Nature Cure vs Modern System
The modern
medical system treats the symptoms and suppresses the disease but does little
to ascertain the real cause. Toxic drugs which may suppress or relieve some
ailments usually have harmful side-effects. Drugs usually hinder the
self-healing efforts of the body and make recovery more difficult. According to
the late Sir William Osler, an eminent physician and surgeon, when drugs are
used, the patient has to recover twice - once from the illness, and once from
the drug.
Drugs cannot
cure diseases; disease continues. It is only its pattern that changes. Drugs
also produce dietary deficiencies by destroying nutrients, using them up, and
preventing their absorption. Moreover, the toxicity they produce occurs at a
time when the body is least capable of coping with it. The power to restore
health thus lies not in drugs, but in nature. The approach of modern system is
more on combative lines after the disease has set in, whereas nature cure
system lays greater emphasis on preventive method and adopts measures to attain
and maintain health and prevent disease. The modern medical system treats each
disease as a separate entity, requiring specific drug for its cure, whereas the
nature cure system
treats the
organism as a whole and seeks to restore harmony to the whole of the patient’s
being.
Methods of Nature Cure
The nature
cure system aims at the readjustment of the human system from abnormal to
normal conditions and functions, and adopts methods of cure which are in
conformity with the constructive principles of nature. Such methods remove from
the system the accumulation of toxic matter and poisons without in any way
injuring the vital organs of the body. They also stimulate the organs of
elimination and purification to better functioning. To cure disease, the first
and foremost requirement is to regulate the diet. To get rid of accumulated
toxins and restore the equilibrium of the system, it is desirable to completely
exclude acid-forming foods, including proteins, starches and fats, for a week
or more and to confine the diet to fresh fruits which will disinfect the
stomach and alimentary canal. If the body is overloaded with morbid matter, as
in acute disease, a complete fast for a few days may be necessary for the
elimination of toxins. Fruit juice may, however, be taken during a fast. A
simple rule is : do not eat when you are sick, stick to a light diet of fresh
fruits. Wait for the return of the usual healthy appetite. Loss of appetite is
Nature’s warning that no burden should be placed on the digestive organs.
Alkaline foods such as raw vegetables and sprouted whole grain cereals may be
added after a week of a fruits-only diet. Another important factor in the cure
of diseases by natural methods is to stimulate the vitality of the body. This
can be achieved by using water in various ways and at varying temperatures in
the form of packs or baths. The application of cold water, especially to the
abdomen, the seat of most diseases, and to the sexual organs, through a cold
sitting ( hip) bath immediately lowers body heat and stimulates the nervous
system. In the form of wet packs, hydrotherapy offers a simple natural method
of abating fevers and reducing pain and inflammation without any harmful
side-effects. Warm water applications, on the other hand, are relaxing.
Other natural
methods useful in the cure of diseases are air and sunbaths, exercise and
massage. Air and sunbaths revive dead skin and help maintain it in a normal
condition. Exercise, especially yogic asanas, promotes inner health and harmony
and helps eliminate all tension : physical, mental and emotional. Massage tones
up the nervous system and quickens blood circulation and the metabolic process.
Thus a
well-balanced diet, sufficient physical exercise, the observation of the other
laws of well-being such as fresh air, plenty of sunlight, pure drinking water, scrupulous
cleanliness, adequate rest and right mental attitude can ensure proper health
and prevent disease.
