If there is no isolated pathology, there can be no isolated symptom-- the later is as absurd as the former. Purinton is almost wholly correct when he declares that a symptom "tells nothing and foretells less." He is wholly right when he advises: "If you want truth, don't bother with symptoms, watch principles and examine causes--actions and results can look out for themselves."

Pathology, in general and in particular, is progressive in character, both in degree and in form. It not only passes through various stages of development, but tends to develop in different directions from the same apparent beginnings. From its first faint beginnings, perhaps in infancy, upward or downward to cancer, or Bright's Disease, the varied pathological developments are laid down in orderly sequence and along lines of special kinds. The process of degeneration may take certain definite directions, depending upon certain conditioning factors, and give us cancer in one instance, tuberculosis in another, diabetes in another, Bright's disease in another, etc., as end-points, but there is a continuity, not merely in each chain, but one chain with another, as a result of common causes. In the principle of evolution alone is to be found the true explanation of all the varied phenomena of pathology including the whole of pathology ranged in a complete series of gradations from its imperceptible beginnings at one end to cancer at the other.

Dr. Rabagliati thought that there are "two great lines of the development or evolution of disease." Tracing these he says: "In one the sequence of events is indigestion, heart-burn, acidity, the occurrence of watery blebs or blisters on the lips or tongue, sore throat (tonsillitis), acne of the skin, rheumatism (initis, I have ventured to call it--congestion of connective tissue generally, lymph-congestion rather than blood congestion), constipation, bronchitis and broncho-pneumonia itself, scanty high-colored urination often accompanied by a heavy-deposit on standing, insomnia, eczema, and apoplexy or cancer. In the other we have indigestion, fullness and weight after eating, faintness, relieved immediately by frequent eating, and remotely aggravated by the same, enlargement of glands in the neck, the watery blebs on the neck mentioned above, free urination without deposit or precipitate, tendency to free perspiration or sweating, the occurrence of disease in a joint such as the knee, hip, elbow or ankle, anemia (triphthemia, or catatribemia rather it should be called), pallor and attenuation, feeling of general or frequent fatigue, pelosis or proneness to become black or blue on receipt of very slight or unremembered injuries, flushing followed by coldness, clamminess of hands, rheumatism, diarrhea, pleurisy and tuberculosis."

While these two lines of pathological evolution of necessity have much in common, the close observer will discern that the cancer chain develops largely in the plethoric (what medical men call the well-nourished), while the tubercular chain develops in those of poor nutrition. Dr. Rabagliati says: "Of course, these groups of illnesses, one culminating in cancer, and the other in tuberculosis, are not definitely demarcated off from one another; but still, I think, perhaps, are more or less fairly defined."

The doctor thinks that indigestion in some form lays the foundation for our illnesses and that the important thing in both these lines of development "is that they both commence with indigestion". Although indigestion usually puts in an appearance early in the development of any pathology, whether cancer, tuberculosis, Bright's disease, diabetes, or sclerosis, etc., all of which may be metaphorically, considered as the end-points in different lines of parallel or even divergent evolution, it is not the initial stage in the development of any so-called disease.

Pathology being general, it is logically the consequence of all the many impairing influences, both positive and negative, that enter into, or that have entered into the life of the sick person.

Pathology does not exist without cause. It begins where cause begins and persists where cause persists. It is continuous because its causes are continuous. As cause accumulates and extends itself, more and more of the structures of the body break down and the organic and functional impairment grows greater, hence the ever-increasing complexity of pathology. Development proceeds from the general to the special. All pathology begins in simple deviations from normal and proceeds, step by step, to the complex forms. It is not only the cell or the organ which is at fault, but the whole organism, often the whole species. The variation in pathological conditions is not only inevitable; it is continuous. It proceeds historically. The present being continuously built upon the past.

The continuity of causation and the gradual accumulation of its effects are essential to the progressive extension and developing complexity of pathology. Transient causes produce transient effects. The causes of pathology in any so-called disease must be co-extensive with the general pathology present, which is much greater than is generally supposed. If, as a race, we are immersed in degeneration, as is often asserted, the causes of degeneration must be co-extensive with this degeneration. There is a generic and basic cause for all pathology.

All theories are largely guesses at the details of the processes through which causation works to produce its many results. Though guesses at the details through which causation works its way from innumerable small beginnings to innumerable great and complicated results, may be wrong in whole or in essential parts, the continuity of causation and the gradual accumulation of its effects, cannot be doubted.

However, on the other hand, the most perfect continuity of causation does not involve, as a necessary consequence, any identity of "structure" in its final and complex results. Nor is there, of necessity, any plainly evident continuity in its visible effects. These effects may be sudden and violent, although the previous working has been slow and even infinitesimally gradual, and may manifest themselves in almost infinite variety of form and in many different directions. Continuity only precludes individualization.

Almost all chronic so-called diseases are associated with--either preceding or co-existing--dental caries, tonsillar troubles, colds, sinus affections, gall-bladder, colonic and pulmonary troubles. These are all referred to as a foci of infection, but no effort to determine how "foci of infection" arise has been made. To me it seems quite reasonable that all of the local conditions have a common basic cause. The fact that decay of the teeth, poor skeletal development, nervous instability, mental deficiency, and gastro-intestinal affections have increased in direct proportion to the increasing use of "processed" or manufactured foods and drinks is very significant.