Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/144

 intestine. He dubbed his fighting ally a "friendly germ." Again the reverse reasoning of medicine is apparent. Why not take steps for the prompt removal of the soil in which "unfriendly germs" propagate, instead of making the colon a battle-ground of which the decomposing dead are a source of further septic poisoning? The enema solves this problem, and a clean bowel, whether it determine long life in itself or not, at least conduces to health and to length of days

Since the colon and its attachment, the vermiform appendix, are frequently subject to disease, and since the colon itself is the principal source of toxic infection, surgical fanatics argue that these are unnecessary organs, and suggest complete removal. Operations have been performed in which the ileum has been attached directly to the sigmoid flexure, and the entire lower bowel between these points has been extirpated. Surely this is one way of eradicating bowel trouble, since the organ vanishes, but it may be added that the mortality from surgical shock in this triumph of science is ninety-nine per cent. The enema will long hold its own in comparison with methods as drastic as this.