Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/23

 blood, thus impairing its quality and functionally hampering the vital processes. Extra labor is also entailed upon the organs assailed, since they are stimulated in unwonted degree by the presence of substances harmful to their action.

Inherent organic disease is a cause in itself of imperfect digestion, for, when it is present, the organs are partially or entirely crippled from birth. While this form of disease is beyond the hope of cure, its harmful results upon the body may be reduced to a minimum by means of the fast, and a combination of this method of treatment with scientific dieting will lengthen the life of the unfortunate victim to the extent to which a defective organism permits vitality to operate.

Functional disease and its ultimate result, functionally-caused organic disease, are the consequences of digestion impaired by incorrect methods in feeding, by improper selection of food, and by excess supply. In any of these circumstances, as has been said, poisons are produced that injure the system, until finally the condition becomes general and disease is apparent. As a matter of fact, the subject cannot have been ignorant of