Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/80

 circulating poison acting upon the nerves that control the heart may develop irregularities that seem to show organic structural defect, and these are often so diagnosed. But, following the argument of the text, it is plain that, whatever the symptom, improvement in heart action must necessarily result in the fast when elimination becomes sufficiently advanced to remove the poisonous refuse that is the cause of disease. No fear need be entertained as to the ability of the heart to perform its functions during a fast, for the organ has less work to do as each day goes by, and it is served with the increased nerve power of a system gradually purifying.

When the fast is once begun, elimination asserts its predominance. Desire for food is in many cases replaced by disgust at the thought of it, and appetite is lacking until the fast is complete. The very odor of food, and even the perfume of flowers is to some patients nauseating. When this symptom is present in aggravated form, it is an almost certain indication of organic defect that may prove fatal. In this sign, however, in both functional and organic disease, there may be variations, due more or less to the time devoted to preliminaries ; and several instances