So far our studies have covered the principles of Nature-cure and its methods of treatment in general, such as fasts, baths and exercises. From the study of these, the reader would have got a fair idea of the ways and means of tapping the healing power of Nature for his health.
We shall now take up the study of common diseases that afflict mankind and the treatment offered by Nature-cure, for each in particular.
As you have known that, though Nature-cure considers the cause of all ailments to be only one, that is, the toxic material in the body and thus their remedy, too, being similar in nature, yet one has to acquire the fundamental knowledge of diseases to enable one to take up self-treatment.
Keeping this in view, effort has been made to describe the nature of every ailment, its cause and cure in a simple way as far as possible.
In taking up this subject, we begin with fevers, which commonly occur in our life.
A Common Fever
As already explained, a fever is the Nature’s self-cleansing action to cure the body of its accumulated poisons, wastes and toxic materials, purging them by oxidising with the heat of the fever. Thus it is advisable to let Nature run its own course of treatment.
Medical science prevents it by giving medicine to cure it. The better way, rather, is to assist Nature in its purification task of the body, by rendering such aids as baths and packs, to make the Nature’s course run faster.
The Treatment
To begin with, the patient, in fever, should not be given any food and kept on fast with water. It may be kept in mind that during fever, the patient himself detests taking any food.
Also the action of the fever is hampered, because then the organs of the body, instead of utilizing their energies in throwing out the wastes, are loaded with additional task of digesting the food.
Thus Nature’s action is hampered. Also any medicine given, may cure the patient, but does not cure the disease, which may come later in some other even more virulent form as reaction to the toxic medicines taken.
Thus, the patient should neither be given food, nor medicine and be kept on fast, or in some cases on orange juice and water. During fast, enema has to be taken to keep the bowels clean.
It is also an essential element of treatment, to be taken in warm water daily twice, in the morning and also before going to bed in the night. Because no roughage or solid food goes into the system, the bowels not getting the necessary urge for cleaning by themselves.
The condition of the patient has to be watched. If the temperature rises above 102°F, the patient be given a wet and cold pack on the forehead, repeatedly, till the temperature comes down to 100°F or so.
Thus with all this treatment—the fast, enema and the packs, the fever generally comes down the same day or in the next one or two days. In case of uneasiness in the neck or chest, cold packs around them should be given.
For the pack, a piece of cotton cloth is drenched in water, wrung out and then put around the neck or chest. Its cold effect will warm up the inside on touch with hot part of the body and will foment it to give comfort to the patient.
So that the cold cloth does not lose its surface effect of the cold, a woollen piece of cloth is wrapped above it all around and tied up with a safety pin. After relief the cloth is removed.
Sometimes the fever shoots upto a temperature higher than 104°F. In that case a wet and cold water bed-sheet treatment is given. For this purpose, a bed-sheet is immersed in water and the water slightly rinsed.
Then the bed-sheet is spread at once on the bed, the patient made to lie on it, to be wrapped up naked in the wet sheet completely, with only the face coming out. A blanket is placed over the wrapped patient.
A cold wet cloth is also placed on his head. By doing this, the inside of the bed-sheet water gets evaporated into steam, which in turn, aids the heat of the body and brings perspiration throughout on its inside.
That brings down the temperature. In a small way cold sponging is also done and cold hip-bath is also advised. The whole process can be repeated, if there is recurrence of fever.
After the fast, either on only water or on a orange juice, and after the getting down of the fever, the patient should be kept on orange juice and water for another day or two and then he should be gradually brought on normal diet, with less of cereals and more of green vegetables and salads, and use of milk and fruits.