The Hygienic Practitioner At Work

6. The Hygienic Practitioner At Work

Steps to Take

6.1 Step One

On first meeting it is advisable to become better acquainted with your client. To save time, this may best be accomplished, at least at this time, by having him fill out a form which, in essence, details his medical history and present symptoms. The client should also provide a diet profile, if it all possible, for at least a two-week period. On subsequent consultations, as may be required, give-and-take conversation will provide much insight into the client’s more intimate habits of eating and lining, especially as to his emotional health, his knowledge of Hygiene, and so on.

6.2 Step Two

We must begin the treatment of skin disorders, or indeed of any diseased condition, by first keeping OUT of the system anything and everything that could, in any way, contaminate the body. Care must be taken in elimination of possible contaminants and here is where the practitioner must use good judgment. In general, corrective steps can be taken much more quickly with younger clients than with those who are more mature. Sometimes, also, corrective steps are more easily accomplished with one sex than with the other; as, for example, eliminating the use of cosmetics such as face powder with women or certain hair products with both. Experience will broaden one’s skill in this area. In this category we include any and all drugs including familiar over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin, Tylenol, and the like; also, salt, sugar, condiments of all kinds; stimulants and depressants, such as alcohol, meat, eggs, cheese, fish and poultry, cereals, and all products made from cereals; and so on including a wide variety of packaged processed foods, candies and the like.

6.3 Step Three

Detoxify the body. A total fast under supervision, preferably at a Hygienic institution, should be instigated as soon as possible as conditions warrant. Most of your clients, at first meeting, will be totally unfamiliar with Natural Hygiene and will come to you by referral. They may be totally “turned off” by fasting. Therefore, it is appropriate to begin a planned educational program using the materials you receive in this course of study and those in your own library.

In many cases a series of short fasts starting with 24-hour fasts and gradually extending the fasting time to 36 hours, then to five days and eventually to seven and, in some cases, to ten days will prove feasible after a suitable period of orientation as to the benefits accruing to fasting. In other cases, especially if your client is elderly, you may have to proceed without the initial detoxification by fasting. In this case the client must be made to understand that the cleansing of the system will require a longer time and that he should not expect immediate results.

6.4 Step Four

Change the diet. There is nothing to be gained by making changes gradually and everything to be gained by changing immediately to a physiologically-correct diet, such as has been outlined in these studies. With new clients, it is well to present them with a specific dietary regimen to follow until they themselves have become familiar with Hygienic principles and food combining rules as based on human physiology.

While abrupt changes are preferable, they may not be feasible for one reason or another. Children are open to change. Some young adults are, also. Rarely are mature adults, especially after the age of forty, either willing or able to make an abrupt about face in their dietary intake. Peer pressure, cultural mores, indeed, any number of societal reasons will make such a transformation difficult. Additionally, too rapid a change may produce a flood of adverse symptoms, including a worsening of the present skin condition, to the discouragement and even dismay, of the client.

Where abrupt change is inadvisable, the client should be placed on an extended detoxification plan; eventually, of course, on a fruitarian diet.

Provide your client with something concrete to take home with him: a change in diet, or in his exercise program, etc., this at each visit.

6.5 Step Five

Make Changes, as advisable, in the client’s lifestyle. Among such changes might be the following: a planned exercise program, one commensurate to the client’s present capacity with a gradual working toward his potential; sun- and’ air-baths as well as planned rest periods. Emotional problems may be present or may present themselves during the course of education. These will have to be resolved as best they can by cooperation between the practitioner, his family and friends, and himself. Cleanliness must be emphasized and, if necessary, the client must be instructed in how to take a bath, wash the hair and so on. In fact, the client must be instructed in all phases of Natural Hygiene. It is well to do this by following a planned course of instruction. Here at the ranch, we advise all clients on the first visit that they must embark on a program of education in the principles of Natural Hygiene. Most agree to do so, out of curiosity, in some cases, and because they feel that they must, in others. We advise our clients that the more they learn about how to care for their bodies, the more quickly will they learn to care for themselves in such a way that they will have no future need for medicines, vitamins, or medical advisors. One couple we know took us up on this promise and after the very first year flew to Hawaii and took a tour around the islands on the money they saved by not buying supplements and medicines and making office calls to their former health advisor! Incidentally, by that time, they had both recovered from their illnesses, the wife from the pain of arthritis, the husband from a long-standing skin disease.

6.6 Step Six

Expect clients to make errors and to regress. This is understandable and to be expected. Only a very few will go from A to Z in an absolutely correct progression. We have a nurse who regularly comes and confesses her transgressions. She then picks up again, resolves to do better and each time she progresses just a little bit more. In such cases, patience is indeed a virtue. Holding forth the goal of the joyful life, as we like to call it, continuously, if need be, is your best tool. Ask more successful clients to assist you. They are often willing and even delighted to share their experiences with newcomers to the Hygienic way of life. Telephone support can often keep a client on his chosen path, especially if it comes from someone who has also experienced his pain, his embarrassment, his frustrations. Additionally, giving support to others also gives support and confidence to the giver!

We suggest holding meetings from time to time. We occasionally hold a potluck luncheon here at the ranch. Clients and students exchange experiences. They usually leave inspired to reach their individual goals. We also give public lectures and encourage our clients to meet and talk with those members of the public who attend. Most are more than willing to share their experiences. These lectures are usually devoted to a single topic of interest as, for example, psoriasis. The sharing of success stories by your clients helps also to bring new clients to you.

6.7 Warts and Moles

In his book, Getting Well, Dr. Herbert M. Shelton says that, according to medical “science,” little is known about the cause of warts and similar out growths of the skin.

In The New American Encyclopedia, revised edition of 1939, we note that warts are “due to excessive growth of the skin.” No other speculation is given and no explanation of why the skin should evidence such abnormal growth. A 1979 edition of Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia states positively that warts, or averruca, are caused by viruses and that treatment involves the use of local medication initially and, if they return, by freezing, with dry ice, X ray, burning with an electric needle, or surgical removal. This edition points out that plantar warts, those that develop on the soles of the feet, are especially hard to treat and remove.

Shelton believes that warts and probably other disfiguring skin manifestations of a similar nature, are due to a perversion of nutrition, perhaps due to some local irritation such as dirt, cosmetics (as for example, after shave lotions which contain harmful irritants or drugs), or by internal toxicosis.

Dr. Shelton emphasizes external cleanliness and says that when external cleanliness is supported by all other Hygienic measures—fasting, improved diet, exercise, sun-baths, etc., the wart often disappears.

Occasionally, in stubborn cases, recourse must be had to the blue lens, a device used to concentrate the sun’s rays on the affected area(s).

One case we worked with is especially interesting. This woman had a very unusual mole on her back. It was very black and about the size of a half-dollar, sat on a pedestal, elevated about 1/4 inch above the skin surface. It was disfiguring and annoying, even painful should she happen to sit in such a manner as to put the mole in contact with a hard surface.

This woman had been advised to have this mole removed surgically but she was reluctant to do so, so she sought our help. She elected to fast and to follow Hygienic principles. Nothing seemed to happen to the mole but after a time, her other ailments gradually began to improve including what had been a severe sinusitis and frequent aching in various joints.

Little by little, this huge mole began to peel, small pieces breaking off at times. By this time our client was a raw fooder and a fruitarian.

Recently, some fifteen years after her initial decision not to have surgery, she told us that all that remained of this once monstrously disfiguring and annoying mole was an almost invisible dark spot, about 1/4 inch in diameter, a mark that was perfectly flat on the surface of her skin. The mole was no longer a matter of concern.

This case study illustrates McCarter’s Law that “sickness begats sickness, but health begats health.” In other words, if we are sick and do nothing constructively to improve our living and eating habits, we will grow sicker but. if we improve our health by healthful living and continue to take a positive direction in our lives, we will just keep on getting healthier and healthier. And, experience has demonstrated often enough to us that we are able to say with confidence that this law applies to all skin diseases, too!

6.8 Finally

It is important for all those who suffer from skin disorders, from lupus to eczema to psoriasis to ulcers of the stomach, to realize that they cannot return to their old ways. They have already demonstrated a systemic weakness. Should they regress and return to their former practices, they would soon find that old, and perhaps even new, ailments would appear, some perhaps even more involved and annoying.

The client must be made to realize, that the mouth is an open door either to superior health or to diminished health. It is also the open door to skin diseases of all kinds, particularly when external cleanliness is neglected. He must be impressed with the fact that the ways, of health are not destructive ways; rather that they are most gentle and always in the direction of perfection.

If the student has arrived at the conclusion that the basic treatment for all skin diseases is one of complete body cleanliness, inside and out, coupled with a physiologically correct diet and an appropriate lifestyle, then he is correct. The only way to skin and body health, and the two cannot be separated, is to employ all known means of health.

6.9 Case Study—John

John was a reluctant student of Natural Hygiene. His wife first attended classes here at the ranch while John strolled around outside admiring the desert flora and fauna. His reluctance to consider new methods of healing were understandable. He had suffered from psoriasis for over thirty years, had consulted innumerable specialists in skin care and had tried all the remedies prescribed and many nonprescription remedies. He had tried many diets and had taken vitamins and other supplements by the carload. His search for a “cure” had borned no fruit. Patches of the dread disease appeared on various parts of his body. His face was almost brick-red.

When Dr. Robert learned that John was on the ranch he persuaded him to come in and at least to give us a fair hearing. That was the beginning of a successful story and of a changed man. From that moment on both John and his wife became ardent students reading everything that we had written and works that we suggested to them. They began slowly to incorporate what they had learned into their daily lifestyle. They gradually reduced their intake of animal products, soon took up golf and hiking. They started their own garden and began to incorporate what they had learned into all phases of their lifestyle.

Gradually they introduced fasting into their program, starting at first with 24-hour fasts and then extending them first to three-day fasts and eventually to five-day fasts. The changeover has been consistent over the last three years.

They did not make sudden or profound changes but rather “grew” into a much improved program for living.

It has been most interesting to watch John’s progress. First, the extreme reddish hue of the face began to subside. The lesions grew smaller, the sloughing off of cells less [noticeable on clothing, patchy areas began to recede, some completely disappeared. John’s psoriasis is now under control.

It is interesting to know, however, that when John deviates from the Hygienic diet, as he does occasionally, he receives the bill! Most of the lesions now are in obscure parts of the body but on these occasions, almost without exception, a new one will open up on John’s face! That soon puts him back on the Hygienic path once again.

6.10 Case Study – Sandra

Sandra came to us about two years ago with diagnosed dermatomyositis, a condition characterized by muscular weakness with a nonspecific eczematous skin eruption or urticaria. According to Stedman’s Medical Dictionary the “muscles are tender, and owing to weakness the patient is unable to perform normal tasks. The condition is progressive; it commences with erythema (inflammatory condition with redness) and swelling of the eyelids, face and parts of the limbs); muscular weakness succeeds the skin changes. The pathologic changes in the muscles are diagnostic (that is, they identify the condition), but the histopathologic (diseased cellular changes) skin changes are nonspecific (that is, from the condition of the skin alone, diagnosis can not be made).” (Notes in parentheses by the authors.) Sandra’s condition was typical and considerably advanced. Her face was covered with reddish, almost black patches. Her entire face was puffy, including the eyelids and nose. Around the nostrils were lesions.

Arms, fingers, calves, and ankles were swollen. Her gait was unsteady and she was subject to falling. Her vitality level was extremely low. The prognosis was very dim, indeed, that anything could be done for her but Sandra was convinced that she could not go on with her present methods of treatment, the drugs causing even more weakness. They also made her nauseous. She was irritable and unable to cope with the daily chores necessitated by her young family. Sandra was willing to learn. She attended classes and read study lessons. We placed her on the McCarter Extended Detoxification Plan (to be outlined in detail in Lesson No. 63). A friend allowed her to work out at the spa. She began with simple resistance exercise routines and learned how to exercise her legs in the pool.

A year has passed. Sandra is a confirmed Hygienist. We recently had some salesmen here at the ranch referred by her. They had approached her regarding the well-known “benefits” of aloe vera and herbs. They wanted to meet us because, as they told us, Sandra would not cough unless we approved! You see, Sandra now has no fear of falling, she can care for her little family and, best of all, she is beginning to look more normal. The patches on her face have all disappeared, melding one into the other until the surface looks as one color. The hue is still somewhat darkened but I much, much lighter than when first she consulted us. There are lesions still on the inner surface of both hands but these also appear to be receding. Sandra’s hands are still quite puffy but the eyelids, nose and face appear much more normal. The change in her attitude toward life and living is worthy of note: she now laughs and looks forward to the years ahead where before she was discouraged, having little hope that the future would bring any change. Sandra knows the many faces of joy that Natural Hygiene can impart to those who follow the laws of life. At age 43, she looks forward to a future filled with bright promise.

6.11 Case Study—Mrs: “B”

Mrs. B. was brought to our attention by her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter had taken one of our courses of study about a year previous and had talked her mother into at least listening to what we had to say about alternative ways of healing. This had been a rather difficult task since Mrs. B’s son was an internist and she had considerable confidence in orthodox methods.

However, she knew that she was now faced with making a major decision that could completely change her life: her own physician was suggesting that he might soon have to recommend amputation of her right leg above the knee.

A widow, the mother of several adult children, Mrs. B. had a history of medical abuse: every so-called “expendable” organ had been removed. For years she had suffered from ulcers of the skin which came and went. They had first appeared in the groin area, then they covered the abdominal area and progressed up and under the arms. At times they made moving the elbows extremely painful due to pus-oozing sores in the crook of that joint. Both legs were puffy and filled with open sores but the right leg was in a frightening state. It was a deep red, tending almost to a deep brownish color. The pain was excruciating. Mrs. B. had almost reached the point of total exhaustion. Both of us were extremely reluctant to handle this case but resolved to see what Natural Hygiene could do.

We made it clear to Mrs. B. that if anything could be done, it would represent a long hard struggle and would require complete adherence to a very strict program. Faced with a more frightening ordeal in the proposed possible amputation of her leg, she agreed to try.

At the time Mrs. B.’s digestion was so deranged that she could not even digest lettuce without suffering stomach cramps. Bowel movements could only be accomplished by using laxatives. The woman was 66 years of age, her living and eating habits well etched. Fasting was not advisable due not only to her weakened condition but also because of her total lack of knowledge of the subject. Abrupt changes in eating styles was not advisable either because we knew that the appearance of any undue symptoms would be immediately attributable to the change in diet, at least in our client’s mind.

Therefore, we placed Mrs. B. on the McCarter Extended Detoxification Plan (to be discussed in Lesson No. 63) and made some constructive changes in her lifestyle. For example, the first four days were to be spent prone in bed following which she was to spend two hours resting on a couch or in bed and one hour sitting up with one half-hour during the day spent out of doors sitting in the shade. This was to last for one week after which she was to spend two hours up and one hour resting with one hour sitting out of doors in the shade. Gradually, as her condition permitted, simple flexibility and stretching exercises were introduced. By this time, Mrs. B. was showing a greatly increased vitality. The worried look had departed from her face.

The dietary changes were extremely simple at first. For example, during the first four-day bedrest period, she took only warm to hot soups made of an assortment of vegetables including potatoes, carrots, celery, and other common garden vegetables. It was amazing to watch how Mrs. B.’s nervous structure calmed itself. Even the stomach relaxed with the gas and the cramping disappearing.

Gradually food combinations were corrected and meals acceptable to Mrs. B. were devised. It is now four years later. She can now eat a bowlful of salad greens and fruit by the peck! There is no longer any talk of amputation for she is hiking around the mobile home park where she lives, striding along with her peers, and outdoing most of them! Every ulcer has healed. True, her skin is lull of pock marks where sores had once been but her face is totally clear and shines with health. Her physician? Well, he told her never to lose sight of her nutritionist, that Mrs. B. had accomplished a miracle! Recently, Mrs. B. told us that she now had a boyfriend and, as she told us about him, we saw a few tears of joy glisten in her eyes. This is what Natural Hygiene can do when given its chance.

On first meeting, older people who consult hygienic practitioners have little or no knowledge of Natural Hygiene. Schooled in orthodoxy, they want healing “now!” They fail to realize that it takes many, many years for chronicity to develop and that it will probably take considerable time for full recovery to lake place, if that, indeed, be still possible. In most cases, it will not be. It is often advisable to take photographs of your client on first meeting, photographs with front and side view in a standing position and to keep these in the client’s file together with as complete a history as possible, one containing as full a disclosure of symptoms as the client can give.

This is advised, not because we should be overly concerned with symptoms, but because both the pictures and the records are often helpful in reminding clients of just how much improvement has taken place in a given time. Clients are often apt to forget what they looked like when they came and also how they felt! Reminding them from time to time is one means of encouraging them to keep on with a more physiologically sound regimen and not to digress from it.

6.12 Case Study—Mickey

With older clients the progress is often extremely slow with constant prodding and encouragement required. With Mickey, this was totally unnecessary for Mickey, at three years old, was at the other end of the spectrum of life and filled with the vibrant energy of the very young.

In fact, Mickey, according to his parents, had too much energy. He was well described as being “hyper,” but with good reason. Mickey was a product of the times, his body saturated with the poison products of cow’s milk and formulas fed from birth on. Candy and sweets of all kinds coupled with liberal amounts of Kool-Aid and other goodies had made this little boy break out in a rash which refused to go away in spite of the many medications, prescribed and over-the-counter which had been dutifully applied. His, parents brought him to our attention in despair, themselves almost exhausted from sleepless nights and tantrum-filled days.

All medications were immediately stopped, all sweets forbidden. Mickey was taken off milk and placed oh a simple diet of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The synthetic food products were relegated to the trash can. In ten days Mickey’s parents reported with joy and delight that they once again had a normal boy: the rash had completely healed and, both Mickey and his parents were sleeping the whole night through.

Children recover almost with miraculous speed due to their great store of vitality. This is lacking and often in very short supply in older clients. Expectations of recovery time must therefore often be extended in the elderly to years instead of weeks and months and the extent of the recovery must be expressed realistically in terms of possibility. However let us stress that we ourselves are often amazed at what can be accomplished even in cases of extreme enervation, as was true in the case of Mrs. B. We must keep ever in mind as practitioners that whatever may be possible is not, at early reading, an open book. What will be revealed, given enough time for the body to extend its marvelous healing powers, is an unknown. But this we do know as a certainty: the body can and often does produce a miracle when given the proper tools!