Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/117

 CHAPTER VII

BREAKING THE FAST

INJUDICIOUS fasting, fasting without preparation, fasting for extended periods without guidance, and fasting for the sake of following a method merely because it is popular for the moment, are all severely condemned. The fast should be undertaken only for the cure of disease, and it should be scientifically applied. In disease, if adverse conditions, other than those apparent, are latent in the system, if nature has been carrying the burden of an imperfect organism, the fast is certain to uncover the fact, and symptoms will be revealed that need to be coped with by competent hands. It is, however, probable that, when purely functional derangements are in question, the self -guided patient will progress to a favorable end, but will not be equal to the problem of breaking the fast with success. This is a point of such importance that detailed comment is essential for the purpose of obtaining