FASTING from "Nature Cure" by Henry Linklahr, M.D.

Next in importance to building up the blood on a natural basis is the elimination of waste, morbid matter and poisons from the system. This depends to a large extent upon the right (natural) diet; but it must be promoted by the different methods of eliminative treatment: fasting, hydrotherapy, massage, physical exercise, air- and sunbaths and, in the way of medicinal treatment, by homeopathic, herb and vitochemical remedies.

Foremost among the methods of purification stands fasting, which of late years has become quite popular and is regarded by many people as a panacea for all human ailments. However, it is a two-edged sword. According to circumstances, it may do a great deal of good or a great deal of harm.


FASTING IN ACUTE DISEASE

Total abstinence from food during acute febrile conditions is of primary importance. In certain diseases which will be mentioned later on, especially those involving the digestive tract, fasting must be continued for several days after all fever symptoms have disappeared. In cases of extreme weakness, and where the acute and sub-acute processes are long drawn out and the patient has become greatly emaciated, it may be advisable to give such easily digestible foods as soft boiled egg, milk, buttermilk, and whole grain bread with butter in combination with raw and stewed fruits, and with vegetable salads prepared with lemon juice and olive oil.

There is no greater fallacy than that the patient must be "sustained" and "his strength kept up" by plenty of nourishing food and drink or, worse still, by stimulants and tonics. This is altogether wrong in itself, and besides, habit and appetite are often mistaken for hunger. Food is prescribed by old school physicians and urged by relatives and friends of the patient under the mistaken idea that he must be strengthened in order to endure the strain of the disease. We have learned in Volume I that we do not derive life, vital force, vitality or strength from food and drink, medicines, tonics or stimulants, but that vital force, the source of our strength, flows into our bodies through the sympathetic nervous system from the source of all life, intelligence and creative power.

A common spectacle witnessed at the bedside of the sick is that of well meaning but misguided relatives and friends forcing food and drink on the patient—often "by order of the doctor"—when his whole system rebels against it and the nauseated stomach expels the food as soon as taken. Sedatives and tonics are then resorted to in order to force the digestive organs into submission.

1.) Why Fasting Is Necessary: Aversion to eating during acute diseases, whether they represent healing crises or disease crises, is perfectly natural, because the entire organism, including the mucous membranes of stomach and intestines, is engaged in the work of elimination, not assimilation. Nausea, slimy and fetid discharges, constipation alternating with diarrhea, etc., indicate that the organs of digestion are throwing off disease matter, and that they are not in a condition to take up and assimilate food.

Ordinarily, the digestive tract acts like a sponge which absorbs the elements of nutrition; but in acute diseases the process is reversed, the sponge is being squeezed and gives off large quantities of morbid matter. The processes of digestion and assimilation are at a standstill. In fact, the entire organism is in a condition of prostration, weakness and inactivity. The vital energies are concentrated on the cleansing and healing processes. Accordingly, there is no demand for food.

This is verified by the fact that a person fasting for a certain period, say, four weeks, during the course of a serious acute illness, will not lose nearly as much in weight as the same person fasting four weeks in days of healthful activity.

It is for the foregoing reasons that nourishment taken during acute disease.
a) Is not properly digested, assimilated, and transmuted into healthy blood and tissues; instead, it ferments and decays, filling the system with waste matter and noxious gases;
b) interferes seriously with the elimination of morbid matter through stomach and intestines by forcing these organs to take up the work of digestion and assimilation;
c) diverts the vital forces from their combat against the disease conditions and draws upon them to remove the worse than useless food ballast from the organism.

This explains why taking food during feverish diseases is usually followed by a rise in temperature and by aggravation of the other disease symptoms. As long as there are signs of inflammatory, febrile conditions and no appetite, do not be afraid to withhold food entirely, if necessary, for as long as five, six or seven weeks.

I have treated several virulent cases of typhoid-malaria that lasted for six weeks before the acute febrile symptoms subsided. During this time the patients did not receive any food whatsoever, not even a drop of milk. I continued the fasting during the seventh week in order to allow time for the building up of the intestinal membranes which had sloughed as a result of the inflammatory processes. Toward the end of the seventh week the patients developed natural hunger. Then the feeding commenced and they made perfect recovery, gaining more in flesh within a few months than they had lost during the illness.

In cases of gastritis, appendicitis, peritonitis, dysentery, or typhoid fever, abstinence from food is absolutely imperative.

2) Breaking the Fast: After fever and inflammation have entirely subsided, a few days should be allowed for the healing and restoring of the broken down tissues before any food is taken. Many of the serious chronic after effects of these diseases are due to too early feeding, which does not allow the healing forces of Nature time to rebuild sloughed membranes and injured organs.

After a prolonged fast, great care must be observed when commencing to eat. Very small quantities of light food may safely be taken at intervals of a few hours. A good plan, especially after an attack of typhoid fever or dysentery, is to break the fast by thoroughly masticating one or two tablespoonfuls of popcorn. This gives the digestive tract a good scouring and starts the peristaltic action of the bowels better than any other food.

The popcorn may advantageously be followed at intervals by small amounts of raw subacid fruit.

For several days or weeks after a fast, according to the severity of the "acute disease" or healing crisis, a diet consisting largely of raw fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, apples, pears, grapes, etc., and juicy vegetables, especially lettuce, celery, cabbage slaw, watercress, young onions, tomatoes or cucumbers should be adhered to. No condiments or dressings should be used with the vegetables except lemon juice and olive oil.