But few crises, if the subject is properly cared for, ever go on to serious organic change, and the come-back under Hygienic care is much greater than in the regular way, and the degree of loss of function considerably less. It is not the sudden and transient, but the prolonged and cumulative causes that do most damage to the organs of the body. Sudden deaths by so-called heart "diseases," apoplexy, etc., have been long in building. Deaths in acute "disease" have had a preparatory stage-- "contagious diseases strike down only those who are susceptible." Unfortunately, the average individual thinks he is healthy so long as he is not conscious of discomfort. When a crisis passes he considers himself healthy again. The many "diseases" found in medical nomenclature have been made up of frequently recurring symptom-complexes, caused primarily by enervating habits, and aided and abetted by fear and the poisonous effects of drugs used by doctors. Let us dwell on this a minute. Gastritis becomes chronic because toxemia is allowed to run on. Chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane evolves hardening, ulceration, pyloric obstruction, and cancer. Ulcers are cut out, but the operation does not remove cause, so others form and perhaps, cancer follows. A continuous vicarious elimination of toxins, as seen in chronic catarrh of the nose, produces chronic rhinitis, atrophic or hypertrophic, hay-fever, sinusitis, etc. The sinuses are drained or cut out, and spurs and polyps are removed from the nose, but since these operations do not remove cause, nothing is gained. When catarrh of the gall-bladder develops and gallstones are formed, the gall-bladder is drained, or the stones are cut out, but cause remains to produce more trouble. Insulin is given in diabetes, but this does not remove cause. Stones are removed from the kidneys, polyps and tumors are removed from the womb and vagina, the prostrate gland is cut out, tonsils and adenoids are excised, but these illogical makeshifts and palliatives leave cause untouched.

The surgeon is called in to remove organ after organ in appendicitis, colitis, gastritis, ovaritis, cholecystitis, ulceration, ptosis, and numerous other abdominal and pelvic "diseases," because physicians bitterly fail to correct a mode of living that ultimately eventuates in these troubles, but allow functional troubles to run on until organic change takes place and the life of the victim of such ignorance and malpractice is ruined.

Tear after year sufferers are treated for germ influence --with serums, vaccines, anti-toxins, toxoids and antiseptic sprays--and for allergy--with allergic preparations--until catarrh of the stomach runs through the various stages--from catarrh, to inflammation, to induration, to ulceration, to fungation, or cancer; catarrh of the nose ends in thickening of the mucous membrane, ulceration, growths, polyps, spurs, possibly cancer; mucous colitis becomes ulcerative colitis, perhaps cancer; catarrh of the womb and vagina, with flooding and painful menstruation, becomes ulceration, polyps, tumors, cancer. "As systemic enervation increases, organ after organ answers to the roll-call to fall into pathologic line in keeping with hereditary resistance or fortuitous stress."

Biogonies and so-called chronic "diseases" may be named according to the nomenclature but they are all crises of toxemia complicated by other toxins--intestinal infection--ranging from "simple fermentation of carbohydrates to septic decomposition of animal proteins. This gives us colds, scarlet fever, diphtheria, simple and septic measles, discreet and confluent smallpox, tuberculosis and cancer. These so-called diseases result from a pan-infection complicating toxemia. Toxemia with its preceding causes--enervation and enervating habits--are necessary as a foundation on which to build any and all pathology. Let those who must have a distinct and specific cause for each symptom-complex (each so-called specific "disease") find a cause that is always a cause if they can.

Tilden has it that "the formula of all so-called diseases is: Enervation to toxemia, plus enervating habits of body and mind, plus the psychology and chemistry of the environment, plus epidemic influence; the sum-totals: pneumonia, smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, tonsillitis, or any other so-called disease. All these different symptom-complexes are the totaling of fortuity and an exact chemistry."

The toxemia theory is the only theory of cause that does not stultify the source of intelligence, that is rational, that conforms to fundamental laws and principles, that is strictly in line with the principle of evolution (and every so-called "disease" is a legitimate evolution and evolves from existing elements), and that is so simple that children in the grades can apply the knowledge in the preservation of health. It is the only theory of cause that removes the elements of fear and uncertainty.

When secretions are checked so that decomposition occurs, infection takes place. Decomposition of food in the intestine is followed by absorption of toxic material, which, entering the blood, joins the toxins already there, giving a mixed infection, adding to the existing toxemia. If the feeding is of meat or animal proteins and putrescence is favored, "fever" may take on a low grade--become septic, diphtheritic, typhoid, typhus, and, unless feeding is discontinued and care is proper, death may be the consummation. When sepsis appears from protein decomposition, children's "diseases" take on so-called malignancy and contagiousness and often end fatally. Tilden says: "The cause of the great difference in severity, from almost nil to fatal malignancy, is the state of the body, it is a question of the degree of toxemia. In pronounced enervation and toxemia, with gastro-intestinal putrescence from an excessive intake of animal protein, infection from absorption of the intestinal decomposition, added to the existing toxemia, often builds a fatal malady."

Pneumonia and tuberculosis have as a basis of causation putrefaction in the intestine. Pneumonia is from toxemia and acute indigestion ; tuberculosis is from toxemia and chronic indigestion--or chronic intestinal putrefaction. The germs are incidental in both so-called diseases.

The amount of poisoning and the length of time it has been developing determine the severity of organic and systemic impairment. When the body has been compelled to establish a continuous vicarious elimination of toxins, such as a chronic catarrh, in time the sub-mucous tissues and glandular system become affected. In those of the tubercular diathesis, adenitis becomes tuberculosis.

It is necessary to banish from the mind the idea that there is "disease" per se; and that there are "diseases" peculiar to infancy and childhood, to virile manhood and womanhood, and to old age. Man is not heir to "disease" and there are not several hundred "diseases" as our inherited ignorance, stupidity and superstition declare. So-called "diseases" are states of the body brought about by mental and physical habits practiced for years. These habits have kept the standard of health below the biological norm, kept the body enervated and toxemic; and when toxemia accumulated beyond the toleration point, there would automatically be instituted a process of forced or compensatory elimination--a biogony-- to get rid of the accumulated metabolic end-products, and this process is stigmatized as "disease." The so-called "diseases" are mere symptom-complexes of a constitutional toxemic state.