The herald., 1896-08-30
cure case of smallpox by scraping
away the pustules.
WHAT IS HEALTH?


very important. 1t is not something
to be attained by effort or artifice. II
Is normal state; a natural condition;
the rule OF life to which disease is the
Xception. We see this to be the cast
throughout the vegetable and animal
Kingdoms. Not one blade of grass in a
million suffers from disease-not one
plant or tree of millions. In a state OF
nature plants and trees of all kinds
germinate, grow, produce leaves, flow
ers seeds, fruit and live out their nat
ural lives without a sign of disease
They die at last of old age, in one sea-
son, or hundreds, or thousands of years
but when they have reached the natu-
raj term of their existence. When
brought under culture and exposed to
unnatural conditions we see signs of
disease and premature decay. Plants
may oe crowded like men, deprived of
wholesome air, supplied with improper
or insufficient, or redundant nutriment;
but in their natural state their almost
universal condition is one of pure, beau
tiful and vigorous health
The same is true of the whole animal
creation. In crowded and over-fed
focks, among pampered horses, and
stall-fed cattle deprived of light and air,
we find disease. contagion, epidemics
and great mortality the same as among
natural conditions. But who would
expect to find a sick fish in the open
sea, or in lake or river, unless it had been
tainted by human impurities?
When we consider how closely we re-
semble the higher animals in our bodily
constitution; how similar are our bones,
muscles. hutritive and secreting or
gans, blood vessels, nerves and senses,
we must see that health is as natural
a condition to US as to them. If an ami
NAL lives the life for which it is consti-
tuted-to which its organism is adapt
edit cannot have disease It's only nat
ural death is one of gradual decay in
old age. And such is the only natural
death of man. There is no reason why
he should not be as healthy as any plant,
or fish, or bird, or animal. And it is
probable that man is by the nature of
his organization, the most healthful and
longest-lived Of all the animal creation.
HOW TO ATTAIN HEALTH
But how can this great blessing of
perfect health be obtained by those
who have lost it, or retained by the
we'll? Not, as. we have shown, by dosing
the system with mysterious drugs
of a poisonous character. which
aggravate the disease they are
only be obtained by placing the system
in accordance with the laws of nature.
Nature heals-nature cures in all cases.
The highest science can do no more than
give favorable conditions, remove OBJ
structions, modify action, and in some
cases assist nature and hasten her be-
neficent operations. A doctor may re-
lieve an oppressed stomach by giving
an emetic; he may relieve clogged and
torpid bowels with laxative medicine
or injections. He may cleanse the skin
and promote the unloading of the blood
vessels by perspiration. He may re-
lieve distressing pain and help the suf
ferer to rest and sleep. Better than all,
perhaps, he can give sympathy and in
spire confidence and hope.
A REMARKABLE MAN
The foregoing remarks were made to
the writer of this article by resident of
this city who is in many respects re-
markable man-Lewis Howell Rogers
of No. 431 South Spring street. The
newspaperman had heard for many
months of remarkable cures performed
the agency of Mr.. Rogers, but
there is so much of fraudulent char
acter floating around in connection with
the art of healing that man-especial-
ly If he is newspaper man-is inclined
to be very suspicious of such statements.
Happening, however, to come across a
copy of quarterly magazine called The
Missing Link, of which Mr.. Rogers has
issued up to date nearly 100000 copies,
the reporter was struck by the original
and graphic nature of the theories pro-
pounded in it. This was evidently no
ordinary medical sharp. 1t was no or
dinary system of medicine, and so the
reporter, always on the alert for some
thing new and original. determined to
call and investigate. He found in Mr..
Rogers a man of remarkably fine ply
sique and features. most commanding per-
sonality and the picture of robust health.
Evidently Mr. Rogers did not need to be
reminded of the old axiom: physician,
heal thyeslf" 1t was scarcely credible
that he had come to Los Angeles only
about three years ago in search of
health. Yet this Mr.. Rogers declared
to be the fact. 1t was the marvellous re-
suits of the system upon which he acci-
dentally stumbled, as displayed in him
self, that led him to take up the teach
ing of it to others for the benefit of
suffering humanity.
One of the first things that Mr. Rog-
ers impressed on the reporter when he
called for information was the fact that
he did not make any claims to the
possession of mysterious power, or mys-
terious knowledge, or of a mysterious
method of healing. He does not even
call himself Doctor but is plain Mr.
Rogers. AS he remarked, there would
De no dlfnculty about his adding M. y.
to his name, were he so inclined. Un-
there is in this country
quite an extensive trade in bogus medi-
cal diplomas, and Mr.. Rogers has had
several of these offered to him since he
has been propagating his system of
healing. He is, however, not the kind
Of a man to sail under false eolors.
THE ROGERS SYSTEM.
After chatting with Mr.. Rogers for
half an hour. to obtain from him his
views on nature, and health, and dis
eases, of which synopsis is given above,
the reporter asked him to explain, as
briefly and clearly as possible, TIE
system which he teaches, provided there
was no secret in it. He replied that, on
the contrary it was an entirely simple
ard plain system. which the wayfaring
man, though a fool, might easily COM
prehend Briefly stated, his method of
cure is founded on a fact which has
been known for ages, but has been al
most entirely overlooked in the treat
ment of diseases, that all physical ills
show themselves as in an index at the
point where all the sympathetic nerves
IF the body come together, and this is
the operating point of the blood circu
ior of the anatomy, which nature has
hidden from view, Mr.. Rogers claims
that the true method is to go at once to
IL visible index Unfortunately, vast
m ljority of civilized human beings are
started wrong in this respect. There
ar, prolonged, prenatal conditions
wi ich should and can readily be recti-
fe0 at birth. The machinery OF Gee set
running in good order will continue