192 Natural Salvation. 



that we are now waking, waking in the clearer light of 

 our growing knowledge of nature. 



Passing over the old-time theories and beliefs as to 

 old age and death — beliefs connected with the religions — 

 it will be worth while first to make a resumd of existent 

 knowledge and views qn the subject. 



So few persons actually die of " old age," it has often 

 been denied that such cause of death really exists. More 

 than seventy per cent, of all deaths is from acute or chronic 

 invasions of the disease producing bacteria, either sudden, 

 sharp attacks, or prolonged sieges. From birth to advanced 

 age, the human organism is continuously invaded, assaulted, 

 and preyed upon by noxious unicellular life. 



In time, these multiplied assaults, and the damage 

 resultant from them, inaugurate very complex, far-reaching 

 complications, difficult to trace and estimate. For an 

 organ, or tissue, enfeebled by microbic attacks, gives forth 

 an altered, inferior product which in turn embarrasses and 

 lowers the vital tone of other organs and tissues. Thus 

 the entire organism is progressively impaired and depressed 

 from normal function. In this condition it is less resistant 

 to the never-ceasing attack from without ; for a high vital 

 tonicity is the organism's natural defence. As years pass 

 it becomes impossible to calculate from cause to effect the 

 damage done by bacteria. We are able only to draw a 



