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Diphtheria is impossible to depict diphtheria by any single description, for few diseases show such extremities of mildness and malignancy. The following symptoms are those most commonly seen :

The onset is mild and often uncertain ; there may be slight fever and soreness of the throat, with prostration and weakness. Upon one tonsil, rarely upon both, a membrane appears and increases in size. It may be. thick or thin, and of a grey or brownish colour, surrounded by a zone of red inflammation.

The membrane may not extend beyond the tonsil, or it may involve the whole of the back of the throat and soft palate. It may extend upward into the nose or downward into the larynx. It is possible to have diphtheria without the false membrane being present, the tissues being red and swollen and the bacilli being present. The glands of the neck are usually enlarged, and, when the nose is involved, they increase rapidly in size. The child is prostrated, rapidly becomes anaemic and sallow, and, unless proper treatment is instituted, may die either from steadily increasing prostration or from rapid weakening of the heart. In favourable cases the symptoms gradually subside and the membranes slowly disappear.

Duration ranges from a few days to two or three weeks. (The disease looks like tonsillitis very often in the early stages.)

The cause of diphtheria according to medical views is, of course "germ infection." But the reader can rest assured that no child can "catch " diphtheria who has not the basis for its propagation in its system, in the shape of morbid and toxic matter brought there through the medium of wrong feeding and unhygienic living, with habitual constipation as a very pertinent predisposing cause.

For if this were not the case, there would be hundreds of thousands of cases of diphtheria every year in both children and adults, instead of only a comparatively few thousand, as now; for the diphtheria bacillus is present in the throats of large numbers of children and adults without being in the least virulent. (How does Medical Science account for this fact that the bacillus is only active in some cases whilst not in others? Frankly, it cannot ! It just closes its eyes to it ! Otherwise, where would be its precious germ theory?

Treatment. Although the use of anti-toxin for the treatment of diphtheria is sometimes apparently successful, it fails in just as many cases as it succeeds in, its injection often leading to death. But its administration is wrong practice. The injection of any serum into the human organism, especially the child organism, is wrong, and in many cases fraught with great danger.

Many a child (not to mention grown-up) has died from the administration of a dose (or doses) of some serum or other, whilst grieving parents and relatives have been led to believe by those responsible) that it was the fever, and not the serum, which caused the death.

It is just a matter of error developing out of error. Germs are not the cause of fevers, therefore anti-toxins and sera designed to get rid of the germs can not be a cure. They appear to get rid of the disease, in certain cases, but if the reader really understands what has been said in these pages about suppressive medical treatment and how it works, he will have no difficulty in realising that anti-toxin treatment for diphtheria (or any other fever) only succeeds in a cure \" where it does succeed by stopping helpful germ activity, and forcing the toxins and impurities which the system was endeavouring to throw off, through the medium of the fever, farther back into the system, to form the basis for more serious trouble in later life. The germs are destroyed by the treatment, but the toxic matter they were actively engaged in getting rid of is left behind.

The real treatment for diphtheria, as with all other fevers, is fasting. Give only orange juice or water for the time the fever lasts, and then only in small quantities. NO MILK AT ALL IS TO BE GIVEN.

The disease is so often like tonsillitis in its early stages that many parents go on feeding the child when they should not, and so only tend to complicate matters. The warm-water enema should be used regularly twice a day during the fasting period ; this is most essential, as effete bowel waste has much to do with the causation of the trouble in the first place.

To avoid the swallowing of the secretions constantly forming in the mouth during the fever, the child should be placed on its side and not allowed to lie on its back. (Some absorbent cotton may be arranged in the mouth to absorb much of this matter, and can be renewed several times a day as required.) Cold packs at two-hourly intervals to the throat will help ; as will also packs to the whole trunk. (See Appendix for details as to how the packs should be applied.)

If the above advice is carried out, the fever will run its course without any trouble, and, most important of all, there will be no fear of complications or serious after-effects ; and the child can then be brought via the all-fruit diet on to the proper diet for children given in the Appendix. Personal naturopathic attention is most advisable, where procurable in all cases of diphtheria.

German Measles. German measles is a distinct disease, and not a mild form of either measles or scarlet fever. In many cases there are no symptoms until the rash appears ; in others there is mild fever and nausea. There is no cold in the head and little or no cough. The rash consists of spots larger than those of scarlet fever, but smaller than those of measles. In many cases where the spots are coarser than usual, german measles is very difficult to distinguish from measles. The spots come out rapidly over the whole body and last from two to five days, followed by very little desquamation (peeling).

Treatment: For the cause and treatment of German measles, the reader is referred to Measles, following.

Measles. Measles is a contagious disease, more common in warm than in cold weather, which begins with feverishness, cold in the head, running of the eyes, and dry cough, followed on the fourth day by a rash which appears first on the sides of the face and the neck and slowly spreads all over the body, appearing last on the hands. The rash continues for about five days, when it fades away and is followed by a bran-like peeling, which is usually completed within a week.

The rash consists of small rounded spots with reddened skin between. In some locations the spots run together. There is considerable swelling of the face, and the spots are blotchy, so that the appearance of the child is considerably changed. In malignant cases the spots are much darker and form what is known as black measles." The fever is not, as a rule, as high as in scarlet fever. The child is frequently drowsy and stupid, but occasionally very restless.

The bowels are loose frequently, a troublesome diarrhoea being not uncommon. The cough is hard and metallic and constitutes one of the most troublesome symptoms. The cause of the disease is the same as that for all the others of childhood : wrong feeding plus unhygienic living.

Treatment. There is no doubt that measles is a natural healing crisis instituted to rid the infant organism of the toxins and deleterious end-products resulting from the assimilation of the vast excesses of starchy and sugary food (in particular) that young children are given in the civilised world to-day. Think of the white bread, potatoes, sugar, sweets, biscuits, cakes, puddings, and pies, children are given to eat! food the child system does NOT want, but which foolishly indulgent parents insist upon forcing on it, in the belief that such things are good for the child !

In a sense measles is a very good thing for children therefore, provided the case is treated properly and the child is fed in a sensible manner thereafter, that is ; but treated in the orthodox fashion, even if no complications ensue�as is often the case�nothing is gained, because the whole ridiculous process of child cramming goes on after the recovery just as before, so that toxic matter is piled up as fast as ever in the child system to take the place of that thrown off during the fever.

The natural treatment for measles is the same as that for any other fever � fasting. The child should be fasted, being given only orange juice and water to drink, and the bowels washed out night and morning with the warm-water enema. As light has a detrimental effect upon the eyes during measles, because of the weakened condition of the external eye tissues, the child should have its eye�s shaded or else be in a dim light.

The room should be well ventilated, however. As soon as the tongue clears and temperature is normal, the child can be placed on the all-fruit diet, and thence, as convalescence continues, on to the full child dietary given in the Appendix. If the cough is troublesome during the first part of the fever, cold packs to the chest may be applied (see Appendix for details ;

Meningitis. � See under Sub-section Nervous Diseases of Childhood.

Pneumonia. See under Sub-section Diseases of the Heart, Lungs, Throat, etc.

Rheumatic Fever. It was formerly supposed that rheumatism was rare in children ; this error resulted from the fact that the symptoms varied so much that it was often overlooked. But now it is realised that all growing pains are rheumatic in origin ; so that parents should view such symptoms with concern, and not indifference, as in the past, as neglect may lead to an attack of what is known as inflammatory rheumatism or rheumatic fever.

The symptoms of rheumatic fever are fever, pain and swelling in the joints (accompanied by redness), profuse sweating and sore throat. Rheumatic fever is usually confined to children and adolescents ; rheumatism in adults invariably takes the chronic form. The cause, as with all other forms of rheumatism in young or old alike, is the continuous over-consumption of strongly acid-forming foods in the daily dietary.

The daily ingestion of meat two, three, and even four times a day, as well as excessive quantities of demineralised starches, sugars, and fats, as is very often the case in England and other large meat-eating countries (to say nothing of fish, cheese, eggs, milk, etc.), inevitably leads to the flooding of the system with highly acid impurities, which, the body being unable to throw off, collect round the joints and other inner structures to form the basis of all the so-called uric-acid diseases, such as rheumatism, neuritis, sciatica, etc.

Treatment. No disease is so prone to leave disastrous after-effects behind it if treated along orthodox lines. The commonest of these after-effects is heart disease ; and it is such a commonplace occurrence that it has come to be regarded as almost inevitable. If the disease is treated properly, however, no complications or after-effects whatsoever need be feared. The treatment to adopt is as follows;

The child should be fasted until all swelling and fever have disappeared ; it may be given orange juice and water to drink, NO MILK ! and the bowels should be cleansed night and morning with the warm-water enema. To relieve the swelling and pain in the joints, hot and cold compresses may be applied several times daily, also cold packs to the whole trunk ; a cold pack to the throat is helpful also. (See Appendix for details of how the packs are applied.)

When the tongue has cleared and temperature is steady at normal, the all-fruit diet can be adopted, and as convalescence progresses, the regular diet for children given in the Appendix can be gradually introduced.

Naturopathic attention is very desirable in all cases of rheumatic fever, where procurable. The Epsom-salts bath is very beneficial during convalescence. (See also Section 13.)

Scarlet Fever. Scarlet fever is a contagious disease, typical cases of which begin with strawberry tongue, vomiting, and fever ; within twenty-four hours a rash appears on the neck and rapidly spreads over the body, continuing for about six days, when it terminates in desquamation, or peeling, which lasts for three weeks or longer. The rash consists of minute points of bright scarlet colour, grouped on a slightly reddened skin. They run together in places, forming bright scarlet patches. Peeling begins at first in fine scales, which soon become larger, and in some cases the skin peels off in long strips. The fever is usually high.

Sore throat is an early symptom, and if membranous may indicate diphtheria. The cause, although scarlet fever may be readily \" caught \" by a child, is the same old one of wrong feeding plus unhygienic living.

Treatment. Scarlet fever is one of Nature's most volcanic " healing crises" through its medium vast amounts of toxic matter stored up in the child system for years are allowed to be thrown off via the skin. Fasting, with the administration of orange juice and water enough to quench the thirst, is the treatment required ; the warm-water enema should be used twice daily to cleanse the bowels, and cold packs to the body and throat will be beneficial. (See Appendix for details.) When the fever has run its course and temperature is steady at normal and the tongue has cleared the sign always to be looked for when a fast is to be broken, the all-fruit diet can be adopted, and, as convalescence continues, the full diet for children given in the Appendix can be gradually instituted.

The hot Epsom-salts bath, two or three times a week, will be very valuable during the peeling period, and plenty of tepid bathing should be encouraged during this time also. Treated in the above manner, scarlet fever leaves its possessor in far better health than before, with a system almost free from toxins ; but treated in the orthodox way, no disease is more apt to leave such serious and varied after-effects and complications behind it. Chronic middle-ear disease, heart disease, and kidney disease are only a few of the results of the suppressive medical treatment of scarlet fever. (See also Section 13.)

INFANTILE DEFICIENCY DISEASES
Rickets. Even the medical profession now recognises that rickets is the result of imperfect nutrition or, in other words, of wrong feeding of infants. Would to God that they would apply the same reasoning to all other diseases of childhood ! Whilst the most important symptoms of the disease are found in the bones, it is not alone a bone disease ; the muscles, nerves, and organs are also seriously affected.

The most common early symptoms are sweating of the head, restlessness at night, constipation, delayed and defective dentition (teething), and beading of the ribs. The last of these symptoms appears as a row of small prominences extending in a curved line up and down each side of the chest where the bone and cartilage of the ribs join. Later, deformities appear, because of the softening of the bones. The head is large and square ; the chest in extreme cases shows two furrows, one running up and down, the other round the body ; and the child is chicken or pigeon breasted. The spine is usually curved. The legs are either knock-kneed or bowed, and in extreme cases they are otherwise deformed. The bones of the arm may also be bent. An early and important symptom is swelling of the ankle and wrist-joint. Catarrh is usually present.

Treatment. If properly treated the rachitic child can grow out of its unfortunate condition to an almost unbelievable degree. Proper diet along the lines given in the Appendix, fresh air, sun and air baths (or failing this, artificial sunlight treatment), will soon rescue it from its parlous state, and sets its little feet on the path to sound health. Rickets is a marvelous object lesson of what can happen to the human system when it is not given the proper elements needed for building sound bone and healthy tissue ; yet, in spite of all that rickets (and scurvy) can show in this connection, the medical profession persistently refuses to take the object lesson to heart and connect the other diseases of childhood with imperfect nutrition and unsound diet. It only shows to what extent the medical mentality is befogged by the germ theory and the drug habit !

Scurvy. Scurvy is another deficiency disease of children. It is often mistaken for rheumatism, rickets, or paralysis. It is marked by pain on motion, swelling of the extremities, bleeding or spongy gums, and frequently by paralysis of one or more limbs, and black and blue spots on the body. An insufficiency of fresh food in the dietary is the cause of the disease.

Treatment. Scurvy is a disease likely to attack the children of the rich just as well as of the poor, because it arises in the system not from an insufficient diet quantitatively, but from a diet lacking in the organic mineral salts so essential to health and real vitality. Children brought up on proprietary or patent foods, or on condensed milk, are the most prone to the disease, as these foods are almost, if not altogether, deficient in the life-giving organic minerals found so abundantly in fresh milk, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. Where the disease is present, the. child should be fed along the lines outlined in the Appendix of the present book, with additional quantities of orange juice and fresh vegetable juices between meals ; and, with fresh air and sunshine, he will make a very speedy recovery from the trouble.

Eczema. This is a very common skin disease of children � especially eczema of the scalp � and is a constitutional disease brought on by wrong feeding plus (very often) previous suppressive drug treatment. (Eczema in a very young child may be the result of hereditary taints in the blood. It is a sign of defective health in the parents.) We must remember that the skin is one of the main channels through which bodily impurities are eliminated from the system, and the eczema of children is only another example of a natural healing crisis, similar in kind to that of scarlet or any other fever. The symptoms may be just a redness of the skin, or there may be a scaly formation or pustules. Extreme irritation is felt.

Treatment. When it is remembered that eczema is the result of systemic toxemia (or clogging of the body with toxins and impurities), the uselessness of attempting to deal with the condition by means of salves or ointments must be at once apparent. These medicinal agents only serve to suppress the disease and make it chronic ; they can never cure. Indeed, they may be even dangerous to life, for by forcing the eczema below the surface, they pave the way for some of the most dangerous diseases of childhood�diseases which may very easily lead to the death of the sufferer � such as infantile paralysis, consumption, etc.

The real treatment for eczema lies in improving elimination, by cleansing and purifying the infant system ; and for this purpose proper diet, sun and air bathing, Epsom-salts baths, the use of the enema, etc., are the measures required. A few days on the all fruit diet to begin with, followed by the correct dietary for children given in the Appendix, together with the daily use of the enema, will soon begin the work of systemic cleansing ; and sun and air-bathing will be of immeasurable value. Epsom-salts baths two or three times weekly will be most beneficial.

As regards local treatment, the affected parts should be bathed twice daily with hot water and Epsom salts (quarter lb. to a bowlful), and a little olive oil applied. Scratching should be prevented as far as possible. Use no dusting or drying powders, or ointments of any kind. Further short periods on the all-fruit diet may be required at intervals in certain cases.

Ringworm. This disease belongs to the parasitic group of skin diseases, and minute parasites are found infesting the cuticle. It is shown in a yellowish discoloration of the skin and a peculiar circular area over which the disease extends. There is usually a slight itching of the skin, and scaly patches form. It may attack either the body or the scalp. The cause of ringworm is the lowered vitality and general unhealthiness of the sufferer. That is to say, the disease only attacks those whose health is poor, as a result of wrong feeding and unhygienic living generally.

Treatment. The use of suppressive lotions or ointments for the treatment of ringworm is just as useless as their employment for the successful treatment of eczema, although the after-effects in this case will not be nearly so bad as with the more serious disease. As regards proper treatment, much that has been said concerning the treatment of eczema applies here. Proper diet, fresh air and sunshine, the use of the enema, and the Epsom-salts bath, will all help to build up the child system and thus pave the way for the eradication of the trouble. As a preliminary to instituting the treatment, the child should be thoroughly washed all over with yellow soap and water.

NERVOUS DISEASES OF CHILDHOOD
Convulsions. The symptoms of convulsions are too well known to require description here. In young children they are usually the result of digestive disturbance, and are not immediately serious. They may\', however, be the result of epilepsy, brain disease, kidney disease, or the first stage of some infectious fever. They often occur in the children of the insane, the imbecile, and the hysterical, and also in those who have had a syphilitic or alcoholic family history.

Treatment. For convulsions the most effective treatment is the warm bath. The child should be placed in a fairly hot bath (not a really hot bath), and kept there for several minutes. Afterwards, when its condition has quietened, the bowel should be emptied by means of the warm-water enema, and it should receive nothing in the way of food for at least twenty-four hours. It may have warm water only. The diet afterwards should be along the lines indicated in the Appendix. If the convulsion is the result of epilepsy or other definite organic trouble, the services of a Naturopath should be sought. Drug treatment for epilepsy is absolutely useless�indeed, it is definitely harmful in the highest degree.

Infantile Paralysis. The children who suffer from this disease are in every case children who have been persistently wrongly fed. The medical idea of a germ being the cause of the trouble is just as wide of the mark as the claiming of a germ origin for diseases such as scarlet fever and diphtheria. The disease, once active in any child, can be transmitted to others, but only if these others are " ripe " for it.

If they have the right soil in their system in the shape of systemic refuse for the germ to breed in, that is. The symptoms of the complaint are paralysis of the. muscles of the extremities. Arms and legs may be involved, one arm, one leg, both legs, or only one muscle or group of muscles. There may be no symptoms until the paralysis appears, or there may be the usual chill, fever, convulsions, etc., which usher in other infectious fevers.

The cause of the disease is loss of tone and power of the nerve centres in the spinal cord dealing with the co-ordination and activity of the muscles of the arms and legs, brought on by systematic wrong feeding of children, the organic mineral salts so essential to proper functioning, and always so abundantly present in all natural uncooked foods, being absent from the child dietary.

Pigeons and other creatures, mice, rats, guinea-pigs, etc. when fed exclusively on a demineralised dietary as white bread or polished rice, exhibit all the symptoms of infantile paralysis after a few weeks of such a diet. Given whole meal bread or unpolished rice thereafter, they make a rapid and complete recovery !

Treatment. Whilst the fever lasts, fasting is the only treatment. The child should be given as much orange juice and water as it wants, and nothing else whatsoever. As soon as the febrile condition has subsided and the tongue has cleared, the all-fruit diet can be adopted, and, as convalescence increases, the full diet for children given in the Appendix can be gradually introduced. The warm-water enema should be used daily during the fasting period, and spinal manipulation at the hands of a competent Osteopath or Naturopath will hasten recovery greatly.

Massage to the affected limbs is especially good. After recovery, the child should be encouraged to be out in the open air as much as possible, and fresh fruits and raw salad vegetables must be the main and staple items in the child dietary, together with fresh milk, whole meal bread, and other unrefined and untampered food products, in order to make up for the great mineral deficiency in the child system due to previous wrong feeding. White bread, white sugar, refined cereals, and especially confectionery, jams, and other sugary products, must be rigorously excluded.

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