After more than twenty years of practice, I am thoroughly convinced that a large percentage of human ailments can be treated more scientifically at home by natural methods of right living than by unnatural methods of drugging, operating and general tampering with the human body.
This is from a book that caught my eye that was first published in 1925, Healthy Eyes Without Glasses and Heath Without Drugs. It takes real guts to say this, plus honesty to the point of being a little crazy. In advocating various exercises and proper diet as a way of avoiding the use of glasses the Dr Richardson who wrote this book was turning down the nice gravy train offered by new prescriptions for ever weakening eyes. I guess he figured that most people wouldn’t take a blind bit of notice (excuse the pun) and that those who did would buy his book. Plus he thought that the message was important.
This reminded me of Dr Benson’s book The Relaxation Response in which the benefits of meditation were scientifically documented. They’re both ‘free’ treatment approaches in which the patient takes responsibility for his or her own condition. And it goes without saying that there’s going to be little commercial backing for either.
Whilst we’re on the subject of gravy trains it’s difficult not to mention the chess industry in which the latest openings and importance of ‘theory” are heavily plugged. And are such matters of any importance whatsoever to the average player these books purport to be targeted at? Nope, not at all. But nobody wants to admit this.
Hi, Nigel!
I concur. Few writers are willing to really give the facts. Today, they tempt you with all sorts of brochures in mailings telling you what stocks to buy, what miracle remedies just found will give you a life to 120.
One of the best books I ever got is from Paul and Patricia Bragg: APPLE CIDER VINGEGARD–Miracle Health System. Powerful Health Qualities for a Longer, Healthier, Youthful Life!
Not only abundance of data but good reading and entertaining, too.
By: kindredspiritks on July 4, 2009
at 12:16 am
Apple Cider Vinegar.
By: kindredspiritks on July 4, 2009
at 12:17 am
Don,
That’s interesting. I used apple cider vinegar as part of my self-help regime when I got sciatica some years ago. I see they tout it as ‘enhancing nerve power’, which gets into the same ball park as Zhan Zhuang and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I recall drinking the stuff in warm water with a teaspoon of honey, which is not exactly appetising. There again I take go for that instead of a sheep’s brain any day of the week.
Nigel
By: Nigel Davieso on July 4, 2009
at 3:19 am