1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



677 



INOS of March 1, there is a brief allusion to Dr. 

 Salisbury's method, wliicb is somewhat inaccurate. 

 It is quite true that tli- doctor has accomplished 

 and is still accomplishina- much for suffering hu- 

 manity, but he doesn't '.<:(7 his patients on hot 

 water. In his system the hot water is used solely 

 for flushing the stomurli and intestines, cleansing 

 the former from slimy. pa>ty growths, which inter- 

 fere with good digestion, and the latter from fecu- 

 lent deposits. To feed hi > patients, the doctor pre- 

 scribes beef— lean steak, free from fat and gristle, 

 reduced to a mince meat in a chopper, and then 

 pressed into cakes or meat balls, and then broUed. 

 According to Dr. Salisbury's theory, man is two- 

 thirds carnivorous and one-third herbivorous; and 

 his food should follow the same proportion. In 

 some countries— India for example— the people, in 

 the course of generatiuns, have become herbivo- 

 rous, and are able to live on a purely vegetablediet: 

 but, few people can digest a purely vegetable or 

 farinaceous diet in the United States. The doctor 

 holds that most diseases are caused by a long course 

 of eating improper foods which ferment in the 

 stomach or bowels, and do not properl.v digest. His 

 remedy is, first, to wash away offending and offen- 

 sive matters by taking a pint or more of hot water 

 at about a temperature of 110^, an hour before 

 each meal, and the same interval before bedtime. 

 Tlien he prescribes an exclusive meat diet, or as 

 nearly exclusive as the patient can take it. forbid- 

 dinar sugary, starchy foiirt';. an1 any thing prone to 

 easy fermentation. Medicine is given, if necessary 

 to help digestion. Witli gjod digestion tlie system 

 begins to make good blood; and with a supply of 

 good blood, all the organs of the body perform their 

 functions well, and normal health is restored. This, 

 of course, is not done in a day, for nature works 

 slowly, and the result of a long course of wrong liv- 

 ing can not be corrected by a short course of right 

 living. In the case of serious disoases. like, for 

 instance, consumption, it takes prob ibly a yi^ar or 

 two of treatment to get thoroughly well: but the 

 improvement usually begns at once; and the end, 

 if slow, is pretty certain. 



The doctor's plan, yon see. differs from the one 

 you describe, in that it is more extensive— flushing 

 the whole of the internal man, and not simply the 

 colon, though the latter is good so far as it goes— 

 and more natural. 



It may interest some of yiiur readers to know that 

 Dr. Salisliury is an Ohio man, hailinff, I bflieve, 

 from Cleveland, though now living in Xew York, at 

 170 W. r,9th St. E. CONSOLLT. 



New- York, March 7, 1891. 



Our readers may rometnhpr that, in my reply 

 to the above letter. I expressed some doubt in 

 regard to the absolute necessity of coming down 

 to a pure meat diet. I did it. notwithstanding 

 Dr. Salisbury, some twenty-five vears before 

 that, brought me out of what mishr be called a 

 rathi^r precarious state of health resulting from 

 too close application to the office. 



Well, after Ernest had become a good deal 

 discouraged, the rest of us as well as himself 

 decided he ought to go down to Cleveland and 

 see Dr. Lewis, who now represents the Salis- 

 bury method in that citv." For long weeks his 

 diet was lean meat almost exclusively: but 

 just about when I began to fear that he was 

 suffering, and depriving himself needlessly, 

 especially after being reduced in flesh from 140 

 to 120 lbs.. I noticed that he was gradually get- 

 ting indifferent to wind or weather. He would 

 even stand out in his d'^oryard. with the thin- 

 nest clothing on, while I was muffled up in 

 woolen clothes and sealskin cap. with a big 

 flannel pad across my chest, etc. In spite of all 

 this padding and clotliing. however, I could 

 not stand the north wind. While superintend- 

 ing the laying of some water-pipes I caught 

 the toothache: then neuralgia all over my 

 face: then earache, with chills accompanying. 



* Dr. J. M. Lewis was for ten years a partner of 

 Salisbury; and he said to me, but a few days ago. 

 that, in his opinion. Dr. S. has done more than any 

 other man to get thewhok- medical fraternity out of 

 the ruts and superstitious that have for ages hin- 

 dered and cramped all progress. 



and I was feeling pretty miserable. He and 

 the rest of the children, including Mrs. Root, 

 began to suggest the old Salisbury treatment. 

 But I dreaded even the thought of it. I told 

 Ernest that, when I came into his home, one 

 day, and smelled the broiling steak, so familiar 

 in years gone by, I almost felt as if I could cry 

 for him, if it would do any good. 



Before I got over my attack of neuralgia, 

 however, he came into our home one day, and 

 found me leaning over a- hot stove, bathing my 

 face and teeth with physianthropic (see page 

 .537), and shedding some bitter tears ion my oun 

 account), even in spite of myself. I told him it 

 was just grip I got from that northeast wind. 

 By the way. one day I noticed the thermometer 

 registered SO degrees in the shade, and I was 

 bundled us as I have described, and still I was 

 cold. " Where was the wheel ?'" do you ask'? 

 Well, could I have been spared to ride "20 miles 

 or more on the wheel every day. or even every 

 other day, I might have' got' along tolerably 

 well: but there was one trouble I have fre- 

 quently referred to, that even the wheel did 

 not cure. It is a sort of chronic dysentery, ac- 

 companied by distress in the lower intestines, 

 etc. I have mentioned one severe attack of it 

 while I was in Florida. This latter trouble 

 seemed to be gradually gaining ground. Now 

 if you will pardon me for speaking so much of 

 my ailments and troubles I will try to get on to 

 a pleasanter theme. 



Ernest urged that I should at least go and 

 see Dr. Lewis, and have him look me over, ex- 

 amine my blood under the microscope, etc.. 

 and tell me what he thought. I did not pro- 

 pose to take the treatment, mind you. but I 

 consented, just for the fun of the thing, to 

 go and talk with the doctor. Well, the doctor 

 said if my trouble went on I should soon have 

 consumption of the bowels: or. to put it in 

 plain terms that everybody can understand, he 

 said that my disease was fast settling into a 

 chronic case of " hog cholera." I do not sup- 

 pose that he meant that I had been greedy in 

 my eating. He admitted that, if I could be 

 spared to ride the wheel, and take things easy, 

 keening clear of business. T might do very well 

 without any treatment: hut if. on the contrary. 

 I would give my intestines a rest till they could 

 be cured up. and then he careful as to what I 

 ate. I might go on with business, and at 55 

 years of age be just in mv prime for good down- 

 right hard work in the office or anywhere else. 



"But how about the chills, neuralgia, etc., 

 doctor'? ■■ 



" These are a secondary matter — a result — a 

 trifling thing, in fact. If you undertake the 

 treatment we will have off that overcoat and 

 fur cap in le.ss than ten days." 



"But. doctor, suppose the wind should be 

 in the northeast ? " 



"I don't care where the wind is. In less 

 than ten days we can have you wearing ordi- 

 nary clothing." 



" Why. look here, doctor, if you can get me 

 rid of my chills and netiralgia and toothache 

 and earache, so that I shall not need to bundle 

 tip when there is a brisk north wind. I will un- 

 dergo almost every thing you say — for at least 

 ten days, any way." 



At the titne. I fully intended to submit to 

 the treatment ten days and no more: but the 

 doctor and Ernest exchanged glances, however, 

 and made preparations for a siege of about three 

 weeks, as I afterward learned. The whole 

 family were greatly pleased, and entered with 

 much spirit and enthusiasm into the plans 

 for getting papa well and strong. Let me ex- 

 plain a little more minutely right here the pro- 

 gram that has been settled down on after 



