IN our struggle with disease, the organism needs just one thing to hold its own-more fighting power. But this power can be obtained and rendered available only through the reciprocal association with life itself, as furnished in terms of sun and air, of food and action, of moral principle and self-control. And, perhaps amongst them all, self-control is the most important, as without the moral discipline of self-governing power, permanent health is unobtainable. Adjustment of demand to needs, of indulgence to necessity, of activity to usefulness, under the directing influence of reasoning intelligence and individual self-mastery in relation to food and drink, to work and recreation, to duty and pleasure, - bring us the only guarantees for permanent health and beauty, of body and mind.

Now if we apply these principles to our indulgence in eating, which at the present stage of our evolution gives rise to more temptation of the mind and body than perhaps any-other indulgence, it must be realized that the chemistry of the stomach differs in no way from the chemistry of our clinical laboratory, and that reactions arising from incongruous food mixtures, inside the body, are in no way less hostile to life and health than those that take place outside the body. A mixture of acids and starches, of sugar, cream and cereals, of milk with meat, will give rise to reactions in terms of alcohol and alkaloids, which by charging the system with poisons, weaken our vital powers of resistance, and sooner or later bring upon us physiological collapse. Ruskin was right: "We realize what we suffer, but not always what we lose." The silent leakages of our constitutional reserves, if allowed to continue their sapping influence will, before we realize it, pass beyond the limit of repair and restoration.

Dr. Axel Emil Gibson

June 15th, '21.

528-529 Bradbury Building Los Angeles, California

Appreciation:

Santa Rosa, California. Dear Mr. Gibson:

I have received from time to time various magazines containing your very interesting articles -articles that go to the very foundation of things and should be read by every human being who cares for himself or others.......

I feel that I owe you a debt of gratitude, not only personally, but for the good you have done in these articles placing the facts so squarely before the people.

Faithfully yours,

Luther Burbank.