To show how close the relationship between the suppressive drug treatment of disease and nephritis may be, one has only to observe how common it is to find nephritis setting in as a direct complication to the medical treatment of fevers such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, etc. The toxic matter forced back into the system as a result of such treatment, combined with the drugs employed, cause an intolerable strain to be placed upon the kidneys in their work as the chief eliminative organs of the system, and so nephritis occurs as a direct result in many cases. (It is worth while repeating again at this point, at the risk of somewhat boring the reader perhaps, that if a fever or other acute disease is treated along Natural-Cure lines, by fasting, etc., complications of the kind such as nephritis can never occur.) Again, with regard to nephritis, it was pointed out in the treatment for Congestion of the Kidneys, earlier in the present chapter that if this condition is treated by means of suppressive drugs, nephritis is very often the result, for exactly the same reasons as those given above.

Acute nephritis is usually characterised by pain in the kidneys extending down the ureters, and by fever, with dull pain in the back. The urine is scanty and highly coloured. Dropsical swellings appear as the inflammatory process continues, and destruction in the capillary blood-vessels and tubular structures cause albumen and blood to leak into the urine.

Treatment. � Treatment for acute kidney disease is essentially fasting. By means of the fast the toxins and systemic impurities responsible for the setting up of the inflammatory kidney condition are removed in the quickest and safest possible manner, and the way to future health thus paved. If drug treatment is resorted to, and the acute inflammatory condition suppressed, all sorts of untoward complications may arise, and, more often than not, chronic Bright's disease is the final result.

The sufferer from acute nephritis should be fasted on orange juice and water for as long as the acute symptoms of his condition last. (See fasting in the self help section of the site library) The fasting period may have to extend for a week or ten days, or even longer in some cases. Then the all-fruit diet outlined in the Appendix should be adopted for a few days, after which � if convalescence is assured � a further time can be spent on fruit and milk, and then the full weekly dietary, also outlined in the Appendix, can be gradually embarked upon.

The warm-water enema or gravity douche should be used nightly during the fast, and after as necessary; whilst if constipation is habitual, the rules for its eradication should be put into operation as soon as practicable. All measures which will relieve the kidneys of work by increasing elimination through other channels will be of value in the treatment of acute nephritis, and so hot Epsom-salts baths should be taken every day, or every other day, whilst the acute symptoms last, where possible (or else ordinary hot baths can be taken), to induce elimination through the skin as much as possible. (After any hot bathing the patient should be sponged down with cold or tepid water before being put back to bed.)

Body packs will also be most beneficial in the treatment of acute nephritis, for the purpose of inducing increased skin elimination, and these should be applied two or three times daily, in accordance with the instructions re Cold Packs to be found in the Appendix at the end of the book. (A fairly large sheet should be used, so that it can be wound right round the whole trunk.) If the foregoing treatment is faithfully carried out, and no drugs taken, then the patient should soon be on the way to health again, with his whole body in a far cleaner and healthier state than before, as a result. As regards general rules re living, exercise, and diet thereafter, the patient should turn to the remarks made on these points in the treatment for Chronic Nephritis, to follow.

In the parenchymatous type the kidney becomes greatly swollen and assumes a pure white colour. It is known as the large white kidney. The walls of the tubules are dilated and thickened with cells and casts. This stage is followed by atrophy and contraction of the whole organ. The kidney becomes smaller, and is known as the small white kidney. The patient has persistent dropsy, which first appears under the eyes, but it is soon general over the body. The condition is also attended by intestinal disorders, continual and progressive anaemia, and loss of weight and strength. The disease is of a very stubborn nature, and if left in medical hands grows steadily worse and worse ; it is only by properly applied natural treatment and natural living that its course can be checked, and, if degenerative changes have not developed too far, ultimately cured.

The predisposing factors contributing towards the setting up of parenchymatous nephritis are those for kidney disease in general, as given in the introductory talk on the kidneys in the opening pages to the present section. The most important are : wrong feeding (i.e. the habitual overeating of protein, starchy, sugary, and fatty foods), alcoholism, sexual diseases, indulgences and excesses of all kinds, worry, overwork, etc., and many forms of drug poisoning. As a matter of fact, any habit or way of living which reduces the vital powers of the body contributes towards the accumulation of toxins in the system, and so helps on chronic kidney trouble. Medical Science admits that the excessive consumption of meat and other protein foods has much to do with the creation of kidney diseases, but it seems quite unable to recognise other equally important causative and contributive factors.

In interstitial nephritis the patient complains of loss of strength, anaemia, and intestinal disorders. The pulse exhibits very high tension. The blood-pressure is usually increased, the heart enlarged, and there is frequently palpitation and dizziness. The sight may become affected, and partial or total blindness develop. The urine is pale in colour, increased in quantity, and of low specific gravity. The quantity of urine varies and may disappear altogether at times.

Treatment. � If treatment is left in medical hands, then the sufferer from either form of Bright's disease stands very little hope of recovery. Indeed, his condition is regarded as hopeless from the start. Under natural treatment, however, many are the sufferers from chronic nephritis who have been restored to health after having been given up as quite incurable by the medical profession. Of course, curability depends in every case upon how far the disease has been allowed to progress before natural treatment is begun. Where chronic destruction and atrophy of the organs has been allowed to go on for a long time, then it may not be possible to effect a complete cure. But even so, in these advanced and long-standing cases, if a complete cure is not attainable, a great deal can be done to improve the condition of the sufferer by means of properly applied natural treatment.

As regards treatment for Bright's disease, this should be in a Natural-Cure home or under the personal supervision of a competent Naturopath, where at all possible; for to achieve the best results treatment will have to be regulated strictly in accordance with the patient's capacity to carry out a scheme of strict elimination. For it must be realised that in all eliminative activity the kidneys are called upon to carry out a large part of the work, and if they are much diseased, this will mean that they must be carefully nursed during treatment and not exposed to too much eliminative work at a time.

However, if personal treatment is not possible in any given case, the sufferer from Bright's disease can carry on along the following lines on his own behalf, with every hope of achieving the most beneficial results from the treatment. To begin with, a short fast for three or four days should be undertaken, as directed in the Appendix. This should then be broken as directed, and a further seven to fourteen days should be spent on the restricted diet outlined in the Appendix. (This restricted diet should be proceeded with for as many days as possible, as the longer it can be continued, the better it will be.) Then the full weekly dietary, also outlined in the Appendix, can be begun and adhered to as strictly as possible thereafter.

Further short fasts followed by periods on the restricted diet should be undertaken at intervals of two or three months, until such time as the kidney condition will have begun to normalise itself. During the fast, and after if necessary, the bowels should be cleansed nightly with a warm-water enema or gravity douche; and where constipation is habitual, the rules for its eradication should be put into operation forthwith. The daily dry friction and sitz-bath or sponge detailed in the Appendix should be undertaken every morning from the time treatment is begun, and the breathing and other exercises also outlined therein should be gone through daily in conjunction with them. A hot Epsom-salts bath should be taken twice weekly, where at all possible, and a hot and cold sitz-bath, say three nights weekly (see Appendix for details). Cold packs to the kidneys will be beneficial in some cases.

Fresh air and outdoor exercise will be of great benefit in all cases under treatment, and where possible the patient should have a walk for at least two miles once or twice a day. There is no need to exert oneself when taking exercise ; the walking may be fairly leisurely ; but it is good to get the whole system into full movement. The sufferer from Bright's disease should never try to exert himself when doing anything; he should take his time and avoid all hurry and excitement. He should make it a practice to do everything quietly and without effort. " No hurry and no worry " should be his watchword. Smoking and drinking, where habitual, must be completely given up, and early hours and no excesses must be the rule. No drugs of ANY KIND should be taken at all.

The diet factor is of the utmost importance, and the following facts must be persistently borne in mind No white bread, sugar, cakes, pastry, puddings, or pies are to be eaten ; no refined cereals, such as porridge, etc. ; no boiled or mashed or fried potatoes ; no greasy, heavy, or fried foods ; no stews, " hotpots," etc. ; no cream ; very little butter or fats of any kind. Tea and coffee must not be taken at all in future ; neither should condiments, pickles, sauces, etc. Meat should be kept out of the dietary as much as possible, as also other flesh foods too, and egg or cheese or nuts can be substituted with advantage for meat or fish where mentioned in the weekly dietary outlined in the Appendix. Meals should be as small as compatible with hunger, and eating and drinking should be done apart, except in the case of fruit and milk.

If the sufferer from Bright's disease carries on in the manner indicated above, the path to returning health will be opened up to him, despite the medical belief in the incurability of his complaint. Of course, it is only those in whom the disease of kidney tissue has not been allowed to progress too far who can hope for complete ultimate cure ; but, as already pointed out, even in advanced cases a great deal can be done to improve the sufferer's condition by perseverance with a scheme of treatment such as the foregoing. In all cases of Bright's disease a course of manipulative treatment at the hands of a competent Osteopath or Naturopath is strongly recommended.

Overeating is the greatest factor concerned in the development of liver troubles of all kinds, especially where combined with sedentary occupation and consequent lack of exercise; and habitual constipation and " liverishness" may be said to go hand in hand. The reason why constipation should play such a large part in the development of liver disorders has been made clear in the opening remarks on the liver and its functions already referred to, and it must be stressed again that drug treatment for previous disease � especially drug treatment for fevers � has much to do with the setting up of liver trouble in later life. Excessive drinking and excesses of all kinds play their part in breaking down liver efficiency.

Liver sluggishness and liver troubles are very common in tropical climates amongst white people. This is the outcome of the unwise feeding habits indulged in by such persons in such climates (especially the eating of two or three meat meals a day !), as well as the habitual taking of quinine as a preventive of malaria and the excessive spirit drinking which usually goes on. It is the climate which is blamed, but it is the people themselves and their unwise habits and practices which are at fault all the time.

Treatment. � From the very nature of the case it must be obvious that only constitutional measures applied to the whole system can hope to restore liver functioning in those whose liver is working below par. Drugs to stimulate liver action only succeed in making matters worse in the long run, instead of better (for reasons already given in the introductory remarks on the liver previously referred to). It is only by giving the whole system a thorough cleansing and adopting a rational scheme of feeding and living thereafter, that normalcy of liver function can be secured. All those who wish to put their liver in proper working order, therefore, and to build up their whole general health-level at the same time, should carry out the following scheme of home treatment. Results will more than repay them for the effort entailed.

Begin with from five to seven or ten days on the exclusive fresh fruit diet outlined in the Appendix. (Obviously the time to be spent on the fruit diet must depend upon the condition of the case; but in general it can be said that the longer the fruit diet can be persisted with by any given patient, the better it will be.) Then the full weekly dietary, also outlined in the Appendix, should be begun, and adhered to as strictly as possible thereafter. Further short periods on the fruit diet � say two or three consecutive days at a time � should be undertaken at monthly or two-monthly intervals, according to the needs of the case.

During the all-fruit period the bowels should be cleansed nightly with a warm-water enema or gravity douche ; and where constipation is habitual, the rules for its eradication should be put into operation forthwith. The morning dry friction and sitz-bath or sponge, and the breathing and other exercises outlined in the Appendix, should form a regular daily feature of the treatment. Where possible, a hot Epsom-salts bath should be taken once or twice weekly.

Fresh air and outdoor exercise are two most important essentials to the treatment, and the sufferer from liver troubles should try to have a four or five-mile walk every day at a good pace. The more exercise he can take � within reason, of course � the better for him. Smoking and drinking, where habitual, should be taboo from now on, and no drugs OF ANY KIND should be taken. Early hours and no excesses should form the order of the day.

The future diet is of the utmost importance, and fresh fruits and salads must form the bulk of the dietary, as advised in the weekly diet-sheet. These are Nature's cleansing foods, and the " livery subject " needs them more than most people. Strong tea and coffee must not be taken in future ; neither should condiments, pickles, sauces, etc. The diet should be as plain and simple as possible, and there should be no eating and drinking together (except in the case of fruit and milk). All white-flour products must be deleted from the dietary, all refined cereals, white sugar, tinned and potted foods, all heavy, greasy, and stodgy dishes, all fried things. Fatty foods must be eaten very sparingly indeed ; no cream and no animal fats (except a little butter) should be taken. Meat and other flesh foods should be cut out as much as possible. Spinal manipulation, at the hands of a competent Naturopath, will be most beneficial in conjunction with the scheme of treatment here outlined. Sun and air bathing can be recommended to all who can avail themselves of their curative value.

The cause of stone in the kidney or bladder is purely dietetic in origin. The stones are only the collection of systemic refuse and toxic matter around a nucleus, and so long as the blood brings systemic impurities to the kidneys for expulsion in the urine, so long can stones continue to form. The uselessness of attempting to deal with the condition by means of operations must be apparent therefore. The operation removes the stone (or stones) that may be present at any given time, but their further accumulation is not in the least prevented by such treatment, because the underlying factors involved have not been affected in the slightest by the operation. That is why so many people who have been operated on for stone in the kidney or bladder have the shadow of further operations always hanging over them.

Stones are composed of crystals of phosphate or oxalate of lime mainly, which are precipitated out of the urine whilst in the kidney or bladder, and the presence of these toxic products shows quite clearly how much the blood is clogged with toxins and impurities accumulated in the system through unwise feeding habits. Not all people are liable to the formation of stones � it seems that there is a certain tendency in some towards their formation, owing to inherent constitutional peculiarities ; but the cause of their origin is no mystery once the true relationship between wrong feeding and disease is understood.

Treatment. � As already stated, operation for the removal of stone in the kidney or bladder is never curative in the real sense, because the possibility of the future recurrence of stones is in no way prevented by the treatment. The only way in which really to cure the condition is by a thorough course of systemic cleansing treatment, in which fasting and strict dieting play the most important part. Many cases of stones (renal calculi is their medical name) have been cured by natural treatment, and the sufferer is advised to secure help at a Natural-Cure home where at all possible. Fairly prolonged fasting may be required in certain cases, and that is why institutional treatment is always best. As opposed to an operation, not only is the cause of further stones effectually removed by natural treatment, but the whole general health-level of the patient is greatly enhanced. Of course it cannot be denied that in advanced cases, where stones are very large, operation may be necessary because of the difficulty of breaking down the stones and removing them from the system under natural treatment, but the latter should always be tried first. In any case, future strict diet along natural lines, after the operation, will be most essential to prevent further stones forming.

Those who cannot carry out treatment in a Natural-Cure home (or under personal naturopathic advice and attention) should carry out a scheme of home treatment along the lines of that for gall-stones given earlier in the present section. Such a scheme will prove most beneficial in all cases. Manipulative treatment would be most effective if carried out in conjunction with that here advised.

SPECIAL NOTE RE DIET. � There is a common belief that because stones in the kidney and bladder contain oxalates, therefore any food which contains oxalic acid is no good for the sufferer from this affliction. This is an erroneous idea, and the fact that most medical men believe in it is quite as it should be, given the average medical ignorance concerning dietetics. The point is that the oxalates which go to make up stones in the kidney or bladder are the end-products of systemic activities. They are the waste refuse of the using up of food in the system, and are due to a preponderance of such foods as meat, fish, eggs, bread, sugar, etc., in the dietary; whereas the oxalic acid in tomatoes or spinach, for instance, is a natural organic product which cannot possibly do harm to the system. It is broken down as soon as digested and does not reach the kidneys in the form of oxalic acid at all. All fruits and vegetables containing oxalic acid can be eaten by sufferers from kidney trouble of any kind.

The general remarks on tuberculosis, made in a previous chapter in the treatment for Consumption, should be studied carefully by the sufferer from tubercular kidney; they apply with equal force to his case too.

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