DENGUE AND DANGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER

Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: Questions and Answers

Q. What is dengue? A. Dengue (pronounced den' gee) is a disease caused by any one of four closely related viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, or DEN-4). The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. In the Western Hemisphere, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is the most important transmitter or vector of dengue viruses, although a 2001 outbreak in Hawaii was transmitted by Aedes albopictus. It is estimated that there are over 100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year.

Q. What is dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)?
A. DHF is a more severe form of dengue. It can be fatal if unrecognized and not properly treated. DHF is caused by infection with the same viruses that cause dengue. With good medical management, mortality due to DHF can be less than 1%.

Q. How are dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) spread?
A. Dengue is transmitted to people by the bite of an Aedes mosquito that is infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected with dengue virus when it bites a person who has dengue or DHF and after about a week can transmit the virus while biting a healthy person. Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person.

Q. What are the symptoms of the disease?
A. The principal symptoms of dengue are high fever, severe headache, backache, joint pains, nausea and vomiting, eye pain, and rash. Generally, younger children have a milder illness than older children and adults.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by a fever that lasts from 2 to 7 days, with general signs and symptoms that could occur with many other illnesses (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and headache). This stage is followed by hemorrhagic manifestations, tendency to bruise easily or other types of skin hemorrhages, bleeding nose or gums, and possibly internal bleeding. The smallest blood vessels (capillaries) become excessively permeable (“leaky”), allowing the fluid component to escape from the blood vessels. This may lead to failure of the circulatory system and shock, followed by death, if circulatory failure is not corrected.

Q. What is the treatment for dengue?
A. There is no specific medication for treatment of a dengue infection. Persons who think they have dengue should use analgesics (pain relievers) with acetaminophen and avoid those containing aspirin. They should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and consult a physician.

Q. Is there an effective treatment for dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)?
A. As with dengue, there is no specific medication for DHF. It can however be effectively treated by fluid replacement therapy if an early clinical diagnosis is made. Hospitalization is frequently required in order to adequately manage DHF. Physicians who suspect that a patient has DHF may want to consult the Dengue Branch at CDC, for more information.

Q. Where can outbreaks of dengue occur?
A. Outbreaks of dengue occur primarily in areas where Aedes aegypti (sometimes also Aedes albopictus) mosquitoes live. This includes most tropical urban areas of the world. Dengue viruses may be introduced into areas by travelers who become infected while visiting other areas of the tropics where dengue commonly exists.

In the America region, all dengue virus serotypes are now present. DEN-3 was reintroduced into Central America in 1994 and is now found in several countries in the region. Since this serotype has been absent from the Americas for almost 20 years, the population has a low level of immunity and the virus is expected to spread rapidly.

Q. What can be done to reduce the risk of acquiring dengue?
A. There is no vaccine for preventing dengue. The best preventive measure for residents living in areas infested with Aedes aegypti is to eliminate the places where the mosquito lays her eggs, primarily artificial containers that hold water.

Items that collect rainwater or are used to store water (for example, plastic containers, 55-gallon drums, buckets, or used automobile tires) should be covered or properly discarded. Pet and animal watering containers and vases with fresh flowers should be emptied and scoured at least once a week. This will eliminate the mosquito eggs and larvae and reduce the number of mosquitoes present in these areas.

For travelers to areas with dengue, a well as people living in areas with dengue, the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes indoors is reduced by utilization of air conditioning or windows and doors that are screened. Proper application of mosquito repellents containing 20% to 30% DEET as the active ingredient on exposed skin and clothing decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. The risk of dengue infection for international travelers appears to be small, unless an epidemic is in progress.

Q. How can we prevent epidemics of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)?
A. The emphasis for dengue prevention is on sustainable, community-based, integrated mosquito control, with limited reliance on insecticides (chemical larvicides and adulticides) . Preventing epidemic disease requires a coordinated community effort to increase awareness about dengue/DHF, how to recognize it, and how to control the mosquito that transmits it. Residents are responsible for keeping their yards and patios free of sites where mosquitoes can be produced.

 

Fast food: 6 ways to healthier meals in a fast food restaurant.

Can fast food be part of a weight-loss or healthy diet plan? You might not think so. In fact, you might even think that you can't have a meal that's both quick and healthy. . An occasional stop at a fast-food restaurant can fit into a healthy diet plan. The key is to choose wisely.

1. Keep portion sizes small. If the fast-food restaurant offers several sandwich sizes, pick the smallest or order half a sandwich, if available. Choose a regular- or children's-sized hamburger, which has about 250 to 300 calories. Also, skip the large serving of french fries or onion rings and ask for a small serving instead.

2. Opt for grilled items. Fried and breaded foods, such as crispy chick en sandwiches are high in fat and calories. Select grilled or roasted lean meats — such as turkey or chicken breast, lean ham, or lean roast beef.

3. Watch what you drink. Many beverages contain a large number of calories. For example, a large regular soda (32 ounces) has about 300 calories. Instead reach out for diet soda or  unsweetened iced tea.

4. Choose a healthier side dish. Take advantage of healthy side dishes offered at many fast-food restaurants. For example, instead of french fries choose a side salad with low-fat dressing or a baked potato. Or add a fruit bowl or a fruit and yogurt option to your meal. Other healthy choices include apple or orange slices, corn on the cob, steamed rice, or baked potato chips.

5. Go for the greens. Choose a large salad with fat-free or low-fat dressing on the side, rather than regular salad dressing, which can have 100 to 200 calories per packet.

6. Have it your way. Don't settle for what comes with your sandwich or meal. Ask for healthier options and substitutions. For example, ask for reduced-fat mayonnaise or mustard on your sandwich. Or at a fast-food Mexican restaurant, request salsa with your meal instead of shredded cheese and nacho cheese sauce.

 

The top ways to beat the stress over the weekend.

The top ways to beat the stress over the weekend.

 

When is the last time you decided to be selfish and decided to be a slave to ‘Me first, others later’ ideology? With the stress levels shooting heights, we put together ten top ways to beat the stress over the weekend.

 

Aromatherapy. Before you go, that-isnt-for-me, then we recommend just-do-it-once-in-your-life. Jennifer Aniston and Jude Law swear by it. What is it? Aromatherapy is an umbrella term that applies to any healing process involving the use of essential oils. The classic relaxing oil is lavender. Others associated with de-stressing are chamomile, bergamot, patchouli and sandalwood.

Accupuncture

Acupuncture is based on the Chinese philosophy that the body's energy, the qi, made up of yin and yang, flows under the skin. If yin or yang is more dominant, qi reserves dip and you become ill. An acupuncturist will discuss your general health to identify unbalanced areas of qi.

 

He or she will then insert fine needles into "energy channels" in the body to restore its natural balance. Oprah Winfrey and Sandra Bullock swear by this method of de-stressing.

Hot stone massage therapy

It is the application of heated and cooled stones to certain parts of the body. During hot stone therapy, treated volcanic stones, usually basalt or basinite, are heated in water, using temperatures ranging from 120-130F, and placed along the spine. Cooled marble stones are also used. Often the stones are coated in aromatherapy oils. As well as along the spine, some stones are placed in the palms and in between the toes. Hot stone therapists believe that the combination of warm and cold encourages the body to relax.

Reflexology

Seemingly, Prince Charles swears by this method of de stressing. Reflexology uses the manipulation of pressure points, usually on the feet but sometimes on the hands and ears, to relieve ailments elsewhere in the body. 

Reiki

Before you shrug off this de-stressing technique, do remember that Nicole Kidman and Meg Ryan believe in this form of de stressing. Reiki, roughly translated from Japanese as "universal life energy" is a practice started by a Buddhist called Mikao Usui in 1922. Reiki practitioners heal their patients by transferring energy to the patient through the palms.

Qigong

Invented by Taoist monks 3000 years ago, qigong is related to Tai Chi and Vedic meditation. It is based on the same principles as reiki and shiatsu: that of "qi", "energy" flows and pathways.

 

With qi meaning "air" and "gong" meaning exercise, qigong is based on slow body movements that are co-ordinated with the breathing, encouraging energy to flow down the "right" pathways of the body.

Ka Huna, a little known form of massage is great for beating stress. Once practiced in ancient Hawaiian temples as a means of restoring harmony to mind, body and soul, it is now commonly practiced everywhere. Once you try this gentler version of massage, you will emerge more relaxed and with your limbs intact!

Get Sunlight and Wide Open Space

Think about the average office. It is a stress breeding ground. When you spend a lot of the day indoors dealing with the daily grind you lose a lot of perspective. A stressful event seems like the end of the world and you spend the rest of the day (or week!) brooding and thinking about it over and over again. It is like there is nothing else going on in the world.

When you feel like your whole world is becoming engulfed in stress and anxiety one of the simplest things you can do is go outside in the sun in a wide-open space. The effect is wonderfully relaxing. Try it! 

A few years ago I discovered how much classical music could help my stress levels. Infact, findings have stated that classical music have a soothing effect on our frayed nerves.

And of course, the last bit is just relax and learn to let go.  A lot of us are addicted to stress. I know that sounds a little silly but in many cases it is true.  And to make matters worse we go over things again and again in our head. We think that if we think about "why" we are stressed we will come to some lasting solution but in actual fact it just makes it worse. Ironic, isn’t it. 

 

Switch on to classical Music

 

In these times it is really handy to know the mantra "Just relax!" It sounds simple and probably a little bit silly but it is something you have to try to do. Just relax. Things aren't that bad. I came across a popular Buddhist teaching.

 

"If the problem can be solved, why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will be of no help."  And the teaching more or less puts things in the perspective…doesn’t it!

 
Get time on your side - Manage your time effectively - use a daily planner and to-do lists.  Prioritize those tasks that are most critical. Be sure to include time for rest and relaxation.

 

Keep moving - Regular physical activity is one of the best ways of managing and coping with stress.

 

Stay clean and sober - Avoid alcohol and drug use as a means of coping with stress. Alcohol and drugs will mask the symptoms of stress but will do nothing to alleviate your stress. 

 

Keep a healthy diet and a healthy mind - Avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt. Eat healthy meals and snacks and your energy will remain high as will your ability to focus and concentrate.

 

Take a break - Minimize interruptions when studying and be sure to include leisure activities and relaxation during study times.

 

Just say no - Learn to say no without guilt when you are working on your studies. Taking on additional tasks and projects when you do not have to will add to your stress level.

 

Keep it in perspective - What are the long-term consequences of whatever is stressing you out right now?  If the stressor will not have long-term consequences, then you may want to "let it be" and focus on those stressors for which you can take action. Counseling and Wellness Services is available to help with this process.

 

Count some sheep - It is important to get enough sleep on a regular basis. Avoid caffeine and eating heavy foods late in the evening. Try to go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time each day.

 

Gallstones Removal

Gallstones Removal  (6-day treatment)

 

This is a useful piece of information that you may have received before. This is true and it works. You can 'google' :-

 

  Dr Lai Chiu-Nan to find out more about her and the feedbacks of this treatment.


ps. as always, spread the good things

Pictures first, explanation and procedure follows:

1. Liver 2. Common Bile Duct 3. Gallstones 4. Gallbladder REMOVING GALLSTONES NATURALLY by Dr Lai Chiu-Nan It has worked for many.  If it works for you please pass on the good news. Chiu Nan is not charging for it, so we should make it free for everyone. Your reward is when someone, through your word of mouth, benefits from the regime.  Gallstones may not be everyone's concern. But they should be because we all have them.  Moreover, gallstones may lead to cancer. "Cancer is never the first illness," Chiu Nan points out. "Usually, there are a lot of other problems  leading to cancer. In my research in China, I came across some materials which say that people with cancer usually have stones.  We all have gallstones. It's a matter of big or small, many or  few. One of the symptoms of gallstones is a feeling of bloatedness after a heavy meal. You feel like you can't digest the food. If it gets more serious, you feel pain in the liver area." So if you think you have gallstones, Chiu Nan offers the following method to remove them naturally. The treatment is also good for those with a weak liver, because the liver and gallbladder are closely linked. Regimen: 1. For the first five days, take four glasses of apple juice every day. Or eat four or five apples, whichever you prefer. Apple juice softens the gallstones. During the five days, eat normally. 2. On the sixth day, take no dinner. 3. At 6 PM, take a teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) with a glass of warm water. 4. At 8 PM, repeat the same. Magnesium sulphate opens the gallbladder ducts. 5. At 10 PM, take half cup olive oil (or sesame oil) with half cup fresh lemon juice. Mix it well and drink it. The oil lubricates the stones to ease their passage. PS. 1cup=250ml,  ½ cup lemon juice=3 lemons (aprox.) The next morning, you will find green stones in your stools.  "Usually they float," Chiu Nan notes. "You might want to count them. I have had people who passes 40, 50 or up to 100 stones. Very many." "Even if you don't  have any symptoms of gallstones, you still might have some. It's always good to give your gall bladder a clean-up now and then.

 

Some tips

·   Almonds: To remove the skin of
almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

·   Ants: Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.

·   Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep
biscuits fresh for a longer time.

·   Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use a butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.

·   Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

·   Banana: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body to have a cooling effect.

·   Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief: Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting; cover with band aid to hold in place. Pain will go away in just a few short minutes

·   Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook.

Stuffed Karela

·   Celery: To keep celery fresh for long time, wrap it in aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator.

·   Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.

·   Chilli Powder: Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chilli powder for long time.

·   Chopping: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don't use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.

·   Coriander/Mint: You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available.
To keep them fresh for a longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.

·   Cockroaches: Put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. Cockroaches will leave your house.

·   Coconut: Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its hust.

·   Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).

·   Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.

·   Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.

·   Egg fresh: Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.

·   Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.

·   Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary, substitute it with canola oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil.

·   Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.

·   Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.

·   Idlies: Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them sour.
Do not beat idli batter too much, the air which has been incorporated during fermentation will escape.
If you add half a tsp of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, dosas will be more crisp.
 

·   Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.

·   Frying: Avoid deep frying. Substitute deep frying with stir frying or oven bake. Don't pour the oil, but make a habit of spraying the oil in the utensil for cooking. Heat the utensil first, then add oil. This way oil spreads well. You will use less oil this way.

·   Left Over: Don't throw away the foods left over. Store them in Fridge. Use them in making tasty dishes.

·   Lemon/Lime: If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.

·   Lizards: Hang a peacock feather, lizards will leave your house.

·   Milk: Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk to stick at the bottom.
Keep a spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. It will avoid sticking the milk at the bottom of the vessel.
Adding half a tsp of sodium bicarbonate in the milk while boiling will not spoil the milk even if you don't put it in the fridge.

·   Mixer/Grinder: Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder fro some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.

·   Mosquitoes: Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes.

·   Noodles: When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.

·   Onions: To avoid crying, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them.
Wrap the onions individually in a newspaper and store in a cool and dark place to keep them fresh for long time.

·   Oven: Watch from the oven window to conserve energy because the
oven temperature drops by 25 degrees every time its door is opened,
To clean the oven, apply a paste of sodium bicarbonate and water on the walls and floor of the oven and keep the oven on low heat for about half an hour. Dried food can easily be removed.

·   Paneer: To keep paneer fresh for several days, wrap it in a blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator.
Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy.

·   Papad: Bake in microwave oven.
Wrap the papads in polythene sheet and place with dal or rice will prevent them from drying and breaking.

·   Pickles: To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over a burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar for some time before putting pickles in the jar.

·   Popcorn: Keep the maize/corn seeds in the freezer and pop while still frozen to get better pops.

·   Potato: To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking.
Use the skin of boiled potatoes to wipe mirrors to sparkling clean.
Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions.

·   Refrigerator: To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt to the insides of your freeze.

·   Rice: Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter.
Add a tsp of canola oil in the water before boiling the rice to separate each grain after cooking.
Don't throw away the rice water after cooking. Use it to make soup or add it in making dal (lentils).
Add 5g of dried powdered mint leaves to 1kg of rice. It will keep insects at bay.
Put a small paper packet of boric powder in the container of rice to keep insects at bay. Put a few leaves of mint in the container of rice to keep insects at bay.
 

·   Samosa: Bake them instead of deep frying to make them fat free. Don't fry the filling potato masala.
Preserve the samosas in freezer. For eating, take out of the freezer two hours in advance and bake them over low temp.

·   Sugar: Put 2-3 cloves in the sugar to keep ants at bay.

·   Tadka: Use sprouted mustard seeds (rayee) and fenugreek (methi) seeds for your tadkas. Both of them when sprouted have more nutritional values. Also this add flavour to the dish and can be more beneficial, besides giving decorative look to the dish. Submitted by MS Itisha Madhav 

·   Tomato: To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off.
When tomatoes are not available or too costly, substitute with tomato puree or tomato ketchup/sauce.
Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh.

·   Tamarind: Tamarind is an excellent polish for brass and copper items. Rub a slab of wet tamarind with some salt sprinkled on it on the object to be polished.
Gargles with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat.

·   Utensils: Use nonsticking utensils. Use thick bottom utensils, they get uniformly heated. For electric stoves, use flat bottom utensils.
Add a little bit of common salt to the washing powder for better cleaning of utensils.

·   Vegetables: Don't discard the water in which the vegetables are soaked or cooked. Use it in making soup or gravy.
To keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time, wrap them in newspaper before putting them in freeze.
Chop the vegetables only when you are ready to use them. Don't cut them in too advance. It would spoil their food value.

·   Sink (Blocked): To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, mix 1/2 cup sodium bicarbonate in 1 cup
vinegar and pour it into the sink, and pour about 1 cup water. In an hour the drain pipe will open.

·   Soup Salty: Place a raw peeled potato in the bowl, it will absorb the extra salt.

·   Yoghurt (Home Made): To set
yogurt in winter, place the container in a warm place like oven or over the voltage stabliser.

·   Yogurt: If the yogurt has become sour, put it in a muslin cloth and drain all the water. Then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste. Use the drained water in making tasty gravy for vegetables or for basen curry.
To keep the yogurt fresh for many days, fill the vessel containing yogurt with water to the brim and refrigerate. Change the water daily..

 

7 tips for a stress-free sex life

Do you feel that stress is squeezing the fun out of your rocky bedroom life? If yes, then you can bring back the action, courtesy tips provided by sex educator and relationship expert Dr Yvonne Kristin Fulbright.


According to the expert, many couples become frustrated, even panicky, when their sex lives go to the wayside during stressful times.
When it comes to the factor that governs a person's sex life, its personality, reports Fox News.


Fulbright says that how an individual's sex life fares depends on whether he tries to get closer to his partner in tragic times or wants to be totally alone - and if he's the withdrawing sorts, then it can create misunderstandings in the relationship.


In order to avoid any such misunderstandings and still keep sex life full of fun and passion, Fulbright has suggested that couples need to establish a common ground and mutual understanding during stressful times.


Also, they should make an effort to stay connected during life's highs and lows, because if they don't, it could lead to dire consequences.


And in case, sex is not on mind and also the time to be spent in the sack is less, then a person can try the following:


1. Showing appreciation for one another. Giving compliments, for example, is a simple way of expressing affection and letting your partner know that he or she is still being noticed and loved.


2. Talking daily. Chat during dinner or at bedtime. Conversations foster bonding by providing support. It's also important for couples to check in with each other, showing concern and care for one another's well-being with simple statements like, "Tell me about your day."


3. Staying positive. Bite your tongue if you're about to complain. Stressful situations are hard enough to deal with. Don't add to the situation if you can avoid doing so.


4. Believing in your future together. Stressful times can make lovers doubt their ability to stay together for the long haul. Insecurity issues that arise can only make matters more difficult. Making plans is one way to indicate that you're feeling secure about your future.


5. Helping each other with responsibilities. Approaching tasks with a team effort provides a greater sense of being in this together.


6. Balancing 'alone time' and 'together time'. Create a sensual atmosphere, for example, soothing scents, dim lights, delicious food, and relaxing music, to help you unwind.


7. Getting creative in how you'll be intimate. Redefine your definition of sexual intimacy when needed; try a simple body massage.


Not to forget, lovers should make it a point to give in to one another's requests for intimacy whenever possible, as it might just prove to be a big stress-buster.
In fact, sex has many physical and emotional benefits, which may help in boosting your desire for more sex and emotional intimacy. Sex can easily take your mind off of your worries.


Also, patience is the key to get your sex life back on track. One should make sure that your relationship, in general, doesn't get neglected.

Nature's cure

Principles and Practice of Nature Cure

  Nature Cures, not the Physician.

- Hippocrates

 

Nature cure is a constructive method of treatment which aims at removing the basic cause of

disease through the rational use of the elements freely available in nature. It is not only a system

of healing, but also a way of life, in tune with the internal vital forces or natural elements

comprising the human body. It is a complete revolution in the art and science of living.

Although the term ' naturopathy' is of relatively recent origin, the philosophical basis and several

of the methods of nature cure treatments are ancient. It was practised in ancient Egypt , Greece

and Rome . Hippocrates, the father of medicine ( 460-357 B.C.) strongly advocated it. India , it

appears, was much further advanced in older days in natural healing system than other

countries of the world.

 

There are references in India 's ancient sacred books about the extensive

use of nature's excellent healing agents such as air, earth, water and sun. The Great Baths of

the Indus Valley civilisation as discovered at Mohenjodaro in old Sind testifies to the use of water

for curative purposes in ancient India .

The modern methods of nature cure originated in Germany in 1822, when Vincent Priessnitz

established the first hydropathic establishment there. With his great success in water cure, the

idea of drugless healing spread throughout the civilised world and many medical practitioners

throughout the civilised world and many medical practitioners from America and other countries

became his enthusiastic students and disciples.

 

These students subsequently enlarged and

developed the various methods of natural healing in their own way. The whole mass of

knowledge was later collected under one name, Naturopathy. The credit for the name

Naturopathy goes to Dr. Benedict Lust ( 1872 - 1945), and hence he is called the Father of

Naturopathy.

Nature cure is based on the realisation that man is born healthy and strong and that he can stay

as such as living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some inherited

affliction, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing.

Fresh air, sunshine, a proper diet, exercise, scientific relaxation, constructive thinking and the

right mental attitude, along with prayer and meditation all play their part in keeping a sound mind

in a sound body.

 

Nature cure believes that disease is an abnormal condition of the body resulting from the

violation of the natural laws. Every such violation has repercussions on the human system in the

shape of lowered vitality, irregularities of the blood and lymph and the accumulation of waste

matter and toxins. Thus, through a faulty diet it is not the digestive system alone which is

adversely affected. When toxins accumulate, other organs such as the bowels, kidneys, skin and

lungs are overworked and cannot get rid of these harmful substances as quickly as they are

produced.

Besides this, mental and emotional disturbances cause imbalances of the vital electric field

within which cell metabolism takes place, producing toxins. When the soil of this electric filed is

undisturbed, disease-causing germs can live in it without multiplying or producing toxins. It is

only when it is disturbed or when the blood is polluted with toxic waste that the germs multiply

and become harmful.

 

Basic Principles

The whole philosophy and practice of nature cure is built on three basic principles. These

principles are based on the conclu sions reached from over a century of effective naturopathic

treatment of diseases in Germany , America and Great Britain . They have been tested and

proved over and over again by the results obtained.

 

The first and most basic principle of nature cure is that all forms of disease are due to the same

cause, namely, the accumulations of waste materials and bodily refuse in the system. These

waste materials in the healthy individual are removed from the system through the organs of

elimination. But in the diseased person, they are steadily piling up in the body through years of

faulty habits of living such as wrong feeding, improper care of the body and habits contributing to

enervation and nervous exhaustion such as worry, overwork and excesses of all kinds. It follows

from this basic principle that the only way to cure disease is to employ methods which will

enable the system to throw off these toxic accumulations. All natural treatments are actually

directed towards this end.

 

The second basic principle of nature cure is that all acute diseases such as fevers, colds,

inflammations, digestive disturbances and skin eruptions are nothing more than self-initiated

efforts on the part of the body to throw off the accumulated waste materials and that all chronic

diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, rheumatism, asthma, kidney disorders, are the results

of continued suppression of the acute diseases through harmful methods such as drugs,

vaccines, narcotics and gland extracts.

The third principle of nature cure is that the body contains an eleborate healing mechanism

which has the power to bring about a return to normal condition of health, provided right

methods are employed to enable it to do so. In other words, the power to cure disease lies within

the body itself and not in the hands of the doctor.