Because conventional drugs used in medical treatment of arthritis are, as a rule, only aimed at masking and suppressing the symptoms, they naturally have no place in a program of biological treatments. Pain is an important symptom, a signal, which is initiated by the body’s own defensive mechanism to attract necessary help and assistance for its healing activity. To suppress and mask pain, without finding out why it is there and trying to eliminate the underlying causes of it, is contrary to the philosophy of biological medicine. It is of vital importance to realize that the various symptoms of disease, such as pain, swelling, stiffness, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, etc. are not negative phenomena which have to be eliminated and suppressed, but they are positive, constructive symptoms initiated by the body’s own healing mechanism in its effort to restore health. When this is clearly understood, then the wise doctor will not waste his own and his patient’s time masking the symptoms and providing temporary relief. He will adopt a positive attitude which will aim at eliminating and correcting the underlying causative factors of arthritis and supporting the body’s own recuperative powers.

Even such a drug as cortisone, although it will temporarily activate and stabilize the chemical balance of the tissues, will never correct the initial disturbance and will eventually cause more damage by undermining and impairing the body’s own corrective measures. Therefore, cortisone, like any other toxic drug, should be used only in a situation of extreme emergency.

Consequently, the first rule of a biological program is complete withdrawal of all drugs. In the great majority of cases this presents no problems. Naturally, withdrawal of pain-killing drugs will cause a certain amount of discomfort for the first few days, but on a new biological program the patient soon will be pain-free, even without pain-killing drugs.

The consensus of opinion of doctors who use biological methods in their practice is that the prospects of achieving a betterment and cure of arthritis with the help of biological treatments is in inverse relationship to the extent and intensity of the drug treatment the patient received previously. Prolonged use of drugs will eventually suppress and break down the body’s own defense and healing mechanisms causing severe chemical and hormonal imbalance. The disease will then be pushed further and further towards the condition where it will be completely incurable.

Therefore, in order to obtain lasting results the withdrawal of all drugs is imperative.

*17/176/2*

Arthritis

By now it must be evident to the average reader that the biological approach to arthritis is quite different from conventional practices. As with every new concept and new approach, it takes an unprejudiced and objective attitude on the part of practitioners to be able to grasp and accept the new discoveries. It is natural to be doubtful and even skeptical of something which is contrary to common practice and the accepted line of thought. Moreover, the new biological approach seems to be so down-to-earth simple that for a technologically minded and pseudoscientifically trained, twentieth century space-oriented man it may seem too simple to be true. However, hundreds of medical doctors in Europe have given this down-to-earth, commonsense, nature-cure approach a fair trial. They were soon convinced of its extraordinary merits. Its effectiveness is proven by actual result-producing application on thousands upon thousands of successfully treated patients.

The value of biological treatments was scientifically tested by the Royal Free Hospital in London, England, in 1949. The experiments were made through the initiative of one of the hospital doctors who had seen a successfully treated case of arthritis. The methods used were those employed at the famous Bircher-Benner Clime in Switzerland.

Twelve patients with arthritis, all more or less hopeless cases given up by doctors as not responsive to conventional treatments, were selected to participate in the tests, which were carried out under careful scientific control. The experiment was documented on films taken during the entire duration of the tests, and a detailed report was given in a medical journal.5

The results of the experiment were very convincing. Patients who were considered hopeless cases had remarkably improved and regained the use of their deformed and formerly immobile joints.

One 55-year-old woman was so badly crippled that she could hardly move any part of her body and was permanently bedridden. After less than one year on the biological program, she left the hospital walking without help and without crutches. This case was controlled ten years later (1959) and the patient, now at the age of 65, was found in good health, able to do hard physical labor, such as digging in her garden two or three hours without rest

It is unfortunate, indeed, that it takes such a long time before new discoveries and original ideas become universally accepted and officially endorsed. Millions of sick people suffer because of unwillingness on the part of conservative practitioners to accept and use new, unconventional methods of treatment. It is my sincere hope that this book will spread the knowledge and speed the recognition of biological medicine, both among the members of the healing professions as well as the lay public, and help to free millions of arthritis sufferers from their hopelessness and agonizing existence.

*22/176/2*

Arthritis

Therapeutic fasting is a total abstinence from food. The purpose of fast is to promote healing and restore health.

Therapeutic values of fasting are well documented by a large number of scientific investigations, studies, research, and practical observation. Doctors who employ fasting testify that it indeed “works.” As Dr. Adolph Mayer asserted, “Fasting is the most efficient means of correcting any disease.” *

But how can mere abstinence from food accomplish such remarkable healing results?

The therapeutic value of fasting is based on the following physiological facts:

Autolysis is a known metabolic phenomenon of self-digestion or disintegration of the body’s own tissues.

Therapeutic fasting induces the development of autolysis and directs its physiological effect for constructive healing purposes.

To clarify: when disease takes hold of the body it is usually because of the weakened defensive mechanism and impaired normal functions of the vital organs. Due to continuous neglect in feeding the body properly and failure to observe the other rules of health, the glandular activity and metabolic rate slows down and the eliminative organs lose their efficiency. Many of the toxins and metabolic wastes remain in the body and are deposited in the tissues, causing autointoxication. In rheumatic diseases these wastes, such as uric acid crystals and mineral compounds, are deposited in the joints and soft tissues. In the case of high blood pressure, these metabolic wastes are deposited in arteries and small blood capillaries, constricting them and hindering the normal flow of blood. In self-defense the

heart increases arterial and capillary pressure to push blood through the plugged vessels.

Now, we must recognize the fact that the body’s own healing powers are constantly trying to correct any and all defects, disturbances, and damages if given the slightest chance. Such a chance and opportunity for self-regeneration and healing is made possible during the fast

First, during prolonged fast (after the first three days) the body will burn and digest its own tissues by the process of autolysis, or self-digestion. In its wisdom—and here lies the secret of the extraordinary effectiveness of fasting as curative therapy!— the body will only decompose and burn those substances and tissues which are diseased, damaged, or of lesser importance to the body economy, such as all morbid accumulations, tumors, abscesses, damaged tissues, fat deposits, etc. These are consumed and utilized first. The essential tissues of vital organs are spared.

Second, the eliminating and cleansing capacity of the eliminative organs—lungs, liver, kidneys, and skin—is increased during fasting, and masses of accumulated metabolic wastes and toxins are quickly expelled. This is evident in the following typical symptoms of fasting: offensive breath, dark urine (concentration of toxins in urine ten times higher than normal-Professor E. G. Schonk), continuous and generous discharge of feces, skin eruptions, perspiration, catarrhal elimination, etc.

Third, a fast affords a physiological rest to the digestive and protective organs of the body. After fasting, the digestion and utilization of food is greatly improved, which makes the assimilation of all the important nutrients more effective.

Fourth, a fast exerts a normalizing and stabilizing effect on all the physiological, nervous, and mental functions. The nervous system is regenerated; mental powers improved; glandular chemistry and secretions are normalized.

It is easy to see, then, why fasting is such an effective therapeutic measure in treatment of a great variety of diseases, including arthritis.

*20/176/2*

Arthritis

Because the underlying causes of arthritis are to be found in the degenerative changes brought about by faulty living habits and specifically by nutritional abuses, it stands to reason to expect that a program of biological treatments is dominated by dietetic measures.

It is a general observation that the diet of arthritic patients has been deficient in vital nutritive elements for prolonged periods and loaded with overcooked, canned, frozen, devitalized, and overrefined foods. In addition, the great amount of empty calories from white sugar and white flour and all the foodless monstrosities made from them makes such a diet even more unhealthy. This sort of nutritional abuse, combined with other health-destroying factors in the form of overeating, use of alcohol, smoking, coffee, lack of exercise, etc., has caused a general breakdown of their health and triggered the development of degenerative processes in their joints.

In order to reverse the process, rebuild the general health of the patient, initiate a betterment in his condition, and induce a subsequent cure, a radical overhaul of his dietary habits is of prime importance. The diet must be as easy as possible for the digestive system to handle and, at the same time, provide all the nutrients required for the repair and building of a healthy body.

The diet during the first two to four weeks consists mainly of raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables (Frischkost). Some of the clinics which I visited use certain amounts of cooked foods in addition to Frischkost. Most Swedish biological clinics use boiled potatoes and vegetable soups in addition to raw foods. They all use raw milk in the form of homemade soured milk. The Bircher-Benner Clinic in Switzerland, one of the most advanced and best-known biological clinics in the world, excludes all cooked foods during the first phase of the treatment— as well as all foods of animal origin: meat, fish, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. Bread and cooked cereals are eliminated as well during the first two to four weeks. Raw nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains are included in the raw food diet.

Uncooked foods will supply not only all the necessary vitamins and minerals, but also all the enzymes and easily digestible natural starches and proteins needed for healthy functioning of the body. Another advantage of such a diet is that it will cause a minimum of waste retention and sluggishness in the digestive organs and will help the body in its cleansing and detoxicating process. It is a purifying and cleansing diet.

*18/176/2*

Arthritis