Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/351

 at the menstrual period compelled the patient for many years to lose four or five days from her duties each month, and left her prostrate and nervous for much of her other time. She had sought the world over for relief, and had turned to the fast and to general natural means two years before consultation, but had undergone only one fast of ten days. Upon examination there was no question that organic disease was present, and, because it existed in aggravated form and no encouragement could be offered in prognosis, it was agreed that the treatment given should be aimed solely at the relief that a light diet would be certain to aiford. This course was accordingly pursued and the patient continued upon it for a period of eighty days when death occurred. In this case a sinused condition of the skin of the face and body was noted when first seen; the cheeks were blue and veined, as was also the nose, and the whole body showed deplorable deficiency in venous circulation. This state improved to some extent after entering upon the diet prescribed, but it was never wholly corrected. The examination of the body after death revealed a liver and stomach cirrhosed in structure, and the stomach walls, in addition,