Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/89

 restore temperature and pulse to normal, be they high or low at its inception. It is well to note that, while the average normal temperature of the body is 98 2-5 degrees, and the average normal pulse is about 72 beats to the minute, these figures are not to be regarded as normal for each and every individual. There are variations both above and below that are not to be considered as arising in every instance from disease. A case is cited in which temperature before the fast was habitually ninety-four degrees; in the fast apparently no change was made until the twentieth day, when an increase of onehalf degree was noted; average normal of ninety-eight degrees was reached ten days later. Here undoubtedly disease was the cause of low register. Many cases have been observed in which temperature at the beginning of the fast was so low as not to admit of register upon the clinical thermometer, but invariably average normal was reached before the end of abstinence. When conditions of abnormally low temperature are present during the fast, hot applications along the spinal column, and hot tub-baths are the means to be employed to assist internal elimination in restoring body heat to normal. In