In this connection a statement made by Dr. Trall is of interest. He says: "Critical efforts attempt to perform a threefold duty: Eliminate morbid matters, balance the circulation of the blood, and equalize the distribution of nervous energy. This latter duty is too generally overlooked. Some authors write as though all the good effect by a crisis, a boil, for example, was the riddance of a specific quantity of morbid material; but this is a very narrow view of the subject: that is indeed one, but the least of the remedial effects accomplished. The amount of morbid matter deterged from an extraordinary boil in a week would not; equal the ordinary daily elimination of morbid matter from the skin and kidneys. The greatest effect, therefore is the restoration of some efficient vital action, the better radiation of vital power from the presiding center of organic life."

There is probably much truth in this theory of his for improved circulation and freer distribution of nervous energy do follow crises.

Indeed some crises are attended with nervous symptoms that indicate changes going on in the nervous system. The above case is to the point. The following case points to the same thing. A patient of the author's, a woman aged 56, had a place at the base of her spine about the size of a man's hand in which there was no sensation (anesthesia). She described it as being "dead." Pins could be stuck into it or it could be cut or bruised, but there was no pain or feeling. This condition had persisted for ten years. After two weeks under my directions she called me on the phone and excitedly explained that she was suffering with pains in the "dead spot." I said "good." "Doctor," she replied, "I am serious, I am not joking." "Neither am I joking," I replied, "I too, am serious. When the pain ceases, sensation will again be normal in that area." She desired to know what she could do to relieve the pain. I instructed her not to relieve it but to let it alone. Two days later when she called at my office she joyfully described how the pain did not last long and that the "dead spot" was now normal again. Sensation was normal. Here was evidently a change in the nerves and in nervous distribution.

Crises are mild biogonies; that is they represent acute reactions against morbid influences, and are commonly named as "diseases." They differ in no essential from the more vigorous and protracted aggressive biogonies.

For convenience, crises may be divided into two classes--namely (1) aggressive crises, and (2) defensive crises. The use of these terms is somewhat arbitrary, as they are both aggressive reactions against toxins, are essential ones. The aggressive crises occur when the vital powers are strong and voluntarily start a houscleaning when there may be no immediate danger to life. Such crises are likely to develop during the process of recovery from chronic biogonies while under hygienic care. The defensive crises develop under conditions in which the toxic saturation and pathogenic influences are great enough to constitute an immediate danger to life. The organism is compelled to fight back. The tendency in both instances is towards recovery.

There are no acute reactions against tolerated toxins whether decomposition products, metabolites, tobacco, alcohol, opium, epsom salts, or other poisons. Biogonies occur only when the toxin saturation rises above the toleration point. These last until the toxins have been reduced to the toleration point, then subside spontaneously. The toleration point varys with the individual and with the varying conditions of the individual.

In every passive biogony the periodic return of crises is very common. These may take the form of boils, eruptions, diarrhea, sweatings, mucous and bloody discharges, discharge of highly colored urine, feverishness, etc. Under natural living conditions, where enervating influences are removed and the organism is gradually strengthened, the body, not infrequently, arouses itself to acute eliminating efforts or crises. This reaction point varies with the individual and with the varying conditions of the individual. The greater the amount of vitality one possesses, the less morbid matter will his system tolerate, and as the vitality of one with passive biogony is gradually raised, his toleration point also rises so that crises occur.

Crises may come on without any accidental or unusual exposure or gross dietetic error, etc., or they may be incited by such external factors. If the former, the living power, arouses itself against the pathogenic influence for the same reason and in the same way it arouses itself following the exposure to external factors. In the latter case the external factors are to be regarded as the straw that breaks the camel's back and forces a reaction against the pathogenic influence, while the crisis of "disease," which occur without the influence of the final straw, has been made necessary by conditions in the organism that have reached the breaking point.

Crises develop in keeping with the diathetic tendencies of the individual. This is the explanation of the fact that aggressive biogonies, or "healing crises," as some prefer to term them, often develop in the same form and at the same location of some previously suppressed acute biogony. This phenomenon was called "retracing" by Dr. Reinhold, using the figure of a well that had been filled up with debris, over a period of years and was being cleaned out. In cleaning the well out the various layers of debris are removed in inverse order to their deposition. There may be some truth in the theory of retracing.

Dr. Jenning's explanation of the matter is a little different. He used to refer to those with "acute disease" as having been "suddenly laid aside for repairing purposes" and connected with this both in acute and chronic "disease" what he called a "rotary renovating operation," and which he declared is "constantly going forward among the numerous organs of the body while in an imperfect state." The idea back of this was that in an enervated body all parts could not be maintained in perfect repair at all times so nature repaired the organs one or two at a time, always concentrating her energies upon those organs that were most in need of repairs. He said:-"The rotary tendency or alternating law of the animal economy, for the government of pathological movements, under a complication of ills, may readily be observed and learned by anyone who is subject to a variety of complaints of any kind. At one time he may have a headache, toothache, or nose bleed; or another, 'crick of the back,' or lameness of a shoulder, hip or some other joint or joints, or in some muscle or muscles; or a cold, asthma, eruption or some pathological embarrassment to which he is liable and which will be passed through a cancelling process in regular order, if not injudiciously interfered with. Heavy general fits of sickness are sometimes immediately preceded or ushered in by other affections; and sometimes, too, closed by them. Physicians speak of diseases coming in under the mask of other diseases. The Orthopathic philosophy of this is easy. In some cases where the system is laboring under a serious complication of injuries, before an essential tissue or group of organs that have been badly damaged, can be safely and conveniently put under a renovating operation, some other part must be improved in its condition. Smallpox and other heavy exanthematous diseases, are sometimes apt to be preceded by fits, particularly in children. Physicians also speak of critical termination of disease, and some practitioners try to bring on the condition that they have known or heard of being the closing part of a disease, as if this would be a cure for the whole malady. The affections that mark the winding up of general curative efforts are numerous, such as eruptions, diarrhea, small spontaneous bleedings, as a few drops of blood from the nose, sweating, gaping, etc. Yawning, or gaping, is a common token of amendment. No one that is hard sick ever gapes until there is a change for the better in the specific disease through which he is then passing."--Philosophy of Human Life, pp. 147-8.

In his idea of the "rotary tendency or alternating law of the animal economy" may be found the germ of the idea that crises develop periodically according to the septeminal law or law of sevens. Dr. Henry Lindlahr, who did so much to popularize this thought, explains it as follows: "When a chronic patient, whose chances of cure are good, is placed under proper (natural) conditions of living and of treatment he will, as a rule, experience five weeks of marked improvement.

"The sixth week, if conditions are favorable, usually marks the beginning of acute reactions or healing crises."

The seventh period is then a period of adjustment, reconstruction, recuperation and rest, and the beginning of a new cycle of sevens. This is a highly fanciful theory with much plausibility but is not borne out in my experience.

There is a rythmic ebb, and flow of the forces of life. This can be seen in the acutely ill, the chronically sick and in the conventionally healthy. But we cannot prove that this ebb and flow follows any septeminal law, or law of sevens.

There is much difference of opinion about the necessity of crises in the recovery from chronic "disease." Some authorities maintain that complete recovery from chronic conditions can be accomplished only through crises. Dr. Trall wrote in his Hydropathic Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 62:--"It is perfectly certain that many bad cases of chronic diseases are cured without any appearance of crises whatever; it is equally certain, in my judgement, that some few cases are utterly incurable without the production of a decided crisis--and I am fully convinced that in many cases crises are rendered unnecessarily and even dangerously severe by excessive or injudicious treatment."

At a much later date he wrote: "Some practitioners seem to regard that violent disturbance, which they call a 'powerful crisis,' as indispensible to a radical cure. It is a most mischievous doctrine. Crises may occur under a most judicious treatment and are then always beneficial; but when provoked or aggravated by too cold bathing, or by excessive water-drinking, or by exhausting exercise, they are pernicious."--Nervous Debility.

Dr. Tilden says that while crises are very common during the process of recovery from chronic conditions, these are not absolutely essential to recovery in every case. Even Dr. Lindlahr finally admitted that many do recover without marked crises.

It is the author's opinion that crises are often forced by harsh treatment. In those institutions where the idea seems to prevail that the more the body is tortured the quicker it will recover, it is no uncommon thing for a patient of low resistance to be kept in a cold bath for long periods, or to be given such baths too frequently. Or, patients are forced to stay in the scorching sun until their bodies are blistered from head to foot. There is as much reason why an enervating plan of treatment will force a defensive crisis as there is that any other pathogenic influence will do so. Such treatments may easily force a reaction or crisis. Again, I am convinced that in many cases, a prolonged fast can be made to accomplish the work of crises, although I am aware that crises often develop during a fast.

Medical men have objected that by the use of drugs they produce crises--such for instance, as vomiting, diarrhea, etc. They ask, then, why we do not accept the drug induced crises. There are several good reasons why we do not accept such crises. The critical action, in such cases, is directed against the drug, not against the cause of the original cause of pathology. The critical action represents only the primary and not the secondary effect of the drug. The secondary and lasting effect, of the drug is worse trouble. Lastly, the drug induced action does not secure the desired elimination of toxins. Dr. Lindlahr has well expressed this fact as follows: "Such enforced artificial purging may flush the drains and sewers but does not cleanse the inner chambers of the house. The cells in the interior tissues remain encumbered with morbid matter. A genuine and truly effective house-cleaning must start in the cells and must be brought about through the initiative of the vital energies in the organism, through healing crises and not through stimulation by poisonous irritants.

"When, under a natural regimen of living and of treatment, the system has been sufficiently purified, adjusted and vivified the cells themselves begin the work of elimination."

What Dr. Lindlahr and most so-called natural therapists, or naturopaths, do not understand, is that crises forced by hot and cold baths, packs, water drinking, enemas, manipulations, electricity, and other methods and modalities of mis-called natural treatment, are no more desirable or beneficial than drug induced ones. They represent reactions against toxin saturation brought on by the enervating effects of such treatments. There are no natural therapeutics in the sense in which these men employ the term, while drugs, vaccines and serums are as natural as electricity, heat and cold, etc.