactory in treating otitis media. If, however, the condition has been allowed to deteriorate considerably and if pressure in the middle ear is such that the eardrum is in danger of rupture, it may be necessary to use endonasal therapy. Such treatment, by cleaning out the congestion at the opening of the eustachian tube, usually brings prompt relief, and subsequent Magnatherm therapy will stimulate rapid recovery.

If sinus complications occur, our chlorophyll-oxygen nebulization therapy mentioned above proves most effective, along with Magnatherm or diathermy treatment of the sinuses. Of late we are also using the Low Level Laser Therapy to good effect on these sinus complications.

Pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tonsil disorders usually respond well to our general therapy for infectious diseases. In these various throat infections, local applications of EMP are often greeted by rapid recovery if the treatment is begun early.

Laryngitis (loss of voice) is not particularly painful, but it can be rather upsetting to a child. I recommend two procedures: Some patients find great relief by rubbing Capsolin (a capsicum based rubefacient. Your health food store may have a similar item under another name.) into the throat; others use turpentine for this same purpose. I often suggest a heating throat compress in which a long, narrow strip of cloth, such as sheeting material, is soaked in cold water and then wrapped around the throat. Over this is pinned a dry Turkish towel to exclude all air from reaching the moist strip. This healing compress can be left on for twenty minutes to half an hour and repeated two or three times a day if desired. It usually draws out the inflammation in the larynx rapidly, the voice usually returning soon. During recovery, the patient must refrain from using his voice as much as possible because if the vocal cords are used before fully recovered, this recovery is prolonged. The Low Level Laser is proving effective here as well sometimes bringing a near miraculous recovery.

Lower Respiratory Infections

Usually, if we properly take care of upper respiratory infections in our young patients, we won't be plagued with those of the lower tract. However, because our patients are often brought to us with the condition already advanced to the bronchial tubes, it is necessary that we know how to treat these conditions. Also, some patients have a definite weakness in these areas. Often a condition will begin in the bronchial tubes and ascend into the upper respiratory tract in certain of these susceptible persons. Many children also are susceptible to asthmatic or bronchial problems, and in these children almost any upper respiratory infection rapidly descends into the lower respiratory tract and must be treated as such.

Our dietary suggestions for lower tract respiratory infections are usually the same as those for upper respiratory infections. We are more specific about such recommendations, however, and must be adamant with the parent to be sure that these diets are followed to the letter, because lower respiratory conditions can become more dangerous than those of the upper respiratory tract.

Our general supplemental therapy is again pursued but with the addition of special nutritional agents specific to this area. These remedies are so effective that we advise all our parents to tell us early on in the treatment of their child if there is any tendency of upper respiratory problems rapidly descending into the bronchials. If there is such a tendency, we begin the child on the special remedies for the lower tract at the onset of the upper tract condition to ward off this tendency. This effort is successful in most of our young patients.

In lower respiratory infections, the temperature must be watched carefully. If it rises suddenly to 104° or 105° and the patient experiences sharp pains in the chest and great difficulty in breathing, the patient may be developing lobar pneumonia. In this instance, we consider antibiotic therapy the only practical treatment and we would send such patients immediately to the hospital under the care of one of the medical or osteopathic physicians. We say "would" because our treatment work has been sufficiently successful that we haven't had to do so for the last twenty seven years that I have been connected with our Healing Centers.

If the child's temperature remains below 102°, we consider the disorder to be either a minor chest congestion or at worst a viral pneumonia that can be treated at home with the proper attention of one of our Centers' physicians. In our office, in addition to the treatments mentioned above, we treat these congestions with short wave diathermy treatments directly through the chest. If this is properly regulated, it is one of the most satisfactory and beneficial therapies for this type of chest problem we have ever seen. By creating a high local temperature in the lungs and bronchials it seems that this treatment is able to augment the body's efforts to heal these troublesome conditions.

Modern medical investigation has shown that chest problems, especially bronchial disorders, are much more common in children who have had their tonsils removed. Therefore, in our young patients, we make every effort to see that the tonsils are properly treated and retained. In more than forty years of practice, where natural healing methods were followed by the parents, I have not had to send even one of my young patients for a tonsillectomy. The tonsils act as filters preventing dangerous organisms from passing down into the bronchial tree. Therefore, to take out tonsils, without very strong reasons, is criminal indeed. It's like disconnecting the bell of an alarm system so it won't wake you up while you're sleeping. You may sleep well, but your house could be robbed.

Asthma

Unfortunately asthma in children is far more common than we would like. Usually, the tendency is inherited. It is possible for a child to develop asthma, even though the parents don't have asthmatic symptoms. At least one of the parents, however, usually manifests other allergic reactions and the child inherits this tendency. Asthma is usually an allergic disorder. Although severe attacks respond to our basic therapy, one usually must check the metabolic problems, such as low blood sugar and functional hypoadrenalism, to find the true cause of the condition and thereby give the most complete aid to the child. Our Woodlands Medical Center specializes in the detection and correction of the allergies that may be a causative agent in asthma. If your child (or yourself) is susceptible to this condition please let your Center physician know and he will give you further information on the allergy correction procedures available at the Woodlands Medical Center.

Influenza

Luckily, every doctor knows that influenza is caused by a virus and that antibiotics are of no use against viruses. Therefore, only the most irrational doctor recommends antibiotics for influenza. The usual recommendation is bed rest, the drinking of lots of fluids and possibly the use of aspirin for aches and pains. Kaopectate or some similar substance might be prescribed for the diarrhea that sometimes accompanies it, but generally little other medication is recommended. Such treatment has much to recommend it, and it isn't unlike that used by all natural physicians. It is, however, a negative treatment and although often adequate, it isn't always sufficient to keep a child from developing some after effects from the condition itself. By negative treatment, I mean that the physician simply gives the body the chance to heal itself, though he does little in a positive way to aid the body. Often, this is all the body requires. I'm sure that if most physicians would only do this more often, the number of chronic ailments in this country would diminish considerably.

It is possible to recommend a certain amount of constructive therapy in influenza; in particular, after the acute stage has passed, methods can be used to prevent the possible devitalization of the body so commonly a part of the disorder.

During acute influenza with gastritis, it is difficult for the patient to keep anything in his stomach, so it is generally impractical to suggest specific food or nutritional supplementation. However, Homeopathic remedies can be used since they do not enter the stomach but are absorbed directly into the capillaries under the tongue. Your Center physician can give you further information on these remedies.

When the patient is constantly vomiting, it is very helpful to have him suck an ice cube. There seems to be some reflex from this ice cube sucking that gives liquid to his body and yet tends to inhibit the vomiting reflex. Because the patient is not hungry we have very little worry about him overeating-most are placed, by Nature, on a therapeutic fast at this time.

The cramps and diarrhea often caused by this condition can be relieved by hot, moist packs put over the abdomen.

After the acute symptoms have passed, natural therapy can be of great aid in preventing some of the distressful aftereffects of this debilitating ailment. As in the case of Toby, mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the intestinal irritation doesn't always leave spontaneously, but it usually yields rapidly to herbal colon therapy. In general, two treatments at most are all that are necessary. Very rarely do we encounter a case as resistant as Toby's.

The most prevalent after effect of influenza in children and in adults is adrenal exhaustion. This is best treated by the use of the remedies discussed in Chapter II.

Magnatherm, spinal adjustments, and other natural therapies are often required. The method isn't as important as the objective-which is to be sure that the child is returned to vibrant health. We never like to release a patient on the unproven assumption that he will get better later on his own. This isn't an assumption one can readily make. If the child is not returned to full vibrant health before we release him for school, he may be more susceptible to the next infection that comes along, and this infection could in turn leave him weaker. This process can continue until the child is seriously affected by what might otherwise be a relatively mild disorder.

The So-Called Childhood Diseases

Most childhood diseases-measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough-are virus infections, producing antibodies to the infection that usually provide lifetime immunity. Childhood illnesses shouldn't be treated lightly. Properly handled, they are not serious. But it is important that the child be given sufficient time for his body to build up the proper amount of antibodies before he is sent back to school or is allowed to participate in his regular activities after one of these diseases. It isn't unusual for mothers, eager to have some of their free time back, to send a youngster back to school before his body has had adequate time to build proper antibody protection. When this is done, the ailment may recur, though this is rare. What usually happens is that the youngster remains below par for some time. While the body slowly builds the antibodies, and because of his low resistance, he is susceptible to other infectious diseases. In general, a full ten days to two weeks should be allowed for complete recovery from any childhood disease, and some of the more severe cases may even require longer.

In treating childhood diseases, the general therapy for upper respiratory conditions can usually be followed with excellent success. Specific treatments, however, may prove extremely useful in individual diseases.

Mumps

Fresh carrots, ground in a meat grinder, placed in a bag or wrap made out of old sheeting, and applied directly over the swollen glands usually stops the pain almost immediately and aids greatly in reducing the swelling. Once the pack becomes dry, it should be replaced with a fresh one. If this treatment is used for only a couple of days, the disorder is usually miraculously helped.

Measles

Suspected measles, both regular and German, can usually be brought out to the rash stage by a hot bath. If the eruption itself is itchy or irritating, the full body wet sheet pack is a great aid in relieving this distress and also in speeding recovery.

The wet sheet pack is prepared by placing two spread-out woolen blankets over a bed. A single bed sheet of ordinary size is soaked in cold water, wrung out and spread out on top of the blankets. The young patient is then placed nude on top of the sheet, with only his head above the top edge of the wet sheeting. The sheet is rapidly wrapped around his entire body, mummy fashion, eliminating as much air between the sheet and body as possible. Then the dry woolen blankets are also rapidly wrapped around in the same fashion as the sheet, first one, and then the other. The blankets should be so wrapped that no air is allowed to reach the wet pack. If properly applied, the pack may seem cold at first, but will very rapidly warm up and the young patient will get almost instant relief from his itching and discomfort. The pack may be left on anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours. As soon as it is removed, the patient should be rapidly sponged off with cool water and sent directly to a warm bed. This pack was originally designed by the early naturopaths to draw out toxic substances from the body and is very useful in all conditions that produce an all over-the-body eruption. This was considered the sovereign treatment for all such conditions. It both calms the patient and stimulates the elimination of the disease, and there are few agitated children who are not lulled to sleep by its effects.

Chicken Pox

Chicken pox is best treated by the general treatment and by the wet sheet pack, if necessary, as described for measles.

Whooping Cough

Theoretically, whooping cough is no longer prominent as a childhood disease because of the whooping cough vaccination. For those of us, however, who are not particularly fond of having our children vaccinated, it may occur. I have found that the general treatment is usually quite effective. Chiropractic treatment is important and the use of vitamin F and ionizable calcium is successful in controlling the after-cough. This cough can continue for some time, even in the best of treated cases. If your child is exposed to or contracts whooping cough, I suggest that you call your Center physician promptly so he can guide you through this condition in such a way that there are a minimum of after problems.

Croup

Croup is a strange condition. It acts like an allergy, infection, upper respiratory condition or asthma, and yet it isn't any of these. I'm not really sure that any physician knows for sure exactly what croup is, but I've treated it enough to know that it exists and that it is a law unto itself.

It can be identified by the fact that it comes on only at night, throwing the young patient into paroxysms of coughing and asthma-like wheezing that are resistant to ordinary treatment. Such attacks usually abate by morning. Croup appears at sporadic intervals and doesn't seem to follow the pattern of any other familiar disorder.

In treatment, we usually recommend the basic maintenance diet. A more restricted diet is usually not necessary, although in some youngsters the elimination of starches and dairy products during the worst part of the croup may be important. A variety of homeopathic remedies are useful, but the best specific in croup is a substance called iodized lime. This is a mixture of iodine and calcium, supplied by the various homeopathic houses. If these products are used according to directions, they usually greatly aid in overcoming the nocturnal paroxysms.

Unnamed Maladies

A number of infective conditions are apparently due to viruses, but physicians have no specific names for them. They are called things like the fifth disease, the bug, the crud, what's going around and so on. They present a variety of symptoms somewhat similar to flu or upper respiratory infections, though some produce eruptions or glandular swellings.

Most of these anonymous problems respond very satisfactorily to the general treatment outlined for upper respiratory infections and/or influenza. One of the advantages of natural therapy is that it stimulates the defense and repair mechanisms of our own bodies and by doing so, the body is able to overcome these strange diseases with its own mechanisms, for it knows their nature even if we don't.

Not only is it possible to treat by natural means disorders whose natures are unknown to us, but it is also possible to treat them at the most opportune time-that is, in their very beginning- without the fear of treating incorrectly. It usually matters little to us which infective condition a patient is coming down with when we initiate treatment. As the condition progresses, we can easily modify our therapy to fit the exact disease in question, without losing any of the beneficial effects we have gained by beginning treatment early. Since most orthodox medical treatment is designed to counteract a specific named disease, it is generally necessary for them to have a definite diagnosis before therapy can begin. Thus, valuable treating time at the beginning of a disease is often lost, and sometimes the diseases are allowed to progress for some time before a diagnosis is made and therapy can be started. I must admit that our approach may not be quite so "scientific," but it is mighty satisfying.

Allergies

The most common allergies in children, I believe, are those caused by hereditary defects. The rest are probably caused by poor diet and other adverse effects of modern living.

In treating allergies by natural methods, we must check the child as we would an adult. A thorough examination is made that concentrates on metabolic tests, such as the hair test, glucose tolerance test, and tests for adrenal, thyroid, and other glandular functionings. We have recently been incorporating some of the new patient-nerve-reaction methods for diagnosing sensitivities. Our resident allergy man, Dr. Arthur Cushing, is in charge of this new exciting part of our Center efforts.

With this patient work-up, it is usually possible to pinpoint the area of allergic problem and to correct it either by removing the sensitive objects, establishing a low-allergy diet, or by using specific supplementation to stabilize and balance the glandular systems. As mentioned earlier this field is the specialty of our Woodlands Medical Center.

Spinal Problems of Children

One of the most frequently overlooked problems of childhood is the group of various mechanical problems that can occur to the spine and the other articulations (joints) of the body. Hardly a youngster treated at our Centers does not have some form of mechanical problem. He will either have a sacroiliac out of place, cervical rotations, scoliosis (spinal curvature), or various vertebral subluxations in the dorsal and lumbar spine.

The most common mechanical problem of children is the same as that of their elders-subluxation of the pelvis, or sacroiliac "twist." This has been thoroughly described in Chapter III, and if you suspect this type of problem in your child, I suggest you read that chapter carefully.

The difficulty with the child's sacroiliac subluxation is that because of their resiliency, this joint can be misplaced without a great deal of discomfort. It often may slip out because of a fall or some kind of twist, feel sore for a few days, but then calm down to where it bothers them only occasionally. The parents who are probably accustomed to hearing their children complain, think little of this rather mild discomfort. In fact, when these youngsters are finally brought to our office, it is almost never with a back problem, but most frequently with symptoms such as headache, sore knees, ankle problems, or foot pains and other varieties of reflex problems from the subluxed sacroiliac. Most parents are generally surprised and chagrined when I show them what has happened. After I replace these joints, I always describe the nature of the condition to both the parent and child and implore them to come back as soon as possible if this happens again. To encourage prompt checking, we are always glad to examine patients at no charge to see if the pelvis has slipped or not. If one of these sacroiliacs is left out for a considerable period, it will cause in the child a definite spinal curvature (scoliosis), and it may take months and even years to correct such a curve of long duration.

Neck problems are encountered frequently in children. It seems that their active lives precipitate this type of difficulty. They are especially common in children susceptible to upper respiratory infections and allergies. The most common symptom of this difficulty is headache; only rarely does the child complain of a stiff neck. We find a very high percentage of children's chronic headaches are caused by vertebral misplacements of the neck.

Childhood accidents to the spine are common, and I recommend that all children be checked for such malalignments if they have any back, neck, or head problems that persist more than two days. Muscular strains usually improve in two days.

Worms

We must admit that children are susceptible to worm infections. The pinworm is the most common, and worm eggs can come from a variety of sources, but usually from the hands or fingers of one who is already infected. The pinworm is a rather small innocuous worm and doesn't do a great deal of damage, but it certainly can be irritating.

The most common way of diagnosing this condition is to put a piece of Scotch tape over the anal opening of the child as he sleeps. In the morning, the Scotch tape is pulled off and examined for the small white threadlike worms. Because the worms tend to come out of the anus at night and crawl about the skin area, they are caught on the Scotch tape and can't return.

Because these worms cause rectal itching, the child is inclined to scratch. The eggs are picked up by the fingers. If he then puts the fingers in his mouth or nose, he reinfects himself.

A variety of treatment methods are suggested for this condition, and I mention here those that I have found successful and natural. In a bad infestation, I usually give the child a colonic consisting of two quarts of warm water in which is dissolved a teaspoon of table salt. The salt seems to affect the worms the same way it does a slug: it dissolves their basic substance. Such a mixture can also be used by a mother for an ordinary enema and in most cases it effectively helps reduce the fecal irritation due to this infestation. Because worms are always in various stages of development and this treatment is only successful against adult worms, it is usually not adequate to eradicate the problem.

The use of a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds a day has cleared up many of these infections, however, especially when used in conjunction with the salt enema. Homeopathically, the remedy Cina is given. Usually in at our Centers we combine the pumpkin seeds, the salt colonic and Cina for most satisfactory results.

Other worms that affect children are more serious and are best treated only under one of our Center's physicians.

Other Diseases

There are a wide variety of other conditions for which we treat children. Most are specific difficulties and the treatment is individualized for each case. With all these conditions, the natural vitality of children helps them respond well to natural therapy. If you have a child with a problem that doesn't seem to respond to orthodox treatment, feel free to contact us and we will be glad to let you know if it is a condition that responds to natural therapy.

Congenital and Hereditary Defects

Problems that fall into these two categories constitute a large part of pediatric difficulties. Some of the congenital problems such as those due to thalidomide are beyond the help of any specific natural therapy. Some of the milder types, however, are readily helped by our methods.

Hereditary defects can also be aided where there is sufficient body vitality for a constructive therapeutic approach. It must be remembered that we all are born with hereditary defects. None of us has a body that functions 100 per cent perfectly. A child with a known hereditary defect simply has one that is visible. We all may have defects that have yet to be discovered. The man who dies early may never have had a sick day in his life, and yet he dies of a heart attack that might have been caused by a hereditary defect not yet capable of detection.

Dr. Swinburne Clymer, for whom our original Clinic was named, wrote a book entitled Prenatal Culture, (Clymer. R. Swinburne: Prenatal Culture. Philosophical Publishing Company, P.O. Box 220, Quakertown, PA 18951,) in which he describes a method by which mothers-to-be can be assured of producing children as free of congenital and hereditary defects as possible. This book, still in print, can be obtained at each of our Centers. Any of you who are interested in producing healthy children, or who have certain specific hereditary problems in your family and are afraid to bear children because you fear that they may carry forth this hereditary strain, should find this book most interesting.

A later text by Dr. Harold Buttram entitled, For Tomorrow's Children is also available at our Centers. This work describes what the parents-to-be need to do to prepare for the best possible contraception.

Parting Words

In concluding this chapter, I want to leave you with this thought. Although it isn't difficult to treat children by natural means, the effects of this treatment will be only short-lived if you don't faithfully follow a natural non-congestive diet after the general therapy is concluded. If the child is allowed to return to the overuse of sweets, carbohydrates, and dairy products, his problems will return, again requiring specific treatment for their correction. When parents are faithful and follow the Basic Maintenance Diet with even moderate determination, their children remain remarkably free of the diseases that were once such a common part of their lives. One of the easiest things to accomplish in all of natural medicine is to keep children healthy, but much of the burden rests on the shoulders of the parent.

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