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Preface

Introduction to Toxemia

Toxemia Explained

Enervation Is General

Poise

The Causes of Enervation

Retrospection

    Habit is the approximation of the animal system of the organic. It is a confession of failure in the highest function of being, which involves a perpetual self- determination, in full view of all existing circumstances.

    Autonomy or self-government is met at the threshold of life by all the conventional superstitions, and educated into a lot of habits, such as curing without removing cause. This, combined with man's inclination to hedonism (the doctrine that pleasure is the only good), leads to a life of failure, in spite of man's potential desire to rise above the forces that hold him down. "Toxemia Explained" will help all who study it carefully to understand what disease is, and how it is brought on. This knowledge will help the wise. and self- controlled to sidestep disease, and the medical octopus that unwittingly vandalizes the sick.

    The profession is made up of an army of educated men; and I believe the majority are gentlemen, and are endeavoring to serve humanity. Education and ethics, when established on fallacy and given the prestige of numbers--given an overwhelming majority--can make the fallacy true, so far as the herd is concerned.

    All I ask of laymen or the profession is honestly to put my philosophy to the acid test. Yes, prove, if possible, that I am mistaken, and then give me what is coming to me!

    Man makes his own diseases. This book tells how he does it. And he is the one who can bring back health. He and his subconsciousness alone can cure. Doctors cannot cure. Only very rarely is surgical vandalism a dernier resort, unless bad treatment forces unnecessary emergencies.

The body is strong or weak, as the case may be, depending entirely on whether the nerve-energy is strong or weak. And it should be remembered that the functions of the body are carried on well or badly according to the amount of energy generated.

A Few Suggestions

    THE following suggestions may be of assistance to those who wish to maintain their present state of good health, or help them to bring themselves from their present state of impaired health to that of good health. Those who are badly handicapped, and who wish more detailed information, will have to have the advice fitted to their particular cases through individual instructions.

    The first thing on awaking in the morning, the Tilden system of tensing exercises should be practiced for from fifteen to thirty minutes. (See exercises at the end of this chapter.) Following the exercise, go to the bathroom and, while standing in warm water, take a quick, warm sponge-bath. Then follow this with plenty of dry-towel or friction-mitten rubbing. At night, before retiring, give the body a thorough friction rubbing again. If not convenient to take the warm sponge-bath in the morning, use the dry rub in the morning and the warm sponge-bath at night before retiring.

    Eat three meals a day and no more; no eating nor drinking between meals. Use the following rules to guide you in "when to eat, when not to eat, and how to eat":

    Rule No. 1.--Never eat unless you have been absolutely comfortable in mind and body from the previous mealtime.

    Rule No. 2.--Thoroughly masticate and insalivate every mouthful of starchy food, and give the rest of your food plenty of attention.

    Rule No. 3.--Never eat without a keen relish.

    If the bowels do not move during the day, before retiring at night use a small enema--a pint of warm water. Put it into the bowels and allow it to remain for five to ten minutes; then solicit a movement. Proper mastication, right combinations of food, and plenty of tensing exercise to the abdomen will bring about proper bowel action.

    As to what to eat--For those in ordinarily good health the following rules will serve as a guide:

Fruit Breakfast
Starch Lunch
Regulation Dinner

or

Starch Breakfast
Fruit Lunch
Regulation Dinner

    The regulation dinner may be taken at noon in place of the lunch, if it is more convenient.

    Fruit Breakfast.--Any kind of fresh fruit or berries followed with either milk, fifty-fifty (half warm milk and half hot water), or teakettle tea (hot water with two or three tablespoons of cream to the cup).

    Starch Breakfast.--Toast, Shredded Wheat, Triscuit, Rye Crisp, well-baked muffins, corn bread or biscuit, griddle-cakes, waffles, cooked cereal (any one of foregoing), followed with fresh or cooked fruit, without sugar. The dry starches should be eaten with a little butter, and not soaked up with milk or cream. This insures thorough mastication. The cereals should be taken with a little cream and salt--no milk or sugar. The griddle-cakes and waffles may be accompanied with honey and butter, followed with teakettle tea.

    If desired, the starch breakfast may be followed with fresh fruit instead of a beverage.

    Starch Lunch.--The same as the starch breakfast. Occasionally a piece of plain cake and ice-cream.

    Fruit Lunch.--The same as the fruit breakfast. Occasionally a piece of fruit pie and a piece of cheese, or some form of dessert, followed with fresh fruit.

    Regulation Dinner.--No. 1: Meat, two cooked non- starchy vegetables, and a combination salad.

    No. 2: Starch, two cooked non-starchy vegetables, and a combination salad.

    Meat: Any kind of fresh meat, cheese, nuts, eggs, bacon, fish, or fowl.

    Starch: Potatoes (sweet or Irish), macaroni, rice, Hubbard squash, dry beans and peas, tapioca, pumpkin, or any of the starches listed above.

    Cooked Non-starchy Vegetables: Beets, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green corn, green beans and peas, asparagus, onions, eggplant, salsify, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, spinach, greens, summer squash, etc.

    Combination Tilden Salad: Lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber; lettuce, celery and apple; lettuce, apple, and orange, or any other fruit. Dress with salt, oil, and lemon juice.

    Regulation Dinner No. 1--should be taken every other day, and Dinner No. 2 the alternate days.

    Of course, there are many variations and additions to the above suggestions, but details cannot he gone into in this book. Those who wish to have more detailed suggestions should read the monthly periodical, Dr. Tilden's Health Review and Critique, and his Cook Book.

    
DR. Tilden's Tensing Exercises

    Begin by tensing the leg muscles from the toes to the body, as follows: First extend the toes as far as you can; then grip, as it were, by forcing the toes forward toward the heels, and at the same time make the muscles of the legs hard to the body. Completely relax. Do not repeat the tension again until muscles are soft; then tense again, repeating the contraction and extension.

    Tense the hands and arms in the same way. Extend the fingers as far as possible, making the muscles hard to the shoulders; then grip the fingers and shut the fist, hardening the muscles to the shoulders. Do this five times; then tense the legs five times; then the hands and arms again.

    Fold a pillow and put under the shoulders, so that when the head drops back it will not touch anything. Lift the head forward, the chin to the chest; drop the head back again as far as it will go; then lift. Do this four or five times. Then, with the pillow still under the shoulders, lock the fingers under the head, allowing the head to rest in the hands. Swing the head from side to side, up and down, and rotate, carrying each movement as far as possible.

    Then push the folded pillow down under the hips and go through the leg movements of riding a bicycle. Then, with legs extended in the air, move each leg from side to side, allowing one to pass the other, scissor- fashion; changing, however, each time they pass, having first one leg forward and then the other.

    Tense the abdomen, making the muscles as hard as possible, and at the same time kneading the muscles with the hands. This exercise is necessary for overcoming constipation. In women, the uterine ligaments will be strengthened, lifting and overcoming falling and misplaced positions of the womb. The muscles of the bladder and rectum will be improved by these exercises. Piles--prolapsus of the rectal mucous membrane--will be overcome. An irritable bladder and prostate enlargements will be benefited by these exercises.

    Then sit up and turn the face to the right as far as possible; then to the left as far as possible; then allow the head to drop over, so as to bring the ear close to the shoulder, and then carry it over to the opposite shoulder.

    These movements of the head and neck are necessary to remove deposits that take place between the vertebrae, and in grooves and openings in bones where the nerves and arteries pass. If the hearing is bad, these movements will improve it. If the sense of smell is not so acute as it should be, by keeping up the exercises the olfactory nerve will be freed and the power of smell will be improved. The taste, too, will be bettered. All the nerves of special sense will be invigorated. The pneumogastric nerve and all the vital nerves controlling vital organs are invigorated by this exercise. When nerves are pressed upon by organic deposits, the movements above described will cause the deposits to be absorbed. The muscles of the neck will develop; the muscles of the face will develop, one will grow to look and feel younger.

    These exercises must be gone through with, not only before getting up, but every three or four hours during the day. You may think that this is very laborious, but it is the price you must pay to get well. So begin at once, and be faithful!

    Sit on the edge of the bed, and sway the body from side to side as far as possible, then follow with a twisting movement, attempting to look behind over the shoulders. Sit up in bed, and sway backward and forward, compelling the spine to bend from the small of the back up to the head, forward and backward. This loosens up the spine and invigorates the nerves that are sent off to the lower part of the body.

    Get on the knees and elbows; then push the body forward as far as possible without falling upon the abdomen; then push back as far as possible. Go back and forth, while in this position, until tired, then drop on either the left or right shoulder while the hips are highly elevated. This is called the knee-shoulder position. The knee and elbow position, with the movements described, I call the "Irish Mail movements." It is necessary to practice both these movements and positions in overcoming constipation, prolapsus of the bowels, rectum, or womb, and piles.

    Place the forefingers over the closed eyes, and rub gently from side to side. Then remove the fingers and rotate the eyeballs, reversing the movement to relieve the tire.

    Place the forefingers on the wings of the nose; press together and move from side to side.

    When the weather is nice, it is well to walk in the open air as often as possible.