Medical men say that most if not all acute "diseases" are self-limited. They explain this term to mean that the "disease" persists until the body cures itself by forming a sufficiency of immune substances. Man gets well when his body has manufactured enough antitoxin to counteract the bacterial toxins that are held to be responsible for the "disease". It is generally admitted by medical men that they have no treatment that will cure pneumonia, or which will shorten its course by one day. But they say it is self-limited. Typhoid fever is said to be a self-limited "disease" but "there is scarcely an acute disease in which relapses are so common." (Emerson). Four or five relapses may occur and prolong the "disease" for six months. Diphtheria is a self-limited "disease". The person sick with this "disease" is said to get well as soon as "enough antitoxin has been manufactured."

If this theory is a correct one, the question remains to be answered: Why do relapses occur? If enough "immune substances" have been produced to cure the "disease", and the patient is convalescing, how does he relapse? Does he suddenly lose his "immune substances"? Is he suddenly invaded by an army of germ recruits that call for more antitoxin than he possesses? If either of these latter are correct answers, how may man be assured immunity to disease by manufacturing antitoxins or by being inoculated with animal "antitoxins"--serum and pus? If the man who has had a "disease" is unable to manufacture or retain enough "immune substances" to protect him, how is the well man to be protected?

But it is in only a few "diseases" that these "immune substances" are held to establish immunity. Even in these, two or more "attacks" are more frequent than is commonly supposed. Cases of men having had smallpox five different times are on record. One may have typhoid more than once. Pneumonia may be had many times. Colds are frequent. Tonsillitis is equally so. Influenza may also be had many times. So with acute rheumatism and this may even become chronic. This list might easily be greatly enlarged and extended to include all acute "diseases."

Colds and tonsillitis, both of them self-limited, may follow one "attack" after another for a whole year or more. Then, should they cease, from whatever cause, it is assumed that immunity has been established.

This theory, it is not proven and is, therefore, only a theory, does not satisfy a reasoning mind. We are willing to recognize the so-called self-limiting nature of acute "diseases," but must reject the medical explanation. So far as I am aware, none of the drugless schools attempt to explain the fact.

This theory assumes at the outset that acute "disease" is caused by germs. It assumes that it is not caused by anything else. It ignores the detoxifying work of the liver, lymph glands, tonsils, etc., and the eliminating work of the kidneys, skin, bowels, lungs, etc., and assumes that cure can only result through the process of antitoxin manufacture. It is unable to build immunity upon a basis of health, but must secure it at the cost of "disease." In this it reverses the the whole order of nature and secures health and immunity to "disease" by employing the causes of "disease."

One other objection, and a powerful one, may be yet offered to this theory: it assumes that an acute "disease" say typhoid, runs a more or less definite length of time and that recovery is not possible before this time has expired. It attempts to "support" the body with stimulants, suppress the symptoms in various ways, and increase the body's "resistance" by heavy feeding. Now, as a matter of fact, no disease ever last nearly so long as it is supposed to, when cared for hygienically. Measles, lasts four to five days, scarlet fever three to four days, typhoid fever seven to eight, rarely fifteen days. Pneumonia quickly ends--often as early as the fifth day. And all this on a diametrically opposite plan of care.

No food is given to "increase resistance". No stimulants are administered to "sustain" the heart. No efforts are made to suppress or combat the symptoms. Under such a plan recoveries are more frequent, more rapid and uniform and more complete. Relapses are exceedingly rare, complications and sequelea seldom met with and the patient is better after than before he had the "disease".

Formerly medical men held that self-limited "diseases" have certain laws, rules, tendencies, or dispositions, in and of themselves, which dispose or impel them to "run a certain course", and then terminate spontaneously: that is, of their own accord.

In discussing the absurd notions entertained by Dr. Jacob Bigelow, of Boston, and others regarding what they termed self-limited disease, Trall declared: (The Hygienic System) "The theory of disease, which I advocate, and which, so far as I know, I was the first to entertain and advocate, disposes of self-limited diseases, and a hundred other vexed questions relating to the nature, forms, phenomena, and tendencies, of particular diseases, in a few words. Disease being itself remedial effort, all diseases are limited, in degree or severity, to the ability of the living system to make the remedial effort more or less vigorously; and in duration, to the time required, under the circumstances, for the system to rid itself of the impurities (the causes of disease), and to repair, as well as may be, the damages which have been occasioned by the presence of the impurities and the vital struggle to expel them."

A disease is "self-limited", said Jennings, "not by anything peculiar to the morbid condition of the part or parts affected, but by the extent of the lesion in the injured parts, and the amount of recuperative energy; just as the jobs of the mechanic are 'self-limited' by the quantity of work that is to be done in each job and the amount of force that can be appropriated for its accomplishment."--Tree of Life, p.184.

Dr. Tilden declares: "That diseases are self-limited--that every definite or specific cause must have a definite or specific effect--there can be no question, and that there must be a limit to an effect is another fact. It is self-evident that every cause and every effect must be self-limited; it is really a platitude to make such a statement about anything pertaining to disease. If there is ever an excuse for a doubt to arise regarding the eternal fixity of this law of limitation, it must be in those diseases where there is a multiplicity of causes and some or all of them obscure, for it must not be forgotten that there is no such thing as a mono--or unitary--cause to be found in the whole field of medical nomenclature or nosology."-- Criticisms of the Practice of Medicine, Vol. 2, p. 243.

These three quotations all agree in one thing--namely, that "diseases" are limited because their causes are limited. There are no limitless causes--there can be no limitless effects. Jennings and Trall both agree that another factor enters to determine the limits of a disease-- namely, that of the power of the body to throw off the cause and repair damages. Not only are the causes of "disease" limited but the powers of the body are also limited. The more power there is in reserve the more intense or vigorous will be the symptoms of reaction and the sooner will the curative work be accomplished.

It is necessary, however, for us to fully understand what it is that is "self-limited." The axiom "all diseases tend to recovery" is badly overworked, and by no school more than the so-called "regulars." The "diseases" which they so flippantly declare to be self-limited are simply crises of toxemic saturation. They do not know the cause of pathology; hence, they do not realize that in all this "self-recovery," in spite of cures, palliation and the "chief function of the physician is to guard against complications," there is really no recovery at all. The crisis acts merely like a safety-valve of an engine; it lowers the "pressure" for the time being; but unless the causes of the toxic super-saturation are removed there will be repeated crises, and the curing will have to be done over and over again.

The "diseases" that are said to be self-limited are crises of toxemia. When eliminative process reduces the toxemia to the toleration point, the disease is said to be cured. This is a false and superficial view of the matter. The causes of toxemia still remain, and crises will return and return until organic change takes place. The "organic disease" that results is not claimed to be self-limited.

The temporary duration of all acute "disease" actions may be said to be a rule of pathology. Coexisting with this is the fact that the intensity and degree of this action is, while it lasts, always within the limits of safety or, within the body's powers of endurance--for the reason that the power of the "disease" is also the power of life. The assertion made by medical men that the majority of "diseases" tend to get well is a very awkward and inaccurate statement which takes from vital activities the credit for recovery and attributes recovery to the cause of the "disease".

Acute "disease" is a temporary, an evanescent, state. It arises under those conditions as before explained, when unusual defensive action is required if life is to be preserved. The occasion or cause of "disease" removed or corrected, so that it is no longer operative, the organism quickly subsides into its usual tranquil state. This is to say, as soon as the body, by means of the "disease", has succeeded in freeing itself of danger, it returns to its normal state of ease and equilibrium.

In certain "diseases" there occur changes which, if permitted to remain, would endanger life. The organism possesses power to effect the removal and correction of these, and bring about a more or less completely natural condition in the parts. As an example, notice the retrograde changes that occur in the absorption of the exuded serum in the lungs, in pneumonia, and the restoration of normal circulation through the lungs. The limit of this condition is determined by the power of the body to remove it. The exudate is not self-limited.

If there is no necessity for a protracted "disease"--a prolonged renovating process--the vital forces can be driven into one only by care and treatment that produce such a necessity. If a cold is all that is required to cleanse the organism, a pneumonia, pleurisy, smallpox, or measles, etc., will not be developed. Only such "disease" manifestations are developed as are needed. What is more, once these operations have thoroughly completed their work, the body cannot be driven again through the same train of symptoms until the foundation is again laid for them. Relapses can come only when there has been suppression.

Where the powers of life are inadequate to the work of cure, or where the body's curative efforts are suppressed by treatment, death or chronic disease results. The acute process cannot be continued indefinitely. Accommodation and a subdued struggle against cause must occur, if death does not result before this can take place. Chronic "disease" is continuous because its cause is continuous--it is a protest against chronic provocation.