Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-20
FOOD vs.. MEDICINE.
IMPORTANCE or DiETETIcs IN TriE
TREATMENT or DISEASE.

New Order Of Things Among Medical
Prsetitsoners-How Cures Nay BE Ef-
fectea wifhsat Dragging and Dosing.
Ignorance OF the People
In the treatment Of many diseases drugs
are, Of course, Indispensable but as a
xuie, no less important, IL not more i'm
p0rtant, are the hygienic and supporting
measures. These relate to pure air, tenn
psFrature, diet, drinks, cleanliness, exer-
else rest, sleep, etc As their Importance
have been better understood, the depend
ence upon drugs has lessene1, and today
the intelligent physician may be known
by the small amount Of medicine which
he prescribes and By the large amount OF
instruction he gives relative to the nature
OF tho disease and the personal conduct Of
the patient The people as whole are
slow TO accept this new order Of things, 30
different from that IN the times Of their
fathers Physicians are ohstructed end
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 10 realize that too
much faith mas been put in medicine The
other classes still feel that the paramount
administration Of drugs. Enlightenment
among them must necessarily he slow.
They must acquire better know1edga of
disease in general, and appreciate the fact
that the intrinsic f=udency Of many dis
eases - TO recovery, and that drugginz Is
not always necessary even in thase which
were formerly supposed TO tend to a fatal
result unless very active measures were
employed Undoubtedly honorable phv-
sicians assist all they can in the general
education Of people On this vital subject.
Yet they are so ha-npered by ths general
confidence in efete theories and the
prevalence OF popular faIlacfes, which
threaten to exist until the end Ok time,
they can do but little compared to what
they might do were the condftsons fayor-
sble-if tbs people did not resist enii9i4fsa-
nIent- Let physician be called to q
patient suffering from an Affection that Il
sure to ED in recovery IL left alEgne He
gives proper Instructions Is 10 ventilation
temperature, diet. etc. and leaves the
cure 10 nature A Eery few people would
Be content with such advice; more would
feel that the money paid for it had actually
been thrown away, ard no inccEzEderah4e
number would insist upon sending for
another physician, believing that IN al
cases Of sickness medicine alone can in-
sure recovery
Such notions DO people entertain, and 50
ignorant are they generally, doctors really
cannot afford to be perfectly candid far
II many families honesty Is at discount,
end there i a penalty fixed for the sane
Il Is true that If 3 physician, every time
he made a call, were TO remain with the
patient an hour or more aud deliver a
medical lecture. occasionally one would b
encountered who could appreciate suca
an effort and understand the subject dis
cE1ssed- On the majority Of patients,
however. il would fall fat Again, there
Is the mental infusnce TO c0nss5der Pa
tents who have sEch sreafifast faith in
medicine. as a rule really do better If some
simple, although absolutely inert mixture
Is given them So it VIII be seen that as
6 public Instructor, the physician who
o1ght and willingly would do MUCH can
can 90 but comparatively little, and his
( sphere Il almost limited 70 the most intel
EgEns elssses- As consequence of this
Z condition of things, &c i, in certain fami-
I lies. obliged TO give something IN the way
( az medicine, even If he feels that the same
i not absolutely HseSlsCi-
Z That people are SO grossly ignorant On
( the most vital Of subjects Is no fault OF
( the reputable physician Il IS purely their
OWL. They uOr only do MT trr 10 learn
but they actually resist enlightenment
But We have wandered fran our subject
81 was our purpose 10 paint out some OF
I the valuable remedial effects vF1iel result
Z from notifications o. diet. and the igsii-
ci0Qs increase Or diminuti0n tn the
z quantity u food, in lot few affections
special forms OF diet are ali that Is ~
+ CURED 70 effect c s1re- Take, for in
( stance, disorder Of the 0rgans Of diges-
ton such a. dyspepsia II q person SUI
fering from that has f0-ttrzeie, and can
+ practice self-ieni2l, he u2y, IN nearly all
K instances, cure himself II he properly Sc
leets snd restricts his diet But few care
10 make the effort. or at least 70 persist
IN IL long enough IL Is easier and far
more agreeable far them 10 take ulesti-
cine aud 50 they 90 On eating and dosing
until the disease becomes chronic, for
rarely can Il Dc cured By drugs alcee.
Diabetes Is 3 disease which only can Be
/ controlled by restriction ID Z special foEEa
OF diet \ cure : even pssSSlble, bNE the
remedy lies with the patient No medical
agent has yet been discovered which can
stay the disease There are soma which
assist recovery when the diet i properly
restricted, bur they are comparatively
valueless unless that Is done While u
some diseases the treatment demands 3
modification in diet AMI d5rIinutiCn in
quantity, there are many in which Z Judi
clouS increase : Necessary IN tuIiaEIu1a-
t0rv conditions q al kinds in which the
starvation treatment was formerly en-
ployest. the general prlnc5p.s now recog-
EIZe6 : % encourage and maintain
healthy condition u the bISod by nourtsh-
uleEt. II sufficient fuSd i given, The
blood soon becomes unfit II is vital ard
physical properties fur the healing process
OF nature
So. since 81 diseases tend TO weaken
and wear cut the Syscen, 70 feed tlre pa
tent : one Cf the first importance While
they exist. what : needed 5 70 restore
the life that i being drained, build up the
tissues thar are being wasted - As 8
sign O msIical progress, physicians al
the present time largely. substitute f0od
for medicine in the treatment IF disease,
and wisAolt doubt upon khs valuable
therapeutic effects q food hey vii II the
future more than ever depend As hiss
been s2id. twenty-five years aSO our cd
fashioned drugs were counted By thou
sands, our elegant pharmaceutical pro
duets by tens, djeseLiee preparations by
units II the change goes On in the next
TWO decades SIS rapidly IS 1t E.yS in the
LAST TWO. the coming century practice VIII
see this order reversed The c4lousl- the
!alzp, the Epson salts, the rinetu7e q
iron - these classics and veRs-ahles.
though still in use tOubJlesS-wiu ind
very l.ErIs favor. Even now their reSu-
lar employment seems 10 be kind Of re-
prosch. excUsAble only o. the ground If