Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-24
FOOD VS.. MEDICINE.
IMPORTANCE OF DIETETiCS IN THE
TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
New Order OF Things Among Medical
Practitioners-How Cures May Be Ef-
fected Without Dragging and Dosing.
Ignorance of the People.


In the treatment Of many diseases drugs
are, Of course, indispensable, but, as
rule, no less important, if not more I'M
portant, are the hygienic and supporting
measures These relate 20 pure air, tenn
peraeure. diet. drinks, cleanliness, exer-
else. rest. sleep. etc AS their importance
have been better understood, the depend
eDce upon drugs has lessened, and today
the intelligent physician may De known
by the small amount Of medicine which
he prescribes and by the large amount Of
instruction he gives relative to the nature
Of the disease and the personal conduct OF
The patient. The people as whole are
,lo-y 10 accept this new order OF things, so
different from that in the times OF their
fathers. Physicians are obstructed, and
their efforts are, too, sometimes defeated
by the ignorance Of those IN whose behalf
they labor.
Only the most intelligent classes Of to-
day are even beginning to realize that too
much faith has been put in medicine. The
other classes still feel that the paramount
duty of the physician is the selection and
administration of drugs. Enlightenment
among them must necessarily be slow.
They must acquire better knowledge of
disease in general, and appreciate the fact
that the intrinsic tendency Of many dis
eases is TO recovery, and that drugglnS is
not always necessary even in those which
were formerly supposed TO tend TO fatal
result unless very active measures were
employed. Undoubtedly honorable ply
sicians assist all they can IN the general
education OF people on this vital subject
Yet they are 80 hampered by the general
confidence in efTete theories and the
prevalence Of popular fallacies, which
threaten to exist until the end Of time,
they can do but little compared to what
they might do were the conditions favor
able-if the people did not resist enlighten-
ment- Let a physician be called to a
patient suffering from an affection that is
sure TO end in recovery If left alone. He
gives proper instructions as to ventilation,
temperature, diet, etc, and leaves the
cure to nature 4 very few people would
be content with such advice; more would
feel that the money paid for it had actually
been thrown away, and no inconslderable
number would insist upon sending for
another physician, believing that in all
cases Of sickness medicine alone can in
sure recovery.
Such notions do people entertain, and so
-
cannot afford to be perfectly candid, for
In many families honesty is at a discount,
and there is a penalty fixed for the same.
1t is true that if physician, every time
he mads a call were TO remain with the
patient an hour or more and deliver a
medical lecture, occasionally one would be
encountered who could appreciate such
an effort and understand the subject dis
cussed On the majority Of patients,
however, it would fall fat. Again, there
Is the mental influence 10 consider. Pa
tents who have such steadfast faith in
medicine, as a rule really do better If some
simple, although absolutely inert mixture
is given them. So it will be seen that as
a public instructor, the physician who
ought and willingly would do much, can
can do but comparatively little, and his
sphere is almost limited to the most intel
licent clssses. AS consequence Of this
condition of things, he is, in certain faIni-
lies. obliged to give something in the way
Of medicine. even If he feels that the same
Is not absolutely needed.
That people are SO grossly ignorant on
the most vital OF subjects is no fault Of
the reputable physician. It is purely their
own. They not only do not try 70 learn,
but they actually resist enlightenment.
But we have wandered from our subject.
lt was our purpose to point out some OF
the valuable remedial effects which result
from notifications OF diet, and the judi
cious increase or diminution in the
quantity of food, in not & few affections
special forms OF diet are all that is re-
CURED to effect a cure. Take, for in
stance, disorder OF the organs Of diEcs-
ton. such as dyspepsia. IF a person suf-
ferinc from that has fortitude, and can
practice self-denial, he may, in nearly al
instances. cure himself If he properly Sc
lects and restricts his diet. But few care
10 make the effort, or at least to persist
IN it long enough. Il is easier and far
more agreeable for them to take medi-
cine. and so they 90 on eating and dosing
until tie disease becomes chronic, for
rarely can it be cured by drugs alone.
Diabetes is a disease which only can be
controlled by restriction to special form;
of diet. A cure is even possible, but the
remedy lies with the patient. No medical
agent has yet been discovered which can
stay the disease. There are some which
assist recovery when the diet is properly
restricted, but they are comparatively
valUeless unless that is done. While in
some diseases the treatment demands q
modification in diet and a din1inution IN
quantity, there are many in which a Judi
cious increase is necessary. In infamma-
tory conditions Of all kinds in which the
starvation treatment was formerly en-
ployed, the general principle now recog-
niZei is 10 encourage and maintain a
healthy condition of the blood by nourish-
ment If sufficient food is given, the
blood soon becomes uEit in its vital and
physical properties for the healing process
OF nature.
So, since all diseases tend 70 weaken
and wear out the system, TO feed the pa
tent Is one of the first Importance. While
they exist, what is needed IS 10 restore
the life that is being drained. build up the
tissues that are being wasted" AS q
sim of medical progress, physicians al
the present time largely substitute food
for medicine in the Treatments OF disease,
and without doubt upon the valuable
therapeutic effects OF food they viii in the
future more than ever depend. AS has
been said, twenty-five years ago our Old
fashioned drugs were counted by thou.
sands, cur eleSaSt Pharmaceutical pro-
ducts by tens, ule-etlc preparations by
units. II the change goes on IL the next
two decades as rapidly as Il LIS in tbe
last two, the COPING century practice viii
see this order reversed The cslowel. tbs
jalap, the Epson, salts, the t.ncrure 81
iron - these classics and vsnere hles
though still in use doustless-wiA find
very little favor. Even now their regu
lar employnent seems 10 be q kind of re
proach. excussbls only on the ground q
the great age Of tie physician or the Pow
erty of the pstient-bossca Herald
Deepest Drilled Well.