More from Dr C, a compilation of a series of posts to Usenet: The Physiological Laws of Life. Dr Cee PhD
Orthopathy had its genesis 1802 in the US with the studies of Dr. Isaac Jennings. He published his work in 1822. Many allopathic doctors of the day threw down their bleeding lancets and began anew as orthopaths once they realized the truth. This medical paradigm fueled the medical reform movement of the 1800's. As MDs, they were trained in all aspects of medicine from diagnosis to surgery. What they did not accept was the germ theory of disease, the useless and excessive use of drugs, and needless and useless surgery. They viewed sanitation as necessary, drugs as temporary expedients, and surgery was for emergencies and trauma. They became known as the Natural Hygienists. Natural Hygiene remains a part of American history and America today. The orthopaths had 16 physiological laws of life to guide them in their understanding of the human organism. With the renewed interest in "alternative" medicine, perhaps it is time to post these laws for those who have an interest in "alternative" medicine. 1. Life's Great Law: Every living cell of the organized body is endowed with an instinct of self-preservation, sustained by an inherent force in the organism called "vital force" or "life force." The success of each living organism--whether it be simple or complex--is directly proportional to the amount of its life force and inversely proportional to the degree of its activity. 2. The Law of Order: The living organism is completely self- constructing, self-maintaining, self-directing, self-repairing, self- defending, and self-healing. 3. The Law of Action: Whenever action occurs in the living organism, as the result of extraneous influences, the action must be ascribed to the living thing which has the power of action--and not to the lifeless, the leading characteristic of which is inertia. 4. The Law of Power: The power employed, and consequently expended, in any vital or medicinal action is vital power, that is, power from within--and not from without. 5. The Law of Distribution: The power of the body, whether that power is great or little, is distributed in a manner proportionate to the importance and needs of the various organs and tissues of the body. Comment: There are five basic areas where the body expends energy (power). Mental activity ( the brain), movement and muscle action, cellular metabolism, digestion and assimilation , and elimination. Of these, elimination is the one most often shortchanged or slighted. 6. The Law of Conservation or The Law of Autolysis: Whenever nutritive abstinence is affected, the living organism's reserves are autolyzed in the inverse order of their usefulness, while toxic substances are being eliminated. Comment: This was a principle used for Hygienic fasting under close medical supervision. 7. The Law of Limitation: Whenever and wherever the expenditure of vital power has advanced so far that a fatal exhaustion is imminent, a check is put upon the unnecessary expenditure of power ; and the organism rebels against the further use of even an accustomed stimulant. Comment: Excessive physical exertion is one example. Alcoholics becoming ill at the smell of alcohol is another. 8. The Law of Special Economy: The vital organism--under favorable conditions--stores up all excess of vital funds above the current expenditures as a "reserve fund" to be employed in time of special need. Comment: This factor allows man to go for lengthy periods of time without food. Jesus fasted for 40 days. In older times a fast of 40 days was required to gain entry into college. The record goes to an MD. This MD, under close observation by his detractors (other MDs) went without food for 102 days before the symptoms of starvation presented themselves. 9. The Law of Vital Accommodation: The response of the vital organism to external stimuli is an instinctive one, based upon a self- preservative instinct which adapts or accommodates itself to whatever influence it cannot destroy or control. Comment: The ability of the living organism to adapt and tolerate is necessary to sustain life in the face of adversity and to prolong the life of the organism. 10. The Law of Stimulation or Dual Effect: Whenever a toxic or irritating agent is brought to bear upon the living organism, the bodyputs forth vital resistance--which manifests itself in an action at once accelerated, but also impaired. This resistance diminishes the bodily power precisely to the degree to which it accelerates action. The increased action is caused by the extra expenditure of vital power called out, not supplied, by the stimulatory process. In consequence, the available supply of power is diminished by this amount. Comment: This law applies directly to the use of drugs and medicinals as well as the effects of toxic herbs and many of our condiments. The drugs and herbs may stimulate body action, the condiments may stimulate our sense of taste and make dull foods come to life, but in the end they are not nutritional materials and must be resisted by the body. 11. The Law of Compensation or The Law of Repose: Whenever action in the body has expended the substance and available energy of the body, sleep and/or rest is induced in order to replenish the body's substance and Nerve Energy. 12. The Law of Selective Elimination: All injurious substances which gain admittance by any means into the living organism are counteracted, neutralized, and expelled as fully as the bodily Nerve Energy supplies allow by such means and through such channels as will produce the least amount of harm to the living structure. Comment: Two common routes of elimination is the urine and feces. Alcohol metabolites in the breath means the lungs are being used. Garlic breath means the same route is being used. Perspiration following the eating of hot peppers means the sweat glands are being used. Your hair falling out from chemo means the hair follicles in the skin are being used. 13. The Law of Utilization: The normal elements and materials of life are all that the living organism is ever capable of constructively utilizing, whether it is well or sick. No substance or process that is not a normal-factor-element in physiology can be of any value in the structure of the living organism; and that which is unusable in a state of health, is equally unusable in a state of illness. Comment: The Orthopaths (Natural Hygienists) were then drugless doctors. They used medicinals only as temporary expedients and not a life long supplement as the allopaths of today. They were skilled nutritionists as a consequence, following in the true Hippocratic tradition: "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." 14. The Law of Quality Selection: When the quality of nutriment being received by the living organism is higher than that of the present living tissue, the organism will discard lower-grade cells to make room for appropriating the superior materials into new and healthy tissue. Comment: Since every cell in the body, including the bones, is changed out over a seven year cycle, if we provide superior nutrients, we gain a new and superior body on a continuing basis. Provide the body with inferior nutrients, and you get a sicker, weaker you on a downward trend. Just look at our elderly. 15. The Law of The Minimum: The development of living organisms is regulated by the supply of that element or factor which is least abundantly provided or utilized. The element or factor in shortest supply determines the amount of development. Comment: The particularly applies to the fetus. 16. The Law of Development: The development of all or any parts of the living organism is measured in direct proportion to the amount of vital forces and nutritive materials which are directed to it and brought to bear upon it. The sixteen Physiological Laws of Life have been posted. I have refrained from commenting in an effort not to "muddy" the water. While these Laws appear to be self-evident and simple, they are none the less complex, worthy of a college level course requiring 3 hours per week for 16 weeks to get to the deeper meanings. Health and disease are not nearly as complex as certain groups would have us believe. Orthopathy (Natural Hygiene) belongs in the category of Vitalistic/Humanistic medicine and opposed to Mechanistic/Psuedo-scientific modern medicine. However, Vitalistic/Humanistic medicine was legislated out of existence by the medical monopoly following the Flexner report of 1909 and the following actions of Flexner and the monopolists who profited from those actions. It is not necessary that I understand the inner workings of my car. All I need to know is that if I turn the key, the engine starts. If I put it in gear, it moves. If I apply the brakes, the vehicle slows and stops. The same is true of health and disease. If you wish to know why the eating of an apple is good for you, you can read physiology and biochemistry texts to learn what is going on. All you really need to know is that it tastes good and is good for you. The next series of posts will have to do with the seven stages of disease as taught and understood by the Orthopaths. Since these MDs never accepted the germ theory of disease, viewed medicines as poisons, and surgery as a rarely needed medical intervention, how did they view disease, how did they diagnose, and how did they treat so successfully? I hope this effort adds to the available knowledge of those of you truly interested in alternative medicine and your own health.
