HISTORY OF MY DISCOVERY. T5 



experiments and a further proof that the doctors ignore 

 Nature's teachings and work in ignorance and darkness. 

 When a patient came to me or wrote me for advice, I 

 always explained to him his situation, describing the 

 action of microbes, and how, when thoroughly in con- 

 trol of the human system, they produce a general con- 

 dition of fermentation and rottenness. I let him al- 

 ways understand that a total renovation was necessary, 

 that the purification of the blood must be complete, that 

 no microbes or causes for fermentation must be left 

 behind. This was an absolute necessity ; and then it 

 would have to be seen how much healthy portion re- 

 mained. The whole treatment was different from any- 

 thing they had been accustomed to, and my advice may 

 sometimes have opened their eyes and given them new 

 ideas ; but I can conscientiously and truthfully say that 

 in every instance where my counsel was listened to and 

 my instructions were followed a care was effected, no 

 matter what name the doctors may have given to the 

 complaint. Where advice was not followed, when the 

 patient went by his own judgment and rejected the 

 rules laid down for him, the treatment was not entirely 

 successful, and I never expected that it would be. 



I treated all m.y patients with the same medicine, just 

 as in my garden I would treat all weeds alike. There 

 are endless varieties 'of weeds, a very large number of 

 which are familiar to me by name, but that would not 

 cause me to pause about their extermination or the 

 method of effecting it. What matters it what the 

 scientific name of a weed may be ? So long as it is a 

 weed, that suffices. It is swept away. We do not 

 adopt one method of removal for one kind, and another 

 for another. It may be interesting to the botanist to 

 classify his plants, to name them and describe them, 

 but that kind of knowledge is of only secondary moment 

 to the practical gardener, who wants to see the most 

 vigorous health and growth among things that are his 

 special care. 



Suppose a gardener were to see one of his flower-beds 



