Hygiene VI AVI HYGIENE EXPLAINING THE NATURAL PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THE VIAVI SYSTEM OF TREATMENT FOR MEN. WOMEN AND CHILDREN IS BASED (Revised Edition) EASTERN VIAVI COMPANY Suite 1632 Stevens Building 16 N.Wabash Ave. 17 N. Stave St. CHICAGO. ILLINOIS 912-918 Colorado Building (14th and G St., N.W.) WASHINGTON. D. C. Published by THE VIAVI COMPANY, Inc. San Francisco. Cal. U. S. A. 1918 Copyright, 1899 By H. & H. E. LAW Copyright, 1905 By H. & H. E. LAW Copyright, 1908 By The Viavi Company, Inc. Copyright, 1918 By The Viavi Company, Inc. Registered at Stationers' Hall L&udoa, England OEC kl i3i8 'CI.A508973 To Those Who Have Secured Health by Means of The Via vi System of Treatment and TO Those Who Devote Their Lives To Its Promulgation This Volume Is Respectfully Inscribed. VIAVI OFFICES The following is a partial list of cities where there are Viavi offices: ALASKA Dawson City AUSTRALIA Adelaide Auckland Brisbane Christchurch Dunedin Perth Sydney Wellington CANADA Calgary, Alta. Hamilton, Ont. London, Ont. Montreal, P. Que. Ottawa, Ont. Regina, Sask. St. John, N. B. Toronto, Ont. Vancouver, B. C. Winnipeg, Man. ENGLAND Birmingham Liverpool London Hull Manchester Yarmouth FRANCE Paris HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Honolulu IRELAND Dublin SCOTLAND Edinburgh Glasgow SOUTH AFRICA Johannesburg UNITED Altoona, Pa. Atlanta, Ga. Baltimore, Md. Bangor, Me. Biltmore, N. C. Binghamton, N. Y. Birmingham, Ala. Boston, Mass. Bowling Green, Ky. Brooklyn, N. Y. Buffalo, N. Y. Charleston, S. C. Chattanooga, Tenn. Chicago, 111. Cincinnati, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Columbia, S. C. Columbus, Ohio Dallas, Tex. Dayton, Ohio Decatur, 111. Denver, Colo. Des Moines, la. Detroit, Mich. Duluth, Minn. Eau Claire, Wis. E. St. Louis, 111. Elgin, 111. Erie, Pa. Evanston, 111. Fall River, Mass. Fargo, N. D. Fresno, Cal. Grand Rapids, Mich. Greenville, S. C. Hamlet, N. C. Hartford, Conn. Harrisburg, Pa. Helena, Mont. Indianapolis, Ind. Iron Mountain, Mich. Jackson, Mich. Jackson, Miss. Jacksonville, Fla. Jamestown, N. Y. Jersey City, N. J. Joliet, 111. Kalamazoo, Mich. Kansas City, Mo. Knoxville, Tenn. Lansing, Mich. La Crosse, Wis. Lexington, Ky. Lincoln, Neb. Los Angeles. Cal. Louisville, Ky. Lynchburg, S. C. Madison, Wis. STATES Manchester, N. H. Mankato, Minn. Memphis, Tenn. Marion, Ohio Meridian, Miss. Miami, Fla. Milwaukee, Wis. Minneapolis, Minn. Mobile, Ala. Montgomery, Ala. Muskegon, Mich. Nashville, Tenn. Newark, N. J. New Haven, Conn. New Orleans, La. New York, N. Y. Norfolk, Va. North Adams, Mass. Oklahoma City, Okla. Omaha, Neb. Oshkosh, Wis. Paducah, Ky. Pensacola, Fla. Peoria, 111. Philadelphia, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Portland, Me. Portland, Ore. Providence, R. I. Quincy, 111. Richmond, Va. Rochester, N. Y. Rockford, 111. Rock Island, 111. Saginaw, Mich. Salt Lake City, Utah San Francisco, Cal. Savannah, Ga. Scranton, Pa. Seattle, Wash. Sioux Falls, S. D. Springfield. 111. Springfield, Mass. Springfield, Ohio St. Louis, Mo. St. Paul. Minn. Syracuse, N. Y. Tampa, Fla. Toledo, Ohio Trenton, N. J. Washington, D. C. Wausau, Wis. Wheeling, W. Va. Williamsport, Pa. Wilmington, Del. Worcester, Mass. Youngstown, Ohio Oakland, CaL CONTENTS apter I. Life's Responsibilities Page 11 II. Heredity and Environment 14 III. Activity, Rest and Sleep . 21 IV. Sunshine and Air 28 V. Regular Habits ..... . 32 VI. The Nervous System and the Back . 38 VII. The Circulation .... 46 VIII. Congestion, Inflammation, Absorption 53 IX. Mental States . . 59 X. Nervous Debility .... 63 XI. Insomnia ...... . 72 XII. Catarrhal Conditions 79 XIIJ The Lungs ...... . 90 XIV The Stomach ..... 100 XV. The Bowels ..... . 107 XVI. The Rectum ..... 112 XVII. The Liver ...... . 123 XVIII. The Kidneys ..... 126 XIX. Bladder and Urethra . . 128 XX. Varicose Veins and Ulcers 134 XXI. Eye and Ear ..... . 137 XXII. Wounds, Sprains, Burns, etc 145 XXIII. Parental Responsibility . 149 XXIV. A Talk with Men About Women 157 XXV. Education Desired .... . 178 XXVI. The Development of Girls 182 XXVII. The Generative Organs of Women . 188 Chapter XXVIII. Menstruation .... XXIX. Painful Menstruation XXX. Absent Menstruation XXXI. Curetting .... XXXII. The Non-Development of Girls XXXIII. Leucorrhea XXXIV. The Vagina XXXV. Inflammation of the Womb . XXXVI. Enlargement of the Womb XXXV7I. Displacements of the Womb XXXVIII. The Fallopian Tubes XXXIX. The Ovaries XL. The Peritoneum XLI. The Abdominal Walls . XLII. Pregnancy XLIII. The Infant's Nourishment . XLIV. Laceration .... XLV. Miscarriage XLVI. Barrenness .... XL VII. The Change of Life XLV1II. Tumors XLIX. Cancer . L. Forms, Uses and Hygiene of Viavi 195 201 218 223 227 236 241 247 254 258 272 275 288 297 302 316 324 331 335 338 343 351 365 VIAVI HYGIENE CHAPTER I. LIFE'S RESPONSIBILITIES LIFE is not a burden to be borne, nor living a task to be done. Life belongs not to us alone, to be wasted or improved as may best suit our incli- nations. We have the social instinct strongly developed, and must therefore have duties to others as well as to ourselves. This law of our being is one of the fundamental principles of all the great religions. The obligations of life divide themselves into those which we owe to ourselves, and those which we owe to others. We cannot discharge our duty to others unless we first discharge our duty to ourselves. We cannot be useful unless we make of ourselves all that it is our duty to make. ■ The responsible person who is negligent of his health, wasteful of his powers and careless of the habits that build or destroy body and character, is not only useless as a member of society, but beyond a certain limit a pernicious influence. The first principle of right living concerns our personal conduct. The first lesson to learn is right per- Regarding Life's sonal living. A prime essential is a Source knowledge of the laws of our being. We can acquire this by realizing that life is a wonderful, mysterious thing, representing the highest intelligence and skill that Nature exercises. The fact that its origin, development and decay are beyond our comprehension makes us instinctively turn to the great unseen Father and worship Him as God.* Were it 12 VIAVI HYGIENE not that we recognize the necessary existence of this great power, there would be no religions, and none of their en- nobling influences. The danger is that in giving reverence we neglect obedience; that though we fast and pray, we violate God's mandates as written in Nature's laws, and by unwise living betray a trust and invite disease. We cannot truly love and reverence God without loving and reverencing Nature, and this in turn is not possible unless we understand so much of it as is essential to intelligent living, and we cannot acquire this intelligence without study and contemplation. When a friend gives us a present, Life Is Really merely for the purpose of showing his a Trust affection for us, and not for the pur- pose of enriching us, it is the giving that we appreciate more than the gift ; but when a friend presents us with a gift of great value, it becomes a trust, and we turn attention to the gift, and develop its possi- bilities. It is so with life; it is a trust, the greatest of all trusts; and hence, while venerating the source from which it came, we cannot show loyalty and gratitude unless we put our hearts and minds into developing the possibilities of the trust. This idea is beautifully illustrated in the parable of the talents. The one who buried his talents imagined that he was showing the highest form of grati- tude to his master by placing the gift in a safe place; but the master condemned him, and praised the one who invested his talents. The first one regarded his talents as a gift, the second regarded his as a trust. The readiness with which the great Nature Demands masses of humanity break the plainest Obedience natural laws is evidence that they have not been properly taught. It is in youth that the sins are committed; it is in middle life and old age that the punishment is imposed. If violations of natural laws brought immediate penalties, they would be avoided. An infant puts its finger in the candle, but the punishment for the indiscretion is so immediate that one LIFE'S RESPONSIBILITIES 13 experience is sufficient for a lifetime. Many of the diseases that shorten life or fill it with uneasiness and anguish, are the slow punishment that comes after the lapse of years. Because the young and those in vigorous health see no immediate bad results from their violations of natural laws, they conclude that their acts are proper and that no punishment will accrue. It is thus easy to fall into the way of repeating the offense, in ignorance of the fact that every one of them will be punished in the years to come. One who knows right living and fol Good Results of lows it is not only strong, wholesome, Knowledge and a useful member of the family and society, but his or her example is a power for good. There is none so poor or humble but that his good example inspires to right action and his bad example to evil. Everything that we do is either right or wrong. There is no middle ground. Those who show that they have knowledge lead others to seek it. It is one's duty to be as healthy as possible, and this duty cannot be dis- charged unless knowledge is secured. It is never really hard to do one's duty, and it is one's duty to learn. The acquisition and possession of knowledge bring a satisfac- tion and a power that the ignorant miss. The more one knows how to live intelligently, the more contented, more useful and more prosperous one can become. CHAPTER II. HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT HEREDITY LIKE produces like. Roses are never propagated from figs. Human beings produce human beings, and nothing else produces them. That estab- lishes heredity. In its stricter application it means that special qualities in the parents will be repre- sented in the children by tendencies to the development of those qualities. The fact that broad characteristics, both physical and mental, are transmitted, creates the presumption that a child will be born with a tendency to develop any strength or weakness that one or both of its parents possess. A farmer, in selecting plants from which to save seed for the next year's planting, does not choose them indis- criminately, nor does he defiantly select the weakest on the theory that it makes no difference. He selects the largest and strongest plants to furnish seed. Thus improved varieties are constantly being brought out. This law runs through Nature, and is called the law of natural selection, one of whose manifestations is the tendency of the strong to breed with the strong. We are compelled to believe that the Their Influence strongest and finest parents will pro- Is Strongest duce the strongest and finest children. It is an old aphorism that "the mothers of great men have themselves been great." This is because mothers have much more to do with de- veloping the transmitted qualities of children than fathers have. The child is a part of the mother's body during pregnancy, and as such part it receives the nourishment which she chooses, has the same blood in its veins that HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 15 fills hers, and is subject to the nervous conditions that affect her. After the birth the physical relation is main- tained to a slighter degree in the fact that the child draws its nourishment from her breasts. Even after all that comes to an end, she is the constant custodian of the child, and as imitation is an essential part of our natures, the child's character will be moulded in a large measure by hers. The first and most evident truth is Source of Manly that physical qualities are transmitted. Strength Thus, blond parents have fair children. As a rule, large parents have large children, or children who grow to be large. Parents descended from a line of hard manual workers will have children with large, strong bones. We all know that the ranks of the achievers in life — those who rise to the heads of great enterprises and movements — are largely recruited from the people who have lived for generations under simple and wholesome conditions. People who live natural, intelligent lives are likely to be healthy, in spite of inherited weaknesses, for the reason that Nature's efforts are always bent to correct errors and produce a higher type. A good deal of bad living is required to overcome this natural tendency, but most people live a good deal worse than they think. If our ancestors have handed down certain tendencies to us, and we realize that those tendencies are bad, we are placed under the strongest kind of an obligation to live in such a way as to overcome them and transmit only good tendencies to our offspring. So it is evident that no matter from what point of view we regard this subject of heredity, our manner of living is an essential part of it. While size is of no value in the ordinary Vital Force the struggles of life, strength is. By Foundation strength is meant not only good bone and muscle, but that deeper strength which is found in the ability to resist the evil effects of conditions which militate against strength. If one takes cold easilv one is not strong, though one may be able to 16 VIAVI HYGIENE fell an ox. Men and women of apparently splendid physical development succumb under conditions which seemingly much weaker ones resist. By strength is meant vital energy. We often see in human beings so powerful a vital force that it holds death at bay for hours or days longer than a weaker person could live. It may not be merely a question of will force, though that in itself is one of the greatest and is capable of extraordinary development, but of vital energy, — the recuperative power born in us, which we may develop or destroy, and in turn transmit as a strong or a weak force. An abundance of vital energy is one of the most use- ful possessions. If we have the recuperative vital power, we have the ability to resist disease, and to overcome it if it attacks us. By living aright we cultivate the natural power to resist or overcome disease, and by cultivating it in our- selves we can transmit the tendency. Our mental qualities are in a large Bodily Soundness measure limited by our physical. There Essential are a great many bright persons with weak and ailing bodies, but we can well imagine that their minds would be stronger and brighter if they had physical stamina. Although some of the brightest geniuses have had weak and sickly bodies, the work which they did has rarely had an ennobling and refining influence; it has been largely misanthropic, or lacking in balance. Most of the best workers for mankind have had splendid bodies. Emotional qualities seem to be oftener Mind Hampered transmitted than mental ones. This by Disease may be because the emotions are more fundamental. But as the emotions are a powerful factor in determining the value and character of the mental qualities, it is evident that in order to secure the transmission of the best mentality, the sound- est emotional natures must be cultivated. The emotions have a strict relation to the physical condition. A woman HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 17 with a very strong, bright mind may become hysterical from some ailment and all her mental qualities go for naught. Nervousness is not associated with mental powers, but has the effect of hampering them and pre- venting their development in both men and women. If we violate natural laws, we transmit Parents Affect to our children the tendency to do like- Children wise. Doubtless much suicide is due to the practicing of methods to evade maternity. Abortion is the deliberate taking of human life, and its practice tends to the transmission of a disre- gard for the sacredness of life. As a sound mind goes with a sound oody, it is essen- tial that we cultivate sound bodies if we desire to bear children with competent minds. Immoral habits of thought and conduct produce a like tendency in offspring. It is much easier for the morals to go wrong if the body and mind are weakened by disease. There are deformities of the mind and morals as well as of the bodies, and they are much more easily transmitted. If we try to do right and to think right, our children will inherit the tendency to strive for the same ends. It is our duty to recognize this tendency and to cultivate it. In the short span of life allotted to us, we can begin a tendency which will turn aside all the evil tendencies which we have inherited. We can start a new line of good tendencies stretching throughout the eternity before us. Our lives are not only for the few years allowed us. The influence of each, whether good or bad, stretches forward forever, and is potent even though we do not have children. ENVIRONMENT Heredity is the essential part of our nature that comes with our birth; environment is the external circumstances of our lives. The traits and tendencies which we inherit 18 VIAVI HYGIENE have been transmitted to us, and their nature has been determined for us. Many are good, others are bad; but it is a wonderful law of Nature that the good tends to overcome the bad, whether physical, mental or spiritual. Our knowledge of this makes us responsible creatures, for we know that by cultivating the good and suppressing the bad we can constantly grow better. We may easily fall into the habit of ignoring what is good in our heritage, cultivating what is bad, and thus drift into evil which leads to ruin. A strong inherited character has the ability to bend the circumstances of life to suit its own demands. Many of the greatest achievements have been accomplished under the most disadvantageous circumstances. Burn- ham, the brilliant American astronomer, was a hard-work- ing court stenographer, having time to study astronomy only at night and with a small telescope which he himself mounted in the crudest fashion; yet he became the great- est discoverer of double stars that the world has produced. History is full of such cases. The stronger the inherited traits, the greater the ability to overcome disadvantageous circumstances. If we wish our children and children's children to be great in the struggle of life, we must see that they inherit from us all the health and strength and will that it is possible for us to transmit by intelligent living. On the other hand, a nature born with How Power Is a feeble will and no ambition nor pride, Instilled will yield most readily to the influence of its environment. It frequently hap- pens that this environment is wholesome and uplifting, but this is opposed to the general scheme. All religions understand the value upon character of self-denial and work. All the saints led lives of the severest austerity and activity. To be born to a life of ease means generally to be born to a life of idleness. If it does nothing worse it prevents a development of the good within us, which needs exercise for its growth and strength. It is a law of Nature that every living thing must be put upon a strain. If it is not sufficiently strong, it must HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 19 break and give room to something that is. Nature is a swarming beehive of activities. Idleness is a disease within its economy, and it will leave nothing untried to thrust it out. The stress and strain are constant and severe. Competition is as strenuous in every depart- ment of life as among the shrubs and trees of the forest. From this come strength, agility and courage. If the strain is greater than can be borne, we go down. As we are social creatures, we are Fault in Modern imitative. The son, instinctively long- Education ing to be a man like his father, will imitate his father's virtues and vices. Young men thrown together in cities and colleges drift into a common way of thinking, talking and acting. The spirit of enterprise and discovery in the young urges them to see and touch forbidden things. Added to this is a spirit of adventure inherent in the blood, and it is useful if wisely directed. This renders the environment of the young a very important matter. The more fascinating it is, the stronger it acts as an element in determining character and the development of life. If its nature is wholesome, its effects will be wholesome, for good comes out of good, but evil comes out of evil. Like produces like. Those who imitate least are those who have the strong- est wills. If we were solely imitative, none of us would think of making those great departures which indicate distinctive individualities, and out of which all great individual achievement arises. It is the men and women of distinctive individualities who do the thinking for the world, who make the discoveries, who build railroads, who paint great pictures and write great books, who probe into the secrets of Nature and drag them forth for the benefit of mankind, and who do all the other noble and inspiring things that make of the world an eternal spectacle and delight. The more easily people adapt themselves to the conditions about them the less they care for something different, and yet something different might be something better. 20 VI AVI HYGIENE The deductions which we can draw What We Can Give from this brief glance at heredity and With Life environment as determining factors in life are that while we may inherit tendencies from our parents and remoter progenitors, we may transmit to our children and their progeny, qualities which are determined by our own thinking and living; that the more intelligently we think and live, the greater will be the benefit to our offspring; that we can live so as to make them or break them to a large extent; that heredity and environment react' upon each other; that the stronger the inherited qualities, the greater the power to bend circumstances to the purposes of life; that the weaker the inherited qualities, the greater the danger that the influences of the environment will be evil, and that every sense of right and duty urges us to live so that our offspring shall come into the world equipped for its severe struggles and trials with all the ability that it is possible for us to hand down. CHAPTER III. ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP WE ACQUIRE the essentials of strength from food, water, air and light. This we develop by activity, and in this way secure vigor and endurance, and conditions antagonistic to dis- ease. Everything that is created with the power of activity must be exercised. As activity means a consumption of strength, as well as its development, there must be something to compen- sate for the loss. This compensation comes from food, air, sunshine and rest. Normal activity, if uninterrupted, consumes strength more rapidly than it can be produced. The simple state of consciousness does that. Sleep is a form of rest. It is easy to cripple our forces with Exercise and Rest insufficient rest and sleep. Napoleon Essential was worn out while still a young man, because he had accustomed himself to only four hours of sleep a day during the time of his greatest activity. Gladstone retained his wonderful vigor to the last; in his later years he is said to have slept seventeen hours a day. Hard work is never hurtful in health, if the sources of strength are intelligently em- ployed, and the recuperative powers have proper exercise. If anything to which the power of activity has been given is not exercised, it will drift toward disintegration and death. Prisoners in solitary confinement become weak-minded because the higher forms of their mental activity have been suspended; external impressions no longer stir the brain centers to activity. If we tie up one of our arms, it will wither. Much more rest is required in disease than in health. Disease prohibits a full employment of the sources of 22 VIAVI HYGIENE strength, and checks the development which brings strength. Strength is consumed by the system in its efforts to overcome the disease, and the poisonous pro- ducts of disease require strength to eliminate them. Helpful exercise is just as necessary as rest and sleep. Most work is helpful if it is wisely done. Best of all is outdoor work or exercise. A walk every day is highly beneficial. It is stimulating; the nervous system responds to the exhilaration. As a consequence, the circulation and the activity of the organs are wholesomely increased, digestion is promoted, elimination of waste is made more thorough, and the pleasant impressions generated bring a good effect. In resting, the entire body should be How Rest May Be relaxed, for if there is any part of it Secured at work or on a strain, except the vital organs, a draft is being made upon the strength. The best rest is taken lying down. The clothes should be thoroughly loosened, so that there will be nothing to interfere with the free circulation of the blood. A place free from noise should be chosen if pos- sible, for every sound gives the auditory nerves some work to do, and is an irritation. The mind should be relaxed. If it shows any tendency to wander upon dis- agreeable or fretting subjects, it should be led to dwell upon something pleasant, for every unpleasant thought consumes strength. The room should be made as dark as possible, because light gives the optic nerves some work to do, and thus consumes strength, besides being an irritant. In resting while lying down, the couch or bed should be perfectly comfortable. Care should be taken not to contract a cold. The body should be level, for if the upper part of it is raised the bowels will be crowded down. If a pillow is used, it should be small, so that the blood can have free access by gravity to the brain, and should not be soft and heating. The abolition of voluminous pillows has helped to cure many a backache, because such pillows prevent perfect rest of the spine throughout its ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 23 whole length. On warm days it will be found restful, while lying on the back, to place a moderately large, hard pillow under the knees; this is especially beneficial where there is a tendency to swollen feet and legs, and varicose veins. If a person employing the Viavi system of treat- ment will rest in this manner for half an hour every afternoon, and, if necessary, in the forenoon as well, progress will be much more rapid and otherwise satis- factory. Double beds account for much of the Separate Beds nervous instability that is so prolific a Necessary cause of disease and so stubborn a hindrance to recovery. Every person, sick or well, should sleep alone. This is urged especially in the case of women who are pregnant, nursing, or af- flicted with any trouble peculiar to their sex. By so doing, one may expect better results from adopting the Viavi system of treatment. Where individual rooms are not possible, it is best that father and sons have separate beds in a room, mother and daughters in another, the freest possible ventilation being provided for. In diseases which create a nervous con- Common Resort dition and interfere with sound, re- to Narcotics freshing sleep, the temptation to use some kind of sleeping drug is exceed- ingly strong. Indeed, it is a common practice to prescribe drugs that have the effect of depressing the heart or deadening the nerves and stupefying the brain, and thus inducing unnatural sleep. In many cases the sufferer afflicted with insomnia is told what preparation he is given to induce sleep, and when one cannot sleep naturally, and is in great need of sleep, it is assumed that the use of the preparation is right. Believing this, one comes to rely upon this artificial relief from torture, and thus be- comes confirmed in the habit. In other cases the drug is concealed under some symbol or unrecognized name in a prescription, and the victim is unaware that it is being taken. Many other sufferers resort to sedatives, simply because they are so easily accessible and cost so little and 24 VIA VI HYGIENE are used by so many other persons. Many carry about with them pellets, tablets, wafers, salts, or what not, that are made to ease headaches or soothe or stimulate the nerves, and are ignorant of the fact that they are using destructive agents. The controlling power of every function of the body is the nervous system. Even pain is evidence that the nerves are alive to their duties, for pain is Nature's notice that something has gone wrong which demands our attention. Pain is intended to be the educator of our conduct. If an infant, lured by the beauty of a candle- flame, thrusts its finger into it, the flame will injure the tissues and nerves. Therefore, Nature provides that the nerves whose business it is to guard the welfare of that finger shall instantly inform the brain that a mistake has been made, that an injury is being done. The brain immediately sends out, over another set of nerves, the impulse that causes the infant to withdraw its finger and thus stop the harm. Pain is essential to an intelligent care of the body and its preservation from harm. Upon the integrity of the nervous sys- Effect of Drugs tern depends the perfect condition of on Nerves every part, organ and function. Any drug that has the effect of numbing pain or inducing sleep lowers the tone of the entire nervous system, and thus impairs its integrity. The result is physical deterioration and an aggravation of any disease that may be present. This is true with regard not only to physical conditions, but also with the mind itself. Thought is a function of the brain, just as the secretion of bile is a function of the liver, or the secretion of gastric juice is a function of the stomach, or as the contraction of muscles in the various acts of the body and its members is a function of the motor nerves^ or as the transmission of the sensation of pain is a function of the sensory nerves. The ability of the brain to perform its function in the production of ideas depends strictly upon the condition of the brain. As the brain is the ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 25 grand center of the nervous system, it receives all the bufferings and sustains all the injury that any nerve or set of nerves may suffer. When a pain-alleviating or sleep-inducing drug is taken into the system it enters the circulation and is thus distributed to every part of the body. Not only is every nerve in the system affected by it, but the brain is affected both through all the nerves and through a direct attack of the drug upon it. As a consequence, an impairment of the function of the brain — thinking — is unavoidable, and the longer and oftener this injury is inflicted the more seriously the mind will be affected. Anything relieved of the work that How Habit Is Nature intended it to do, will eventu- Confirmed ally lose the power to work. This is as true of the nerves as of everything else. If, by the use of pain-deadening drugs, we impair or destroy the ability of the sensory nerves to convey impressions of pain to the brain, we shall not be properly informed when matters are going wrong, nor when dan- ger and injury are present, and hence the mind will not know that anything is to be done to avoid danger or to prevent or repair injury. Many drugs taken to alleviate pain have that effect. Others bring relief by lowering the heart's action, thus reducing pressure in congestion; they Weaken the heart and stint the blood supply to the whole body, thus doing extensive harm. Likewise, sleep is a function of the nerves, and a desire for sleep is a notice given to the brain that rest and recuperation are demanded. The brain thereupon directs that measures be taken to secure sleep. A bed is pre- pared, and we invite the sleep that the mind has ordered. If the nerves come to depend upon some artificial agency they will give a false and unnatural impression to the brain, and the brain, thus deceived, will produce a false and unnatural idea. The ionger and oftener this decep- tion is practiced upon the brain, the less will grow its power to functionate normally in tne production of 26 VIAVI HYGIENE natural ideas, and the more confirmed, therefore, the false, unnatural and pernicious reliance will become. Some administer pain-deadening and Why Narcotics sleep-inducing drugs out of pity, and Are Given often with the belief that sleep by any means is better than none. As their skill is insufficient to produce natural sleep, they are forced to resort to artificial means, many of them being aware of the fearful risks they are running and of the immediate harm they are doing in order to secure the good at which they aim. It is the best they can do. The aim of theViavi system of treatment Natural Means is to assist Nature to remove the diseased for Sleep condition which causes sleeplessness. Pain and nervousness cease naturally with the removal of their cause, and the necessity for bane- ful drugs is obviated. Through the education of the mind, the strengthening of the normal forces and the building up of the nervous system, it explains the value of pain and aids its endurance. Sleep is one of the first and most salient of its good effects. Many afflicted ones, who had suffered tor- tures from insomnia, secured their first night's sound, sweet, restoring sleep after the first few days' use of the treat- ment; and the start thus made was not interrupted. This result may not be produced so quickly in all cases. The reason why the Viavi system of treatment induces naturaland therefore beneficial sleep is evident. If the treat- ment contained any narcotic principle, the very end to which it is directed would be defeated, and the cures that it has assisted Nature to effect would have been impossible. It will thus be seen that sleep is not induced directly, as with drugs, but indirectly, by establishing natural conditions. The treatment follows natural laws instead of violating them, and establishes a natural condition by natural means. Such conditions can never be established by artificial means. Natural sleep can never be induced by drugs. Disease can never be overcome by resort to unnatural measures, and health can never for long be maintained under unnatural conditions. ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 27 For the same reason that the use of the How Activity Is Viavi system of treatment establishes Encouraged conditions leading to rest and sleep, it rehabilitates those conditions that ren- der activity easy and pleasurable. People who do not rest and sleep sufficiently have no desire to employ their activities. They are tired and depressed all the time. They feel no incentive to do orderly and profitable work. They take little or no interest in their work, and as a consequence they do it badly. They feel no impulse to go out-of-doors and enjoy exercise, pure air and sunshine. They prefer the gloom of solitude and the dreariness of home imprisonment. The successful use of the Viavi sys- tem of treatment has changed all that for thousands and enabled them to be what they should be — contributors to their own happiness and usefulness and to the happiness and prosperity and content of their families. Every disease, however slight, is a True Meaning of hastened step to the grave. Every Disease physical condition that embodies the least deviation from the normal, is a summons to death. Every artificial device employed to take the place of natural processes, is an invitation to disease or an aid to its work. Every reliance upon artificial means serves as a blinding to the right and natural means. The Viavi system of treatment adopts the principle that natural tendencies are upward; that the natural condition is one of health; that Nature un- aided would cure all diseases had not her overcoming and recuperative forces become too weak in the many cases where she fails, and that the one and only true method is to extend the assistance that she needs. She will never fail to employ it if extended in time, and will make the most of it under the most disadvantageous cir- cumstances. The Viavi system of treatment has proved one of the most valuable aids that can be successfully em- ployed in assisting Nature to overcome obstinate and de- structive conditions existing in many important diseases. CHAPTER IV. SUNSHINE AND AIR WE ALL realize to some extent the fact that the sun's light is essential to health and life, but do we realize it to the full extent, and do we make the most intelligent use of the knowledge? Every living thing must have the sun's light. Some things require less light than others, but we are not con- cerned with that. Human beings require all the light they can get, and they thrive in proportion to the amount they receive, and suffer in proportion to the extent to which they are denied it. Persons confined in prison cells or to their homes become pale. Their blood is not of a character to sustain health and overcome disease. If the blood is wrong everything else is wrong. The sun's light comes to us in two Good Effects of forms — direct and diffused. The direct Sunlight light is the uninterrupted ray; it is what we call sunshine. Diffused light is scattered. It has power, but not nearly so great as that of the direct ray. The daylight in our houses is diffused sunlight; that out-of-doors on a clear day is direct sunlight. On a cloudy day we have diffused light, and much of the power is absorbed by the clouds. The difference between the power of the sun's light in summer and in winter is due to the difference in the thickness of the air layer that it has to penetrate. In winter this thickness is much greater than in summer, because the rays come to us more slanting, and hence more of them are absorbed, and fail to reach us. There- fore it is advisable that we get much more sunshine in winter than in summer. Civilized races have accustomed themselves in a SUNSHINE AND AIR 29 measure to less sunshine than savages enjoy, but civilized races are not so healthy as savages, and those civilized persons who spend most of their time in the open air are the healthiest. The air in a house is rarely or never so Necessity for pure as that outside. Pure air is Pure Air necessary to health and to recovery from disease. The air in a bedroom rapidly becomes foul and poisonous, so that we are con- stantly taking back into the blood the deleterious ele- ments that it has thrown off through the lungs. Hence it is highly important that the bedroom be amply venti- lated, both night and day. The best of bedrooms is a porch covered with a roof or awning for protection from dew, rain or snow, and with an awning on the storm side. Splendid results have been secured from sleeping thus all the year round. As there is a tendency in outdoor sleeping for the bed- clothes to become damp, they should be thoroughly dried in the sun or before a fire, the mattress and pillows included. It is worth all the trouble it costs. The wisdom of a waterproof covering to keep out dampness is questionable, though some believe in it. In any event, it does not prevent, but probably increases, the moisture entering the bedding from the emanations constantly escaping from the skin. Fear of "catching a cold" deters many from this wholesome practice of outdoor sleeping. As a matter of fact, there is less liability to contracting a cold outdoors than in, and the sleep is far sweeter and more restful. Camping in the summer is one of the The Benefits of most beneficial of pleasures. Those Tenting who have once learned its delights could not be persuaded to forego them. If it is not feasible to go into the country for this purpose, a tent can be erected at home and an outdoor life lived there. We do not mean that the tent should be merely an extension of the house, but that the house should be used as little as possible, the cooking, eating and sleeping 30 VlkVl HYGIENE being all done outdoors. Such a gypsy life in the sum- mer gives children especially the keenest delight and splendid health, and it greatly reduces the labor of house- keeping. The ingenious family can easily manage to keep free of insect pests, including flies. If the beds are kept in the tents, the tent-flaps should be opened wide at night. This outdoor sleeping or living is equally good for the sick and the well. All during the night, whether we sleep Proper Care of indoors or out, the body is giving off Bedding moist vapors from the entire surface. These are absorbed by the bed-clothes, making them unclean, even though nothing may be visible, for these vapors contain elements of waste that are subject to decomposition. It is a great mistake to make up the bed in the morning. All the bed-clothes, including the mattresses and pillows, should be freely exposed to the air, and as often as possible to the direct sunshine. So long as they give off the peculiar odor that the sunshine draws from them, we may know that decomposed matter from the body is in them and that the odor is evidence of the oxidizing, cleansing work of the sun. Those who frequently sun their bedding know the sensation of sweetness and cleanness that it gives, and how much more readily it induces sleep. It is computed that when at rest we The Effects of consume 500 cubic inches of air a Exercise minute. Therefore if we remain at rest all day and night in an unventi- lated room ten feet wide, twelve feet long and ten feet high, we shall consume one-third the air, for 500 cubic inches consumed a minute means 720,000 cubic inches consumed in twenty-four hours, and there are 2,073,600 cubic inches of air in a room of the foregoing dimensions. This means not only a consumption of that much air, but the vitiation of all the rest. If we walk at the rate of one mile an hour we use 800 cubic inches of air; two miles, 1,000 cubic inches; three miles, 1,600 cubic inches; SUNSHINE AND AIR Si four miles, 2,309 cubic inches. If we run six miles an hour we consume 3,000 cubic inches of air during every minute of the time. In walking at the leisurely gait of two miles an hour we get the benefit of twice as much air in the lungs as when we are resting, and more in pro- portion to the increased gait. This means a greatly quickened action of the heart, a largely increased rapidity of the circulation, and an extensively augmented elimina- tion of impurities, particularly through the lungs and skin. From this we may infer both the importance of pure air and the value of exercise. The sun's direct rays exercise a powerful influence in purifying the air. That is one reason why outdoor air is purer than indoor. It is also a reason for having the bedroom as sunny as pos- sible, and for admitting to the house an abundance of sunshine every day. The action of the sun's direct rays Sunshine Good upon the peripheral nerves — those for Nerves terminating in the skin — is remark- able. It stimulates them, and the impulse of this stimulation is of course transmitted to the brain and extends throughout every part of the body. The effect is a heightened and strengthened vitality. All have observed the stimulating and refresh- ing effect of a hot bath, except where its injudicious use has produced an over-stimulation followed by depression. The effect of the heat of the sun is similar to that, but possibly there is an additional chemical effect from the actinic properties of the sun's rays. It is a curious fact that while we recognize the necessity of exposing the entire body to the action of the water in taking a hot bath, we do not seem to appreciate the value of remov- ing all the clothing for a sun bath. Of course it is impos- sible to get the full benefit of the sun's light, or anything approaching it, unless we expose every part of the body to its effects. This requires great care, as there is danger of blistering the skin and overheating the blood. But if it is done judiciously, and at regular times, remarkable benefits will be secured from it. CHAPTER V. REGULAR HABITS SO LONG as the earth continues to revolve on its axis, presenting successively the different parts of its surface to the light of the sun, so long must the affairs of life be ruled by recurrent natural con- ditions. Nearly all savage peoples are or have been sun-worshipers, for they recognize the controlling influ- ence of the sun and the value of what we get from it, and have not yet developed to a conception of a higher power of which the sun is but an instrument. When the sun rises, activity begins; when it sets, the time of rest is at hand. Thus a regular daily procession of events is established, and the more our conduct is in accordance with it, the nearer we shall be to Nature and the more we shall get of the happiness and prosperity that she can bestow. Useful habits, when thoroughly estab- Practice Brings lished, are followed so easily that we Habit may be hardly conscious of the acts to which they give rise. Thus, walking is a very complex and difficult art, requiring a high order of skill. A long time and vast labor were required of us all to master it, and in the process we received many a hurt; but we acquired it as a habit, so that we came to perform the act with so great ease that it gives us no trouble. What is difficult in the beginning becomes easy by frequent repetition. That is the secret of skill in all things. Many bad habits require much effort and per- sistence in their acquirement. The poison of tobacco is repugnant, and boys who acquire the tobacco habit do so only after getting sick a number of times. REGULAR HABITS 33 Many are unaware that what they do from habit may be harmful. All habits should be analyzed. The mother or father indulging any injurious habit transmits to the offspring a tendency to adopt it or some other as bad. The habit of regularity in personal Need of Personal matters is one of the foundations of Attention health. Many people, women espe- cially, have no definite time of the day for the evacuation of the bowels. Everything suffers from such neglect. Others defer such a call when it is made. If Nature does not force the issue, she ceases for the time to make the demand, and then bends her energies to get rid of the deleterious refuse by other means. The nerves set the mucous membrane lining the intestines at work, and the blood absorbs what it can of the effete matter. The blood then carries it to all parts of the body, working some of it out through the skin, and some out through the lungs, thus tainting the breath. In the case of urine unduly retained the blood takes up what it can and distributes it throughout the system, with equally unpleasant and hurtful results. The functions of the body are wonder- A Response to fully responsive to kindly and intelli- Thoughtfulness gent treatment. If the bowels and bladder learn that at definite times of the day they are to be emptied, they will organize their processes so intelligently that they will be ready to empty themselves at those times, and will never give any trouble in doing so. On the contrary, they will be so grateful that they will discharge their duty in a manner that gives much satisfaction. At the same time, no strain will be put upon the nervous system in its efforts to cor- rect our fault, and this will produce a state of general ease. The best time for emptying the bowels is immedi- ately before or after breakfast, for all during the night and the previous day the digestive processes have been storing refuse and getting it ready for discharge. The bladder, of course, will be emptied at the same time. In a normal state the bowels require emptying but once a 34 VIAVI HYGIENE day. If there is a tendency to do so oftener or less often, something is wrong, and we should try to correct the fault. One of the best ways of doing so is to establish the habit of emptying them at a definite hour every day. Even though no desire for stool may be felt when that hour arrives, Nature should be invited to make the effort. She will gradually come to understand that we have an intelligent purpose, and she will then do her utmost to conform. That is the establishing of a beneficent habit. We have the foundation of a rhyth- Nature's Works mical procession of events in the waking Rhythmical and the sleeping life. Each has a dis- tinct and vital purpose — the one for the consumption of strength, and the other for its recupera- tion. Hence the more rhythmical and orderly we make our acts, the more pleasure living will give us. It should cause us shame to be driven to perform any of the natural functions, whether eating, sleeping, or evacuating the bowels and bladder. Nature desires to be our friend and guide, not our lash-wielding master. She punishes us only when we violate her laws, but she never fails to reward us when we obey them ; and we get pain or pleasure out of life to the extent *to which we violate or observe its principles. It may be deemed surprising that any necessity should exist for insisting on perfect regularity in personal habits, but the truth is that this is one of the worst obstacles encountered in the treatment of disease, and one of its most prolific causes. In the matter of eating: The systema- Ease Comes from tized method of a man's life lends a Regularity zest to his efforts, and this keeps his nervous system in good tone, with the result that his appetite is hearty and his digestion good. Many are prone to give too little attention both to the character of their food as strength -making material , and to regularity in taking it. The stomach, like everything else, does its work best if it has regular periods of work and rest, and if this regularity is interfered with, the REGULAR HABITS 35 health of a well person will suffer, and the disease of a suffering one will be aggravated. There is hardly a thing of ordinary occurrence in life but that will be better done, and will give more pleasure in the doing, if it is done regularly. Take exercise, for instance. If we have accustomed the system to the pleasant stimulus of a walk or drive or ride, or anything else of a kindred nature, at a certain hour of the day, it will expect that stimulus when the hour arrives, and will enjoy it much more than if the pleasure is taken in a haphazard fashion. The great evil of a bad habit is that the system has become accustomed to the regular per- formance of the act. If a man accustoms his system to an intoxicant at a certain hour of the day, he will crave it when that hour arrives. In a similar way, the system will crave the indulgence of a good habit, and will enjoy it. It is the same with all the work that falls to our daily lives. A man enjoys his business, and is successful in it, in proportion to the regularity with which he conducts its details. It comes easier to him, and he does it better, and it is more beneficial to his spirits, health and strength. Great musicians have regular hours of the day for practice, and no matter how proficient and famous and prosperous they become, they must continue to practice in that regu- lar way, and they enjoy it. CHAPTER VL THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE BACK THE NERVOUS SYSTEM NO OTHER part of the body is involved in so much obscurity as the nervous system, and concerning none other is there so much popular ignorance. Its broader principles are well known, and an understanding of them serves as a guide to intelli- gent living, and to the happiest results in the treatment of disease. It is unnecessary to give an intricate ex- planation, but it is advisable to give a clear outline of it, in order that the origin of symptoms otherwise inexpli- cable may be understood, and the value of the Viavi system of treatment in enabling Nature to overcome them appreciated. The nervous system has two great divisions — first, the cerebro-spinal system, contained in the skull and spine, and governing the higher mental faculties, emo- tions, impulses, sensations and impressions; second, the sympathetic system, supervising the nutrition. The great center of the cerebro-spinal Cerebro-Spinal system is the brain. It is composed System of gray nerve ceils, whose function is to originate nerve force, and white nerve fibers, whose function is to convey impressions to the gray cells and impulses from them. The gray cells are in the cortex, or outer part, of the brain, in several layers. The brain is wrinkled into folds, called convolu- tions; the gray cells follow these convolutions. This ingenious arrangement affords more room for the cells than if the surface of the brain were smooth, and prevents the necessity of a larger head to accommodate them. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 37 A white nerve fiber arises in each of these minute gray cells, which are so small that they can be seen only with a powerful microscope. These fibers, existing in countless numbers, compose the mass of white matter in the brain, and constitute all of the brain except the outer layers and groups of gray cells. The work of the cells is to originate impulses and ideas, that of the fibers to trans- mit them. Each fiber has a particular impulse or im- pression to convey, and no other. Fibers of like function are gathered together in strands as they pass from the brain into the spinal cord. From the cord, through open- ings along the entire length of the spine, they pass out to the various parts of the body. Some of these fibers are continuous from the brain to their terminals. Others are interrupted by bunches of cells, called centers. The first- named variety may be illustrated by telephone wires running directly from the central station to the houses; the second by wires that pass through relay batteries at sub-stations. Cells of like function are arranged to- Arrangement get her in the cortex of the brain. For of Cells instance, those having to do with the higher mental faculties, such as ideas, emotions, volition, etc., are situated in the front part of the brain (the forehead); those controlling the tongue, face, hands, arms, legs and feet are in the middle and side regions of the brain. Those having to do with the sen- sations of pain, touch and temperature are on the side of the brain, just above the ear; the area of speech is imme- diately in front of the ear, behind that is the area of hear- ing, and behind that the area of smell and taste. The back of the head covers the area of sight. Lower, where the head joins the neck, is the area governing the co- ordinate movements of the body, enabling us to stand or walk properly. It is supposed that this part of the brain has to do with the reproductive organs, as diseases of those organs produce pain there. There are really two brains, one occupying the right half of the skull cavity and the other the left. The fibers 38 VIAVI HYGIENE from these cross on their way to the body, so that the right brain governs the left side of the body, and the left brain the right side. These brains are connected by fibers, which enable the two to work together in produc- ing unison of action in the two sides of the body. The brain and the spinal cord are covered with membranes, the one nearest them supplying them with nutriment from the blood. The nerves running from the cells and Motor and Sensory regulating the movements of the body Nerves are called motor, or efferent (outgoing), nerves. Sensations from all parts of the body, such as seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, hun- ger, pain, heat, cold, etc., are carried to the cells over fibers called the sensory, or afferent (ingoing), nerves. We may illustrate the action of the nerves by lightly pricking the end of the finger with a pin. The injury rouses the activity of one or more sensory nerves, which immediately convey to the brain, and there record, the sensation originating in the finger. The brain weighs the sensation, and then causes a motor impulse to be sent out over the motor nerves governing the conduct of the arm, hand and finger; these nerves contract the muscles and the finger is thus withdrawn from the pin-point. A cir- cuit has been established from the finger, over the sensory nerves to the brain and back to the finger over the motor nerves, the area of sensation in the brain being connected with the motor area by fibers. All the cells and nerves have to be fed How the System the same as all other parts of the body. Is Fed There are nerves whose business it is to keep all the cells and nerves sup- plied with nutriment by bringing the blood in contact with them through the circulation. Each kind of cell selects from the blood the particular kind of nutriment that it needs. The energy thus drawn from the blood enables one set of cells in the brain to think, another to move the feet, another to experience joy, another to THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 39 suffer sorrow, another to detect the slightest variation in musical tones, another to enjoy the odor of flowers, another to preserve our lives by rejecting food that has the odor of decay. It is from these brain cells that all ideas and impulses spring — love and hatred, pride and ambition, plans of battles, the discovery of worlds, the growth of mercantile enterprises, little acts of kindness, great deeds of philanthrophy, the first desire of the babe to investigate its thumb. Every act done, every word spoken, originates here, the most wonderful and com- plex part of man. The rest of the body is more or less mechanical and chemical. The brain approaches the Divine. As all the power of the cells and nerves Power Is From in the entire body comes from the the Blood blood, the character of that power must depend on the quality of the blood and the manner of its circulation. In ill health poisonous matter is taken up by the blood from diseased parts of the body, and as all of it cannot be thrown out by the lungs, some must be carried to the brain cells. It is impossible to have a sound brain and well-ordered mind, thoughts and impulses under such conditions; and it is equally impossible for the vital functions to perform their work perfectly. Life is impaired on both its lower and higher levels. The sympathetic, or organic, system is The Sympathetic composed of chains of knots or nerve System ganglia connected by nerve fibers. It is found near the spinal column, along its sides and front. The right and left chains of ganglia are connected by fibers running across the spinal column. These ganglia, or knots, of nerve cells extend the entire length of the back, and there are three main centers of them — one high in the chest; one behind the stomach; and one, the largest of all, in the pelvic cavity. From these centers nerve fibers run to and along the blood vessels throughout the entire body, following them to the minutest capillaries, and into the brain itself. 40 VIAVI HYGIENE The function of these sympathetic nerves is to dilate and contract the blood vessels, and hence they are known as the vaso-motor, or vessel-moving, nerves. Branches of them control the action of the arteries in every part of the body, thus regulating the blood supply, or the circulation, in the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, etc. All the parts of the sympathetic system Remote Symptoms are so intimately connected that no Explained sooner does a congestion or an inflam- mation arise than the sensation which it produces passes through both the sympathetic and the sensory systems of nerves to the adjacent parts of the body, and affect that area in the brain which governs these parts. The direct effect upon the sympathetic sys- tem of a congestion of the blood is to disturb the circu- lation throughout the entire body, at first affecting that in the parts contiguous to the disturbed part. The great ganglion of the sympathetic system, the solar plexus, situated behind the stomach, is eventually disturbed, and its branches ramifying through the tissues of the liver, spine, intestines and stomach give notice to them of the disturbance. Inflammatory and diseased conditions are constantly pouring poisonous matter into the blood. As a result, the lungs have more purifying work than they are able to perform, and hence the impure matter not removed is carried to the nerves, the cells in the spinal cord and brain, and every nerve fiber in the body. In the first place, the power of the nervous force itself is reduced; in the second, the muscles, receiving impure blood, are not properly nourished. The sufferer becomes listless. The muscles lose their vigor. The brain becomes unable to formulate clear, strong ideas. Little by little the nervous system loses its integrity. Nervous prostration may come from . Causing Nervous an excessive consumption of nerve Prostration force. This may be through trouble or overwork mentally, or from the con- stant irritation of pain, which uses up the nervous force *~ THE BACK 41 in its work of transmitting the sensation of pain to the brain. It may come also from lack of nourishment of the brain and nervous system, and from poisoning by the impurities with which the blood is filled. As the nervous system governs the supply of blood to every part of the body, including the brain and nervous system, it follows that when the nervous energy originating in the brain is exhausted, the blood supply throughout the entire body is reduced, congestions are more frequent and inflammation is more certain; and all this time the blood is not purified, there is a lowering of vital energy, and the system gradually falls into a con- dition of malnutrition. If the nervous system can receive natural help to enable it to become stronger, it will in turn regulate the circulation and purification of the blood. Little by little the nervous system will be fed by better blood, with the result that the conditions which extend throughout the entire system are removed. The Viavi system of treat- ment aims to meet these conditions and thus to establish health by natural means. THE BACK The spine is one of the most important parts of the body; hence the frequent reference made in this volume to the spinal region, or the back, in the Viavi system of treatment. The spine is a column composed of thirty-three short bones, called vertebrae; they are separated by tough cushions of cartilage. The seven upper bones constitute the cervical part of the column; the following twelve, the dorsal; then come five in the lumbar region, or small of the back; five more in the sacrum, and four in the coccyx. . , The spine supports the weight of the head, and con- nects the bones of the chest with those of the pelvis. It also forms a secure canal for the spinal cord. The ribs 42 VIAVI HYGIENE are attached to it and thus given support. The normal curves of the spine are three in number, resembling an open letter S. The spinal cord does not entirely fill the spinal canal, which accommodates also the membrane that surrounds the cord, together with a connective tissue and a plexus of large vessels. The nerves of the body pass into the spinal canal through openings on their way to and from the spinal cord and brain. Owing to the curves of the spine and the large number of bones composing it, and to its discs of cartilage by which they are separated, shocks to it are greatly lessened. The column is con- stantly liable to these shocks from walking, jumping, sitting down hard, falls, blows on the head, etc. It will be seen how necessary it is to possess a firm spinal column. Its muscles must be strong and elastic, to hold it in proper position. If it is abnormally bent, or the internal organs are diseased and their activity is impaired, the nervous strain or injury thus received in the affected organs is transmitted through the spinal cord in the process of conveying the sensation of pain to the brain, thus pro- ducing irritation and pain in the cord itself, often giving rise to an incorrect diagnosis of a disease as originating in the cord, and leading to irrational treatment, such as burning the back with blisters and hot irons, while fail- ing to attack the real cause of the condition. The back, composed of the spinal col- Needs Strength, umn and its muscles, is designed to Flexibility have a great deal of flexibility, on which depend much of the freedom and grace of bodily movement. Doubtless this freedom of movement, being natural, gives to the internal organs and to the back itself an exercise from which they receive benefit. It is noticeable that as a rule those who do not deprive the back of this freedom are stronger and sounder than those who do. To deprive any part of the body of its natural freedom of movement, and consequently the exercise arising from such freedom, tends to an impair- ment of strength. h back that has become weak tends to relax on oooa« THE BACK 43 sion more than a strong back would, as a correct sitting posture is irksome. This bending causes a compression of the internal organs and interferes with their activity, and perhaps puts an irritating strain on the spinal cord itself and the nerves running from it and into it on their way to and from the internal organs. Spinal irritation may arise within or Cause of Spinal without the spinal column. When Irritation caused by a lack of blood supply or an anemic condition of the blood, it is known as spinal anemia. If there is an oversupply of blood we have spinal hyperemia. An abnormal con- dition of the blood supply within the spinal column can easily give rise to spinal irritability, which in time may lead to the most complicated disorders. Understand- ing that both arteries and veins occupy this canal, also that impeded circulation in either arteries or veins causes their caliber to enlarge, it can be understood how neces- sary it is that both the general and local circulation be normal, in order that there be no undue pressure within this canal. A disease of the spinal cord may produce extensive disease elsewhere. The Viavi system of treatment for spinal irritation of a reflex nature has stood the test of experience for many years. It employs no violence and gives no pain. Where the trouble is associated with disease of the internal organs, both conditions are treated, not one to the neglect of the other. If one part of the body is affected, no Signs of Spinal matter how slightly, the entire system Irritation is more or less affected. The irrita- tion of one center in the cord may be transmitted to another, thus setting up new centers of disturbance. Irritation of the spinal cord may produce pain in many parts of the body. This goes to show £he necessity of treating the body as a whole instead of as a collection of independent parts or organs. In spinal irritation we find pain at the nape of the 44 VIAVI HYGIENE neck; a sore or sensitive spot or spots in the spine, easily detected by pressure (sometimes the pain is near the surface and at other times deep-seated); a continual burning sensation of a part or the whole length; pain in the back just above or below the waist line, which aches like a tooth or as if it would break in two; pain in the back of the head; stiffness of the neck, etc. Remote but reflex ills from spinal irritation may also arise, such as headaches, insomnia, fainting, palpitation, or a sensation as if the heart turned over, black spots or streaks before the eyes (which may be sore upon pressure), trembling of the body and limbs. Such sufferers are irritable and easily depressed, dizzy, and have cold extremities. There may be noises in the ears and inability to concentrate the mind. Where the pain has become localized in the spine, the most cruel and inhuman treatments have been resorted to, such as cupping, blistering, cutting, burning with a red-hot iron and the like, all equally unsuccessful. Where the spinal column becomes abnormally curved or bent, mechanical appliances are the only makeshifts at relief employed by ordinary methods. Obviously these reli- ances do not offer Nature strengthening and building material; the aid offered is artificial, not natural. The Viavi system of treatment takes the opposite course, and its long record of success gives sufficient evidence of the soundess of its philosophy and the efficiency of its method. The Viavi method of treating the spine Treatment of is designed to reach disturbed con- the Spine ditions within the column and also the nerves leading from the cord to affected internal organs and parts, and at the same time strengthen the muscles determining the strength and flexibility of the back. That is why the Viavi cerate is applied over the middle and lower regions of the spine in troubles of the reproductive organs, and the upper regions in diseases of the lungs, stomach, bowels, kindeys, etc. (See Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) We deem it unnecessary to take up and describe each THE BACK 45 disease to which the spinal column is liable. We have but one object in view when treating this region, as else- where — to secure a healthy reaction by bringing to the nerves and tissues, through the blood, the nutrition by which rebuilding may be established. CHAPTER VII. THE CIRCULATION FROM a study of the blood, its circulation, and the principles of absorption and elimination, we can best understand how the Viavi system of treatment aims to assist Nature. These subjects are not only deeply interesting, but a knowledge of them is essential to an intelligent cafe of health. The blood is the medium through The Purposes of which all the vital processes are main- the Blood tained. It contains the nutriment that supports every part and organ of the body, and obtains this nutriment from the foods and other material which enter the body. When from any cause the blood becomes impoverished, or lacking in nutriment, more or less weakness follows, and disease more easily gains a foothold, or, if already present, steadily progresses. Equally important with the quality of the blood is the manner of its circulation. If the nerves controlling the circulation lose their tone, or their power to relax and con- tract the blood vessels and thus keep the blood moving normally, the system is not properly nourished even though the quality of the blood may be good, and is unable to rid itself of the waste arising from the process of living. Many familiar phenomena should make Health Depends us acquainted with the importance of on Blood. the quality and quantity of the blood and its proper circulation. The con- dition known as fainting is that in which the circulation of blood in the brain is temporarily suspended. Hence, unless there is a constant and free circulation of the blood THE CIRCULATION 47 iE the brain the higher functions of that organ are im- paired. From this we can easily reason out the impor- tance of a free circulation in any other part or organ. The sensitiveness of the brain to the blood supply indi- cates what every other organ or part must require for healthy work. A surcharge of blood in the brain is congestion of the brain. In that condition the entire body is thrown into a convulsion and consciousness is lost. Too much blood in an organ or part is as bad as too little. The blood is a transparent fluid carrying red and white corpuscles. The red corpuscles are minute discs and are very numerous; they give the blood in the arteries its rich crimson color, which is due to the ingredients com- posing them — oxygen, iron, etc. The white corpuscles are larger and fewer, and they possess the curious power of spontaneous movement, called the ameboid move- ment, from the ameba, a minute sea creature that passes through substances by throwing out a penetrating pro- jection and working its way through an opening much smaller than itself, resuming its globular form after ac- complishing the task. The white corpuscles creep slowly along the sides of the blood vessels, while the red occupy the center of the stream and hurry along. These carry the elements needed by the tissues. Both kinds of corpuscles are so small that they can be seen only under a microscope. One of the offices of the white corpuscles is to carry away the waste that accumulates in the tissues in every part of the body. The blood carries a great variety of nutritive elements. As is passes on, each organ or part selects from it what it needs, and gives up to it what it wishes to discard. When food is taken into the stomach, Distribution of it is there and in the bowels changed Nutriment by chemical and mechanical processes into a liquid form, such elements as are not suitable for nutrition being finally expelled as feces. Some of the nutriment thus prepared passes 48 VIAVI HYGIENE directly through the walls of the blood vessels lining the stomach and intestines. It thus enters the blood, and the rest is taken up by special vessels called the lymphatics, and by them transported to the veins and emptied into them. (See chapter on The Liver.) Thus digestion in the stomach and bowels supplies nutriment to the blood, which in turn conveys it to all parts of the body. Each part then selects the particular elements that it needs. These demands are of very great variety, and hence the blood, in order to nourish all the parts, must carry all the elements, in the right quantity, that all of the parts require. When an artery is opened the blood The Process of from it is a bright crimson. If we Circulation open a vein, the blood from it is a dark, muddy, bluish purple. The heart, the lungs, the arteries, the veins and the capillaries are all controlled, as is everything else in the body, by special brain or spinal centers operating through the nerves, and constitute the essential mechanical devices for carrying on the work of the circulation. The business of the heart is to force out the blood through the arteries to all parts of the body; that of the veins to return the blood to the heart; that of the heart, again, to send to the lungs the blood that it has received from the veins; and that of the lungs to purify this blood and return it to the heart, whence it is again sent out through the arteries; but all of these changes of the blood's loca- tion, which means the circulation, lie under the control of the nervous system. The heart is a very strong muscular pump, divided into four chambers, two for receiving and sending out the arterial blood, and two for receiving and sending out the venous blood. This wonderful little organ seemingly never rests, though, like the body as a whole, it rests about a third of the time, having a short pause between contractions. THE CIRCULATION 49 The dark, muddy color of the venous Phenomenon of blood is due to the impurities, or Breathing waste, that it has gathered up in every part of the body. Along with this waste is the nutriment that the venous blood has received from the digestive system, but it will not be serviceable until it has gone through the heart to the lungs, then back to the heart, to be sent thence through the arteries to all parts of the body. The blood is purified in a most ingenious and beautiful manner. Upon entering the lungs it distributes itself throughout that spongy organ; the vessels carrying it completely surround the small air spaces with which the lungs are filled. When we breathe, the air passes down the trachea (windpipe), which subdivides into numerous tubes called the bronchia (bronchial tubes), and these, subdividing as they proceed, terminate in minute bulbs, the small air spaces of the lungs. The impulse that draws the air into the lungs is created by the action of the diaphragm and the muscles of the chest. The diaphragm is a strong, flat, sheet-like muscle which forms the floor of the chest. These muscles keep just as steadily at work as the heart, and their faithful action is just as necessary to life. Their expansion increases the size of the chest and lungs, and this compels the air to rush in and fill the vacuum thus created. Their relaxation permits the chest and lungs to resume their contracted state, and the contraction expels the air from the lungs. This is the phenomenon of breathing. When the oxygen of the air comes in contact with the impure blood in the lungs, through the thin walls of the blood vessels, a low form of combustion, or burning, takes place, somewhat similar to the combustion of coal or wood. There is so nice a relation between the ele- ments, in the blood to be purified, and the ability of the air to do so, that if the equilibrium is destroyed, distress, disease or death may ensue. 50 VIAVI HYGIENE The arteries rising from the heart Work Done in are large muscular tubes, but as they Capillaries proceed, they subdivide again and again, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally they dwindle to microscopic threads. These are the capillaries. The end of the finger placed upon any part of the body, or, if possible, upon any organ, would cover more capillaries than any one would be willing to count. Their diameter is so small that the red cor- puscles, which a powerful microscope is required for us to see, can just squeeze through in single file. It is in the capillaries, however, that the great work of the blood and the circulation is done. It is there that the nutriment of the blood passes out through their walls into the tissues, and the waste from the tissues is passed back through the walls and taken up by the blood. At one end of the capillaries we find pure arterial blood, and at the other end impure venous blood, for the further ends of the capil- laries unite to form minute veins, and these in turn unite to form larger veins, and so on, reversing the order of the subdivision of the arteries. A number of things may happen to Diseases from produce disease or distress in the Irregularities elaborate process of the circulation. The blood must be rich in the right kind of nutritive elements, and the circulation must be sufficient to keep it properly moving; but other things are necessary. The walls of the blood vessels offer an important study. We can easily see that if they are weak and re- laxed, their calibre increases, and larger quantities of blood are held in them. This condition of the blood vessels is called lack of tone. Its source is some fault of the nervous system. Congestion is an undue gathering of blood at some particular place. When blood thus collects in one place, it must be at the sacrifice of a proper supply to other places. Every function of the body requires a generous and rapidly moving blood supply, and if this is THE CIRCULATION 51 diverted by congestion anywhere, some function or func- tions-are bound to be interfered with. The Viavi system of treatment aims to assist Nature in preventing and over- coming congestion and its resultant condition, inflam- mation. Tone must be restored to the weakened blood vessels, reducing their calibre and enabling them to handle the blood naturally. No false condition is effected by this procedure. It is the return of the natural con- dition, induced by strengthening the nervous system and supplying the blood with nutritive elements. An organ requires blood in proportion Blood Essential to the amount and character of work to Work it has to do. When we take food into the stomach, the lining of that organ immediately becomes filled with blood, which rapidly supplies the tissues of the stomach with new material to take the place of that used up in the process of digestion. Again, the brain in the waking state requires a great deal more blood than in sleep, for the reason that the process of thinking and perceiving is carried on at the expense of the brain substance involved in the process, and this must be fed and regenerated by the blood. The determination of blood to an organ Natural and for the purpose of enabling the organ Unnatural to perform its work, is natural con- gestion, and therefore healthy and painless. There is a vital difference between natural and unnatural congestion. Where the blood accumulates in a place or organ without the purpose of aiding that organ to do its work, we have unnatural congestion, which in time must result in inflammation. Congestion and inflammation are always caused by an unnatural accumulation of blood. The blood is, of course, subject to gravitation. Were it not for certain very ingenious contrivances, all the blood would settle to the feet and legs when we stand, or to the under part of the body when we lie down. Many of the blood vessels are supplied with valves, similar to those of a pump, which 52 VIAVI HYGIENE keep the blood from returning after having passed them. This prevents its settling by gravitation. An important exception, however, is observed in the generative organs of women. There is found an absence of valves, and, mare than that, a very free inter-communication of the blood vessels in the organs. In consequence of the ab- sence of these valves and of the generous blood supply of the organs, there is a high susceptibility to unnatural congestion. The importance of eliminating the im- Harmful Products purities that accumulate in the blood of Disease by natural means will be evident. The way to do this is to keep the circulation up to a healthy standard, and the Viavi system of treat- ment seeks to accomplish that. There is still another consideration. When the blood does not circulate freely through an organ or part, it retains there the impurities with which it is charged. As these impurities are poisons, a local imfiammatory condition is induced. If the disease is extensive or severe, there are certain products of the disease itself that taint the blood, and the lungs are unable to purify it. In this way these deleterious elements are transferred by the circulation to other parts of the body, and where they find suitable conditions they will establish new seats of disease. The brain itself is affected to a greater or less extent in this way. CHAPTER VIII. CONGESTION, INFLAMMATION, ABSORPTION AS IS shown in the chapter on The Circulation, con- gestion is the unnatural determination of the blood to a part or organ, and is different from the natural congestion necessary to the work of the organ. Congestion occurs in the capillaries, dis- tending and enfeebling them, and producing swelling and tension. Inflammation is the redness and heat accompanying congestion. Pain and impaired function are accompaniments of both congestion and inflammation. Although all inflammation, wherever Many Names for found, has the same general character, Inflammation it has many names to indicate its loca- tion. The suffix "itis" appended to the name of a part means inflammation of that part: thus, laryngitis, inflammation of the larynx; peritonitis, inflammation of the peritoneum; cystitis, inflammation of the bladder (cyst meaning a bag or sac); bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchia. There are many more. These terms are used for convenience, but as they sound formidable to sufferers not understanding them, they often are discouraging. An understanding of their meaning will make it clear why the Viavi system of treatment seems to be used for many different ailments which in reality are only inflammation. As they are alike in their nature, and are referable to errors of circu- lation and nutrition, they have been affected similarly by the Viavi system of treatment. Not only has inflammation a special name according to its location, but it produces special symptoms as it impairs the functions of the various organs. Inflamma- tion of the lungs will produce one set of symptoms, of 54 VIAVI HYGIENE the eyes another. It is from the symptoms that we learn the location and extent of the inflammation, and from the location that we give it a special name. When these nerves controlling the cir- The Nerves Are culation are weak, expansion and con- at Fault traction of the arteries do not properly occur; the vessels become filled with blood and the circulation is impeded. The walls of the vessels being lax, the vessels, crowded with blood, gradu- ally expand, and some of the elements of the blood escape through the walls into the tissues. These expand under the accumulation, chemical changes take place, forming impurities and causing heat, and the cardinal symptoms of inflammation appear — swelling, heat, redness and pain, and impaired function. The swelling is produced by the accumulation of blood; the heat is due to chemical changes; the redness is caused by the distension of the capillaries with blood and the escape of blood into the tissues, and the pain is caused by the pressure of the accumulation upon the multitudinous nerve filaments in the affected region. All these results come ulteriorly from the inability of the nerves to perform their duties. When the weakened nerves and tissues have been strengthened and nourished under the Viavi system of treatment, control of the cir- culation has been regained. The flow of blood to and from the parts became normal and the impurities were removed. Such is the assistance given to Nature by all the forms of Viavi in reducing inflammation, independ- ently of its stage, type or location. When the diseased condition progresses so far as to destroy the function of the sensory nerves, pain disappears. An extreme illus- tration of this is seen in gangrene, and often in a long- continued inflamed condition of internal organs. When from inflammation there is an Many Phases of accumulation of fluid in the joints or Inflammation the pleural cavity, it is termed serous inflammation. Adhesive or fibrinous inflammation is so called from the sticky substance that INFLAMMATION, ABSORPTION 55 exudes, by which two surfaces are quickly united. This form of inflammation is best seen in the peritoneal cavity. Extensive adhesions of low-grade tissue will form there in a few hours from fibrinous inflammation. Croupous inflammation is so called from the formation of a false membrane upon the surface of an inflamed mucous mem- brane. Gangrenous inflammation belongs to the malig- nant type. Where there is liquefaction of the tissues, suppuration occurs. In this form the deeper parts become involved. Inflammation of the mucous mem- brane has a tendency to run along the surface. In acute inflammation the swelling increases the tem- perature, and all symptoms are rapid and prominent; in chronic inflammation the symptoms are much less marked. Repeated attacks of acute inflammation will bring about a chronic inflammatory condition, and chronic conditions will often be lighted up by acute attaeks. When the nerves of a part become impaired, the vitality of the tissues is diminished. Ulceration is a condition following inflammation. It shows perverted nutrition; therefore the Viavi treatment employed for ulceration is identical with that for inflam- mation. (See treatment for inflammation of the various organs.) Ulcers and open sores are treated in a separate chapter. Inflammation has been quickly relieved Treatment for by prompt use of the form of Viavi Inflammation appropriate to it, particularly in acute attacks, as in croup and irri- tating coughs, and in cases of badly crushed tissues from mechanical injuries. When an injury received immediate Viavi treatment inflammation and tenderness disappeared. (See chapter on Wounds, Sprains, Burns, etc.) Inflammation of long standing has required more time to overcome it. It is obvious that inflammation follows an impeded circulation, by which the functions are impaired and the tissues deprived of nourishment, ro matter where the 56 VIAVI HYGIENE inflammation may be located. The symptoms change and vary with the function of the organs impaired, Inflammation extends from one tissue to another; it may begin in one place and extend in all directions. There is always a cause, and the removal of these symptoms depends first upon the removal of the cause, and this upon the action of Viavi, which is designed to give the most natural help to the impaired tissues and organs. This being understood, it can be easily seen why the Viavi system has been taken as the treatment for these conditions into many homes, and has been given a prom- inent place as a remedy for the reduction of inflammation wherever it exists. ABSORPTION Absorption is the taking in of one substance by another. This principle exists throughout the system; it is extremely important, and is taken full advantage of in the Viavi system of treatment. Absorption is essential to all forms of life. The leaves of a tree absorb certain elements from the air that are useful to the plant, and the roots perform a similar service with regard to elements in the ground. Our blood absorbs the nutriment that the stomach and intestines prepare, and the tissues in turn absorb it from the blood. A reverse of absorption is seen when the tissues and organs reject substances, such as waste, that are no longer useful to them, or that are injurious. Thus, the tissues reject their waste while taking in new building material. Secretion, the storing of a liquid by an Secretion by organ, and excretion, the elimination Organs of a substance by an organ, may be con- sidered in connection with absorption, and they have a very important bearing on the rationale ABSORPTION 57 of the Viavi system of treatment. A Secretion is that which a gland separates from the blood for its uses. Thus, the gastric juice is secreted by the cells of the stomach, and is used in digestion. Saliva is a secre- tion of the mouth, used in moistening the food in masti- cation and making it easy to swallow, while at the same time giving it valuable digestive elements. Tears are a secretion of the lachrymal glands. Milk is a secretion of the breasts. Bile is a secretion of the liver. These secretions are necessary to health, but as they all come from the blood, two things are evident — that unless the blood is sufficiently rich the organs cannot secrete from it the materials that they require, and that unless the circulation is good an insufficient quantity of blood will be brought to the organs, and the secretion will be deficient. Hence the importance of having good blood and a good circulation. In certain conditions of disturbed nutrition or local inflammation there is excessive secretion. Excretion is the throwing off of .iin- Different Kinds necessary matter. In some instances of Excretion the excretions of the body are also secretions and serve a useful purpose. Thus, the bile, which is secreted by the liver, and serves some use in digestion, is an excretion in the sense that it is a withdrawal from the blood of elements that would be deleterious to the general economy. Sweat is a watery excretion of the skin, but it carries an oily element that is useful in keeping the outer skin pliable. Urine is an excretion secreted by the kidneys, and, like the feces, or excrement from the bowels, serves no useful purpose, and is intended to be expelled from the system. In constipation we see absorption, but to the injury of health. Just as stupefying or poisonous substances, as chloroform or vapor of mercury, are absorbed into the blood through the lungs if inhaled, so an unnatural retention of urine and the feces will cause them to be absorbed as poison to a certain extent, and by the blood distributed throughout the body. The offensive breath 58 VIAVI HYGIENE of a person who is constipated is caused largely by the impure matter taken up by the blood and eliminated through the lungs, in Nature's effort to get rid of an obnoxious substance. Likewise a retention of the urine infects the blood with uremic poison. Thus we see that both excretion and secretion must be normal in order for health to exist. It is the object of the Viavi system of treatment to aid Nature in rendering them so. After the skin has been prepared in a Absorption of special manner as directed, in order to Viavi increase its absorptive powers, Viavi in its cerate form is rubbed in. The place and extent of the area thus treated depend on the nature and location of the disease. In more or less serious cases the entire spine and back receive this treat- ment. In addition, Viavi in other forms is used inter- nally — the capsule by women in the vagina, the sup- pository by both sexes in the rectum, and the liquid in the stomach, nose, throat, etc. The mucous membrane lining all these organs absorbs the liquid. In these two ways, through the skin and the mucous membrane, the appropriate forms of Viavi are absorbed with great readiness. CHAPTER IX. MENTAL STATES It is easy to underestimate the importance of the relation between mental and physical states. Those afflicted with disease are mentally affected to a greater or less degree, and in a way that tends to keep them sick. The physical body is not a mere mechanism, subject to external forces only. It is inseparably bound up with the mind, and each is affected by the condition of the other. A sound, vigorous body gives the mind freedom and strength for development; a diseased body distracts the mind more or less and injures the brain, which is the organ of the mind and the center of the vital forces. But the condition is desperate indeed if the will, one of the most valuable attributes of the mind, is entirely destroyed, and so long as there is any will left, it can and should be used in thinking and doing things that make for health. The will to get well creates the belief that one can get well, and this is naturally followed by efforts to get well, the thinking and doing of reasonable things to secure health. The opposite thought is just as positive a force against recovery. Physical disease accounts indirectly The Records of for a large percentage of insanity Asylums cases, through its effect on the brain. Among men, dissipation or other ruinous self-indulgences are common causes, as such practices attack the nervous system directly, and through it the brain. Eighty-five per cent, of women in lunatic asylums owe their condition to diseases peculiar to women. These diseases also have wrecked the nervous system and thus impaired the brain. With terrible frequency the newspapers give accounts of men who have dis- m VIAVI HYGIENE appeared and women who have committed suicide. From these desperate conditions resulting from nervous derangement, all the way down to the slightest nervous- ness, are infinite gradations of mental unsoundness, every one of them meaning an impairment of life. The greater and more seriously the Nerve Force and number of nerves affected, the greater Its Value the harm to the brain, and through it to the nervous system generally. Every unnatural draft lessens the ability of the nerves to do their work properly. The nervous system may suddenly and completely collapse under a severe injury or strain. Thus we get nervous prostration. Another form of it is shock, one of the conditions most dreaded in operations. If very severe, it is fatal. A minor ailment long sustained has a cumulative effect. A seemingly insignificant disease maintains a constant nagging of the entire nervous system, and as this represents a steady use of nerve force without a compensating regeneration, there is gradual deteriora- tion, until a serious condition presents itself. It is like the constant dripping of water on a stone. It is impossible to see from day to day that any change is taking place, but the time comes when the effect is seen. Disease absorbs the strength that Strength Slowly the body needs for all its purposes. :•■•"- Consumed This strength is drawn from every part and organ, but most rapidly from those that have an inherent weakness. If the heart is lacking in strength, it will give evidence of the draft made upon it. Indigestion indicates that the digestive system is giving way. The kidneys may be the first to suffer, leaving in the system much of the poison that it is their function to drain from it. The lungs may break down, rendering one subject to pneumonia, bronchitis or con- sumption. The walls of the blood vessels may have some weakness that the nervous drain develops, with the MENTAL STATE 61 result of imperfect circulation, impoverishment of the body, accumulation of waste and the formation of growths. With all of these conditions are correlated derangements. The blood will be of a poor quality. The lungs will not be able to do their work of purification. More distressing than the physical Mental Effects of derangements are those of the mind. Disease It is intended by Nature that we should enjoy life, overcome difficulties, gain courage and an equable temper from experience, and make all things contribute to the pleasure of living. Life is a ceaseless struggle, but it is intended that we should be able to overcome all obstacles and turn them to advantage. If we lack the strength to do so we shall be unhappy. It is impossible for unhealthy men, women and children to enjoy life as they should. The afflicted are beset by numerous worries. . Things that cause others no uneasiness are formidable to them. They find the ordinary tasks and crosses of life, so useful to healthy persons in developing strength and character, and thus in the end contributing to happiness, taking the sweetness out of life. Many have given up and died merely Great Power of because they were told that they were Impressions incurable. Much of the reputation of the Viavi system of treatment was gained by what had been accomplished in otherwise hopeless cases, in which the sufferers had lost all faith after suffering years of torture. They adopted the Viavi system of treatment, not because they had the slight- est faith in it, but merely to give it a chance if there was any. No faith in the efficacy of the treatment is required; all that is needed is a faithful following of the instructions. The aim of the treatment is to enable Nature to make such changes in the entire organism as to remove the depressing mental burdens that add so much to the power of the disease. Experience has shown that the nervous system was slowly brought to a condition of health, and 62 VIAVI HYGIENE thus everything else began to do its work naturally. A hopeful, clear, cheerful mind is the natural one. One must make an effort to get well. To make such an effort requires thought. There is nothing vague, intangible Rational Basis or supernatural connected with the of Health Viavi system of treatment. It appeals to nothing but the hardest kind of common sense, and that is the very kind most needed when one is suffering. That is the kind that will make one understand oneself and one's disease, its causes, cure and prevention. The Viavi system of treatment is in- tensely practical and scientific, based on simple natural laws easily understood and obeyed. Everything con- nected with it tends to bring one into a closer relationship with Nature. Its teachings lay the foundation for rational adhesion to any religion that may most strongly appeal. They enable one to understand the injunctions of religion and draw the highest consolation from their observance. Intelligent living and the securing and preservation of health are essential elements of all rational desires and efforts to obey Divine laws. CHAPTER X. NERVOUS DEBILITY UNDER the high stress of modern life men have become victims to nervous depletion to an extent that few of them appear to realize. This is true especially of men in cities, in all occupations, for it is there that the stress is particularly severe and the temptation to form injurious habits strong. The bril- liant success that has been won in nervous irritation and depletion under the Viavi system of treatment has sug- gested the need of a special chapter addressed to men. At the same time, many women develop nervous weak- ness independently of diseases peculiar to them, which are discussed in the later chapters of this volume. They will find much in this chapter applicable to them. In every walk of life, particularly in Many Effects of the higher walks, multitudes of men Deterioration are suffering from deterioration before the natural time. A man ought to be in his prime between his fortieth and his sixtieth years. His physical and mental capabilities should respond promptly to any judicious demand, and he should have stability, endurance, and freedom from pain. Instead of that, we too often find him a sufferer or a wreck. At the time of life when he needs great physical and mental strength and endurance, he finds distress or weakness overtaking him. Dyspepsia appears and brings its torments. Hemorrhoids begin to sap his strength and destroy his comfort. His bladder gives him trouble. Neuralgia, headaches, insomnia or rheumatism may add their miseries. Gout may bring him agonies. Diabetes, Bright's disease, asthma, stone in the bladder and other afflictions may attack him. 64 VIAVI HYGIENE The ideal man in business and the Irritability and home circle is patient and considerate. Incapacity The man who worries is not a good business man; he is consuming his vital forces without getting any equivalent. If he is irritable with his associates or employees, he keeps them in a constant state of discomfort or apprehension, and thus cripples their usefulness. If he is at all times in perfect command of himself, his judgment will be far clearer, his strength far greater and his influence much more helpful to his associates or employees than if he is nervous and petulant. A man who is irritable in business is likely overbear- ing and fault-finding at home. Instead of being the solid rock upon which the happiness and stability of the home are founded, he is an element of weakness and dis- integration. Matters may go so far that, without his suspecting it, his wife and children fear him and dread his coming. His children may leave home before they have sufficiently developed to fight the battle of life. He fails to exercise the deep and steadying influence that means so much to the safety of the household. And he may be entirely unaware of all this. In business he suffers the loss of a power essential to advancement. His development is prohibited. Many a brilliant career has been destroyed by nervous depression. A man cannot hope to stand with other men if he suffers from a depletion of nerve force. It was intended by Nature that a man should be patient, composed, strong in his sense of power, com- petentfor every rational strain, ready for every emer- gency. If he is otherwise, we may safely assume that he has only himself to blame, and that he may recover a man's standard if he wishes. Living things are provided with greater Strains Hurt or strength than they need for ordinary Benefit purposes, for an extraordinary strain may come at any moment. In build- ing a bridge we provide it with more than sufficient NERVOUS DEBILITY 65 strength to bear its own weight and that of ordinary traffic, for at any time it may become heavily crowded. Strains of greater or less severity are constantly occurring in the lives of all. The strains under which a man may come are of infinite variety. There may be a financial panic; a loved one may die; an epidemic may appear; a serious injury may be accidentally received. If he does not have the reserve strength to meet any and all of them, he will go down. He must be always ready; there is never any knowing when a blow may fall. The man who bears one strain successfully is thereby rendered all the stronger to bear more strains. Power is increased by exercise. It is at middle age that the responsibilities of men become the most serious. If they have married and are fathers, their elder sons and daughters are grown. The sons need the wisest guidance in starting life, and the daughters in establishing themselves as new centers of domestic usefulness and happiness. If a man finds him- self crippled at this time, he is unable to give his children all the help that a wise consideration of their welfare demands. If a father's powers fail him now, or if weak- ness or debility appears, or some physical malady over- takes him, he cannot properly discharge the heavy responsibilities that have come into his life, and whose proper discharge means so much to other lives. A man is proud of his power to achieve, How Morals Are to overcome; he is proud of his vic- Affected tories; he is proud of his wife, children and home ; he is proud of his work. In addition, he has an ambition that urges him on. He welcomes obstacles, because his pride will be gratified and his interests advanced by overcoming them. He is proud of his friends and of their admiration of him and confidence in him. As a consequence of these influences, he leads a clean and helpful life, and his influence is good. If he is not a sound man, if his nerves lack full integ- rity, or he is weak or diseased, his pride and ambition 66 VIAVI HYGIENE will be correspondingly weak. His sense of shame will not be so easily outraged. His tastes and appetites will be deranged to a greater or less degree. His responsi- bilities will not operate so strongly for his good and that of his family, friends and business associates. Countless men have thus gone to pieces in middle age, the most critical time in a man's life. Every man who observes and thinks will see the truth of these assertions. A normal person enjoys mere being The Pleasure of alive. That is Nature's law, for if not, Living all races would quickly disappear. When we see a person who does not enjoy being alive, we may know that there has been a serious departure from Nature's law. Inability to enjoy life at the highest and fullest is a symptom of disease. The normal person enjoys not alone the mere act of living, but also the many incidental pleasures that come into life, and in addition pleasures that may be sought. The normal man enjoys his business, his home, his wife and children, his friends. The normal woman also enjoys, the home and all that goes to make it what it should be. Both men and women enjoy what the talent and skill of others have provided, such as books, paintings, music, amusements and the like; they enjoy pleasures arising out of the social instinct, such as dinners, banquets and other occasions for social assemblage. They enjoy wholesome sports and games, and must be old indeed to be too old to participate in them; they enjoy Nature, whose works and beauties are to them exhaustless sources of. wonder and admiration. The wisdom of Nature is nowhere more Good in Natural strikingly manifest than in implanting Pleasures a fondness for pleasure. The playful instinct introduces a wholesome variety in everyday experiences; it lends a healthy stimulus to nerve action, and thus promotes mental expansion, digestion, circulation of the blood, elimination, strength, endurance, resistance to disease, and ability to cope with obstacles. NERVOUS DEBILITY 6* The stimulus of rational pleasures is natural, and therefore beneficial. No artificial stimulation can take its place, any more than artificial methods of treatment can take the place of natural laws in the cure of disease. It is in losing sight of this that we invite most of the ills afflicting us. Any artificial stimulation is a forcing of processes, a violation of natural laws, and punishment never fails to come. We have such artificial stimulants as alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee, which are bad enough; in addition, a vast amount of energy is expended in seek- ing new forms of self-injury. With distressing frequency announcements are made of some new nerve stimulant, some new way of impoverishing, crippling and wrecking the lives of men and women. It is not only the enjoyment of whole- Kinds of Natural some pleasures that gives the natural Stimulus stimulus to health. It is lent by the pressure of business, by association with helpful friends, by the influences of the home, and by the variety that occurs daily in mental application. Monotony is one of the most wearing things in life. It is one thing that makes prison life so terrible. Army life in time of peace would be injurious were it not for the diversions that soldiers are given. The man who finds himself drifting into a life devoid of the variety that the normal man enjoys and that brings him so much benefit, may be sure that something is radically wrong, even though he may suffer no physical distress, and that suf* fering will be his portion sooner or later. A man's necessities or duties may require hard, long and wearing exertion, but within bounds that will not hurt him if he retains his fondness for wholesome pleasure and variety. It is these that lend to his nervous system the natural stimulus that it requires to assure the healthy working of all the bodily functions. When a man finds that he has become a slave to some artificial stimulant, such as alcohol, tobacco, tea or coffee, and that he suffers discomfort from abandoning it temporarily, he may be certain that something is wrong. 68 VIAVI HYGIENE Such fondness may result merely from a careless acquir- ing of the habit. If so, realization that he has become a slave to it should inform him that he has established an abnormal condition in the nervous system, and that such a condition is an invitation to weakness or disease. If the fondness has come as the result of nervous weakness, it means that the appetites have lost their integrity, have become a source of danger instead of help, and that a depraved craving in one direction is an indication that such tastes in any direction may arise. In either of these events, the wise man will leave nothing undone to over- come the fault. It is evidently intended by Nature that Importance of the capacity for affection should reside Affections in every human heart, because we know its great value in developing the finer and deeper qualities. The normal man loves or has loved some woman, because that is natural. He has a fondness for children, because he is one of their natural providers and protectors. If he is lacking in these qualities, he is the less a man; and as that is not natural, it behooves him to examine himself unsparingly, find the fault, and seek with all earnestness to overcome it. If his fault is hereditary, he should aim to prevent its transmission by putting forth a strong effort to overcome it. If it has come from a deterioration of his powers as the result of his own conduct, he should lose no time in seeking a remedy. A disease is serious in proportion to its general effect. The two principal ways in which the general economy is affected by disease are in a disturbance of nutrition and in an impairment of nerve function. Thus, dyspepsia prevents the proper digestion of the food, and hence the system is not properly fed; as a consequence, its strength is not maintained, and disease finds lodgment. The effect upon the nervous system in that case is secondary. It should be remembered, however, that dyspepsia would not have occurred if the nervous system had been sound. Nervous weakness caused the dyspepsia, and dyspepsia NERVOUS DEBILITY 69 in turn further increases the nervous weakness. One local disease may injure the nervous system much more than another. Appendicitis, a steadily increasing and Numerous Fatal dangerous affliction, is traceable to Maladies nervous deterioration. The vermi- form appendage (appendix vermiformis) is a rudimentary closed tube leading out of the cecum, or lower bowel. If anything enters it from the cecum, inflammation, called appendicitis, results. In good health there is hardly any danger of an object entering it; but if the bowels have become weak or diseased, or if constipation be present, feces or small objects may enter the appendix. It is unnecessary to dilate on the dangers of the condition which such an occurrence cre- ates. Things go wrong in the human economy when some weakness exists. If such weakness is present, there is no foreseeing what affliction will appear. Paralysis', paresis ("softening of the brain"), loco- motor ataxia, asthma and palsy are common afflictions among men in middle age and past. Next to insanity, to which they are allied, they are the most dreadful of afflictions. All of them are due to nervous debility, and that in turn to irrational conduct. Palsy steadily pro- gresses toward extensive paralysis and death. The paretic — a half-witted, maundering creature in the prime of life— is a most wretched object. A paralytic is an object of pity. Apoplexy, caused by a hemorrhage in the brain, is due to weakness of the cranial blood vessels, and destroys many men. All of these afflictions, and many more, proceed from a depletion of nervous force. The extent of the good accomplished Debility May Be by the Viavi system of treatment for Overcome nervous weakness or debility has de- pended upon the foundation that Nature found for her building work. The wise course is not to wait until the more alarming symptoms have 70 VIAVI HYGIENE appeared, but to put the treatment in thorough force at the earliest moment. If the nervous system is built up, conditions may be established that prohibit the advent of disease, or greatly modify or completely overcome diseases that have already found lodgment. At the same time, every phase of life is made brighter when the ner- vous system is strengthened. There is greater capacity for work, and for good and effective work; obstacles are more easily overcome; the tendency to be irritable is banishea; the home, with all the affections and interests that center therein, comes to mean more and to bring added joys; the tendency to drift into pernicious habits is avoided. It is incumbent on a man or woman adopting the treatment to live most circumspectly, and to make every thought and act of life contribute to recovery. The Viavi system of treatment for Treatment for nervous debility seeks to enrich the Debility blood; to establish normal digestion, by which the food is converted into life-giving nutriment; to make the circulation full and strong, so that the nutriment is properly distributed and the waste removed. These are conditions antagonistic to the advent of disease, and to the persistence of dis- ease if present. Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. Viavi Capsule. Women suffering with uterine troubles should use the Viavi capsules as directed. Viavi Cerate should be copiously rubbed over the body for thirty minutes, particularly over the abdomen, stomach and back, once a day, and in severe cases more frequently. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) Viavi Royal, taken according to directions, is advised in serious cases. Baths. An important adjunct is baths (see Baths, final chapter), which should be of the kind that the sufferer finds most beneficial. Those that might be expected to produce shock, such as very cold or very NERVOUS DEBILITY 71 hot baths, are to be strictly avoided, as they are in them- selves very debilitating. All stimulants are to be avoided, particularly alcohol and tobacco. If the sudden leaving off of tea or coffee produces great nervous distress, it should be used in steadily diminishing quantities, and finally abandoned altogether; but tobacco and alcoholic drinks are not to be temporized with; they must be controlled at once. All other complications should receive similar special care. Thus, if hemorrhoids are present, the treatment for that complaint should be adopted. (See chapter on The Rectum.) If the oladder is affected, the treatment given elsewhere for lections of the bladder should be employed, etc. Via vi Laxative should be used if the bowels are not regular. There are additional hygienic adjuncts and special forms of the treatment for men, which will be furnished by the Hygienic Department upon application by letter or in person. It will be understood that all irritating, wearing or disagreeable influences are to be avoided as much as pos- sible, that the bright side of everything be sought, and that intelligent attention be given to diet, rest, sleep and the regular evacuation of the bowels and bladder. If all these things receive faithful attention the sufferer may expect to find himself in a condition to enjoy life. The Viavi system of treatment has shown wonderful efficacy in sUch cases. CHAPTER XI. INSOMNIA This chapter is addressed to both men and women, with special regard for insomnia in men and the practices on their part which cause it Yet the affliction is so common among women that <"hey will find the chaptei equally instructive. In the latt T chapters of this volume, the prevalent causes of insomm among women are fully discussed. It often happens th, 'i they are troubled with sleeplessness not traceable to the causes there mentioned, but appearing to have an origin in unwise living, as it almost invariably is with men. In such cases, the dis- cussion and treatment herein given may bring the greatest benefits. By observing the habits of the lower Irrational Life animals, we find that insomnia is Is Cause unknown among them. This is true with regard to savages also. Insomnia is a disease of civilization. We should not be afflicted with it had we not departed from a rational way of living. When animals want sleep they find no difficulty in secur- ing it. Sleep is a condition in which recuperation of used-up forces is secured; it is normally desired when fatigue arrives; after it the forces are fresh and strong; and if it is not secured, weariness and depression are experienced, often accompanied with pain, such as headache. There is a special system of nerves Assimilation and whose work it is to direct what are Repair called the vegetative functions. This is the sympathetic system, and its forces have to do with nutrition and growth. It takes care of assimilation, the preparation of the food for the INSOMNIA 73 uses of the body, and the proper distribution a id use of nutriment. It is the most vital part of the system and is in the closest relation with the higher nervous forces, those that govern motion, thought, sensation and emotion. It is impossible for all of the forces of the body to be exercised to their full or even normal powers at the same time. When the higher forces of the nervous system are in full activity, that is to say, when we work, think or feel, the assimilative powers, upon which depend nutrition and recuperation, are not fully exercised, and hence con- sumption is greater than repair. In health the sympathetic system will How Sleep Is yield the right of way up to a certain Induced point only, and then it assumes control, for its recuperative powers are needed for health. When the consumption of the energy stored up reaches a point where the general economy would suf- fer if the consumption were uninterrupted, there comes a demand for sleep, and the higher forces yield. If they refuse through a perverse exercise of the will, or are un- able to yield because of a derangement that places them beyond control, sleep is kept at bay, the sympathetic sys- tem cannot do its recuperative work, and a breaking down ensues. In ordinary intoxication, the victim Great Resisting first suffers in his locomotive and men- Powers tal powers. He grows unsteady on his feet; his mind is weakened; his special senses are dulled. These conditions become worse until he is unable to move, and unconsciousness supervenes. If he has not taken a fatal amount he will lie helpless for hours. His brain and spinal centers governing his voluntary motor forces, and the centers upon which thought and the emotions depend, have been overwhelmed by the poison. The sympathetic system, however, keeps steadily at work, striving with all its might to throw out the poison, which it does through the iungs, skin and bladder. If it can keep its own strength 74 VIAVI HYGIENE from being overwhelmed, it will save the life. This servant is now working with intelligence and fidelity to undo the harm wrought by the higher and nobler forces in taking the poison into the system. It works so long as it can stagger under the burden, and it yields to death only when it has been murdered by the higher forces that had been charged with preserving the organism. In the case of the alcoholic poisoning Why Sleep Is the sympathetic system tries to over- Banished come the evils of a desperate situation; in that of normal sleep it lays a hand upon the higher forces, and says, in effect: "Thou hast done enough ; thou hast used up all the strength that I can spare. Compose thyself, therefore, and sleep, so that whilst thou sleepest I may recuperate thy strength for further effort." With that it waves its magic wand; a feeling of drowsiness steals over the senses, the eyelids grow heavy, and slumber puts the body to rest. But what if there is so great a disturbance that the demand cannot be complied with? What if the strain has gone so far that the sympathetic system itself has become weakened, and cannot enforce its demand? What if the assimilative and recuperative powers have been so lowered that they cannot make the demand for sleep sufficiently imperative? Then we have insomnia. If we cannot sleep, we cannot recu- Many Evils of perate. Insomnia aggravates the con- Insomnia ditions that created it. It lowers the power of the sympathetic system to enforce its demand for sleep. In doing this, it impairs the assimilative powers, and thus the entire system suffers for nutriment. Meanwhile, the higher powers, those that are generally responsible for the evil, are impaired, because, the sympathetic system is not permitted to repair the waste. Being awake, they keep on working, we may say, on an empty stomach. Even though we lie^invbed, consciousness remains, and more is being consumed than is stored. The cells of the brain" itself are wearing INSOMNIA 75 out more rapidly than they are repaired. And worst of all, this is a strain that the mind itself cannot bear very long, and insanity must result Insomnia is almost invariably present in acute mania. Insomnia and insan- ity are closely related symptoms of the same condition. The intense longing for sleep leads the Bad Effect of ill-informed and the reckless to seek Drugging^ unconsciousness at almost any cost. With many, death is preferable. The use of drugs to induce a stupefaction resembling sleep, produces a condition radically different from sleep, and one that is often worse than wakefulness. It is another application of the law that efforts to force natural pro- cesses create a greater harm than the condition that they are employed to better. Narcotics are a form of violence to the brain or heart functions; their effect is that of paralysis, which is the opposite of health and vigor. They create an abnormal condition. The only rational course, the only one that can bring healthful sleep, is one that brings about natural sleep in a natural way. The Viavi system of treatment for insomnia is designed to assist Nature in accomplishing that result, and its value has been proved. Insomnia has come from undue mental Some Causes of strain or a derangement of the nervous Insomnia system from some disease or act or habit. Anything that throws dele- terious elements into the blood or that interferes with assimilation may cause it. Fevers, indigestion and the like are causes. Any disease of the internal organs may bring it on. The habitual use of alcoholic drinks will almost inevitably produce insomnia. Bitters, ton- ics and other medicines containing alcohol will have a tendency to cause it. One of the most prevalent of all causes is the excessive use of tea or coffee. Tobacco is probably as bad. Extreme physical exhaustion may bring on a temporary attack. That common malady known as "nervousness" is the direct cause of most insomnia, but nervousness is a disease. 76 VIAVI HYGIENE If there is any error in the suffer- Treatment for er's conduct, the first duty is to correct Insomnia it. If there is worry, anxiety or over- work, it must be stopped; no recovery is possible unless that is done. The diet should be as simple and wholesome as possible, and the stomach given just as little work as is compatible with comfort and nour- ishment. Tea, coffee, tobacco, sedatives and alcoholic and other stimulants must be abruptly abandoned. No matter what discomfort may arise from stopping their use, the reward will immeasurably overbalance it. Under alcoholic stimulants may be mentioned brandy, whisky, wine, beer, ale, porter and all bitters and "appe- tizers" containing any of those ingredients. Abundant exercise should be taken every day in the open air. A sun bath (see final chapter) should be taken twice a week. The habits must be made perfectly regular, with regard particularly to evacuating the bowels every morn- ing; this is highly essential, as constipation or other irregularity in this regard poisons the blood and through it the brain. Viavi Liquid. If there is indigestion, Viavi liquid should be used. Viavi Laxative, taken according to directions, should be used if there is constipation. Viavi Capsules should be used as directed, by women afflicted with a uterine trouble. Viavi Royal is useful in all cases. If there is any derangement acting as the cause of insomnia, it should receive the Viavi treatment appro- priate to it. Habits. The bed should be sought at a regular hour every night. Viavi Cerate. Before retiring, have the Viavi cerate rubbed for at least twenty minutes over the entire length of the spine (see Cerate on Spine, final chapter), and over the abdomen and chest. The cerate is readily absorbed, and its aim is to INSOMNIA 77 assist Nature to put the nerves in a condition to perform their functions. Upon this depend conditions favorable to health and antagonistic to disease. This treatment will generally produce sleep the very first night; but it should be persisted in for several months, until permanent nervous soundness is established. If the case proves refractory, the rubbing of the cerate should extend to the legs throughout their entire length, from the feet upward. Hot Bath and Cold Spray. Then take a hot bath, lying in the water fifteen to thirty minutes, being gently rubbed with the bare hand while in the water. This is to be followed by a cold sponge or shower of half a minute's duration. Rub the body dry and go to bed. Cold Spinal Compress. In addition to the foregoing, a cold compress over the spine every other night before retiring may prove restful. (See Cold Spinal Compress, final chapter.) Cold Spinal Douche. This also is beneficial, as it changes nerve currents and equalizes circulation. (See Cold Spinal Douche, final chapter.) All sorts of artificial means to secure Aids Useful and sleep have been suggested, among them Useless counting, deep breathing, depressing the carotid, etc. They all have a doubtful or negative value, and none of them aims at the cause of the trouble. And they are irrational, as they impose work on the brain, which should be passive. If the sleeplessness is caused by worry, the harassing thought should be determinedly banished and pleasing thoughts indulged. No matter what the cause of the insomnia, the recalling of pleasant memories is useful. These do not tax the brain, as the effort is subjective, not objective. Every brain is stored with such memories. In recalling chilclhood one will find a long series of bright and peaceful recollections. The gentle voice and tender caress of a mother come back through the years. There were days of dolls and kites; 78 VIAVI HYGIENE a busy stream in the forest, a slow, deep river, or the boom- ing surf of the ocean, has its place; the sweet songs of a voice long stilled come back. Perhaps in a country not yet discovered by us are watchful eyes and yearning hearts; and above all else is the great Maker of Harmonies, more than willing to attune the sufferer's discordant nerves to the peaceful song of Nature. Reverent con- templation of Nature and its Creator will absolutely bring peace. From the semblance of sleep secured by drugs one does not wake refreshed and grateful. One does not bound with elastic spirit and body into the new day. Natural sleep brings an exquisitely harmonious rebuilding that extends to every element of being, physical, mental, spiritual. A drugged sleep brings nothing like that. From a natural sleep produced from a faithful following of the directions given above, one wakes with gladness that the sleep has been so long and sweet, and that feeling is the living principle that begins the day. CHAPTER XII. CATARRHAL CONDITIONS (colds, deafness, hay fever, nasal polypi) MUCOUS membrane lines the hollow organs of the body and the cavities and canals that have external openings. It is so called by reason of the mucus, a fluid by which it is constantly moistened. It lines the nose, mouth, Eustachian tubes (extending from the back of the mouth to the ear), throat, bronchial tubes (extending into the lung cells), eyelids, lachrymal ducts; also the esophagus (gullet), stomach, intestines, rectum, urethra, bladder, ureters, kidneys, Fallopian tubes, womb, vagina and external generative organs. The membrane is soft and velvety, its blood and nerve supply being very abundant. When inflammation of the mucous Meaning of membrane causes an abnormal Catarrh discharge of mucus, the condition is known as catarrh. The nature and quantity of the discharge vary as the disease progresses. Catarrh means an inflammation of the mucous mem- brane, without reference to the cause. The name is derived from the part affected. Inflammation of the lining membrane of the nose is known as coryza, nasal catarrh or hay fever; of the stomach, gastritis; of the bladder, cystitis, etc. These catarrhal discharges, which escape from the different orifices of the body, vary not only in consistency and quantity, but also in color and odor, according to the stage and extent of the inflamma- tion. The intention of the Viavi system of treatment is to assist Nature to reduce inflammation, either acute or chronic, without regard to its situation. Inflammation 80 VIAVI HYGIENE of the mucous membrane (catarrh) means that its vessels are holding more than their normal supply of blood. Its glands become abnormally active; hence the copious dis- charges, which are taken from the blood. As these dis- charges represent a drain, every effort should be made to overcome the inflammation and in this way remove the cause of the discharge-in other words, cure the catarrh. When a cold has been contracted, the How Colds Are blood has been driven from the surface Contracted of the body to the interior. The capil- laries in or near the outer skin of the body have become contracted, and the blood cannot find its way to the surface. This first becomes cold; but as the vessels contract deeper and deeper into the tissues, the body becomes more and more chilled; hence the sensation of chilliness in the region of the back, and eventually all over the body. The heart is able to protect itself by throwing the blood constantly from it as it enters, but other parts of the body cannot do so. As a result we see the mucous membrane of the body, that is, the lungs, bowels, stomach, kidneys, bladder, etc., over- distended with the blood that has been driven within, because they cannot resist the invasion. Susceptibility to colds shows a general The Significance weakness, which is a menace to health of Colds and often life. If our bodies possess a normal amount of vitality, atmos- pheric conditions will affect us but little; but if our standard of health is below the best, we become more and more susceptible to every little change. Colds are not only evidence of weakness, but because they make a draft on the forces of the body they increase the weakness out of which they arise, rendering the system liable to invasion by other diseases, particularly those af- fecting the respiratory, genital and urinary organs. It is common knowledge that many cases of pneumonia have grown out of severe colds. In women, suppression of the menses, with all the dangers accompanying that con- CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 81 dition, is frequently caused by colds. Many other serious troubles may ensue. Prudence suggests the promptest measures for curing a cold and thorough treatment for rendering the system strong to resist it. At the first indication of a cold, equalize Viavi Treatment the circulation by bringing the blood for Colds to the surface of the body. For this purpose, a number of baths are de- scribed in the closing chapter. Use the one most con- venient. Baths. The salted towel (see closing chapter), will prove excellent, but if it is not available, a rough bath towel will suffice. If a hot bath, followed by a cold spray or sponge (see Hot Bath and Cold Spray, same chapter), can be taken with comfort, it is the best. If a hot bath is not convenient, use a hot foot-bath. Viavi Cerate. After taking a hot bath, dry the body thoroughly and quickly and go to bed. While under the covers, rub Viavi cerate over the chest, back and front. (See final chapter for Nasal Massage, Cerate on Spine, Back, Chest.) Viavi Liquid diluted one-third with water must be sprayed into the nose one minute every hour until a decided change for the better is observed. (See final chapter for Nasal Douche.) Rest. A quiet rest in bed for five or six hours is of the greatest importance. If one has perspired copiously, the body should be dried thoroughly with a soft towel under cover. While one is resting, the temperature should be allowed to become normal, or a fresh cold will be caught after rising. Diet. This should be light and nourishing. Acute nasal catarrh (coryza) , or a cold Acute Nasal in the head, is an acute inflammation Catarrh of the nasal mucous membrane, ac- companied with a discharge. It may confine itself to one side of the nose, but is oftener in both; or it may extend to the pharynx, larynx and air passages 82 VIAVI HYGIENE below, or affect cavities communicating with the nasal passages. The causes of acute nasal catarrh are many, amon& them exposure to sudden changes of temperature; draughts of cold air without precaution to protect the body and prevent a rapid radiation of its heat; cold, wet feet; sleeping, working or sitting in ill-ventilated rooms; any sudden chilling of the body; permitting small children to crawl about on the floor in cold draughts, when the tem- perature there is from two to four degrees lower than in any other part of the room. One is conscious generally of taking a Acute Catarrh cold; is chilly and experiences difficulty Symptoms in becoming warm ; there are depression, itching of the nose, chills up and down the back, sneezing followed by a partial closure of the nostrils, watery discharges, etc. This, the first stage, is quickly followed by fever, and the mouth and throat are generally dry; there is frontal (forehead) headache, and after a time the nose nearly closes. The discharges from the nose, watery for three or four days, become thick and yellow. There is pressure at the bridge of the nose. The sense of smell is impaired. In women the bladder often becomes weak, so that when coughing or sneezing the urine escapes. If no chronic trouble exists, such a Indication of catarrhal condition can be broken up Weakness in a few days; but if a chronic condition first existed it will not yield so readily. Persons who are subject to frequent attacks of cold in the head give evidence that there is a weakness which they should endeavor to overcome before there is a develop- ment of chronic catarrh. The Viavi system of treatment, by assisting Nature to reduce inflammation, is a necessity in every household, as the catarrhal cases where it has been faithfully used readily yielded and the system was left with less sus- ceptibility to taking cold. ? . CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 83 This form of catarrh is generally the Chronic Nasal result of repeated acute attacks, or an Catarrh uncured severe acute attack. Con- stantly breathing air loaded with dust is frequently the cause, as is also the use of intoxicants. Chronic catarrh is prevalent also among those who are poorly nourished and those with a scrofulous constitution. It also frequently follows eruptive fevers and exhausting leucorrhea. Although in most cases repeated attacks of cold in the head cause the chronic condition, in a large number of cases a general weakness awaits only an irrita- tion of the nasal passages. The symptoms of simple chronic nasal Nasal Catarrh catarrh may be almost the same as Symptoms those of acute catarrh, except that they are continuous; but during changeable weather, especially damp weather, all of the symptoms become more intense. As the disease progresses there will develop headaches; the sufferer grows stupid, the eyes dull; the appetite is lost, and there are constant hawking and spitting. On account of the swelling of the lining membrane, and often a thickening of the nasal cartilages and bones, the nose partially closes; there is more or less difficulty in breathing. The breath becomes offensive, the voice changes, and there may or may not be sneezing. There will be an indisposition to take exercise, and difficulty in concentrating the mind. The discharges vary. They may be watery, profuse and acrid, or tenacious, thick, purulent (pus-like) and bloody. They may escape from the nostrils, or drop back- ward into the throat. There are ringing in the ears and partial or complete loss of hearing, often accompanied with a discharge from the ears. Some or all of these symptoms, as well as many others, may be present. Many cases terminate in chronic bronchitis and consump- tion. Sometimes but a few of the foregoing symptoms may appear and yet the conditions prove fatal. 84 VIAVI HYGIENE Chronic catarrh eventually develops What Constitutes into an ulcerated stage, known as ozena. Ozena The discharge is now copious, thick, purulent and offensive. The lining membrane first becomes ulcerated, but in time the ul- ceration extends deeper, until the cartilage and bones of the nose become involved. Hard lumps form in the nose, or that organ may be lined with thick, tough, brownish incrustations. These are discharged at intervals of a few days, but are quickly succeeded by another crop. The septum (partition) of the nose is completely de- stroyed in many cases, and holes may be eaten through into the roof of the mouth. No disease renders a person more miserable than ex- tensive chronic catarrh. A handkerchief must be used constantly. The sense of smell becomes so badly im- paired that the fetid nature of the discharge is unnoticed by the sufferer. It drives his friends from him. The air in the room that he occupies soon becomes poisoned and is a menace to the health of the most robust. The senses of hearing and taste also in time become impaired. Such sufferers are in no condition to realize what their presence is to a person with an acute sense of smell. Chronic catarrh is not confined to the How the Disease nose. The inflammation and ensuing Extends ulceration creep along the mucous membrane, affecting the Eustachian tube, which leads to the ear from the throat, and in time the hearing becomes impaired and in many cases lost. It also creeps downward, affecting the pharynx and the larynx, there causing diseases which are taken into con- sideration by the Viavi method and treated with chronic catarrh of the nose. Other of its effects are bronchitis and indigestion, either by extension of the inflammation or by infection. As the secretions from this disease are poison- ous, swallowing them introduces a poison into the stomach. The products of catarrh are taken up by the blood and thus work injury to the entire system. Catarrh is given various names, but only to designate CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 85 the different stages of the disease, or the nature of the in- flammation as it gradually progresses into extensively destructive ulceration. The Viavi system of treatment for Treatment for catarrh, from its mildest form to the Catarrh extensive ulcerated form (ozena), is the same, except that more time is required in the chronic than the acute form. Viavi Liquid. Mix twenty drops of the Viavi liquid with a tablespoonful of cold water, preferably boiled Spray with the straight tube of an atomizer into the nostrils, and also into the back of the mouth, behind the hanging palate. For spraying into the nose and throat through the mouth, use the curved tube of the atomizer , turning it upward for the nose and downward for the throat. The mixture may be made stronger or weaker, as required. If the mouth spray gags, use the mixture as a gargle. The Nasal Douche may be used instead of the Spray for the Nose. (See closing chapter). If the ulceration is extensive, the nose and throat should be sprayed three times daily, morning, noon and night; but if this is not convenient, twice daily will suffice. If the inflammation has not become destructively extensive spraying night and morning will suffice. Viavi Cerate is to be used over the nose, throat chest and spine daily. (See Cerate on Spine, closing chapter.) Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. Viavi Royal also should be used as directed, to build and sustain the strength, which in chronic catarrh is always far below the normal. Baths. The circulation should receive special atten- tion. A Viavi Brush Bath (final chapter) three times a week, or Salted Towel rub daily, is advised, but one may use the bath best suited. (See Baths, closing chapter.) Clothing. If there is sweating, care should be taken not to chill afterward. The clothes should be warm, but 86 VIAVI HYGIENh light, and extra soles in the shoes will be better than a chest protector. Diet should be nourishing. Nasal polypi are small, sack-like Origin of Nasal growths hanging in the nose. If al low- Polypi ed to develop and fill the nasal cavity they may have to be removed with instruments. Hence the necessity of giving them very early attention. Frequent colds in the head, hay fevei and other conditions that repeatedly irritate the lining are the causes. Unless rational treatment is employed to restore to this delicate membrane its natural tone, these hanging parts multiply and become more and more relaxed until the nasal passages are almost or completely filled. Breathing through the nostrils becomes greatly impeded or entirely suspended, and the sense of smell is impaired or permanently lost. These growths in time so press upon the delicate nasal bones that they also be- come diseased. If it be remembered that polypus growths are never found where the mucous membrane is healthy, a great deal of pain and annoyance may be avoided by simple treatment in the first place to assist Nature to put these parts in a healthy condition. Here, as elsewhere, there are two processes constantly occurring, both of which are essential to health. One is the building up of fresh work, so to speak, and the other is the taking down or re- moving of that which has done its duty. When one or the other of these processes fails to go on effectually, a mix- ing of waste and nutriment takes place, and disease arises. Via vi Liquid. Diluted Viavi liquid is Treatment foi to be sprayed twice daily into the Polypi nostrils. (See Viavi Spray, Viavi Nasal Douche, final chapter.) Viavi liquid should be taken into the stomach as directed. Viavi Cerate is to be used upon and in the nose and forehead once a day very thoroughly. (See Nasal Massage, final chapter) , and also daily over the spine to strengthen the whole nervous system. CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 87 Baths. The circulation should be assisted by em- ploying one of the baths best suited to surroundings. (See Baths, final chapter.) The aim of the Viavi system of treatment is to cause these growths to come away or to disappear by absorption. When a cure has been perfected under the Viavi system of treatment, the whole system was so regulated and strengthened as to be fortified against a probable return of this disease. The badly diseased lining of the nasal passages that had become thickened and ulcerated, gradually regained its natural delicate, moist, thin and healthy condition, and breathing became comfortable. The Eustachian tube forms the small Deafness from air passage bet »veen the middle ear Catarrh and the throat. A continuation of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat lines the tube. Inflammation of the mucous membrane creeps, seldom confining itself to one place. Catarrh of the nose and throat in time affects the Eustachian tube, which thickens until it closes, and hear- ing becomes partially or wholly destroyed. The loss of hearing may be progressive and extend over a period of years. The alarm is sounded when the sufferer has a cracking sensation in the ears when blowing the nose, and a ringing in the ears or noises in the head at other times. The hearing is suddenly lost at times and as suddenly returns, but in time it fails to return. In the progressive form a great degree of deafness is present before the suf- ferer becomes aware. The noises in the head often almost drive the sufferer distracted. When the inflammatory process has progressed to extensive ulceration, the drum of the ear may become perforated, permitting the escape of offensive discharges, with small pieces of bone. Catarrh should not be permitted to The Treatment for progress until the senses are impaired Catarrhal Deafness or destroyed, nor until the inflamma- tory process has crept to other parts. The Viavi system of treatment as given for acute catarrh 88 VIAVI HYGIENE should be promptly employed at the first signs of a cold. The treatment for deafness and for disease of the ear that result from catarrh is the same as that given for chronic nasal catarrh, as the trouble has extended to the ear by means of the Eustachian tube. (See Treatment for Catarrh. The treatment for deafness from other causes is given in the chapter on Eye and Ear.) Via vi Cerate should be used about the ear, twice daily. After applying the cerate thoroughly in the morning and seeing that a good quantity has been ab- sorbed, the skin should be cleansed, especially when one must leave home. It is not the quantity of cerate left on the surface, but the amount absorbed, here as else- where, that gives good results. Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. Viavi Ear Liquid is to be used by dropping a few drops into the ear at least three times daily, and more frequently if necessary. The ear should be protected, so that one cannot take cold, by putting a pledget of absorbent cotton in the ear, or the ear may be covered. Hay fever, rose cold, hay asthma, The Causes of pollen catarrh, peach cold, yearly cold Hay Fever and autumnal catarrh are names given to a recurring summer or autumnal attack of acute catarrh to which some persons are sus- ceptible from the presence of certain pollens or special emanations in the atmosphere. Several physical con- ditions are thought to make one subject to it. Among them are a predisposing constitutional condition, ner- vousness, a peculiar sensitiveness of the nasal membrane, external irritation, and nervous weakness. While the pollen from one plant will act as a violent irritant to one, it will have no effect upon another. Hay fever is frequently complicated Symptoms of with asthma, the attacks being worse Hay Fever at night. It generally begins with an itching of the nose and roof of the mouth, sneezing (which at times is long continued, CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 89 violent and exhausting), free watery discharges from the nostrils, and an itching and burning of the eyes, causing copious tears of an acrid nature, burning and excoriating the skin wherever they touch. In the onset, there is a chill, followed by fever and frontal headache; the eyes become dim and sensitive, the sense of smell is lost, and often the sense of taste. An annual hay-fever sufferer is an object of pity, but not in the old and hopeless sense, which drove these sufferers from home for several weeks or months of the year, a change of climate being the only means of avoiding this distressing affliction. While some cases of hay fever have proved incurable, a large number have yielded to the Via vi system of treatment. Viavi Liquid. Spray or douche the Treatment for nose and spray the throat with diluted Hay Fever Viavi liquid. Three times a day will generally suffice, but if the irritation is extreme, the nose and throat may be douched or sprayed once an hour, using the liquid diluted somewhat more than is advised in the directions on the bottle. Take Viavi liquid internally as directed. Viavi Cerate. Apply Viavi cerate freely over the cheeks and in and around the nose. (See Nasal Massage, final chapter). Also apply the cerate on the lips to pro- tect them from the discharges. If hay fever is complicated with asthma, the cerate should be applied thoroughly over the chest, both back and front. Baths best suited to the individual should be taken. (See Baths, same chapter.) Exercise in the open air, not carried to exhaustion, is highly beneficial. Diet should be light, abundant and nourishing, with care to avoid food that distresses in the least. CHAPTER XIII. THE LUNGS (bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, consumption) THE lungs, in which the bronchia (bronchial tubes) terminate, are the essential organs of respiration, although the taking of air into the lungs does not strictly constitute respiration, as the lungs merely introduce oxygen into the blood and give out carbon- dioxide. True respiration takes place in all of the tissues and organs. The lungs are double, consisting of a right and a left lung, which occupy the two sides of the chest. They are separated by the heart and a small space. The right lung is shorter and broader than the left, and is divided into three unequal lobes. The left lung has but two lobes. The lungs are composed of prolonga- Purification of tions and ramifications of the bronchia the Blood and of the pulmonary arteries and veins, their subdivisions being sup- ported by a fine tissue. In health the action of the air cells on one side of this tissue and of the capillaries on the other keeps time with the breathing. As the chest expands and contracts, both air and blood flow in and are forced out. They thus exchange elements and pro- mote the processes of life. Air flowing into the lungs carries to the air-cells oxygen, which is immediately absorbed by the blood in the capillaries. The air flows out of the lungs loaded with carbon- dioxide, which the venous capillaries have given up to it and which is a part of the waste from the entire system When the blood flows into the lungs it is impure; when it BRONCHITIS 91 flows out it is pure. The opposite takes place in the air that is breathed. The reader will have some idea how necessary a normal condition is to oxidize properly the volumes of blood constantly passing through the lungs. In pulmonary (lung) diseases the function of the lungs, the changing of venous blood into arterial blood, is partially suspended. This impairs the functions of the whole body, as no part receives its proper share of oxygen; or if parts of the body are diseased, the amount of impurity, or waste, is so excessive that the lungs cannot purify the blood. The blood thus becomes so impure that the intense effort on the part of Nature to purify it, causes the tissues there to break down, and we thus have one form of pulmonary disease. BRONCHITIS In the pharynx, situated back of the mouth, are two openings. The posterior opening leads into the esophagus (gullet), the passage to the stomach. The anterior is the opening into the larynx. At this opening commences the trachea, or windpipe, which is about three-fourths of an inch in diameter and from four to four and a half inches in length. It is partially composed of rings of cartilage, which vary from sixteen to twenty in number; they prevent the tube from collapsing. As the trachea passes into the chest it divides into two parts, known as the right and the left bronchia, or the bronchial tubes. They also are provided with rings of cartilage. These bronchia enter and form part of the lung substance. They divide and subdivide until their minute terminals end in the little rounded air cells of the lungs. When the mucous membrane lining the The Nature of bronchial tubes becomes inflamed, the Bronchitis condition is bronchitis ; it may be either acute or chronic. The acute slowly develops into the chronic if neglected or does not receive 92 VI AVI HYGIENE the proper treatment. When the mucous membrane is inflamed it thickens and its secretions are excessive, causing difficulty in breathing, especially when the inflammation has extended downward to the smaller bronchia within the lungs. This form is known as capillary bronchitis. It is dangerous in infants and those who are debilitated, from inability to free the tubes of the accumulated mucus. This prevents the aeration of the blood, and explains the presence of excessive poisonous matter in the blood. When the larger bronchial tubes are the seat of the inflammation the cough is likely violent. There is a tickling in the middle of the chest, or a raw, burning, uncomfortable feeling. In acute bronchitis the sputum (matter coughed up) is thick mucus, and may be streaked with blood, but as the acute stage merges into the chronic the sputum changes to a yellowish or greenish hue. When the inflammation is confined to the smaller bronchi there are weakness and difficulty of breathing, but no rattling; when it is confined to the larger tubes the rattling of mucus may be heard. Acute bronchitis is generally caused by colds; chronic bronchitis, from neglected acute attacks or from a con- tinuation downward of a catarrhal condition of the nose, throat, tonsils, etc. The treatment for both acute and Treatment for chronic bronchitis, tonsilitis (inflam- Bronchitis mation of the tonsils), pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx), laryn- gitis (inflammation of the larynx), and asthma (an irritation of the nerves within the bronchial mucus membrane) is the same; hence it will not be necessary to describe minutely each inflammatory process. Via vi Liquid should be sprayed in the throat three times daily; in severe conditions more frequently. While spraying, the breath should be inhaled. Spray or douche the nose three times daily with the liquid. The liquid should also be taken into the stomach as directed. PNEUMONIA 93 Viavi Cerate should be rubbed twice daily on the throat, and on the chest, both back and front. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) Viavi Capsules should be used by women as directed. Cold Compress on Chest. See final chapter. Baths. To bring the blood to the surface, take a hot bath and cold spray before retiring. (See Hot Bath and Cold Spray, final chapter.) The conditions thus treated are the Design of the result of reduced nerve force and im- Treatment perfect circulation. The Viavi system of treatment is aimed to assist Nature in establishing the healthy circulation of the blood in these parts, reducing the inflammation, that the mem- branes may receive their normal amount of nutriment and also eliminate the waste. The sufferer should breathe through the nostrils, never through the mouth. Air breathed through the nostrils becomes moist and warm, and the particles of dust are caught in the hair of the nostrils — a wise provision of Nature. Prompt attention should always be given an inflam- matory condition of the mucous membrane lining the bronchial tubes. Bronchitis has been aptly termed "the stepping stone to consumption." PNEUMONIA If the lungs are inflamed their blood vessels become gorged with blood. Thus pressure is brought to bear upon the minute ramifications of the bronchia, so that they cannot open properly and admit air. The lungs become swollen, and press upon nerves; consequently breathing or coughing is painful. The pain between the shoulders is severe. There is no loss of power in the external muscles of breathing, but there is great loss of 94 VIAVI HYGIENE elasticity in the lungs themselves. This reduces the exchange between the used-up gases and the atmosphere, upon which life depends. The pain in pneumonia does not depend alone upon the swelling of the lungs, as the stagnant blood soon sets up the fiery action of destruc- tive inflammation. This not only causes severe pain, but creates great danger, as it spreads through the whole cir- culation, and fever is soon the result. At the first sign of pneumonia the Pneumonia Is attendance of a physician should be Dangerous procured without delay, as the on- slaught is often violent, the develop- ment of the disease rapid, and the recuperative power seriously crippled and given little time in which to work. The Viavi system of treatment has been successfully employed in overcoming the disease, but is not recom- mended for it, as the natural processes set in operation under the treatment may prove slower than the urgency of any particular case requires. Meanwhile, as prompt- ness in attacking the disease is of the greatest importance, much may be done, even to the saving of life, by employ- ing the Viavi system of treatment immediately and per- sisting in it faithfully until the physician arrives. This treatment has been a blessing in that way, and in cases vhere a physician could not be secured. But every effort should be made at once to procure a physician. When the sufferer first feels that a Treatment for cold has settled upon the lungs or in Pneumonia the chest, and finds difficulty in breath- ing, the bed should be sought at once. The feet are to be put into a hot foot bath, the foot-tub being placed in the bed. By lying on the back and ele- vating the knees the feet will rest easily in the tub. A hot-water bag is now placed between the shoulders, and a towel, folded to four thicknesses and wrung from cold water, laid on the chest, the sufferer meanwhile being carefully covered. If the sufferer is lying between the blankets, so much the better, as then there is less chance PLEURISY 95 of chilling. When the compress on the chest becomes warm it should be replaced with a cold one. These should be kept up for about thirty minutes or an hour, after which, the body having been dried, the feet should be withdrawn from the bath, dried, and well rubbed with Viavi cerate. If sweating has occurred, the sufferer should be rubbed dry with a soft towel beneath the covers. Viavi Cerate is to be rubbed thoroughly upon the entire chest, from neck to waist. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) The hot-water bag is now to be removed and the sufferer allowed to rest. If the attack is severe this treatment is to be repeated both night and morning; if not, once a day will suffice, but two applications of the cerate will be necessary daily. The entire trunk should be well protected by heavy flannel. Viavi Liquid taken internally in ten drop doses, in a little hot water, four times a day, is also advised. The extremities should never be allowed to become cold, but should be kept warm with a hot-water bag and soft woolen hose. Diet should be a liquid one, and light and nourishing. The greatest care should always be taken not to get up and move about too soon, as one is very likely to suf- fer a relapse, which is always much more serious than the original attack. PLEURISY Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura, the membrane covering the lungs and lining the chest walls, and is characterized by sharp, stabbing pains, especially when the membrane is stretched from inflation of the lungs in breathing. This causes the sufferer to take shallow breaths or to lie upon the affected side, in order to avoid the pains as much as possible; the result is improper 96 VIAVI HYGIENE aeration of the blood. Pleurisy sometimes comes from taking a severe cold, and is a common accompaniment of pneumonia. Hence it is a secondary condition of some disease within the lungs, and disappears with the removal of the primary cause The bed should be sought imme- diately on the first symptoms of pleurisy and should not be left until every indication of it has been gone for two or three days and the disease causing it (if pneumonia) has been entirely eradicated. Although pleurisy in itself is rarely The Danger of dangerous, it may result in adhesion of Adhesions the pleura to other parts, and these will tend to make the breathing imper- fect and sometimes painful. Where such adhesions have occurred, they have disappeared under the Viavi system of treatment employed for the lung trouble car sing the pleurisy which produced the adhesions. In rthor cases, particularly where recovery from pneumonia has left adhesions of the pleura, it is highly important that they be overcome. The Viavi system of treatment for this condition has brought happy results, the adhesions dis- appearing by absorption as in adhesions of other internal organs. The pains from pleurisy and those from Pains May Be intercostal neuralgia (neuralgia of the Neuralgic muscles between the ribs) are often so much alike that from the pains alone one may not be able to determine which of the two con- ditions is present; but the sharp, stabbing pains, worse when breathing deeply and relieved by lying on the affected side, furnish the key. If the pains are neuralgic, the sufferer is more than likely subject to neuralgia in other parts of the body, particularly the head. If they are pleuritic, bronchitis or pneumonia, or even tubercu- losis of the lungs, is likely to be present. As a rule, the pains quickly disappear under the use of cold compresses for two hours daily, with the feet in hot water (see Cold Compress with Feet in Hot Water, last chapter), and CONSUMPTION 97 the Viavi cerate if they are neuralgic, and may persist two or three days under the treatment if they are pleur- itic. In any event, the treatment should be persisted in until the pains have disappeared. The least inclina- tion to catch or shorten the breath in order to avoid pain caused by deep, full breathing demands prompt treat- ment, persisted in until the lungs may be freely inflated to their fullest capacity, as otherwise the blood cannot be properly purified in the lungs, and the retained poison- ous waste will undermine the system and invite disease of any kind. CONSUMPTION (tuberculosis of the lungs) Pulmonary consumption results from various morbid processes in the lung tissue, such as repeated pneumonia, bronchial catarrh, etc., or it may arise from weakness or an inherited tendency to lung trouble or an inherited or acquired tuberculous condition. It may be acquired from lack of light and of pure air, warmth and exercise. Anything that interferes with the nourishment of the body or even depresses the nervous system may lead to its development. Consumption is responsible for more deaths than any other disease; still, so-called incurable cases have been cured. Even without any special treatment, tuberculosis of the lungs has been cured many times. Years ago, before the Viavi system of treatment was discovered, the editor of this chapter was so far advanced in the disease that he suffered dangerous hemorrhages from the lungs, and they threatened death at any moment. He perfectly recovered without any treatment further than hope and a judicious manner of living. This and many other instances prove that consumption is by no means an incurable disease, and that a fatal termination of it is unnecessary in many of the cases that so terminate, and that recovery may reasonably be expected where it is taken in hand early. 98 VIAVI HYGIENE We do not wish to be understood as Experience of saying that every case of consumption Treatment can be cured by the use of the Viavi system of treatment. Far from it, but equally emphatic are we in declaring that not every case pronounced incurable has been correctly diagnosed, as many of these have yielded to the Viavi system of treat- ment. Here, as in other malignant diseases, the treat- ment is expectant. The sufferer may respond to treat- ment and may not; but so long as there is life there is hope. The aim of the treatment is to lend Nature the aid that she requires to effect a cure. If there is sufficient vitality, by which the recuperative powers can respond, there is hope. Often where the bacilli of the disease have been found in the sputum, users of the Viavi system of treatment have recovered and regained their health. In these cases the lung tissue was not extensively involved. Persons suf- fering from incurable pulmonary disease have come under the Viavi system of treatment and lived long and useful lives. The forms of Viavi to be used in con- Treatment for sumption are the Capsules, Cerate, Consumption Liquid and Royal. Women are to use the Capsules in the vagina, men in the rectum, once daily, on retiring. Viavi Cerate should be applied over the entire trunk, both back and front, daily, only a small part of the body being exposed at a time, to prevent chilling. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) Viavi Liquid is to be sprayed into the throat three times a day with an atomizer, meanwhile drawing in the breath slowly. The liquid is to be diluted one-third with water, but if that proves too strong, diluted one-half. Prepare a quantity sufficient for two days, thoroughly cleansing the atomizer before mixing a fresh supply. Viavi Liquid should also be taken internally as directed. Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. CONSUMPTION 99 Via vi Laxative is required if there is constipation. Baths. See Baths, in final chapter. Sleep. As fresh air is an enemy to tuberculosis, sleep outdoors, summer and winter, on a covered porch, or in a tent with front open. Cover with warm but light bed-clothes. Keep warm. Protect against draughts. Diet should be abundant and varied, but only the most easily digested food should be eaten. Exercise for Lungs. After partially dressing, stand at an open door, placing one hand on either door jamb, with the feet about a foot from the threshold. Let the body go gently forward as far as you can towards the door. Then push the body in an upright position. This will throw back the shoulders and strengthen the muscles of the chest which assist in breathing, thus increasing the breathing capacity. Do this slowly five times at first, and increase the number of times as you grow stronger. Never tire yourself. Stop short of that. Deep Breathing. Several times a day practice breathing as deeply as possible without producing pain in the lungs, or coughing. After slowly filling the lungs, hold the breath as long as you conveniently can, and while holding it, gently pat the chest with both hands, if this does not cause discomfort. This exercise will send the air into the minute air cells of the lungs, and tend to strengthen and invigorate them. CHAPTER XIV. THE STOMACH (dyspepsia, gastritis) THE alimentary tract is a highly organized muscular tube, with expansions and convolutions. It begins at the mouth and ends at the anus, and is about seven times the length of the body. For convenience the tract is named by subdivisions, the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. The intestines again are subdivided, the small into the duodenum, jejunum and ileum; the large into the cecum, colon, sigmoid flexure and rectum. The stomach, which is the largest part of the tract, has a capacity of about five pints. When empty it occupies but little space and lies in the back part of the thoracic cavity. When very full it turns on its axis toward the front. By so doing it displaces surrounding organs, even interfering at times, if greatly overloaded, with the heart and lungs. During mastication the salivary glands Mastication of in the mouth pour out saliva. It is the Food necessary to the welfare of the body that slow and thorough mastication and insalivation of the food occur before it is swallowed. Insalivation has a great deal more to do with digestion than is generally understood; in fact, the first step of digestion occurs in the mouth if the food is properly managed there before swal- lowing. Washing down the food with any kind of liquid furnishes it with an artificial fluid instead of the useful saliva, and almost invariably causes improperly chewed food to enter the stomach, thus working a double injury and making digestion difficult. THE STOMACH 101 When the food mixed with saliva Course of the reaches the stomach it stimulates a Food flow of gastric juice, which is poured from thousands of little glands in the walls of the stomach. The presence of the food causes contractions of the stomach which churn the food and mix it thoroughly with the gastric juice. Neither starches nor fats are acted upon by the gastric juice. Their turn comes when the chyme, this partially digested food, passes into the upper part of the small intestine, and is there subjected to the action of the pancreatic juices and the bile. When the chyme has progressed to that stage where it can be absorbed by the small intestine it is taken up by the blood and distributed to all parts of the body, and each organ, cell, fiber, and tissue takes from it what is needed for its own purposes. It is essential that the gastric juices be of the right quantity and quality to promote normal digestion. In hunger the glands in the walls of the stomach become filled with gastric juice, and when hunger is satisfied they are comparatively empty; hence food should be taken in the stomach when hunger demands it. The whole digestive tract is lined with Digestive Tract millions of minute absorbents, whose at Work function is to select from the digested food that which is serviceable. In health the alimentary tube is intensely active, being endowed with a peristaltic, or wave-like, motion that keeps the contents moving. If the tract is empty there is no movement. If from abnormal conditions this motion is partially suspended, we have constipation. (See chapter on The Bowels.) When activity of the alimentary tract is lost the activity of the absorbents within its walls is suspended, and nutriment is not car- ried into the body in sufficient quantities to sustain life properly. By a reverse of peristaltic movement (as in vomiting) , the food may be sent from the body the way it came. 102 VIAVI HYGIENE Nutriment is not that which is taken into the body, but that which is accepted and used by it. INDIGESTION Impairment of digestion is caused by eating food unsuitable in quantity or quality. Overeating and haste are responsible for most cases. There are forms of dys- pepsia in which a constant accumulation of gas occurs (flatulent dyspepsia). This keeps the stomach uncom- fortably distended, with pressure on the heart and lungs. Much distress results, such as palpitation of the heart, etc. When the stomach is overloaded or does not act properly its contents are often retained until putrid fermentation occurs. The food may feel like a heavy stone, or may cause the stomach to burn, and create an unquenchable thirst. With some there may be a constant hungry gnawing that food does not satisfy; others are made comfortable by constantly eating. Other symp- toms are water-brash, pain between the shoulders, loss of appetite, nausea, headaches, acid belching; in fact, there are so many symptoms of dyspepsia that it would be impossible to enumerate them all. A sufferer from indigestion is very likely aware of the fact. Thousands of persons annually starve to death amid plenty simply because the nervous system is so impover- ished that every function of the body suffers. This is a form of nervous dyspepsia. Continued pain in any part of the body Reflex Forms of will impair the digestion. Pain is Dyspepsia bound to weaken the system; hence we have dyspepsia or indigestion from lost muscular (peristaltic) action of the alimentary tract as a reflex disturbance from some other part of the body. For instance, a person may suffer intensely with piles or a uterine trouble, or with worry, grief, or business cares. In a short time the appetite becomes impaired. If food INDIGESTION 10B is taken, the digestive apparatus remains inactive, and the patient suffers with dyspepsia. In such cases the cause of the dyspepsia must be treated. Removal of the cause is a cure of the disease. The work of the stomach and bowels How the Body is to prepare nutriment for all the uses Suffers of the body. If they are unable to do so, the entire body will suffer; the same result accrues if they fail to prepare the food in the right way. Every part of the body is weakened by the inade- quate nutrition, the efficiency of the organism as a work- ing mechanism is lowered, and the entire system loses much of its disease-resisting power. Any disease, there- fore, may invade the body. Unhappily, the fact is likely to be overlooked that indigestion was the cause of the trouble. If death is caused by consumption, Bright's disease or some other malady that appeared as the conse- quence of weakness growing out of impaired nutrition, that malady is charged with the trouble, and the valuable lesson that ought to have been learned is lost. A part of the remarkable success of the No Difficult Viavi system of treatment for dyspepsia Dieting has been due to the fact that it imposes no hardships on the sufferer — it does not reduce the strength while attacking the disease. Under ordinary treatment difficult dietaries are imposed; fre- quently an approach to starvation is required. Under the Viavi system of treatment the prime fact is kept in view that the body needs all the nutriment it can get in the natural way, without irritating the digestive tract. Hence the simple rule of diet under the treatment is this: Avoid overeating; eat moderately whatever wholesome and digestible food is desired; employ as great a variety of foods of all wholesome kinds as possible, the variety to be changed as the seasons and natural supply change, but each meal to be simple; ascertain by careful observation what foods give the most distress, and avoid them; eat very slowly, and at regular times. Food should be taken 104 VIA VI HYGIENE about blood heat, and in small quantities and often. There is nothing difficult in such a dieting course. It imposes no strain on the mind; it does not reduce the quantity of food to an irrational limit; it does not make any radical change and produce disturbance on that account, and its value has been amply proved. The great idea of the Viavi system of treatment is not to deprive the stomach and bowels of the work that they were designed to do, but to enable them to perform it. All stimulants, sedatives and the like What Must Be are to be strictly avoided, as they lower Avoided the nervous forces and aggravate the evil. Constipation must be overcome and the bowels made to empty themselves every morning at a certain hour, both by inviting them to do so and by helping them if necessary. In short, all that the Viavi sys- tem of treatment requires in the way of personal conduct is common sense and prudence. If sufferers are not able to comply with those conditions they will only be wasting their time by adopting the treatment. The time con- sumed in the cure has depended on the character of the affliction, the time it had existed, the common sense and prudence of the sufferer, the fidelity and thoroughness with which the treatment was used and the recuperative power that one possessed. Recovery was slow. A quick cure of indigestion is not possible. Viavi Liquid should be taken as Treatment for directed; but if the stomach at first Indigestion proves too sensitive to bear ten drops three times a day, begin with five or six drops and increase a drop a day for each time, or as rapidly as proves comfortable. Always take it in a little hot water. Viavi Cerate should be rubbed once a day over the stomach, abdomen and back. (See Viavi Cerate, final chapter.) Viavi Tablettes should be used as directed if the liver or bowels are implicated. GASTRITIS 105 Via vi Laxative should be taken as directed if there is constipation. Via vi Capsules are to be used by women in the vagina as directed if any uterine trouble is present. Via vi Suppositories are to be used in the rectum as directed if there is any rectal trouble. Baths best suited to the individual should be taken. (See Baths, final chapter.) GASTRITIS (catarrh of the stomach) Gastric catarrh, or inflammation of the lining of the stomach, is similar to a catarrhal condition in any other mucous membrane. It may pass from the acute into the chronic form. The principal causes of gastritis are either too hot or too cold food or drinks, alcoholic drinks, iced water, iced milk, etc. Overeating and haste are, perhaps, the most prolific causes. It may be produced also by taking cold, as other catarrhal conditions are produced, or by mental strain, starvation, grief, and other causes. Suf- ferers from gastritis are generally despondent and irri- table; the circulation is poor, the hands and feet are probably cold; the stomach may be sore to the touch, and even the clothes are uncomfortable; there is belching of gas, which brings up a flat-tasting or sour fluid; there is much mucus in the mouth and stomach; there is either loss of appetite or ravenous hunger; nausea may occur, and there may be distension from gas. In the beginning the bowels are generally constipated, but if they take on the catarrhal condition, as they may in time, the stools are fetid and mushy. Some persons suffering from chronic Harmful Means dyspepsia, gastritis, etc., are accus- Employed tomed to the use of powerful drugs for temporary relief, and then expect the 106 VIAVI HYGIENE same results from a rational treatment ; hence the dis- appointment experienced by those who "just try Viavi." We wish no one to commence the Viavi system of treat- ment for these troubles merely to "try" it. It has been proved many times. We know what it has done, but we cannot always tell the time it will take Nature to perfect a cure, nor just the symptoms that will arise after its use is begun, as all these things depend upon the sufferer's condition when the treatment was begun. Many of the conditions coming under the treatment are complicated, obscure and of many years' standing. Viavi Liquid should be taken as Treatment for directed; the same discretion in the Gastritis amount taken at a time is to be ob- served as is indicated in the treatment for indigestion; or Viavi capsules, instead of the liquid, may be taken into the stomach, if they can be better borne and give better results. Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. Viavi Tablettes are to be taken if there is tenderness or soreness over the bowels or liver. Viavi Laxative is to be taken if the bowels are in- active, and until a more normal movement is established. Viavi Capsules are to be used by women in the vagina if there is any uterine trouble. Viavi Suppositories are to be used in the rectum if there are piles or other rectal trouble. Viavi Cerate is to be used daily over the spine, stomach, abdomen and liver. (See directions under Viavi Cerate, final chapter.) Cold Compress is to be used on the abdomen and over the liver twice a week. (See Cold Compress on Abdomen and Cold Compress on Liver, final chapter.) Baths. See Baths, final chapter. In order to understand the difference between the conditions requiring the tablettes and those requiring the liquid^ see Viavi Tablettes and Viavi Liquid, final chapter. CHAPTER XV, THE BOWELS (constipation, diarrhea, catarrh of the bowels) Constipation is a retention and a hardness of the feces (excrement). It may be caused by inactivity of the intestines, by a diminution of bile or other secretions, or by such mechanical obstruction in women as tumors, displacements of the uterus, etc. Health depends very largely upon the regularity of the bowels. A normal movement of the bowels should occur daily. Inattention to the calls of Nature 'will be followed sooner or later by bad results. When the nerves of the intestinal tract no- tify the brain that the intestines are loaded with waste, it is essential to health that Nature's orders be obeyed immediately. When the call is neglected the desire passes away, and the poisonous substance is retained, and impairs the sensibility of the tract. The absorbents take up the fluid parts of the waste, poisoning the blood and the entire body, including the brain. This absorption renders the feces hard and troublesome to expel, causing them to injure the rectum and anus. Nothing renders one so uncomfortable Causes and Evils as ineffectual attempts to evacuate the of Constipation bowels. Normal evacuations occur with little effort. When digestion is normal, the excrement forms a soft, light-brown, slippery, rope-6haped mass, the passage of which causes a pleasant reaction of the nervous system, followed by a feeling of relief. The nervous condition of the intestinal tract has a great deal to do with constipation. The bile has the power of exciting the peristaltic movement of the bowels, and in this way aids the onward movement of the food a^d waste. Bile is Nature's purgative, but if the nerves 108 VIAVI HYGIENE are not in a condition to be stimulated by it, the bowel remains sluggish; hence constipation. Overloaded bowels cause pain and sickness. The distention of the colon impedes the circulation of the blood in other organs, and thus causes congestion of the portal system, which concerns the liver. This results in diseases of the liver, rectal trouble, and possibly abdominal dropsy. In women it causes inflammation of the womb and ovaries, displacements, leucorrhea and menstrual troubles. The unnatural presence of fecal matter dead- ens the nervous sensibility of the bowels so much that powerful purgatives are required to excite them to action. Of course, their use gives only temporary relief, because they are unnatural aids. They must be used repeatedly and the dose increased. Derangement of the stomach ensues in time. When constipation depends upon an Treatment for inactive liver, Viavi tablettes, cerate Constipation and laxative are advised. (See chapter on The Liver.) When it depends upon a displacement of the womb, the Viavi capsules, cerate and laxative are to be used to right the displacement and so relieve the mechanical obstruction. (See chapter on Displacements of the Womb, with treatment.) When the stomach acts badly, and in consequence the whole alimentary tract becomes sluggish, Viavi tablettes, cerate and laxative are advised, in order to tone up the whole tract. Viavi Cerate should be used over the spine, stomach and abdomen. (See Kneading of Abdomen for Constipa- tion, in final chapter.) Viavi Tablettes are to be used as directed. Viavi Laxative is to be used as directed. Its purpose is gradually and mildly to assist Nature in restoring lost reactive power in this muscular tube, preventing the fecal matter from becoming hard and heavy, decomposing, producing gas, and bringing about a long train of ills. Massage of the abdomen with Viavi cerate brings THE BOWELS 109 happy results. (See Pendent Abdominal Massage, final chapter.) This helps to stimulate the activity of the tract, and this activity becomes permanent. It must be remembered that Nature must be assisted in every way possible to do her work. Enemas. Copious and too frequent flushings of the bowel are irritating and weakening. They are frequently necessary in stubborn constipation at first, and give temporary relief. (See directions for high enemas in last chapter.) The water should be retained from fifteen to thirty minutes, and one should remain quiet for that length of time, as exercise while the bowels are so loaded will cause the water to be expelled without exciting the peristaltic movement, thus failing to produce the result most desired. Once a week is sufficiently often to flush the bowels, unless the constipation is exceedingly stub- born. Diei should be varied, and fruits should be abundantly eaten. Each sufferer will find some fruit or vegetable, cooked or raw, which has the peculiar effect of causing a movement of the bowels. That fruit or vegetable should be sought, and when found, used intelligently to assist Nature. Drink sparingly at meals, but freely of water between meals, especially upon arising and before retiring. Drink not less than a tumblerful, preferably rain water, filtered; if unobtainable, use distilled water. We advise also deep abdominal breathing, by which the abdominal muscles and intestines are exercised. Defecation. The natural position of squatting, in which the abdomen rests on the thighs, will help to cure constipation. The usual toilets are responsible for much of this trouble, but in using them the natural posture may be approximated by leaning forward. A speedy cure for constipation does not exist. Before regular, normal movements of the bowels can be obtained, the whole tract must be rendered naturally active, not temporarily overstimulated. The Viavi system of treat- ment has established a long record of satisfactory results in constipation. 110 VIA VI HYGIENE DIARRHEA Diarrhea is the opposite of constipation, as it is caused by an overstimulation of functional activity. It is char- acterized by frequent liquid evacuations, which may be accompanied with severe pain or none at all. The character and quantity of the stool vary. The disease may be either acute or chronic. It is the bane of infancy and childhood, claiming thousands of little victims annually. Viavi Liquid should be taken into Treatment for the stomach as directed. Diarrhea Via vi Capsule. One should be swal- lowed at night just before retiring, oftener daily if required. Viavi Cerate should be used over the spine and abdomen daily. (See directions in closing chapter.) Diet. Food that has a tendency to loosen the bowels should be abstained from, and food should be taken in small quantities and frequently. Rest is absolutely necessary — as much as possible. Compresses. A hot and a cold compress on the abdomen is advised. (See Hot Compress and Cold Com- press, final chapter.) CATARRH OF THE BOWELS The symptoms of intestinal catarrh vary according to the part of the tract involved and the degree of the inflammation. When the inflammation is confined to the upper part of the tract, diarrhea is seldom present; but when the lower part is involved the stools are slimy and often bloody, and are usually preceded by sharp, cutting pains. After stool the pain subsides. When acute intestinal catarrh develops into the chronic form, the sufferer thinks and speaks much of his sufferings. Such persons become emaciated, and the CATARRH OF THE BOWELS 111 abdomen sinks inward. The bowels will be alternately constipated and loose. The hard stools are covered with a phlegm-like substance; the soft stools are slimy and jelly-like. A substance may pass that resembles the lining of the bowels. Quantities of gas pass from the bowels, giving relief. The forms of Viavi to be used for Treatment for intestinal catarrh are the liquid and Catarrh cerate. When acute diarrhea is present, five drops of the liquid may be taken in hot water every three hours until relieved, and then taken at longer intervals. For children under five years of age, ten drops of the liquid should be placed in half a glass of water and a teaspoonful given every hour. Viavi Cerate is to be used daily in a very thorough way over the regions of both abdomen and stomach. The cerate is to be used also over the region of the spine daily in a very thorough way. (See Application of Cerate in closing chapter.) Viavi Tablettes may be used instead of the Viavi liquid for gastritis and intestinal catarrh, especially when the liver is implicated. They should be thoroughly masticated before swallowing. They are much more easily carried on the person, being put up in dry form and in small, neat packages; but where the sufferer has evidence that the kidneys are involved and the affection is located permanently in one place, the Viavi liquid is advised. Compress. The hot or the cold compress over the stomach and abdomen, as indicated in each individual case, should be used twice a week. (See Hot Compress and Cold Compress, final chapter.) CHAPTER XVI. THE RECTUM (piles, abscess, fistula, etc.) THE rectum is the termination of the alimentary tract, and is six to eight inches in length. The part of the abdomen surrounding the navel is occupied chiefly by the small intestines, which enter the large intestine (colon) in the region of the right groin. The colon here turns upward, forming the ascend- ing colon; then it passes across the body just above the navel, forming the transverse colon; it then turns down- ward to the left groin, forming the descending colon. In the left groin it makes an S-like turn (the sigmoid flexure), going toward the center of the body and fitting itself into the curve of the sacrum, thus forming the rectum, which descends behind the bladder (and in women the womb and vagina also) and terminates in a backward turn at the anus. This brings the sigmoid flexure immediately behind the left ovary of women. The upper part of the rectum is almost completely surrounded by peritoneum, the middle part only about its upper front surface; the lower part receives no peritoneal covering. The rectum terminates in two sphincters, the internal and the ex- ternal, composed of small rings of muscle, which relax and contract as do other sphincters. The blood vessels of the rectum are Blood Supply of abundant, and are remarkable for an the Rectum absence of valves in the veins. All of these terminate in the network of small veins, the hemorrhoidal plexus, which surrounds the lower end of the rectum. The large veins emptying into the liver (the portal THE RECTUM 113 system) and the general venous system communicate freely with the hemorrhoidal veins by means of branches that compose this plexus. This explains how a diseased liver, which impedes the portal and abdominal circulation, also seriously interferes with the circulation in the veins of the rectum. The effect is the same as tying a cord about the arm above the elbow; it interferes with the circulation in the finger ends. The damage thus done the blood vessels of the rectum is very much greater by reason of the absence of valves in the hemorrhoidal veins and their large capacity, as the tissues are elastic in the rectum, permitting of great expansion in the veins. The rectum, on account of its large and Many Causes peculiar blood supply, is likely, from of Piles impeded circulation within any part of the abdominal and pelvic cavities, to become the seat of painful diseases, the most -common of which are hemorrhoids, or piles. These are caused by an abnormal collection of venous blood in the rectal veins. The chief causes of piles are the position of the hemor- rhoidal veins as the terminals of the abdominal vessels, and the absence of valves to sustain the return flow of blood in its upward course. Hemorrhoids most frequently appear at the bulb-like terminals of these* veins. Any cause that favors an undue accumulation of blood in these parts predisposes to> piles. In men they are caused by stagnation in the liver, the habitual use of cathartics, a long-continued sitting op standing position, lifting, alcoholic stimulants, eating highly seasoned food, horseback riding, and constipation. In women they are caused, as a rule, from an enlarged and misplaced uterus, mechanical pressure from tumors in the* abdomen, preg- nancy, the wearing of tight corsets and bands about the waist (which impede the circulation and crowd the viscera downward), heavy skirts, constipation, the habitual use of cathartics, diarrhea, sitting on heated cushions or cold stones, indolent, luxurious habits of living, and an in- herited tendency. 114 VI AVI HYGIENE Piles are divided usually into the ex- Different Kinds ternal, or blind, and the internal, or of Piles bleeding. External piles are again divided into venous and cutaneous. The venous piles are caused by a distention of the external hemorrhoidal veins terminating about the anus. They appear about the anus as soft, bluish, round tumors. Such piles will not cause much suffering unless inflamed, when they become exquisitely sensitive and often sup- purate, terminating in fissures and other painful condi- tions. Such piles rarely bleed. In cutaneous piles the skin about the dilated vessels becomes inflamed and sensitive. Small tumors are thus formed, which often hang down like tags. By reason of the more active lives that men lead, their sufferings from piles are great. Whether sitting or walk- ing in the pursuit of his affairs, a man constantly irritates the affection. This serves not only as an aggravation of his condition, but also as a source of constant annoyance and pain. He can take none of the vigorous pleasures of which men are naturally fond and which are valuable to their health, without receiving more pain than pleasure, more injury than benefit. Walking, riding, driving, traveling cause torture and sap the strength where they should bring delight and add to the strength. A man finds no rest from this affliction. Even in bed the tor- ture pursues him. This form of piles is much more serious Internal Piles than the external. They are situated Described above the sphincter, or anus. The sufferer's attention is first attracted by losing blood at stool. This symptom may be present long before pain is experienced. Later the bleeding may occur at any time and amount to hemorrhages, which debilitate. As the disease progresses, pain is experienced at stool; there is a heavy pressure, as from a load in the lower part of the abdomen, and the rectum never feels completely emptied. There are then an indescribable burning and rawness within the rectum, which render THE RECTUM 115 one unfit for duties of any kind. Such sufferers become irritable and nervous. They have backache, headache and numerous other painful symptoms, until the whole system in time gives way. The piles become large and protrude, dragging with them the bowel, thus causing prolapsus. These pile tumors may remain protruding so long that they become strangulated, their great size preventing their return within the anus. The pain is extreme. Urinary disturbances frequently result from the irritation. Although given many names, piles are simply tumors, composed of varicose or dilated veins of the lower end of the rectum, surrounded by infiltrated tissue. Aside from the serious inconvenience and pain, there is a tendency to fistula and cancer. It is important, therefore, that the disease should be checked. The Viavi system of treatment for The Treatment piles requires first the removal of the for Piles. cause, whatever it may be, as liver trouble, displacements, luxurious hab- its of living, etc. We particularly call attention to the chapter on the liver, when rectal troubles are associated with disease of that organ. The treatment therein given must be followed closely in conjunction with that given for rectum. Viavi Suppositories. One or two Viavi rectal suppositories are to be used in the rectum daily, according to the severity of the case. Viavi Cerate. This is to be rubbed thoroughly over the spine, liver and abdomen. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Liver, Cerate on Abdomen; see Pendent Ab- dominal Massage, Kneading Abdomen, final chapter.) It is also to be used externally about the anus twice daily, morning and evening. When possible, the anus should be bathed with cold water after each stool and again thoroughly anointed with the cerate. (See Massage of the Perineum, final chapter.) Viavi Liquid should be taken according to directions 116 VIAVI HYGIENE Via vi Laxative should be used to regulate the bowels and prevent the feces from becoming so hard that they will injure the tissues when passing. Compresses. When it is not convenient to take the Cold Compress on Liver, as advised in the final chapter, a long towel, wrung from cold water, should be wrapped about the body on retiring at night; over it a strip of flannel should be placed to keep the body warm. This should be kept on till morning. Sitz Baths. See closing chapter. Diet. The sufferer should avoid stimulating drinks and the eating of rich or constipating food. A copious draught of cold (not iced) water, at least a usual drinking glass, should be drunk the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. The sufferer should lie on the side. For Prolapsed The protruding rectum should be well Rectum oiled with the dissolved Viavi rectal suppository (for this purpose about three of the suppositories may be dissolved in a table- spoonful of vaseline) , and the rectum gently pressed back with a soft towel. If this is not successful, the finger may be covered with lint, which should then be well anointed with the dissolved suppository and introduced in the bowel, gently pressing up the bowel. The finger is then withdrawn and the lint left behind. Viavi LiQUiD should be taken as directed. Viavi Suppositories should be used regularly once a day. Viavi Cerate should be rubbed over the regions of the spine, liver and abdomen. (See Cerate on Spine and Cer- ate on Abdomen, Kneading the Abdomen, also Pendent Abdominal Massage, closing chapter.) Viavi Royal should be used as directed, to build up the general system. (See Viavi Royal, final chapter.) Baths. See same chapter. THE RECTUM 117 Rectal abscesses are found around and Abscesses of the in the rectum. They may be acute or Rectum chronic, and are, as a rule, accompanied with severe suffering and general de- bility. They frequently follow a serious illness. Just before they break and discharge, the pain becomes almost unendurable, and is of a burning, throbbing character. An abscess of any kind is always preceded by inflamma- tion, and it, in turn, is followed by the formation of pus. As inflammation depends upon impeded circulation, if the circulation is re-established the difficulty is overcome. The treatment is the same as that given for prolapsus of the rectum. A fistula is a tube-like opening going Fistula of the up or down the side of the rectum in Rectum the surrounding tissues, with one or several openings. If the fistula has an opening in the mucous membrane of the rectum, and one also in the skin of the buttocks or near the anus, it is called a complete fistula; if but an opening in the skin, an incomplete external fistula; and if but one opening in the mucous membrane of the rectum, an incomplete internal fistula. Fistulas frequently follow rectal and anal abscesses, and injury to the parts, either internal or external. Where a fistula followed slight external injury or an anal abscess, excellent results have been ob- tained from the use of the Viavi system of treatment. Other forms of fistula are very difficult to cure, as the tissues about the rectal tract and the whole floor of the pelvis are, as a rule, under such conditions, inactive and friable. _ L , Viavi Suppositories should be used Treatment for , , , • ■. ., „. . regularly once or more times daily, as Jp istula i« .1 directed. Viavi Cerate should be rubbed daily over the ab- domen and spine, and the perineum (the space between the anus and the genitals) should be massaged daily with 118 VI AVI HYGIENE the cerate. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Abdomen, and Massage of the Perineum, final chapter.) Viavi Liquid should be taken internally as directed. Via vi Laxative should be taken as directed. Baths. See Baths, final chapter. The general health should receive the best care. Ulceration of the rectum, being always Ulceration of accompanied with discharges of bloody Rectum mucus, diarrhea and pain, is frequently diagnosed wrongly as dysentery. Ul- ceration of the rectum is usually not nearly so painful as ulceration of the anus, although much more serious. There is an almost constant desire to evacuate the bowels, and the discharge consists of a little blood-tinged mucus. Extensive ulceration of the rectum may cause no pain whatever, or extreme suffering may follow each evacua- tion. Ulceration resulting from impeded venous circula- tion and accompanying piles or rectal tumors, or resulting from displacements, liver troubles, etc., has been success- fully overcome by means of the Viavi system of treat- ment, but where the ulceration is of a syphilitic, tuber- cular or cancerous origin, we do not give encouraging hopes, though the treatment has done much to make such sufferers comfortable, and we do not know of a treatment that has brought better results. The treatment is the same as that for abscesses of the rectum. The rectum should be kept well cleansed with small rectal enemas morning and night, the suppository being used after each enema. Careful attention should be given to the diet and general health. Prolapsus ani is a protrusion through Other Troubles the anus of the lining of the rectum; of Rectum prolapsus recti is a protrusion of the whole thickness of the rectum. This trouble is more frequent in children than in adults, but in either it shows a slight resisting power and great mus- cular relaxation. The whole organism is implicated. Prolapsus is aggravated by straining at stool, by consti- THE RECTUM 119 pation, or by irritation from worms, and often accom- panies piles. Sphincterismus, or spasm of the sphincter, is attended with pain. It is nearly always associated with ulceration or fissure of the rectum, or inflammation of surrounding organs. Pruritus, or painful itching, of the anus is due to many causes, as worms, small external piles, eczema of the parts, nervousness, and excoriating discharges. It is sometimes purely nervous, no inflammation existing. The skin about the anus under these circumstances has a dead, white, parchment-like look. These are the most difficult to treat. Nervous persons who give way to scratching often produce an eczema, or excoriate the whole anus and its neighborhood. (See Treatment for Fissure.) This is a most painful affection, and is Fissure, or confined to the anus. It is caused by Ulcer the passage of large, hard stools, which excoriate or crack the mucous mem- brane at the anus. The minute nerve filaments so ex- posed are constantly irritated. In time an ulcer forms, which will not heal spontaneously. Fissures cause severe spasmodic pains or contractions of the sphincter. The pains at stool are so severe that the sufferer postpones emptying the bowels as long as possible, with detrimental results. The severity of the pain is entirely out of pro- portion to the extent of the region involved, which is rarely larger than the nail of the little finger. The ulcer can be seen only by separating the folds about the anus. Via vi Laxative should be used to keep the bowels open; the feces should not be permitted to become large and hard. After stool the parts should be well washed with pure soap and water. Via vi Suppository should be used every night before retiring. Viavi Cerate. The external excoriated parts should be well laved with Viavi cerate several times a day, 120 VIAVI HYGIENE especially after each stool. (See Pendent Abdominal Massage, and Massage of the Perineum, final chapter.) Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. (See closing chapter.) Ulceration often terminates in stricture Stricture of of the rectum, but such a deplorable Rectum condition has often been prevented where the Viavi system of treatment was employed in time. Even after the formation of stricture the hardened tissues have become softened and absorbed and the parts restored to a more normal con- dition. We have reference to simple stricture resulting from ulceration or some form of chronic inflammation. A stricture reduces the calibre of the rectum, thus hold- ing the fecal matter. This causes the bowel at the part just above the stricture to become dilated and often ul- cerated. When the evacuations force themselves through the narrow space, they are flattened or like a pencil. Stools thus shaped may be caused, however, by a displace- ment of the womb, or enlargement of the prostate gland, or tumors or an irritable sphincter. In stricture the rec- tum always feels as if loaded with fecal waste. The bowels are, however, not always constipated; constipation and diarrhea alternate. Looseness of the Dowels compels the sufferer to go to stool frequently, to pass each time only a little gas and mucus with a few hard lumps of fecal matter. The treatment for stricture is the same as that given for ulceration of the rectum, and requires a long time. This we wish all to understand when placing themselves under the Viavi system of treatment. Stricture never exists unless there have been both extensive and chronic rectal troubles; hence there is much to do, both of elimi- nation and repair; these require time and patience, but the process is rational and natural. Rectal cancer seldom develops before Cancer of the the fortieth year, and is usually in- Rectum curable ; the disease of the rectum that is responsible has been present for a long time. The symptoms are much the same as those in THE RECTUM 121 ulceration and stricture of the rectum. In the last stages of rectal cancer the sufferer experiences very marked debility. The discharges are profuse and very offensive. The cancer in time invades surrounding tissues and organs. The stricture caused by it frequently leads to perforation, producing fistula, which may open into the tissues, the bladder, the vagina or the buttocks, through which the fecal matter escapes. No part of the body has yielded to the Viavi system of treatment more satisfactorily than the rectum. At the first indication of a rectal disease, the Viavi system of treatment for it should be promptly and thoroughly employed, in order to avoid a cancerous development. We should not expect to cure rectal cancer, but by reduc- ing the inflammation in surrounding parts and organs the treatment has made the sufferer much more comfortable and prolonged life. The wiser plan is to prevent cancer by prompt treatment of any rectal disease when it is dis- covered. The treatment for cancer of the rectum is the same as that given for piles. Rectal tumors are much the same as Tumors of the tumors elsewhere. They are given Rectum various names, but the causes are much the same, and they yield to early ra- tional treatment before becoming malignant (cancerous). While the cause is not definitely known, it is thought they are the result of impeded circulation, and as the aim of the Viavi system of treatment is to assist Nature in establishing healthy circulation, conditions tending both to the prevention and removal of tumors may be expected from its faithful use. The treatment for tumors of the rectum is the same as that given for piles. It is not unusual for one seemingly Symptoms of to grow worse for a time after coming Improvement under the treatment. This. is not an unfavorable symptom, but one of the most favorable. It shows that the circulation is being 122 VIAVI HYGIENE established in the affected part and that a beneficial reaction is taking place. If a whole suppository produces too great a reaction and the sufferer is caused too much inconvenience (which of course will be only temporary), half a suppository may be used at a time. (The suppository can be cut in two with a sharp knife.) Even if the parts become exquisitely sensitive, this indicates that the circulation is becoming established. One who had suffered for many years from severe and painful rectal troubles became seemingly much worse after adopting the treatment. Several boils appeared about the anus and discharged freely. This apparently showed that the tissues purged themselves, so to speak, of impurities. Although distressing, this was a necessary part of the recovery, which, after the eliminating process had ceased, was rapid and permanent. In diseases of the rectum, as elsewhere, Surgery of the it is much easier to cut than to cure, Rectum and much of this cutting is unnecessary. Surgery of the rectum often fails to assist Nature, and in many cases prevents her helping herself. Diseases of the rectum do not become established quickly; they therefore yield gradually and slowly to early and prompt treatment. These conditions should receive remedial attention as soon as they make them- selves known. It is the sufferer's duty to reach this con- dition before operative measures are the ones that promise results. The peculiar mechanism and important functions of the rectum show that we are not dealing with a simple mechanical tube, but with a very highly organized and specialized structure, pieces of which cannot be dissected out nor cauterized, nor the terminals of the abdominal arteries and veins destroyed or treated surgically other- wise, without often running the risk of great injury, or, as has been shown by more advanced surgeons, of its being followed by cancer. CHAPTER XVII. THE LIVER (and some of its diseases) THE liver is the largest gland in the body It is situated in the right side, and is composed of small lobules about one-twenty-fifth of an inch in diameter. The organ is covered externally by the peritoneum, which forms most of the suspensory liga- ments that hold the liver in place. The liver has five lobes, the right being the largest. It has also five vessels, namely, the hepatic artery and vein, the portal vein, the hepatic duct and the lymphatics. The gall bladder, a sac for the bile, is in its lower surface. The liver receives two kinds of blood. How Bile Is It is nourished from its arterial supply. Secreted The arrangement of the blood vessels within the liver differs largely from that of the blood vessels in any other part of the body. Bile is produced in the liver from the blood distributed in its substance by the portal vein and the hepatic artery. The blood from the capillaries in the mucous membrane of the alimentary tract and the spleen is not returned directly to the heart by the veins, but is collected in the portal vein and carried to the liver, where it is distributed in a second set of capillaries. In this manner the liver acts as a filter, by which certain constituents, including bile, are separated from the blood. After this the blood is collected in the hepatic vein and carried by the vena cava directly to the heart. The bile is conveyed into the gall bladder, whence it gradually passes into the cystic duct, and is carried into the digestive tract, which de- mands its use. If the gall is held within the gall bladder indefinitely, 124 VIAVI HYGIENE it forms gall stones, the passing of which through the small duct causes intense agony. The liver is one of the most abused of How the Liver the organs, being sensitive to inappro- Suffers priate food and owing much of its dis- ease to that source and to alcoholic drinks. Like other organs, it also suffers indirectly from disease elsewhere, and from nervous weakness, poor cir- culation and impaired nutrition. When it becomes inactive through disordered circulation it is assailed with drastic purgatives under the ordinary method, and thus gradually loses more and more of its tone, leading to chronic constipation. From this depraved condition malignant disease may arise. The Viavi system of treat- ment for the liver has proved satisfactory, as might have been expected of a treatment whose sole aim is to furnish Nature with the needed assistance to establish natural conditions. Any condition producing biliousness by Portal Congestion blocking the portal circulation and in- and Biliousness ducing pelvic stagnation, can also cause uterine congestion or profuse menstruation. It would be as reasonable to treat the first condition surgically as the second. We again emphasize the truth that the body is a united whole, not a collection of independent parts, and that a treat- ment, to be successful, must be systemic, calling into assistance every available absorbent, internal, external and local. Liver diseases that have come within the range of the Viavi system of treatment are those of a non-malignant character, arising from circulatory complications, as most of them do. These include abscesses, congestion, inflammation, jaundice, etc. Two purposes are to be kept in view, — Treatment for one to abstain from eating or drinking the Liver anything that experience has shown to have an irritating effect on the liver, and the other is to establish a healthy circulation in the THE LIVER 125 abdomen and the liver. Everything containing alcohol should be rigidly excluded. The diet should be moderate, bland, and perfectly wholesome. Tea and coffee, if used at all, should be drunk with extreme moderation, and very weak. Regular, mild exercise is essential, and the skin should be kept active and the body comfortable. Via vi Tablettes should be used as directed. Via vi Cerate should be applied daily over the regions of the liver, abdomen and spine. (See Cerate on Liver, final chapter.) Via vi Capsules should be used by women who, in addition, suffer from uterine troubles. Compresses, hot and cold, should be used over the liver alternately, one of each, twice a week. (See Wet Towel Compress on Liver, and Hot Compress and Cold Compress on Liver, final chapter) Baths. See same chapter, CHAPTER XVIII, THE KIDNEYS (and some of their diseases) THE kidneys are two bean-shaped organs situated in the back part of the abdominal cavity, their upper two-thirds lying above the waist line and the lower one-third below, one on either side of the spine. They vary in weight from four to six ounces each. From the center of the concave or spinal side of each kid- ney a tube, the ureter, commences, and it terminates in the bladder. These tubes vary in length from sixteen to eighteen inches, and carry the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. The kidneys are important excretory organs, their function being to secrete urine and to remove with it certain waste. The composition and quality of the urine vary. Both are influenced largely by the character of the food and the temperature of the atmosphere. A healthy person secretes, on an average, fifty ounces of urine in twenty-four hours. These organs are so often disturbed Diseases of reflexly from disease in other parts of Kidneys the body that it is seldom we meet with uncomplicated disease affecting them. Encouraging results have been obtained from the proper forms used in this system of treatment in diseases of the kidneys, but as most of these cases have been com- plicated with diseases of the alimentary and uterine tracts, we make no positive statements as to the action of the treatment upon the kidneys where the trouble is not reflex from diseased conditions elsewhere which come directly within the range of the Viavi system of treat- ment. It is reasonable to assume that inflammation of the kidneys comes within the Viavi range the same as inflammatory processes elsewhere. THE KIDNEYS 127 Those who have had their diseases diagnosed as dia- betes, albuminuria, etc., are invited to correspond with the Hygienic Department of the nearest Viavi office. An analysis of the urine should be sent. If that cannot be procured and the distance is not too great, a sample of the urine should be forwarded, so that it may be analyzed, an advance charge of ten dollars in the United States and of two pounds in the United Kingdom being made for the analysis. All of the urine passed in twenty-four hours should be saved in one vessel, then stirred well, and about sixteen ounces forwarded by express, expenses prepaid. The sender should place name and address inside the package, so that we may know from whom it came. An analysis of the urine will greatly assist in advising as to the treatment. The same general care should be exer- Treatment for cised as has been indicated in the Kidneys tieatment of diseases of the liver. In these diseases, as all others, great per- sonal care on the score of diet, exercise, rest, sleep, etc., are essential. Following is the usual treatment for uncomplicated non-malignant diseases of the kidneys: Viavi Liquid, taken as directed. Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the region of the whole back, from the nape of the neck to the end, and over the kidneys especially. (See Cerate on Spine, Kid- Qeys, etc., final chapter.) Viavi Capsules should be used if there are uterine complications. (See final chapter.) Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if the kidney trouble is complicated with any rectal trouble. Viavi Royal should be used as directed if there is need of a tonic. Viavi Laxative should be used if the kidney con- dition is complicated with constipation. Cold Compress over Kidneys. See final chapter. CHAPTER XIX BLADDER AND URETHRA (and some of their diseases) THE bladder is a strong bag with muscular walls. In women it is situated in front of the womb, and when fully distended rises a little above the pubic bone. It is lined with mucous membrane which is continuous with that of the urethra to its orifice, and there, in women, it unites with the mucous membrane covering the external genitals. The bladder has four coats: The mucous membrane lining, the sub-mucous, next to it, then the muscular coat, and last the serous coat, which is the outer covering. The bladder receives the urine from the kidneys through the ureters, a small duct from each of the kidneys. These are constantly sending urine in small quantities to the bladder, which, when it becomes full, is emptied through the urethra. CYSTITIS Cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) is of the same nature as inflammation of other mucous membrane lining cavities and organs in other parts of the body. Inflam- mation of the bladder is named according to the extent and degree of the inflammatory process, but these names simply indicate stages or location in one general inflam- matory process. The acute and subacute will, if permitted to continue, develop into the chronic form, or catarrh of the bladder. BLADDER AND URETHRA 129 When chronic cystitis has progressed Kinds and Causes until ulceration exists and the sub- of Cystitis mucous and muscular coats are in- volved, it is known as interstitial cystitis. If the inflammatory process extends to the serous co'at it is known as pericystitis, which means that the part of the peritoneum forming the partial outer covering is involved. In membranous cystitis large fragments, or even casts, of the interior of the bladder, are passed. If cystitis is permitted to continue, the inflammatory process may in time extend up the ureters to the kidneys, involving these organs. The causes of inflammation of the bladder are many. One in women is overdistension of the organ from a false delicacy about emptying the bladder at proper intervals when traveling, shopping or in public places; displace- ment of the womb; an abnormal condition of the urine; injury at childbirth; the use of the catheter; infection; colds; calculae (stone); extension of inflammation from other organs, as the womb, tubes, vagina, peritoneum; uretritis, urethritis, etc. In men, one of the commonest causes is alcoholic drinks. Alcohol, used habitually and in sufficient quantities, has a pernicious effect on all the genito- urinary organs in both sexes. In acute inflammation of the bladder Symptoms of the lining is swollen and relaxed. The Cystitis symptom is frequent and painful urina- tion. The relief afforded by passing a few drops of urine is transient; in bad cases, the desire is almost constant. Straining becomes extremely severe and the sufferer quivers from the effort; the bowels may move involuntarily at the same time. The burning sen- sation also frequently becomes intense. The pain extends to the perineum, into the loins and down the thighs. If the condition has progressed into the chronic state, the skin is generally sallow. There is sweating of the hands and feet, and the sweat at times smells of urine. The circulation is poor. The nervous system also becomes 130 VIAVI HYGIENE involved. The sufferer is "blue" and hopeless, and there often develops a suicidal tendency. One is able to pro- cure but little rest at night, being driven from the bed frequently to urinate. The urine is turbid, and contains a heavy deposit of mucus at first ; then it becomes scanty and blood-tinged, and often pure blood will follow urina- tion. In chronic cystitis the painful symptoms are not so severe, but the urine is loaded with a thick mucus. Such a condition is generally known as catarrh of the bladder. If, in the case of women, the bladder Treatment for is simply irritable from a displaced Cystitis womb, the treatment given for dis- placement is to be followed closely, while Viavi liquid is to be taken internally. Where the bladder is inflamed, instead of being merely irritated, rest in bed, for a time, is imperative. Where infection is the cause, it is always more serious, and while the Viavi system of treatment is not intended for such conditions, it has proved very helpful. Viavi Pencils should be inserted by men in the urethra, once daily, and more frequently in serious con- ditions. In the case of a woman, they should be gently pushed into the bladder. Viavi Liquid should be taken in the stomach as directed. Its purpose is to act directly in helping to reduce inflammation in the entire urinary tract, includ- ing kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Viavi Capsules should be used in the vagina by women, twice daily. Viavi Suppositories should be used in the rectum by men, twice daily. Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the abdomen and the entire length of the spine. (See Cerate on Abdo- men and Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) Viavi Laxative should be employed as directed, to keep the bowels open. BLADDER AND URETHRA 131 Cold Compress should be used daily over the bladder until the painful symptoms have somewhat subsided; then twice a week. Baths best suited to the individual should be used. (See Baths, final chapter.) Hot Sitz Bath. This will help to relieve the painful contraction of the sphincter of the bladder, and the sen- sation of fullness and pressure in the bladder. Diet should consist largely of milk and broths. Stimulants of all kinds should be strictly avoided. THE URETHRA The urethra is a small canal through which the urine is discharged from the bladder. It is soft and capable of distension, which permits the passage of calculse, or stones, from the bladder. The urethra is frequently the seat of inflammation, which may extend from without inwardly or from within outwardly. The acute form, if not overcome, develops into the chronic. The lining may gradually peel off, leaving the surface raw, and a flow of blood is likely to follow urination. When inflammation of the urethra is accompanied with a discharge of mucus, there is catarrh of the urethra. The causes of inflammation of the The Causes of urethra are much the same as those of Urethritis inflammation of the bladder. In women, instrumental or tedious de- livery is responsible for many cases, this little duct being bruised and dragged downward so severely that injury is suffered and recovery is slow. Frequently injury to the urethra from this source is so serious as to necessitate treatment for bladder and kidney troubles. The hurt is caused by the advancing head of the child remaining wedged against the pubic bones for so long that the urethra is stripped and paralyzed. Anything that impli- 132 VIA VI HYGIENE cates the lower part of the vagina is likely to involve the urethra, as it is imbedded in the anterior vaginal wall. Infection from various sources is one of the causes. Alcoholic drinks, taking cold, and infection are the chief causes of urethritis among men. The chief symptom of inflammation of Symptoms of the urethra is painful urination, with Urethritis a sharp, scalding sensation. There is often a frequent desire to urinate, but not so frequent as in inflammation of the bladder. Reten- tion of urine is caused by dread of pain in voiding it, and may be relieved by the sufferer hearing the sound of water running from a faucet or poured from a pitcher. Urethral tumors, or caruncles, are bright or dark red, and in women hang from the urethral orifice like little tongues or beech nuts, one corner alone being attached. They may bleed easily, and be extremely painful, or may cause no pain for long periods of time, when an inflammatory condition or a slight injury will cause them to become exquisitely painful. In general, the treatment for urethritis Treatment for is the same as that for cystitis. In the Urethritis case of men, the pencils are used in the urethra. Any treatment which acts beneficially on the vagina will act likewise on the urethra ; hence with women the same treatment is advised for urethritis as for inflammation of the vagina (see chap- ter on Vagina). The capsule dissolved in the vagina is absorbed in the surrounding tissues, and thus the urethra is reached. Inflammation of the urethra has yielded Treatment for satisfactorily to the Viavi system of Caruncles treatment, but caruncles are very slow in disappearing and sometimes have proved incurable. They are, as a rule, a long time in forming, and so require a continued treatment. Outside of the Viavi method the treatment is surgical, but as nothing is done to relieve the cause producing them, BLADDER AND URETHRA 133 they may be expected to appear in an exaggerated form. When caruncles are present the capillary circulation is always greatly impeded, and the capillaries are over- distended throughout the whole tract. By the use of the Viavi system of treatment the capillary circulation has been established, and although the treatment has often required considerable time, recovery gave promise of permanency. If caruncles are present, three Viavi capsules should be dissolved in a teaspoonful of olive oil or vaseline, and the external parts anointed several times a day, especially after urination. A frequent bathing of the external parts with cold water will also prove grateful and beneficial, after which the parts should always be anointed with the dissolved capsule. A barbarous treatment is cauterization. This often so injures the delicate membranes that they refuse to heal, leaving a painful sore, which gradually enlarges. CHAPTER XX. VARICOSE VEINS AND ULCERS VARICOSE veins are those in which the walls have become relaxed and overdilated, and are holding an abnormal quantity of blood. The term is restricted in general use to the veins in the ex- tremities, especially the lower extremities. The veins there have valves, which support the column of venous blood as it ascends, and prevent its running downward, acting as the valve in a pump. These are numerous in the veins near the surface, especially in the lower extremities. When the veins near the surface become greatly dilated, the circulation is rendered sluggish and is carried on by the deep veins, but it occasionally happens that the deep veins are first affected. This brings about a deplor- able condition. Varicosity begins with a slow dilation Condition of of the veins. This gradually pro- the Veins gresses until they become enlarged in calibre and crooked. The lining becomes altered and the valve shortened, or the valve is not sufficiently long to close the distended vessel; hence it becomes unable to support the column of blood. Varicosity of the capillaries frequently appears upon the skin like the roots of a tree. When the larger vessels are involved the veins become dilated, tortuous and knotty, standing out boldly above the level of the skin. Some- times the vessels burst, and serious and even fatal hemor- rhage results. There may be a slow exudation, or oozing, into the surrounding tissues, making the limb dropsical. It does not appear as an ordinary dropsical condition from obstructed venous return, but the skin has a solid, non- resisting, marble-like appearance and does not pit under VARICOSE VEINS AND ULCERS 135 pressure. An eczema, or eruption, may develop with such a condition. While the legs are elevated they are to Treatment for be sponged with warm water and vine- Varicosity gar. (See Viavi Cerate, final chapter.) After they have been dried with a soft cloth or towel, a thorough application of Viavi cerate is to be made, rubbing from the feet toward the body. It is very essential that the rubbing be done toward the body, as the venous circulation is in that direction. If the rubbing is done from the body toward the feet, the flow is impeded and the varicose condition made worse. Great relief and beneficial results will follow placing the legs in a hot pack. This is done by wringing a piece of blanket or heavy flannel from water as hot as can be borne, and wrapping it about the leg, which again should be wrapped in dry flannel, and then kept in this pack for at least fifteen minutes, the leg being elevated, or on a level with the body if the sufferer is lying down. After removing the pack, a thorough application of the Viavi cerate is to follow. Standing upon the feet immediately afterward is to be avoided. The sufferer should remain quiet for at least an hour if the pack is taken in the morn- ing; if taken in the evening, one should at once go to bed. When the veins have become greatly distended the leg may be bandaged with strips of loosely woven flannel cut on the bias, care being taken not to bandage too tightly. The bandages should be placed about the ankle first, and gradually wound about the leg, finishing at the knee. When the condition has existed until If Ulceration the legs have become large, dropsical, Develops tense or swollen, and varicose ulcers have formed, we insist upon complete rest and quiet for a time. The legs, aside from the ulcers, are to be treated with the sponging and the cerate as advised in this chapter. The ulcers should be cleansed with warm water, in which have been placed five drops of carbolic acid to the quart. The water should play 136 VIAVI HYGIENE upon the sore from the rectal tube of a fountain syringe, which should be hung only moderately high, so that the stream of water will have but little force. When the ulcer is thoroughly cleansed, dry with pieces of absorbent cotton. Apply the Viavi cerate over the ulcer as follows: If oiled silk is not available, prepare some mutton tallow by boiling it, then stirring it until it is cold. Spread some of this on a piece of linen; over the tallow spread a layer of the cerate. The tallow will prevent the cerate from being absorbed by the linen. Apply the side with the cerate upon it to the raw surface. If there are fissures, or cracks, the Viavi liquid, diluted one-half with water, sprayed upon the open sore with an atomizer before applying the cerate, will act beneficially. The ulcer should be entirely covered with the liquid. A layer of absorbent cotton, or several layers of clean, soft, white old linen, may be placed over the ulcer and held in place by moderately tight bandages, so as completely to protect it. The sore should not be picked nor surgically interfered with. This treatment is to be employed twice a day until a decided improvement is noticeable; then once a day. If, however, the pressure against the blood vessels returning from the limbs, caused by enlargement, dis- placement, bruises, etc., may be the mechanical cause of the varicose condition of the limbs, then these conditions must be removed before the condition of the limbs can be permanently improved. Viavi Liquid should be taken internally as directed. Viavi Capsules should be used by women if any form of uterine trouble be present. Viavi Suppositories should be used when rectal trouble is present. Baths. Use the bath that can best be used under the circumstances. (See Baths, final chapter.) CHAPTER XXI. EAR AND EYE (and some of their diseases) THE EAR MANY cases of deafness and suffering might be avoided by taking the trouble in time. It is then that the Viavi system of treatment has been especially useful. Some conditions become so far advanced that no treatment nor skill can overcome them. Earache is caused by colds, innamma- Treatment for tion, foreign substances in the ear, Earache neuralgia or injury. Put two or three drops of Viavi Ear Treatment in a small vial or medicine dropper, warm it, and drop gently into the ear. Then cover the ear with a hot bag of salt or bran, or a hot-water bag. If there is tenderness in the ear, saturate with the Viavi Ear Treatment a pledget of cotton just large enough to fill the ear snugly, and insert it, leaving some of it protruding, that it may be easily withdrawn. Rub Viavi cerate thoroughly around the root of the ear fifteen or twenty minutes, twice daily. If the neuralgia was caused by cold, protect the ear with cotton when out in the cold; if a general neuralgia, make the diet light and nourishing. Should the health be at a low ebb, use the Viavi tonic as directed on the bottle. Should there be catarrh in the head, spray the Viavi liquid in the throat with an atomizer. Inflammation of the outer ear may be Treatment for caused by picking the ear with some Outer Ear hard substance, or by insects, pebbles, beans, etc., or by the stoppage of cer- tain small glands, causing them to become inflamed and producing little pustules or ulcers. 138 VIAVI HYGIENE The ear should be thoroughly, gently cleaned with warm water and soap with a hand syringe, or with a fountain syringe hung only a foot above the ear, to pro- duce a gentle flow; this will wash out foreign substances. A pea or bean in a child's ear should be removed by a physician, and no water used before his arrival, as it will cause the seed to swell. After thorough cleansing, tilt the head and drop three drops of Viavi Ear Treatment in the ear, letting it go as far as it can. Rub the cerate around the ear, and if there is catarrh spray the nose and throat with Viavi liquid. Hardened wax represents an unhealthy Treatment for condition and leads to dulled hearing. Wax in Ear Attempts to remove it with a hard implement make it worse. The proper way is with warm water and good soap syringed gently into the ear. After this thorough cleansing, drop three drops of the Viavi Ear Treatment into the ear, with the head tilted, and have the fluid penetrate as far as it can. To better the general health, take every care with a wholesome, simple diet, and proper baths and exercise. The tympanum (drum) is a thin little Ruptured Drum membrane closing the outer from the of Ear middle ear. It receives the sound vibrations and by an ingenious mechan- ism transmits them to the hearing centers of the brain. It may be ruptured by a heavy fall, an explosion, or the use of a hard implement in cleaning the ear — a practice that never should be followed. Healthy ears do not need cleaning out. When they do need it, they should be made well. Cleaning out does not cure. The drum may be perforated by an abscess. If there is a discharge from the ear, a skillful aurist should be con- sulted. Rupture of the drum need not cause total deaf- ness in the affected ear, but it impairs the hearing. Should a rupture occur, a specialist should be called in, as there is danger that the mastoid cells back of the drum may become affected, producing a serious threat to the brain. EAR AND EYE 139 In case of rupture, no liquid should be dropped into the ear. Simply insert a pledget of cotton saturated with the Viavi Ear Treatment a little way and consult a specialist at once. This occurs behind the drum, and Inflammation of is often caused by catarrh extending Middle Ear up the Eustachian tube from the mouth. It creeps up to the ear, producing partial or total deafness, and often invading the mastoid cells. This may necessitate one of the most dangerous of surgical operations. Catarrh of the head commonly affects the Eustachian tubes, and is the most general cause of deafness. To check the catarrh of the nose before it affects the ear is the sensible plan. (See chapter on Catarrhal Conditions.) The symptoms of inflammation of the middle ear are dullness of hearing, with noises in the ear; there may or may not be pain and soreness, depending on the slowness or rapidity with which the condition advances. Spray the throat with Viavi liquid at least three times a day in chronic conditions, and every two or three hours in case of taking a cold. If there is no discharge from the outer ear, cleanse the ear with warm water and soap, and twice a day introduce three drops of Viavi Ear Treatment. Rub Viavi cerate around the ear thoroughly once a day. If there is a discharge, consult a specialist instead of using the above treatment, and meanwhile gently cleanse the ear with a pledget of cotton saturated with glycerine or warm water, and then insert a pledget of cotton saturated with Viavi Ear Treatment, renewing it daily. The diet should be nourishing and light. Hot salt baths and gentle exercise are useful. The vitality is often greatly reduced in such conditions, and as the catarrh is likely to be extensive, involving the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and stomach, the Viavi system of treat- ment for the condition should be thoroughly and persist- ently employed. 140 VIAVI HYGIENE The attention of a skillful physician or Mastoid Disease aurist is demanded at once for this or Abscess serious condition. The symptoms are pain in the ear and in the bony eleva- tion immediately behind the ear upon tapping it with the finger or a pencil. Sometimes there are headache, dizzi- ness and vomiting. If a physician cannot be procured at once, proceed as follows until he arrives: Keep the ear warm with a hot- water bag, or a bag of hot hops or salt. Insert in the ear a pledget of cotton saturated with the Viavi Ear Treat- ment. Thoroughly rub Viavi cerate around the ear and especially over the bony prominence immediately behind it. Let the diet be light and nourishing. If there is fever, sponge baths should be given. The sufferer should be kept free from annoyance by noises. Absolute deafness indicates a condition Strange Noises in which destructive processes have in the Ear gone so far that no remedy has as yet been found. If there remains any degree of hearing, there is hope, even though the drum has been ruptured. Partial deafness, accompanied with ringing and other strange noises, which may seem un- bearable, invit t ligent and thorough treatment and living. The aim of the Viavi system of treatment is to reach the cause of which the condition in the ear is a symptom With the cautions and restrictions herein given, one may hope for satisfactory results from the treat- ment where the cause is removable. Patience and per- sistence are demanded. THE EYE The many afflictions to which the eyes are subject are out of all proportion to the general ignorance concerning these delicate organs and their care. Many of these troubles arise from the failure of parents to see that their m^ EAR AND EYE 141 children have good eyesight. Unless children's eyesight is very bad, they are not aware of a deficiency. Countless children have permanently injured their eyes and im- paired their health by straining to see with defective vision. Parents should have the eyes of all their children examined at a very early age by an expert oculist or optician, and spectacles should be provided for those found defective. Many persons go half through life without knowing they have defective vision, and suffer # constant strain that tells on the vitality. Even good eyes may be overstrained Treatment for from too close and constant use, or from Eye Strain becoming weak as the result of a gen- eral weakness or local disease, or from worry or anxiety or grief. The symptoms are pain and redness in the eyeball, sensitiveness to light, or a desire to press the ball; the eyes may feel as though sand were in them. With a medicine dropper let three drops of Viavi Eye Treatment fall into the open eye, with the head tilted back, three times a day. Viavi cerate should be thorough- ly rubbed over the forehead, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the neck to the ear, ,wice daily for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. The eyes should be rested as much as possible fror the particular use which caused the inflammation. The diet should be plain and nourish- ing; avoid rich and stimulating foods and drinks. The circulation should be aided with baths and exercise. The bowels should be made to move once daily. Retire early and get all the sleep possible. Inflammation from foreign substances For Injury to in the eye, or from a blow, causing pain, the Eye redness or discoloration, should be treated as follows: If the eyelids are stuck together in the morning, bathe them gently with warm water till they open, and cleanse the eye of matter that has gathered, and wear an eye-shade. Drop two drops of Viavi Eye Treatment into the eye every half 142 VIAVI HYGIENE hour in severe cases; less often in milder cases or as the eye grows better. Give it perfect rest. If necessary, close it with a pad and bandage of soft linen; over this wear a green eye-shade. If the foreign substance, say a piece of steel or gravel, remains in the eye, it should be removed. This can frequently be done by pulling the upper eyelid over the lower one. If a piece of steel or other substance has become embedded in the ball, it should be promptly removed by a physician or an oculist. The Viavi cerate should be rubbed thoroughly over fore- head, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the neck to the ear, twice daily, for fifteen or twenty minutes each time. Granulation of the lids is a more or less Granulation of serious disease of the conjunctiva, the the Lids delicate membrane lining the lids and covering the ball. One form of it is trachoma, a contagious disease which deforms the lids; it requires the attention of an oculist. The edges of the lids show the swollen condition of the membrane. There is a feeling as of sand in the eyes. The balls and lids are sore and painful ; the eyes are sensitive to light ; tears are copious. Examination shows small elevations on the lining of the lids. Thoroughly cleanse the eyes with warm water, es- pecially if the lids are stuck together in the morning; wipe them gently with clean absorbent cotton. Never use towels, wash cloths, soap, or other toilet articles used by other members of the family. Always burn the absorbent cotton after using it. Drop two or three drops of Viavi Eye Treatment into each eye several times a day, or every half hour if the condition is severe. Protect from light with a cotton pad, a bandage and a green shade. Rest the eyes as much as possible. Employ a generous, easily digested diet, avoiding all stimulating food and drinks. Take plenty of rest, and secure a good circula- tion with moderate exercise and appropriate baths. (See Baths, final chapter.) Rub Viavi cerate thoroughly over the temples, eyelids and forehead, and on both sides EAR AND EYE 143 of the neck to the ears, twice a day, for twenty minute* at a time. The iris is the colored circular barid Inflammation of around the pupil ; inflammation of it is the Iris iritis. It may be caused by strain, injury, nervous reflexes, colds, impure blood. The iris is inflamed and red, and the blood vessels on the white of the eye are congested. There are pain and tenderness in the ball, and sensitiveness to light. The pupil does not dilate readily. Thoroughly cleanse the eye with warm water. In severe inflammation, a cold compress may be put on the eye two or three times a day, by folding a fine, clean linen handkerchief, dipping it in cold water, laying it on the eye, and changing it every few minutes for an hour. Several times a day drop three drops of Viavi Eye Treat- ment into the eye. Rest the eye as much as possible; a pad may be worn over it. The diet should be bland; avoid stimulating drinks. Rest as much as possible. Take gentle exercise and baths. Rub Viavi cerate on the forehead, eyelids and temples twice a day, twenty minutes at a time. Either on the day of birth, or a few Diseased Eyes days after, an infant's eyes may show of Infants disease from leucorrhea or infection of the mother. The lids are of a deep reddish -purple, with a whitish discharge; it may cause blindness. The conditions call for the immediate attention of a skillful oculist or physician. If one cannot be pro- cured, the eyes and eyelids should be thoroughly but very gently washed with warm water, after which a drop of Viavi Eye Treatment should be used in each eye, this treatment repeated several times a day till the oculist arrives. Rub Viavi cerate over the forehead and temples and on both sides of the neck to the ears twice a day. As this danger to an infant may arise in any case where the mother has leucorrhea, it is important that women give thorough attention to their condition before the child comes. 144 VIA VI HYGIENE Infants' and children's eyes often Diseases Due to become infected by the use of towels Infection or cloths that have been used by adults suffering with leucorrhea or an in- fectious disease, or by unclean hands. Acute suffering follows; there are copious discharges of tears and pus, inflammation, sensitiveness to light. In all such cases a skilled oculist should be called at once, or blindness may result. Until he comes the following alleviative treatment may be used: Thoroughly but gently cleanse the eyes, afterward burning the cotton or linen so used. Apply several drops of Viavi Eye Treatment to the eyes several times a day. Rub the cerate thoroughly over the forehead, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the neck to the ears, twice a day for twenty minutes at a time. Withhold stimulat- ing food and drinks. Provide absolute rest and a darkened room. Bathe the body gently. Avoid kissing, and prevent the discharges from the eyes from reaching any one. Keep the hands thoroughly washed in warm water to which has been added a little carbolic acid. Keep the finger nails short and perfectly clean. A yellowish white triangular growth Growth on the may extend from the inner corner of the Eyeball eye toward the pupil. It may be caused by dust or wind, by strain, or by other irritation. In such cases avoid over-working the eyes. Wear smoked glasses on windy or dusty days, and see that the eyes are fitted with proper glasses, which may have to be changed from time to time, especially when the eyes are growing better. Put two drops of Viavi Eye Treatment into the eye three times daily, and rub Viavi cerate over the forehead, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the neck to the ears, twice daily for twenty minutes at a time. Take nourishing, easily digested food; avoid stimulating drinks. Baths and exercise should be rationally employed. CHAPTER XXII. WOUNDS, SPRAINS, BURNS, ETC. THE employment of the Viavi cerate for wounds, burns, sprains, bruises and other injuries has been more than satisfactory. Its efficacy as a dressing for injuries has been studied by the staff of physicians in the extensive Viavi laboratories at San Francisco, California, where it has for years been thor- oughly tested. These experiments were made at first under the most rigid antiseptic precautions, but as no inflammation occurred, the wounds healing by first intention, less and less antiseptic caution was observed, until the cleansing of the wounds with tepid water in which a few drops of carbolic acid had been placed, was all that was done before binding up the injured member in the cerate. These physicians discovered a radical Absorption of departure from established experience the Cerate with the old-fashioned moist treatment with salves, ointments, etc., for in using the Viavi cerate they found that the moisture of the cerate was not retained, because the cerate was rapidly absorbed. This made it necessary in severe injuries to renew the application two and even three times daily. Rapid rebuilding and union of the tissues followed. There was no rise of temperature, and no abnormal sensitiveness developed. The rapidity of repair was astonishing. Our object in experimenting without antiseptic pre- cautions was to see the results that followed the use of the cerate where such precautions could not be taken, and where they were not understood; but the best cleansing process that is possible to obtain at the time and place should always be used. 146 VIA VI HYGIENE There may be no necessity for hurried It May Prevent amputations of seriously injured parts, Amputation as neither inflammation nor blood poisoning is likely to occur if the injured part is abundantly supplied with the cerate. The healing process commences at once. If, after two or three days' use of the cerate in extensive injuries, other than fracture of the bones, amputation is found necessary, no time has been lost by the application of the cerate, as the injured parts will be found to heal much better and more quickly, because of its having been used. Under the use of the cerate the wound takes on a greenish hue, but remains sweet and odorless, with gener- ally no tendency to swelling. SPRAINS AND OTHER INJURIES As marked benefits have followed the use of the cerate for sprains as for wounds and burns. When the wrist is sprained it is not only the muscles in the immediate vicinity of the wrist that are injured, but the whole length of the nerves leading up the arm and into the spinal column. It can now be understood why the treat- ment must not be confined to the wrist, but must include the whole arm, the shoulder, and the upper part of the spine. (See Application of Cerate, closing chapter.) For a sprained foot, ankle or knee, similar treatment is to be followed, as here again the whole length of the nerve to the spinal cord shares the injury. So many gratifying results have been secured from the use of the cerate in minor and even serious injuries that it would be impossible to begin their enumeration here. Those who know the value of the cerate for these purposes keep it on hand for all such emergencies. Exten- sive burns, when liberally treated with the cerate, have come out without a scar. Partial paralysis of a man's arm from a fall on the shoulder disappeared under the use of the cerate. WOUNDS, SPRAINS, ETC. 147 A HOUSEHOLD REMEDY (including needs of infants and children) It must be evident that the Viavi system of treatment is a household necessity for some conditions. In every home there should be a box in which should be kept a box each of Viavi capsules, rectal suppositories, cerate and laxative; also a bottle each of the Viavi liquid and royal. This box should be kept closed and in a cool place. Excellent results have followed the use Its Effects Upon of the cerate when thoroughly applied Children over the bodies of growing children and developing girls. (See chapter on Non- Development.) Intelligent mothers who have used the Viavi system of treatment and understand its action as an assistant to Nature in their own condition, fully realize its help in building the tissues, muscles and nerves in growing children. We ask that mothers who have never employed the treatment in this manner, massage with Viavi cerate the spinal column of the overtaxed school child and note the results. It will come home from school much brighter, its eyes and head will not ache, and it will soon be able to master the home study with which its tired little brain is commonly overtaxed. If the mother is not physically able to do this, she should employ some one to do it for her; she will find this to be the best investment that she ever made. It repays itself in the rapidly developing bodies of girls and boys. In infantile paralysis the results have In Paralysis of been little short of miraculous when Children compared with those obtained from other methods. One of many inter- esting cases of so-called incurable paralysis was that of a six-year-old child who had completely lost the use of her lower limbs, when an infant, from scarlet fever. As the parents were wealthy, the best medical skill had been employed, but to no avail. The mother was using the Viavi system of treatment, and it was suggested that she 148 VIA VI HYGIENE rub the cerate over the child's legs and spine daily. The little limbs were useless when the treatment was com- menced, but in time the child was able to walk across the room. Other cases of a similar nature have shown the efficacy of the treatment in diseases peculiar to infancy and childhood. Curing weakness in childhood assures a healthy and happy life. Many children suffer shame and some Weak Bladder in of them unjust punishment for in- Children ability to control the urine. Unless confidence has been established be- tween them and their parents they may conceal their condition and continue to suffer. Children should be carefully looked after in that regard by parents and teachers, and on the slightest sign of bladder weakness should have thorough treatment, lest the weakness become .chronic. Those afflicted in this way have readily recovered under the Viavi system of treatment. This is simple. Viavi Cerate should be applied thoroughly over the abdomen and lower half of the back once a day. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) Viavi Liquid in children's doses should be given as directed. When the child first gives the peculiar Treatment for cough that is characteristic of croup, a Croup hot-water bag should be placed at the back between the shoulders, and while the child is well covered, so as to prevent chilling, the cerate should be applied, under cover, in a very thorough manner, over the chest and throat. (See chapters on Catarrhal Conditions and The Lungs.) CHAPTER XXIII. PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WHEN Oliver Wendell Holmes was asked at what age we should begin to live aright, he answered, "Two hundred years before we are born." That is to say, we should provide two hundred years in advance for the welfare of our progeny. By longing for children, by loving them before they are born, by putting our whole being, physical, mental and spiritual, in the right condition for parenthood, our children will be born not only with our excellencies, but with even higher conceptions of love, marriage and parenthood; they in their time will naturally choose in marriage partners of like qualities, and will bring forth children as much superior to themselves as they to us. Let this proceed for six generations, or two hundred years, and a line of a high order will have been estab- lished. We take extraordinary pains and expend vast sums to build houses that may stand five hundred or a thousand years, and we have developed with incredible pains our finest domestic animals and plants from the crudest wild stock. In development, our race is thou- sands of years behind the humble creatures that have been evolved to high types by our intelligence. It is estimated that in the United Production of States alone there are nearly a million Incompetents incompetents in the prisons and lunatic asylums. But they are only the very worst. Besides them are millions of social burdens, some in poor-houses, others supported by private and organized charities, still others tramps and beggars, and a great army of mere drones and invalids in families. All of these live on the bounty of the competent and are a 150 VIAVI HYGIENE drag on progress, probably all of them come from viola* tions of Nature's laws in marriage and parenthood, and many of them are producing after their kind. Thus an unchecked, unheeded injury of incalculable magnitude is being done to worthy, intelligent parents, to their children, to society, industry, government and the race. Any man or woman would manage a farm or a barnyard on a more intelligent plan. Nature does what she can to make us Nature Always heedful. She not only imposes suffer- Punishes ing for violation of her laws, but when she sees that we refuse to heed and are a positive menace to her benign purposes, one of which is to bring ourselves as a race to higher and still higher levels by the exercise of the intelligence she has given us for that very purpose, she determines to destroy us. This she does in various ways; her commonest method is to remove us with disease. She is merely showing the wisdom of the barnyard manager who kills a feeble or dangerous animal lest it injure the others or lower the standard by breeding with them. While the heavier parental obligations Duty of the rest on the mother, those resting on Father the father are sufficiently grave. A division of interest is too often seen, the man making the sole fight outside the home, and the woman having sole charge of the children. There can be no more serious mistake than the man's exclusion from the home management if there are children. A child is the most helpless of young creatures, and is most in need of love and guidance. Capable as a mother may be, her capability is largely increased by the co-operation of her husband. And it is just as much his duty as hers to see that all the conditions of parenthood are right before it is even invited either by intention or chance. Partner- ship in parenthood is the first essential of a home. The faculties of a man and of a woman are different; in that very fact lies their value in combination. Their training is different; their knowledge of the world and of human PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 151 nature is often radically different. Marriage tends to broaden both, and the greater value of this effect is not the ampler life that it gives to each, but the better wis- dom from combining their powers for the children's good. A mother may have the mistaken idea Mistaken Sense that she should not worry her husband of Duty if anything goes wrong with the children. It is his right to know and his duty to help. There is probably something wrong with the man whose wife, with a mistaken sense of con- sideration, withholds from him the most vital things concerning his life, for those things reside in his wife and children. Some confidences of great delicacy belong between the mother and her daughters, others between a father and his sons; but this does not exclude full knowledge of the children by both parents. No matter how great the natural responsibility of the mother, that of the father is not weakened thereby. It is an evil for him to shift to his wife his share of the responsibility, and she should never assume it. Great as is the responsibility of the Duties of the father, that of the mother is greater. Mother During pregnancy she nourishes the child with her own blood, the quality and circulation of which, and consequently the strength of the child, depend on her conduct. Until the child is weaned its food comes from her body; the quality of this food depends upon her, and directly affects the child. All during infancy and childhood the child craves all the love, tenderness, wisdom and guidance of which she is capable, for she is its natural nurse, the forming force of its life. To the extent that any of these elements are weak, the child will suffer physically and mentally, and to the extent that they approach perfection, it will thrive. On this subject a great woman has Line of Least said: "We have been taught that it is Resistance an awful thing to commit murder, to take human life, and so of course it is. But do you know that there are students of anthropology 152 VIA VI HYGIENE and heredity who think that it may be even a more awful thing to thrust, unasked, upon a human being a life that is handicapped before he gets it? Did you ever think seriously of that? No man is bad simply from choice. If you are good and true and lofty it is simply because, all things considered, that is to you the line of least resistance. The parents of the race must make it easy to be good, easy to be true, hard to be ignoble or criminal, not by rewards or punishments, — those methods have been weighed and found wanting, — but by the very blood pulsations that are transmitted from both parents to the children to whom they take the tremendous responsibility of giving life. It is the fashion to repeat, 'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.' Every one knows that this is not true in the sense in which it has always been used. It is true, alas, in a sense never dreamed of by politician or publicist." A great editor, commenting upon a A Heritage of call for a series of women's congresses, Ignorance wrote: "The purpose is to illustrate and celebrate the progress of women. Accordingly there will be sessions to discuss the achieve- ments of women in art, authorship, business, science, historic endeavor, law, medicine, and a variety of other activities. But so far as the printed programmes enable us to judge, not one thing is to be done to show the pro- gress of women as women. There will be no showing made of an increased capacity on their part to make homes happier, to make husbands stronger for their work in the world, to encourage high endeavors, to maintain the best standards of honor and duty, to stimulate, encourage, uplift, which from the beginning of civilization have been the supreme feminine function. Nothing, it appears, is to be done at the congresses to. show that a higher education and a larger intellectual advancement have enabled women to bear healthier children, or to bring them up in a manner more surely tending to make this a better world to live in — the noblest of all work that can be done by women. We need no congress to show us PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 153 that women are more thoroughly educated than once they were, or that they can successfully do things once forbidden them. But have wider culture and wider opportunities made them better wives and mothers? A congress which assumes that the only thing to be cele- brated is an increased capacity to win fame and money, will teach a disastrously false and dangerous lesson to our growing girls. This fatal blunder as to the value of woman's development, as woman, quite aside from her home relations, has retarded the real civilization and caused to be transmitted (unnecessarily transmitted) the characteristics which have gone far to make insanity, disease and deformity of mind and body the heritage of will-nigh every family in the land." Says Mary Howitt: "God sends us Noble View of children for another purpose than Motherhood merely to keep up the race: to kindle our hearts; to make us unselfish, and full of kindly sympathies and affections; to give our souls higher aims, and to call out all our faculties to expend on enterprise and exertion; to bring round our firesides bright faces and happy smiles, and loving, tender hearts." It is not possible for a physically im- The Basis of perfect mother to have for her child Guidance that love which has its basis in perfec- tion. She may lavish on it all the affection of which she is capable; but it will not be the sound affection of the physically perfect mother; it is likely petulant and uneven. There is nothing so tragic as that form of melancholia in ailing mothers which finally leads them to the destruction of their children. Many a mother, finding her own life unbearable, has killed her children before taking her own life, fearing to leave them motherless. One of many similar cases that have come under our observation was that of a woman, who, nervous from a uterine trouble, sent her little boy into the street to find his life, as she could not bear the noise that every boy 154 VIAVI HYGIENE has a right to make. There he learned things that eventually made him a murderer. A well and wise woman might have foreseen such an end. The first right of a child is to be born Natural Rights on purpose — to be longed for, planned of Children for, loved even before it is conceived. But as this planning is not practicable in all cases, for the reason that children may unexpectedly .appear, and, what is most lamentable, sometimes when they are not desired, the next right of the child is that its parents, particularly its mother, should be fully prepared for parentage. The great source of pre-natal harm to children is found in the unhealthy condition of the mother's generative system. If the danger came from lung troubles, or stomach troubles, or the like, then her attention would have been directed to that. But such is not the case. It is the terrible prevalence of weakness and disease in the generative systems of women, and the far-reaching effects of those conditions upon the life of the sufferer and her offspring, that represent the great evil of civilization. Our plan for reaching it is, first, the education of women upon these subjects; second, the placing in their hands of a natural method of treatment by which thousands of women have been brought to the highest standard of physical excellence ; third, the knowl- edge that these conditions should be cared for early, while Nature can help, before it is too late. It is for the reason that diseases of Uterine Disease the generative system seriously affect Disastrous the nervous system of women, and consequently the mind, that mental infirmities, with tragic results, often arise from them. No diseases have so great an effect in rendering mothers irritable and the noise of their children annoying. The mother suffering with a disease of the generative organs is constantly under a nervous strain, because those organs constitute the center of the female economy during the generative life. Every nerve cries out un- PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 155 ceasingly. Every external impression must travel over suffering nerves to reach the brain, where it may paint a picture more or less distorted. Every noise is an irri- tation. Often the whole complexion of life is changed to a greater or less extent, whether the sufferer may be aware of the fact or not. Demonstrations of affection from the children and from all others may have either a weakened force and significance, or become distasteful. It is often equally bad with thoughts originating in the mind and with the emotions, for to a greater or less extent they partake of the diseased condition. They may be unstable and ill-directed, and weaker than in health. Love may insensibly merge into hate. Im- patience easily becomes intolerance. The judgment suffers. The perception and understanding of external things being imperfect, there may be uncertainty in the conduct. No fact of history is clearer than that Wise Mothers* "The mothers of great men have them- Children selves been great." What mother would not be proud of a Washington or an Alexander the Great for a son? A beautiful legend runs to the effect that from the time when the advent of a Christ was prophesied, every Jewish maiden was taught to make herself worthy to be chosen by Jehovah for the mother of the Son of God. This was persiited in for many generations, with the result that to-day Jewish girls are remarkable for their soundness, vigor and beauty, and Jewish mothers for their comparative healthiness and their superior qualities of wifehood and motherhood and domestic management, and for the love and reverence which their children have for them. The healthy child of a sound mother is the greatest of all blessings. Its own life is a continual joy, and it brings joy to all within its circle. The mother's heart swells with a tender pride in the treasure that heaven has sent her, and her soul is doubly armed for the trials that her life mav brine. It is not difficult to be such a woman. 156 VIAVI HYGIENE such a mother. Nature imposes no unreasonable tasks, and the rewards that she gives for obedience to her laws are as rich as the punishments she sends for infractions are severe. Our highest gratification as founders of the Viavi movement is in observing such mothers and children as the direct result of the good accomplished by this movement. CHAPTER XXIV. A TALK WITH MEN ABOUT WOMEN When a man's wife or daughters are suffering from a disease peculiar to their sex, they should be able to secure his co-operation, for often a man's practical training renders his judgment exceptionally valuable. It is a subject that, unfortunately, many men avoid through a sense of delicacy, a praiseworthy trait where it is wisely exercised, but if at the expense of the family's happiness and the husband's prosperity, it is unwise. The following incident will show to Need of Parents* fathers the need of looking after their Confidence children and establishing confidence with them : A bright boy sixteen years old had made no growth since he was thirteen. As a con- sequence, he was at a disadvantage in his classes, and when he was placed in a large merchantile house, he found other and larger, though younger, boys promoted over him, while he was as bright and capable as any, though so small and childish-looking that the proprietors would not advance him. A close observer might have noticed that he suffered in some way, but being modest, and his confidence not being invited, he kept his counsel. When he had passed his sixteenth year, his health broke down. A physician was summoned, and he found a defect that prevented development. From Nature's efforts to force the development, illness and great suffering had ensued. The difficulty was easily remedied; the boy quickly recovered, and began to grow with astonishing rapidity. He became an entirely different boy. He grew strong where he had been puny before, and was promoted to a more responsible and lucrative position. If there had been the proper understanding between father and son, the 158 VIAVI HYGIENE trouble would have been averted when it first appeared, for the boy would have told his father. Similar instances of children suffering because of a lack of parental oversight and confidence are much more common than is generally known. If we regard the health of the family Business Point from a mere business point of view, we of View shall find it highly important. A man will make the conditions of any under- taking as favorable as possible, for thereby he saves strength and time which he can profitably employ. The condition of a man's family bears a very intimate relation to his success or failure. His wife is his partner, even though she may know nothing about his business. Health in a wife is required for that clear judgment upon which the proper management of the household depends. If she is ailing or peevish or weak, she cannot take the interest in his succeps that she would if well, and her condition depresses him. This seems so self-evident that one might wonder vhy it is stated here; but the truth is that comparatively few men consider it. The amount of noney which a man expends for the treatment of his wife and daughters is, of course, a sec- ondary consideration, the main thing being to secure their health, whatever the cost, if the man can find the money. For it is better to live in a hovel with health than in a palace with disease. At the same time, it is foolish to waste money, no matter how much a man may have. If needless spending for treatment impoverishes the family, a deplorable condition is presented. Countless men have their noses kept to the grindstone by expenditures be- cause of the invalidism of their wives and daughters. The reasons are very plain; the ordinary methods of treating women's diseases are too often inadequate. A husband and father would care nothing for any expense — provided he was able to meet it — that would restore his loved ones to health. But after all is spent, and n' thing has been accomplished, what has been the benef from the expenditure? Compared with such ex- A TALK WITH MEN 159 pense, that incurred by adopting the Viavi system of treatment is insignificant. No one, however skillful, can promise definite results in any person's condition in advance, because cure de- pends upon the sufferer's recuperative powers; and hence no reasonable person will ask a guarantee. Yet a man reasons that if a treatment is in harmony with Nature's laws, one may expect in the average condition what has been accomplished in the past in like conditions. This appeals to the common sense of a man, who will cheerfutly make an expenditure for tangible results. Apart from the natural affection that Proud of His a man has for his children is the pride Children that he takes in them. It humiliates and grieves him to see them inferior to other children. A man takes pride in the sturdiness and manliness of his sons, and in the beauty, sweetness, modesty and brightness of his daughters. He may love them all the more if they are deficient, but there is a pain in his love that nothing can cure. The health, the modesty, the happiness, the life of those nearest and dearest to him are matters that every man should earnestly consider. Suppose that a man has a lawsuit Men Must Use seriously affecting his interests. Will Judgment he occupy his mind with other matters, leaving all the work to his lawyers? He will know that they have other cases, that their interest is of necessity divided, and that no matter how much money he may be paying them for their services, they can not neglect their other clients. Instead of leaving everything to them, he will give them every assistance in his power. He will seek out evidence that might be useful. He will ascertain the bearing of the law on his case. He will insist on knowing why they do this or that, for he has common sense, he knows that it is valuable in every concern of life, that no amount of special training 160 VIAVI HYGIENE can take its place, and that sometimes such training may obscure it. It is so with everything; he will not trust the most vital matters wholly to others. His responsibilities in matters affecting him are greater than those which any one else can feel. No other person can give the subject that concentration which he can give, that attention based on a realization of its vital meaning to him. - Why should he make an exception in the case of his wife and daughters, who trust to his devotion and intelli- gence? In what other concern of his life could there be so urgent a demand upon him? There is a feature of the Viavi system The Proof Is of treatment that appeals to the prac- Necessary tical sense of a man, and this is that all concerned with its promotion are keenly desirous that it should be successful. Hence the treatment which the founders put forth must have accomplished what they claim it has. They know that if they made assertions or claims that could not be verified, they would lose that public confidence which is so neces- sary to a wide acceptance of the treatment. As a matter of fact, the success of the treatment has been so far in advance of that secured by usual methods as to make the founders prefer that the treatment itself should pro- claim its more remarkable achievements. They realize that for sufferers to secure better results than they had expected or hoped for is the surest way to advance the reputation of the treatment. The efficiency of the treatment explains the extent of its adoption, through the enthusiastic support of those who have received its benefits. Obviously, one recovery assures the adoption of the treatment by others, but one failure would do more harm to the reputation of the treatment than one success would do good. Care is taken to see that the condition for which the treatment is contemplated comes within the range of the conditions which the treatment has success- fully reached. A TALK WITH MEN 161 Many men know nothing about the Philosophy of nature of the treatment to which their Treatment wives and daughters are ordinarily subjected. Why should they not? The Viavi system of treatment is so simple and rational that every man can easily comprehend it and intelligently observe conditions as they are affected by it. The philosophy and details of the treatment, as given throughout this volume, appeal with special force to the common sense of men. Repeated experience has shown that where the husband or father has acquired an under- standing of the treatment, his common sense is convinced, and that his aid in the precision and persistence with which the treatment should be used is of the greatest value. A woman's courage may fail under the weakening effects of her disease; it is then that the hearty masculine encouragement is priceless. Nothing is more important to a woman, especially if she is ill, than the understanding and sympathy of her husband. Interest in the treatment and fidelity in its use are more than doubled if both husband and wife are partners in her employment of it. A man's duty to his wife or daughter in this regard does not end with an exercise of his judgment in the selection of a method of treatment ; of equal value will be his sympathetic co-operation with the use of the treatment. The man is the natural protector of his The Father's wife and daughters, and they will trust Influence him before any one else. He will give them all the sympathy and assistance he can. He has mismanaged seriously if he is not in a position to know whether they are afflicted with some disease peculiar to their sex. But by far the greater trouble with him is that, like them, even if he knows they have some such trouble, apparently slight, he does not realize its tendency to advance steadily toward a chronic and constantly depressing condition that will affect the welfare of the entire family. Let any man whose friend's wife has become a confirmed invalid, or has undergone a capital operation, ask his friend a few simple questions, 162 VIAVI HYGIENE such as these: "Did your wife's trouble begin some time ago, perhaps years ago, with leucorrhea, or inflam- mation or displacement of the womb, or as the result of miscarriage or childbirth, or with painful menstruation? Did she receive the usual treatment, such as astringent douches, or curetting, or pessaries, or what not? Did she grow steadily worse under it all? Or was her condi- tion simply neglected, and she grew worse in that way? Has the operation made her a sound woman?" Let him be sure that the answers he receives are correct, for his friend may not be thoroughly informed; he may have left everything to others. If the answers are correct, we know pretty well what they will be. Then let the man ask how much it all cost. Of course he will reflect that the direct money cost will represent but a fraction of the whole money cost, and that there has been a heavy additional cost in far more serious ways. Then let the man ask himself whether the entire treatment convinced his reason, his common sense, as being a natural treatment, one aimed to go to the root of the trouble, or whether it looked artificial or forcing, beginning at the wrong end. As a rule, men do not stand in as much Independence of awe of authority as women do ; they are Judgment likely not to take as much for granted as women do. The training of a life- time has taught them more reliance on self. It is proper for a man to use the experience and wisdom of others as far as he finds them useful, but the last thing he is likely to do is to surrender his right of decision. He would rather run the risk of mistakes due to his errors of judg- ment. We always prefer that the husband or father should heartily coincide with his wife's decision to adopt the Viavi system of treatment, partly because his sympathy and co-operation during the use of the treatment are ex- ceedingly valuable, but especially because he is not likely to agree to its use until his common sense has been convinced that it is the very best that can be found. It A TALK WITH MEN 163 is an extraordinary exception for a man to fail in being so convinced after he has studied the philosophy of this treatment and seen the overwhelming evidence that can be shown him of what Nature, aided by the system of treatment, has done over and moreover in probably just such cases as the one he has at home. Common sense and proof are a man's anchorage. When he knows, nothing can shake him. No ridicule of something not belonging to some special school of medi- cine has any effect on him, for he knows how the different schools ridicule one another. In some cases where the condition has The Unnecessary been neglected or improperly treated Operation until the recuperative powers are no longer able to respond, an operation may become necessary. We may be reasonably sure that such a necessity would not have arisen if the husband had informed himself and the proper treatment had been adopted in time. But the vital question to the man now is, how is he to know positively that an operation is necessary, even though told that it is? Is he going to take anybody's word for it without looking into the matter himself? And will he consent to it, without knowing himself the condition in which the operation will leave his wife? She. may have a chronic trouble that has failed to yield to a certain treatment. Will the man accept a declaration that an operation is the only remaining reliance, when hundreds of sufferers have been told the same thing and yet means were found and used by which they got well without the operation; and that in all the world and among all the bounties of Nature there is absolutely nothing but an operation to be found? There is rarely any need to hurry in Uncertainty in these long-established conditions, and Operations when they do exist, no short cut to health is possible. That is not Nature's way. And very often there is a wrong diagnosis, and the cutting based on it is found to be an error. Possibly the 164 VIAVI HYGIENE man and his wife may never be told of that. When a man considers the extreme natural repugnance and terror that a woman has for cutting, he will hesitate before employing any hasty persuasion to get her on the operat- ing-table. And, after all, the man will reflect that, whether the operation is in reality a necessity or not, it is not a natural method and does not remove the condition that brought on the necessity to operate. He will reflect further that the necessity, real or apparent, probably arose because the particular treatment that had been employed was a failure. All that can be seen by visual exami- Where Skill Is nation of a woman's generative organs Fallible is the lining of the vagina and a part of the neck of the womb. Symptoms of conditions in the hidden organs are often — and generally — complex and obscure, so that much guessing generally has to be done. There is always a chance for a disastrously wrong guess. Women have been cut open for a supposed tumor that distended the abdomen, and then found not to have a tumor at all, but to be perfectly healthy and far advanced in pregnancy. A well-informed man knows why uncertainties of diagnosis exist, and he cannot be convinced that they do not exist. It is difficult to imagine anything more pathetic or appealing than a woman who suffers from a wrong guess. A man who has informed himself Conditions That cannot be convinced that any human Baffle foresight can know what the ultimate result of an operation will be. No positiveness of assertion will affect him. A woman's apparent recovery will not deceive him, nor will any assurances that she has recovered, for he will know that only the coming years can tell. The complexity, sensi- tiveness and delicacy of a woman's organism baffle the out- look. No two women are ever alike, no two ever have exactly similar conditions, no two are affected equally by an operation, no two are at all likely to be situated alike or to think and act alike and thus affect after-con- A TALK WITH MEN 165 ditions similarly. What has happened in the case of one woman who has been operated on, may or may not happen in the case of another. A thousand chances are against it. A man will think twice before trusting blindly to blind chance. Every well-informed man knows that New Fashions in surgery, like other great and useful Surgery sciences, is in a constant state of change, dropping old errors and trying new ways. What was thought good and even necessary yesterday is abandoned to-day as wrong. Removal of the appendix is an illustration. The supposed good accomplished by it led many to urge the removal of the appendix even when it was not affected, to avert danger of its disease. Much of this was done, and it was invariably urged in slight at- tacks of appendicitis. Then came a reaction to some extent. It was reflected that possibly Nature did know her business, after all, and had some obscure use for the seemingly useless little appendix. Yet, even as late as the present year (1908) the reform appears not to be all that might be desired, if the following from an article in the March, 1908, issue of Colorado Medicine, the official organ of the Colorado State Medical Society, may be taken to represent the true condition of affairs at this time: " There are few conscientious physi- cians but will reluctantly admit that there are to-day more operations on than diseases of the appendix vermiformis." It is sincerely to be hoped that a true reform will come both with regard to the unnecessary removal of the appendix and equally unnecessary operations on women. Operation for cancer is undergoing a Conflict Over similar revision. Formerly, it was Cancer universally declared among experts that the knife offered the only hope in any case. But some were curing cancer without the knife. Now many of the experts have abandoned the knife and are using milder measures, and there is a great professional war in progress over the question as to whether the knife or a milder method is the better. 166 VIA VI HYGIENE There are, too, wide divergencies of method in opera- tions for the same condition, and the discovery has been made that operations themselves may lay a train of serious diseases, without considering the immediate dangers often attending them. If an effort is made to convince a man No Man Will Be that his wife or daughter is in a critical Hurried condition and in need of an immediate operation, he would be rash to acquiesce without going into the matter as thoroughly as possible, for any operation, from the slightest to the most serious, may and generally does leave an irreparable injury, no matter what may be said to the contrary. A prudent, considerate man will take no single person's word for such a condition. The diagnosis may be wrong, as it often is. The man will call in another expert, and still more ex- perts, each without the knowledge of the others. He will be almost sure to find remarkable and disturbing dis- agreements. There are, of course, obviously urgent If Condition conditions demanding the promptest Critical attention. Common sense and usual means of information will guide him in visibly critical situations, and he will summon assistance immediately. If the condition is clearly not critical, let him apply to the nearest Viavi office for an application blank, fill it out carefully and return it. He may or may not — depending on the condition shown by the applica- tion—receive hopeful and helpful suggestions based on a very extended experience with probably just such cases as this one. It would be only prudent for him to do so, and he would not surrender his right, of decision. He never can succeed in transferring his responsibility. Many a woman goes to the operating- Protection of table in ignorance of the mutilation Women contemplated. It is hard to imagine her husband or father conniving in such a deception, for he would be as generous to her as to A TALK WITH MEN 167 himself; he would demand a very clear understanding of what was contemplated for him if he were in her place. Some strong reason must have existed in England for the formation of the Society for the Protection of Hospital Patients, for it was organized to protect women from un- necessary mutilation, and in its appeal to the public it cited Dr. Canu's bitter arraignment of the practice of ovariotomy in France, where, he said, it had done more harm than the Prussian bullets in 1870. Many women themselves, either from When Women dread or horror, or from independence Refuse of spirit, refuse to submit to an opera- tion, preferring to suffer as they are. Hundreds, thousands, hearing of the Viavi system of treatment as offering some hope to an otherwise hopeless condition, have adopted the treatment in spite of having been told with the utmost positiveness that nothing what- ever existed but an operation to relieve them, and have recovered. We hold this evidence and will cheerfully present it. In itself alone, without considering the com- mon sense of the treatment, it will convince any reason- able man or woman. The intelligence and trustworthiness of this evidence can be easily ascertained. It will occur to a thinking man that Why Operations operations are generally resorted to Are Urged when ordinary non-surgical treatment has failed. But he will ask, Why did the treatment fail? Few men realize the extraordinary range and extent of operations on women, and the reasons given for them. A reading of the chapters following this will enlighten them to some extent, although no at- tempt is made to cover the ground completely. It may be said in general that under ordinary methods for treating the diseases of women, every departure from the normal in a woman's condition, no matter how slight, probably points to an operation sooner or later, whether necessary or not. These range through a large field, including re- moval of the breasts, womb. Fallopian tubes and ovaries. 168 VI AVI HYGIENE shortening weak and stretched ligaments supporting the uterine organs, stitching the womb to the abdominal walls, curetting and scarifying the womb, cutting open the body to tear adhesions loose, sewing up lacerations occurring in childbirth, and so on. The foundation for the reputation that A Difference in the Viavi system of treatment enjoys Methods was the recovery, under its use, of cases that, after long treatment, had not recovered under ordinary methods, but had grown worse, and finally had reached a development when it was announced that only an operation could give relief or save life. But it could be relief only; it could not be a cure, since it could not reach the cause of the condition which produced the apparent necessity for an operation. Under the Viavi system of treatment the cause of the trouble is one of the first things aimed at and persistently attacked. One of the great aims of the Viavi Prevention of system of treatment is to prevent all Operations excuse for advising operations. Two points we constantly insist on are that even the slightest departures from the normal in the functions of a woman's generative system point to a con- dition in the course of years in which, from neglect or under the ordinary methods of treatment, an operation will be urged, and that all excuse for urging it may be avoided by adopting the Viavi system of treatment at the beginning. The longer the delay, the lower the recupera- tive powers. The deadly, deluding fascination in an operation is two-fold; it is a quick, deft means to bring about some change in the sufferer's condition, and the sufferer's expectation is that it will relieve her of trouble, many believing pathetically that they will be made as sound as in girlhood. That is opposed to all the wisdom and processes of Nature. A TALK WITH MEN 169 Suppose that a woman has a fibroid How Danger Is tumor of the womb. The chances Magnified are a shousand to one that she will be told positively that unless it is removed it will continue to grow until it kills her, that there is no known means for stopping its growth, much less of pro- curing its removal by natural means, and that the longer the delay in its surgical removal, the weaker the sufferer will become and therefore the less able to bear an opera- tion. For all who accept such declarations there is a revelation in the chapter on Tumors in this volume. Under the ordinary methods of treating tumors, such declarations are substantially correct; under the Viavi system of treatment, they have been refuted over and over. The same is true of ovarian diseases. The rational, natural treatment of How Men Are women's diseases is slow, but no quick Tempted way that is genuine has been found, and it is better that recovery should be slow. Who could be as patient, devoted and thorough in following it as the sufferer herself, with her husband's co-operation? Who would be less inclined to give up the good fight and yield to the temptation of the knife? Many men are financially unable to meet the expense of a long-continued attendance. For that reason, rather than see no treatment at all given their wives, and with hope weakened by seeing no progress toward recovery under the treatment employed, they may conclude that an operation, even if they thoroughly understand every- thing in connection with it — a knowledge that men rarely secure — is better than nothing. Yet in reality there may be something far better than an operation. A reasoning man will reflect that as Cancer From operations, even the very few that Operations may be really necessary, do not reach the cause of the condition for which the operation is performed, they cannot be expected to cure, and that besides leaving a woman afflicted with that 170 VIA VI HYGIENE unremoved cause, they have irreparably crippled her, often to a serious extent. But they may have accom- plished something still worse and in addition to those two things. Thus, the late Dr. Thomas Keith, of London, is reported as saying: "I say deliberately that hysterec- tomy" (removal of the womb) "is an operation that has done more harm than good, and its mortality is out of all proportion to the benefits received from the few." This, it is explained, is because, principally, of cancer developing afterward. Dr. Spencer Wells is reported as de- Ovariotomy and daring that 36 per cent, of the known Cancer causes of death of those who recovered from the operation for the removal of one or both ovaries was due to development of cancer produced by conditions which the operation itself created. But this possible sequel of operations by no means covers the ground. That can be better learned by reading the chapters following this. A man's common sense will show him that the most advanced authorities who have found operations apparent- ly advisable, as a result of the failure of ordinary methods of treatment, are near right when they declare that a surgeon cannot reasonably expect nor promise anything more than relative results; as one of them puts it, "The woman will never again be the same well woman she once was." Every man knows that it is compara- Women's Reliance tively easy for men to exercise author- on Men ity over women. Therein lies the woman's greatest danger and the man's frankest opportunity for good or evil. To what extent a woman's instinct to yield to masculine assumption of superior wisdom and power accounts for the amazing extent to which women are mutilated, we leave it to thoughtful men to determine. A man may reflect that his domination of his wife may measure the power of any other dominating influ- ence that may be brought to bear on her. We are not A TALK WITH MEN 171 speaking of a cruel domination, but of an assertive au- thority. Civil and religious laws place men largely in authority over women, but those laws were never intended to blunt the natural masculine sense of shielding and cherishing. If a wife, without her husband's The Value of interference, has apparently become Instinct reconciled to an operation, he will be wise to look very closely into her seem- ing acceptance of what she appears to regard as the inevitable. Women have courage in ways that find men deficient. Where certain exquisite impulses have been roused, they will face danger, even death, far more readily than men will. A man will not connive blindly in any- thing contemplated for his wife that she would naturally regard with horror, for she has been given her instincts for good purposes, and she cannot violate them as easily as she may appear to. A man will see to it that some authoritative influence has not placed her in a false position and outraged the deepest and truest things in her nature. He is a wise man who realizes the harm Reticence of to a woman that may lie in her beauti- Women ful reticence, particularly where a man, even a husband, is concerned. That alone may keep her silent, even secretive, when there is anything wrong, more especially when it concerns that part of her being in which her natural sense of modesty and concealment has its origin. What is true of a wife is much more pronounced in a daughter. It would be kind and prudent in a man to see, without any need of indelicacy, that such an understanding exists between him and his wife, and between her and their daughter, as would abolish any danger of harm from the misuse of this exquisite trait in women. The daughter who has been deprived cf a mother is unfortunate, but surely a man of heart and brains can find a way to safeguard his child, io v 172 VIAVI HYGIENE his responsibility and his daughter's danger have been doubled by the loss of the mother. A man may unconsciously be blinded Men Are Often and made selfish by the nursing in- Blinded stinct, the mother-sense, that all women have, and that often leads them to make him think entirely of his own condition and com- fort and not of their own. To offset that instinct in women, men have been given an instinct of chivalry, that impulse which leads them to shield the weak, to be thoughtful and attentive, and to have a sense of pride in all that makes them competent and useful in those ways. If men are not blinded, that instinct will lead them aright in their bearing toward their wives and daughters. He will remember that women are naturally unselfish. A man should not permit himself to be Women Underrate persuaded, even by his wife, that some Symptoms slight unnatural discharge or pain or • irregularity or displacement, or other seemingly trivial departure from the normal, is nothing to worry over and that it will soon pass away. He may be assured that it will not soon pass away, and he should very positively inform himself as to whether favorable progress is being made under any treatment employed. As a rule, men are more thorough and interested in getting at the bottom of facts and reasons than women are. An instructive difference is often seen in the ways in which men and women act when the Viavi system of treatment is being explained to them. A man listens with intense concentration, and asks questions that go straight to the reasons and the proofs. A woman is not always so thor- ough. This difference is by no means universal, but is sufficiently extensive to indicate the difference in the life- training that the sexes usually have, and to explain our wish always to see the man of the family and be assured of his understanding as to natural laws and the relation of the Viavi system of treatment to them, and to feel an anchorage in his co-operation with his wife in the use of the treatment. A TALK WITH MEN A/3 A man should remember that as a rule, Men's Instinct and for many reasons, women do not for Health place on health the value that men do. A man's excess of vigor is a natural endowment, given because of his harder, more hazard- ous work in life. Any ailment that cripples his powers frets him and is an obstacle that he promptly sets himself to overcome, that he may live his life and do his work. In women that instinct is comparatively weak. It is all the more reason why a man should exercise a jealous watchfulness over the health of his wife and daughters. He will disabuse their minds of the ruinous vanity which may make them believe that endurance of suffering is a woman's portion and a measure of her character. He will as promptly correct their dis- Concealment in astrous unselfishness which may lead Women them to conceal from him afflictions that they bear and sufferings that they e-ndure. He will assure them that it is his right to know, to understand, to help. A man suffers a serious loss when he is deprived of that right, a more serious loss than many women could be made to believe. Some women do not like to bother with a slow treatment that works on natural lines to secure a return of natural conditions, and hence are often easily convinced that there is some short cut. Most women are very busy in one way or another, and they cannot readily readjust their duties and time to do what is essential to real recovery. In that respect alone a man's co-operation is of the greatest value, for his whole training is to find a way. A man who goes about seeking advice Great Value of other than from his enlightened corn- Independence mon sense and his sense of personal responsibility may have an experience similar to that of a bright woman journalist as she once told us of it. "It happened," she said, "that all the staff people who knew about art were away and that no com- petent person outside could be secured, yet a certain 174 VIAV1 HYGIENE exhibition of paintings had to be properly handled for the paper. I was ordered to handle it, and my protests that I knew nothing about art, and that my critique would make the paper ridiculous, went for nothing. 'You have intelligence and common sense/ said the editor. 'They will take you through.' But I doubted, and so I went to a skillful artist, and he kindly went over the col- lection with me and greatly enlightened me — except that he condemned some paintings that I thought were good. I was not satisfied, and appealed to another equally capable artist, and he went directly opposite to the first one. I went to a third. He had a still different slant. Then in despair I wrote just what I myself thought about the pictures, forgetting all that the artists had told me. I handed in the criticism with much dread, but it was pub- lished, and my breath was taken away when I learned that on every hand the critique was regarded as the best the paper had published in a long time. It taught me a lesson/' she concluded. Two features of the Viavi system of Broad Effects treatment will appeal with special on Women force to the common sense of a man. One is that it is a home treatment, employed in privacy by a woman herself, and the other is that she is compelled to do herself the important things toward her recovery. Some women do not like pub- licity, some sacrifice a great deal in submitting to treat- ment by others. More important is the intelligence that a woman acquires in employing the treatment herself, the responsibility for health and its value that she develops, her building up of her recuperative powers by learning the vital relation between conduct and health, the growth of her power from knowing what Nature can and must do in curing disease if anything at all is done, and the con- sequent use by her of sensible means at her own command to secure and retain health for herself and for the others of the home. All of this brings about a wholesome development of character impossible under a different method. This is A TALK WITH MEN 175 reflected in many ways — in wisdom regarding the bearing and rearing of children, and an enlarged competency in all the ways that make a wife her husband's helpmate. It would make instructive reading if we could publish the changes for the better that have come over the house- holds in which the Viavi system of treatment had become a friend. But any man will be able to see for himself how such results had to come. A distinctive feature of the Viavi Ignorant Use system of treatment is that its adoption Discouraged by those wishing it is carefully safe- guarded. It will be seen that one of the main purposes of this volume is to give women a knowledge of themselves and their condition. After they have informed themselves and arrived at a decision to adopt the treatment, they are requested to fill out and send to the nearest Viavi office an application blank, in which their condition is set forth. The office determines from this what form of the Viavi system of treatment the condition demands, or whether the conditions in- dicate that they come within the range of the treatment; if not, the treatment is not furnished. Thus the applicant has taken the first step in the self-knowledge that is so essential to health, and in deciding to adopt the treatment her sense of responsi- bility for her health — another essential — has been born. Both of these powerful forces making for health are denied women under the ordinary method of treatment. The knowledge with which the user starts increases day by day with the use of the treatment, together with a sense of responsibility, which attaches to her throughout the treatment. Men know the value of co-operation. Two Are Better They see the great power of corpora- Than One tions and trades unions. They realize that this power has two elements that an individual cannot have — first, the physical power of massed individuals and of wealth and of the means for producing wealth; second, and more important, the mass- 176 VIAVI HYGIENE ing of moral and mental power. In its simplest form the value of co-operation is expressed in the old saw that two heads are better than one. Women are beginning to real- ize this power of organization, which is a massing and mul- tiplication of individual power; they express that under- standing in clubs, guilds, charity and reform organiza- tions, and many other ways. Co-operation, or partner- ship, instead of repressing the individual, expands him; he represents and feels an augmented power, and this has a developing effect. There is nothing more pitiful than a Isolation in sick woman alone in her suffering, Sickness denied the constant sympathy and understanding of some one dear to her. It depresses her, weakens her, discourages her. When an apparent or a real emergency arises in her con- dition, she may in her ignorance under the old method of treatment be unduly alarmed or not know that her condition demands prompt attention. If she understands, as she likely will under the Viavi system of treatment, those dangers may be averted, but far more important to her would be the understanding and co-operation of her husband. That is only one of the many ways in which co-operation would have a priceless value. The sense of loneliness, of isolation, of depression, that women have who suffer from diseases peculiar to women, tends strongly to drive them to remedial assist- ance that they would otherwise shun, simply to get hu- man sympathy and understanding, which a sick woman needs very much. Her husband would prefer that she had his to anybody else's, and if intelligent, it would be more valuable. Appended to the description of the Benefits Are diseases coming within the range of the Individual Viavi system of treatment, in this volume, are directions for the treatment of those diseases as they are usually found in their wide variations. But any individual case may present excep- tional features, and readier benefits might be secured if A TALK WITH MEN 177 the nearest Viavi office were kept regularly informed as to conditions and changes. Women denied the co-opera- tion of their husbands may neglect writing. Some, with mistaken unselfishness, may wish to avoid giving trouble or appearing childish. Such mistakes rarely or never occur where the husband or father exercises an intelli- gent co-operation. We wish to hear regularly from every person using the treatment, no matter though the progress is perfectly satisfying, and we gladly incur the heavy expense required by such correspondence. We wish above all things that every one employing the treatment should receive the best possible benefits, without lessening the sense of sole responsibility that users assume in adopt- ing the treatment. Defective children and childless and Broken Homes disrupted marriages are generally symp- Explained toms of something wrong, morally, mentally or physically, in one or both parties to the marriage. If either the mind or the body is ailing, the other is likely to be, and the morals, thus handi- capped, must suffer to some extent. It is an instructive coincidence that divorce, and the number of morally, mentally, or physically defective children, are steadily increasing with the advancing prevalence of diseases peculiar to women, and of surgery as the chief reliance in their treatment. All of these conditions must be ex- pected, and are clearly chargeable to popular ignorance concerning the principles governing the perpetuation of the race. Marriage is not a mere mating of animals; it is a complex relation, requiring many fine adjustments, which are natural and easy for normal persons, but difficult for those who are not. As marriage is a normal step in Nature's great onward march, it would obviously be pleasant if its conditions were normal. Knowledge means health, and health based on knowledge will almost invariably assure marriage stability and normal children. A married couple are designed to be the two halves of a whole ; but the whole does not truly exist unless its halves are perfect. CHAPTER XXV. EDUCATION DESIRED TWO important principles lie at the foundation of the Viavi health movement. One is that as ignorance of Nature's laws is the most prolific cause of disease, this movement aims to furnish the knowledge that people are seeking; the other, that as women are the greatest sufferers, and as their diseases have the most far-reaching effect, they should receive special consideration. It is wrong to assume that women should remain ignorant of matters vital to their welfare. Contrary to the old belief, they readily grasp the laws of their being, are eager to know and understand them, and to apply them when learned. With a proper understanding, they know not only how to avoid suffering, but how to bring up their daughters wisely, keeping them from the errors which cause wretchedness in after life. For centuries it has been the custom of women to remain in ignorance of their physical being, particularly the most important of all, their reproductive being. It is a whole- some sign that this vital subject should now be regarded as one of the things to be understood, not as something to be ashamed of. It is both a woman's right and her duty to understand these things. When she does, her conscience may be depended on for a wise discharge of her duty. Evils arising from ignorance of Nature's Some Results of laws are seen on every hand. Often Ignorance at the time of life when a young girl most needs the kindly guidance of a mother she is wholly neglected, with the result that, frightened, or filled with shame at the wonderful change EDUCATION DESIRED 179 that leads her from childhood to womanhood, she does some irrational thing that fills her life with suffering. Young women enter matrimony while physically unfitted to do so, and ignorant of the simplest philosophy of the marriage relation. As a consequence, many lead lives varying from ordinary pain to unendurable anguish, thus unwittingly casting a cloud upon their homes, loading their husbands with mental and financial bur- dens, and, if they bear children, starting a new generation of ignorance and suffering. At all ages irrational practices are indulged in without a knowledge of the harm they will produce, and disease is started that will torture the victims throughout their lives. It has been taken for granted by women that suffer- ing must be their lot. The prudishness that has been imposed upon women acts with even greater force upon men where women are concerned. Advanced men have as earnest a desire as women to understand these subjects, and there is' no fact more thoroughly demonstrated than that when the matter is comprehended, it is invariably treated by men with the reverence it deserves. There is a vast difference between Need of Better prudishness and true modesty. The Knowledge woman who is ashamed to contem- plate and understand the wonders of her reproductive being, and who avoids the subject as a basis for intelligent living, shows a lack of reverence for the most sacred of the Creator's works and designs. The Viavi movement aims to enlarge her understanding, and to show her the consequences of ignorance and the blessings and power of knowledge. In doing this through- out these pages we shall employ sufficient directness to leave no doubt, and at the same time treat the subject with that delicacy and reverence which a matter so beautiful and vital should receive at the hands of the intelligent. Such a treatment of the subject will be as refining, as ennobling and as instructive in the case of 180 VIAVI HYGIENE young girls as in that of married women, for the mission of this work would be incomplete did it fail to meet the needs of women and girls of all ages and stations. With this book a mother can teach her daughter the beautiful truths of life, and thus avert the wretchedness that ignorance so often entails. There is no confidence so holy as that between mother and daughter, and it should be cherished by the mother with unfailing solicitude. This volume should be employed by mothers to cement that relation and to secure for both the knowledge so necessary to them. Those who study the subject acquire respect for it. In all the range of moral forces none exists that has a more purifying and uplifting influence, or that reaches deeper into the true womanliness of women. It is in such a spirit that this book is written. One of the most important needs and uses of this knowledge is the protection that it gives women in the form of their ability to have something intelligent to say when they are advised that some radical or mutilating measure is proposed as the only means for securing relief. Many even of the best mothers find it How To Teach difficult to discuss with their young Daughters daughters the subject of reproduction. The difficulties are not real. Long before the child approaches puberty she should be gradually taught the beautiful mystery of reproduction of species. Every living thing has its origin in sex. The blossoms that we love so much contain the sexual organs of the plants that bear them. Both sexes are represented in some plants, while in others some are male and others female. By their pollen, carried by insects or the wind, fertilization takes place on the same principle as in human beings. In the female flower are ovules corresponding to the eggs or ova in the ovaries of a woman, and when they are fertilized by the male principle, the pollen, they develop into seeds; these, when they are ripe, will produce after their kind. Is there any cause for shame in that knowl- edge? Nature will be found to abound in illustrations of the sex function in human beings, and a child at a very EDUCATION DESIRED 181 early age should be gradually brought to understand the beautiful principle. It is a mother's duty to inform her- self on these subjects, in order that she may impart her knowledge to her young daughter. If the mother herself does not instruct A Mother Should her daughter, the knowledge will be Instruct acquired in some other way, and we may be sure that it will not be the best way. The child will naturally reason that as her mother did not inform her, the subject was a forbidden one. This will have a tendency to awaken unhealthy thoughts in the budding mind. The mother should be the one to teach the daughter, and in teaching her she should inculcate an idea of the sacredness of the subject. Evil is not natural to the mind of the child; it is usually sug- gested by some older person. Therein lies the danger of the child's getting an evil conception of a beautiful truth. CHAPTER XXVI. THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS THE delicacy of the feminine organization is mani- fest in early childhood, and becomes conspicuous at the time when the child blossoms into woman- hood. Boys are never spoken of as "blossoming" into manhood. The little girl is indeed a dainty flower- bud, and upon the manner of her blossoming depends the beauty and value of the full-blown flower. Shall the rose, from ignorance or neglect in its care at the time of unfolding, be pale, sickly and stunted, or shall it open its velvety petals in richness of color and perfection of form? In even an early state of fetal life we Sex Has Early find the organs of generation. At this Origin stage the ovaries are bound and pro- tected in the region of the kidneys. As the fetus approaches maturity they descend to the position they are to occupy permanently. They are said to contain at birth, in a rudimentary state, all the eggs that they will ever have. Even after birth they will remain undeveloped twelve or fourteen years; then puberty comes and works a wonderful change. The child is a perfect human being in every way save that of the reproductive powers. The brain centers con- trolling the development and function of the generative organs are present and healthy, but are inactive; their day has not yet arrived. But in good time, from the twelfth to the fourteenth year, sometimes earlier, some- times later, the current of nutritious blood to them opens up, bringing food and strength. The centers develop, and the nerves leading from them to the generative system awaken to their duties. The blood supply of the generative organs is increased, the organs develop, and the child becomes a woman. THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 183 Meanwhile, other wonderful processes, Growth of the preparatory to this, have been going Infant on. At first the infant lies helpless in its mother's arms. Where is the mother who has not watched the baby face change day by day as it was marked by the development of intelli- gence? First she observed the infant's discovery of its sense of touch. She found it caressing her face with its baby hand. Then would come its exclamations of satis- faction, safety and content as it would nestle in her arms, enjoying warmth, love and security there. She sees it carry everything to its mouth, to test it by the touch of lip and tongue. She sees the sense of sight come into play in the process of this examination, as the child critically regards everything that it brings to its mouth. She sees the wonder and interest that it mani- fests when placed at the window to look out upon the great world of which in time it will become a part. She sees it begin to creep, impelled by the forces hidden within it and urging it on. She observes it gradually come to the erect posture, and suffer the innumerable falls and other minor accidents that form part of the great scheme of life. She notes the persistency with which it labors to master the art of walking, and with what ingenuity it uses her gown or the table or a chdr for support. The child, at last able to run about, Uses of Surplus shows a vast amount of surplus energy. Energy Unless we understand we wonder why it does so many unnecessary things, why it works so hard to accomplish nothing useful, why it is so noisy, why it so dearly loves freedom, why it instinctively prefers sound, healthy, cheerful people to those who are ill and morose and nervous, and why it does all the thousands of seemingly foolish things that make up the life of childhood. The wisest of Nature's purposes resides behind every act. Surplus energy is given in order that by expending it the muscles and bones may be developed and hardened, the blood kept actively in circulation, the organs made to work to their full 184 VIAVI HYGIENE capacity, and every other foundation laid for a vigorous life. To repress these tendencies is to load The Danger of the child with a burden under which it Repression will labor to the end. To deny it any of the kindness and affection which it craves is to prevent proper development of the finer and higher side of its nature, and permit the lower side to gain ascendency. Weak, suffering and nervous mothers, for all their love, have done more to cripple the lives of their children than all the forces that will come into play in later years can do. And back of the harm thus done is that represented by the ill health of the mother before bringing her child into the world. Women have been actually advised to have children as a cure for their ailments. It is assuming a terrible responsibility to advise a woman to secure her own comfort at the sacrifice of the happiness of the life to which she gives birth. During all the years of childhood, the The Mind Also development is proceeding. Play and Developing romping assure the physical develop- ment of the little life, provided that its food, sleeping and natural functions receive intelligent care. If not, the penalty will be paid — there is never any escape from punishment for infractions of Nature's laws. Along with the bodily growth has come that of the affections, from the love which the parents bestow. The one remaining part of the child's nature, the mental, also has been growing at a prodigious rate. Every act of its life has taught it something, has added strength and ex- perience and wisdom to some function of its brain. The co-ordinating faculties of the brain have marched abreast with the others. With all this comes the training of its higher mental qualities in the schoolroom. But there comes a time when a great A New Existence and wonderful change takes place, with Is Begun far more rapidity than any hitherto. We have seen the girl playing and romping with her schoolmates, in utter unconsciousness THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 185 of the destiny awaiting her. She has never troubled her head over the nature of love and marriage, though these were familiar phenomena. The only difference she had observed between the boys and girls who were her com- panions was that the boys were rougher and coarser and louder than the girls. She naturally preferred the com- panionship of girls, because they, like herself, were dain- tier and gentler. Her openness and frankness were notice- able. She could spend more energy in running and playing in a day than a grown person could thus give in a year. Presently there is an inclination not to be so much of a romp ; Nature is making a call on her vitality for a pur- pose higher than childish play. A wistfulness in her glance shows that the higher mysteries and beauties of life are unfolding. She grows quieter and gentler. A touch of the softness and repose of womanhood has come into her bearing. To her the girls and boys of her ac- quaintances take on a strangely diverging aspect. Ro- mance is kindled. She finds beauties that she had never seen before. Poetry opens up fountains within her whose existence she had never imagined. In her dreamy moments she thinks of some wonderful hero who will come into her life. She has ceased to be a child. Important physical changes have kept The Physical abreast with this development. Within Development the secret laboratory of her nature the miracle has been worked. The brain centers have developed, the organs of generation have asserted their presence and purpose. One of the many rudimentary eggs in the ovaries has ripened, accompanied by the first menstruation. Thus has the baby finally arrived at puberty. For about thirty-two years this con- dition will continue. It is at this time that a girl needs A Critical Time all the love and care that a mother can of Life bestow. Serious dangers, which any mother can understand, now lie in wsit for her. The giri is bound to learn ; the strong new 186 VIAVI HYGIENE force within her kindles a curiosity and creates a demand for knowledge. If she does not learn from her mother / she will from some other source, and thus acquire likely distorted and unwholesome ideas. Before puberty has arrived, the mother should take her daughter kindly in hand, and by pacient and frequent instruction teach her the laws that are about to be brought to bear upon her, and strengthen ner for tneir ooservance. The most disastrous results have followed the neglect of this essen- tial duty. It is an infinite reproach to the mother that the daughter should discover herself a woman and fee ? shame or alarm fo. her condition. One of our prominent aims since found- A Great Modern ing the Viavi movement, nearly a Awakening quarter of a century ago, has been to educate parents in the laws of repro- duction a.id to urge upon them the vital need of instruc- tion of their children in those laws, that they may escape the terrible dangers of ignorance concerning them. To what extent this persistent work through the years has awakened the public intelligence and conscience we may leave to others to determine. In 1907 the Bishop of London visited America, and became intensely interested in the rapidly growing movement for parental instruction of children in these matters. On returning to England, he called together a number of leading men and announced that he was going to make a crusade against this hurtful withholding by parents from children of the things that children should know. He thereupon arranged for a large number of meetings and is reported to have said: "I am now convinced that the uplifting of the morality of our people lies, above all and everything else, in educating the children, rationally and morally. I believe that more evil has been done by the squeamishness of parents who are afraid to instruct their children in the vital facts of life, than by all the other agencies of vice put together. I am determined to overcome this '''obstacle to national morality. I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that the right way has been found at last. .' . . There THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 187 shall be plain talking; the time has gone by for whispers and paraphrases. Boys and girls must be told what these great vital facts of life mean, and they must be given the proper knowledge of their bodies and the proper care of them. No abstractions; the only way now is to be frank, man to man." CHAPTER XXVII. THE GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN THE delicate internal generative organs of women — the vagina, womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries — are, together with the bladder and rectum, packed in a basin, the pelvis, a bony structure of great strength and composed of several bones rigidly bound together. The pelvis supports the spine above it and is joined with the hip bones from below. A woman's pelvis is larger than a man's, and has a larger opening in its floor, to permit of pregnancy and the passage of the child. The pelvic bones do not separate in childbirth, as is generally thought, but the coccyx, terminating the spine, bends back at that time. The pelvis is lined with muscular tissue, thus forming the strong, elastic muscular floor. This has an opening through which the vagina, urethra and rectum pass. The muscular abdominal walls are attached to the pelvis. The true pelvis is the smaller, or lower Characteristics of part, and the false pelvis is the larger, the Pelvis or upper part, of the basin. The bowels fill the upper part and the abdomen, and rest on the contents of the true pelvis. Tight lacing or improper sitting or heavy skirts press the bowels down on the sensitive organs, to their injury. The abdominal walls assist in the support of the pelvic contents, which suffer harm when these walls are weaken- ed by cutting or by improper care during and after preg- nancy. Numerous nerves and blood vessels pass through the pelvis to the legs. We shall see later how this explains the causes of some affections of the legs from uterine diseases. GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOxMEN 189 The space between the anus and the vaginal orifice is the perineum, which is often ruptured in childbirth if the tissues lack the tone and elasticity of health. The vagina extends upward, with a Arrangement of backward slant, from the external Organs orifice to the neck of the womb (cervix) , to which it is attached. The uterus (womb) rises above the vagina, its neck downward, its larger end upward and leaning forward, partly over the bladder. Opening into the upper end, or fundus, of the uterus are the two Fallopian tubes, one on each side. They extend laterally and over the ovaries, and termi- nate in a down-hanging fringe over the outer ends of the ovaries. Each of the two ovaries is suspended under these tubes. The finger placed on the abdomen about three inches from the median line and about two inches above the groin will be about over the ovary. The bladder lies between the front abdominal wall and the upper part of the vagina and lower part of the uterus. From it the urethra runs down the outer front wall of the vagina and terminates immediately above the vaginal orifice. The rectum fills the space between the uterus and va- gina and the back wall of the pelvis. The vagina is a highly elastic tube, Description of the extending from the vulva to the uterus. Vagina Its front and back walls lie in contact, and curve backward, following the course of the rectum, the posterior wall of the vagina forming the anterior wall of the rectum.* The vagina, like other organs, varies in size and length in different individuals. Being curved, the front wall is about three and one-half to four inches, the posterior wall from five and one-half to six inches in length. The upper end of the vagina is attached to the neck of the womb, which pro- trudes into the vagina about three-fourths of an ineh. The vagina is lined with mucous membrane and is sup- plied with numerous little mucous glands. In some abnormal conditions, large quantities of secretions are 190 VIAVI HYGIENE poured forth, which will be discussed when we come to the subject of leucorrhea. In the virgin there is a membranous fold, or curtain, called the hymen, which partially closes the vagina at the orifice. Through a small opening in it the menstrual flow passes, but in rare instances there is no opening, and the flow cannot escape. In such cases the hymen should be perforated by a physician. The presence of the hymen does not necessarily in- dicate virginity, as a fragile hymen may be ruptured in childhood or later by numerous innocent causes, skipping the rope being among them. It may also be ruptured in an examination. The uterus is pear-shaped. Its length, The Uterus and including the cervix, is about three the Tubes inches. In the virgin it weighs about one and a half ounces; in those who have borne children it weighs from three to four ounces. Its walls are composed of muscles ingeniously crossed and overlapped, permitting of great distension in preg- nancy. It is flattened front and back, the thickness being about an inch and the breadth about two inches. It is lined with a mucous membrane called the endometrium. The cavity, extending from the cervix to the fundus, is very small, widening slightly towards the fundus. The cavity is triangular. At the upper points of this triangle are the openings of the Fallopian tubes. The outside of the body of the womb is covered with the peritoneum, which lines the entire abdomen. and envelopes its contents. The cervix is kept closed by two constrictions, the inner and outer, and is provided with a number of minute glands which pour out a colorless secretion. The Fallopian tubes are about four inches in length. Their purpose is to carry the eggs (ova) from the ovaries to the womb. Their walls are muscular, the tissues being continuous with those of the womb. They open into the womb with a trumpet-shaped mouth; then for a distance have an opening so small as barely to take a bristle, and at the ovarian ends terminate in a fringe, or a number GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 191 of slender fingers, overhanging the ovaries. The purpose of these is to seize the ovum when it bursts out of the ovary, and convey it to the womb. To facilitate this, the tube is provided with minute hair-like processes, which possess the power of pushing the ovum along. With what marvelous ingenuity the Wonders of the ovaries have been constructed, and Ovaries how carefully they are guarded! As the womb is the cradle in which the egg, after impregnation, is developed into a human life, so the ovaries are the nest in which the eggs are stored. These organs are about the size and shape of an almond; they are the central influence of a woman's organ- ization; they determine her sex, her womanliness. With- out them, a woman is deprived of her most precious gift. Each egg (they number many thousands) occupies a little cavity, or follicle, of its own in the ovary, and each follicle has its blood supply and nerves separate from that of the others. At every menstruation, an egg ripens, bursts through the thin covering of one of the ovaries, is caught up by the fingers of the Fallopian tube, and is then sent through the tube to the womb. If it has been impregnated it re- mains quiet for a few days while a nest is being prepared for it in the womb from the lining membrane, and in which it lodges upon escaping from the Fallopian tube, and there develops into a child. If not impregnated, it passes away. It is thought by some that the ovaries alternate with each other in ripening an egg at every menstruation. Many of the rudimentary eggs never develop in the ovary. When all that Nature designs to be used have ripened and been cast out, the climacteric (change of life), together with a cessation of the menses, occurs, and the child-bearing period is at an end. The womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries Support of the would lie helpless on the floor of the Organs pelvis were it not for an ingenious arrangement of ligaments to hold them in place and give them the freedom and ease that they 192 VIA VI HYGIENE require; and here again we see the wonderful provision that Nature has made for the care of these organs. The peritoneum, lining the abdomen and covering the abdominal and pelvic organs, is pearl-colored and slippery, and with its prolongations assists in holding the generative organs in place and presenting them with a smooth surface, which prevents friction from their rubbing together. It covers the upper part of the womb, completely enveloping the Fallopian tubes and ovaries. As it dips down in front and back of these organs, it forms two folds, enveloping the organs and forming the liga- ments which hold them in place. These supports are so arranged that two ligaments run from the womb to the bladder, and from the bladder to the walls of the abdomen. One fold envelopes the womb, Fallopian tubes and ovary on each side, thence passing to the walls of the pelvis and upward. Two folds from the womb dip backward, and, en- circling the rectum, pass upward, lining the small of the back. Thus the womb, Fallopian tubes and Organs Are Free ovaries are suspended in a swing and To Move held with guy ropes. The organs are thus enabled to move forward, back- ward or sideways a little, but the space in which they are held is small, and hence the movement is limited. We notice, looking down upon the top of the womb, that the peritoneum dips down between the ligaments supporting the womb, and forms a pouch between the rectum and womb. This extends down the rectum, and for about a quarter the length of the vagina. Below that point the back wall of the vagina and the front wall of the rectum are virtually one. In front of the womb, between the vagina and the bladder, there is another dipping down of the peritoneum for a distance, but below that point the front wall of the vagina and the posterior walls of the bladder and urethra are virtually one. The reader should impress this arrange- ment on the mind, as it explains many conditions and has an important bearing on the philosophy of the Viavi GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 193 system of treatment and the changes accompanying its use. The rectum begins a little behind the Close Relation left ovary, the S-like turn between it of Parts and the colon being immediately behind that ovary. This explains to many sufferers from ovarian troubles why a movement of the bowels or gas in them produces pain in the left ovary by pressure from the bowel. If the womb tips back, as in retroversion, it partially closes the rectum, producing constipation, hemorrhoids, tumors, etc., and injuring the system by forcing it to retain the matter of which it is trying to rid itself. The mucous membrane lining the bladder is continu- ous with that of the urethra, which at its orifice unites with the mucous membrane of the vaginal orifice, and hence with that of the vagina, uterus, etc. The intimate relation among the parts explains many symptoms. Inflammation starting in the mucous mem- brane of any of these organs is likely to spread to the others with which the membrane connects. Again, when the womb unnaturally tips forward, as in ante version, it rests on the bladder, provoking inflammation, which will likely spread. If it rests on the ureters, the ducts which convey the urine from the kidneys to the bladder, it checks the free passage of the urine to the bladder, tending to produce disease in the kidneys. The blood supply of the generative Blood Supply of organs is an exceedingly interesting the Organs subject, for we find here conditions existing nowhere else in the body and explaining the peculiar nature of uterine diseases and the action of the Viavi system of treatment in assisting Nature to cure therm A general idea of the circulation has been given in a previous chapter, in which it was shown that valves occur in veins. The peculiarity of the veins in the uterine organs is that they have no valves to prevent the return flow of venous blood. As a conse- quence, the blood of one organ freely mingles with that of another. In the muscular tissue of the womb, the blood 194 VIAVI HYGIENE vessels are exceedingly tortuous, so that when the womb increases in size during pregnancy, the blood vessels are stretched out; if they were not crooked they would rupture. Therefore in the unimpregnated womb we find spaces occupied by arteries, which are small lakes of blood. Hence the liability to a congestion of blood there. The base of the brain has the government of these organs. This explains in a measure the origin of those headaches at the base of the brain which women are so liable to, and which may extend to other parts of the head. The high organization and supreme Nerves of the value and usefulness of the generative Organs organs mean an elaborate system of nerves for them. Behind the womb, covering the face of the sacrum, or rear wall of the pelvis, is an exquisite network of nerves, outrivaling in intricacy the most elaborate design in lace. From the nerve centers, fibers run in every direction throughout the generative region, and from these organs are fibers which unite with great branches- entering the spinal cord and thus running to the brain. There are also chains of nerves connecting the organs with the nerve centers of the ab- domen. So the nerves of these organs not only communi- cate with the brain directly, but also with the motor, sensory and sympathetic systems of the entire organism CHAPTER XXVIII. MENSTRUATION IN THIS chapter we shall discuss normal menstruation; chapters immediately following will be devoted to the anomalies of menstruation. Menstruation is the flow of the menses, a period- ical function of a woman's generative system, consisting of a bloody discharge from the uterus, recurring as a rule every four weeks, and continuing on an average four days. It begins with puberty and ends at the change of life, thus covering a period of about thirty-two years, though varying with races, climates and individuals. Menstruation is a natural function, Is a Natural necessary to a woman's organism dui- Function ing the child-bearing period. As it is a natural function, it is painless if normal. If it is painful, an abnormal condition exists. Menstrual anomalies are so frequent that this function is often called "the monthly sickness." The importance of the regular and painless appearances of the menses can- not be too strongly impressed upon a woman's mind. A woman should understand the entire generative functions, else she is not properly fitted to assume the duties of wifehood or motherhood. Truly it has been said that "the fate of the Nation lies within the hollow of a woman's hand," because much depends upon her intelligence. Few women realize that if the monthly periods be permitted to remain abnormal, whether scanty, profuse, gainful or suppressed, they will suffer the consequences sooner or later; that they are allowing their bodies, by neglect, to become more and more susceptible to disease of all kinds; that it will be only a question of time until 196 VIAVI HYGIENE one part after another will give way; they will collapse physically and mentally; at the change of life, if not before, the penalty will be paid in some form. Unless at puberty the generative organs Causes of Poor develop fully, menstruation becomes a Menstruation menace to health and life. A woman scarcely recovers from one menstrual sickness before another appears, causing chronic invalid- ism. As the generative organs constitute the grand cen- ter of a woman's economy, it is essential to perfect health that they be not only fully developed, but able to func- tionate regularly and painlessly, and be capable of dis- posing of the monthly congestion, as the alimentary tract disposes of fecal waste, the kidneys of urine, the lungs of carbon dioxide, etc. Menstruation depends largely upon the nervous sys- tem, the same as the functions of other parts. It depends also upon the condition of the blood supply, but equally as much upon the fully developed and healthy state of the entire generative tract, and the intelligent care it receives. The mother who fully understands what normal menstruation depends upon, and how much in turn depends upon this function, realizes her great responsi- bility. She is alert. She sees to it that her girls come to full perfection, that they bloom into perfect womanhood. A fully developed woman may suffer from menstrual anomalies, brought about by disobeying the laws of Nature, but such a woman responds to rational treatment. The woman who has been left to come up in a haphazard way, who has been permitted to take the most desperate risks early in life through ignorance, may not be so for- tunate. The hand or foot that is fully developed will serve the body much better than a member that has been stunted in growth. The same rule holds good in the generative tract, but with much more force, as its func- tions are so vitally associated with everything that makes her a woman. MENSTRUATION 197 The average woman looks upon the It Is a Monthly menses as a flow of blood. It should Purification be regarded as a discharge of waste products from the whole body, as it is a monthly purging of the entire circulatory system. What healthy woman living but will testify that after a normal menstruation comes a sense of purification that is experienced at no other time? The inconvenience is more than compensated for by this exquisite sense of purification that follows. The source of the menstrual discharge is the lining of the womb, but before the flow can occur the thin layer that covers its surface must be cast off. For this pur- pose a change in its texture takes place; a fatty degenera- tion occurs, by which it is softened, as are also the capillaries within its substance. It is due to this change, which occurs several days before menstruation, that the thin covering of the lining is pushed off, thus uncapping the vessels and permitting the menstrual discharge to escape into the cavity of the womb. It may now be plainly seen how necessary it is that the blood supply be normal and that the organs be fully developed. Nature has softened, loosened and broken up the tissues, so to speak. This is accomplished largely by the ovarian and uterine nerves, under whose influence a con- traction of the muscular fibers of the womb, tubes, ovaries and ligaments occurs, thus retarding or pre- venting a return flow of the venous blood from these parts; hence the weakened ends of the vessels are uncapped and the flow naturally occurs. Menstruation appears, as a rule, once Women Widely every twenty-eight days, counting from Different the beginning of one period to that of the next, but every woman is a rule unto herself as to the recurrence and duration of her periods. A woman may be perfectly normal and men- struate fourteen, fifteen and even sixteen times a year. These departures from the average do not indi- cate abnormality unless disturbances arise, and if so they 198 VIA VI HYGIENE demand immediate attention. If a woman menstruates every three weeks regularly and feels perfectly well, and has so menstruated from the beginning, it is evident that this time is peculiar to her, and is natural. The duration of the flow also greatly varies, lasting from two to eight days. It can be determined as normal or abnormal only by its effect upon the organism. The quantity discharged at each flow varies in dif- ferent individuals from four to eight ounces. The flow is more profuse in warm than in cold countries. Striking differences appear among women in this particular. We often see frail women who menstruate abundantly and who do not feel well unless they do, and robust women with naturally a very scant flow who become debilitated by a slight increase. It is important for a woman to know what her natural peculiarity is in this regard, as it furnishes a basis upon which she can judge the state of her health. It is the changes in her own condition, and not what may happen to some other woman, that concern her. The menstrual flow is a very complex Composition of fluid, being composed of blood, the the Flow mucous secretion of the uterus and the vagina, epithelia and other debris. At the commencement the flow is generally pink; at its height it resembles arterial blood, and as it ceases it gradually becomes rusty in color. It does not coagulate, as ordinary blood does, and has an odor peculiar to itself. The blood in it comes from the capillaries in the fundus of the womb and the uterine end of the Fallopian tubes. The mucus is discharged from the proper vessels in the lower part of the body of the womb, its neck and the vagina. Its purpose seems to be to dilute the other con- stituents and make them flow more easily. The solid constituents are particles of the disintegrated lining of the uterus. If the ovum, or egg, has become impregnated, the brain centers become aware of the fact in some mys- terious way, so that instead of requiring the uterus to MENSTRUATION 199 cast off its lining, they order a different process, which is discussed in the chapter on Pregnancy. The forces involved in this monthly Great Force Is process are great. The sensibilities of Expended all the generative organs are quickened to a high point, partly from an unusual nerve stimulus sent from the brain, and partly from a greatly increased blood supply. Even the ligaments supporting the womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries take part in the general, process, being considerably congested. The strain upon the generative organs is intense, and they require perfect health to bear it. If they have such health, they easily and painlessly bear the strain and are benefited by it, just as the stomach, when healthy, bears the strain of the work that it is required to do in digesting food, and is made all the healthier and stronger by it. The work required of the generative organs in menstru- ation is so various and must be done so nicely and precisely that derangement is not only easy to bring about, but produces serious disorders when it occurs. The lining of the womb begins to re-form as soon as it is shed. When it is re-formed, the uterine walls no longer contract and force the blood out of the capillaries. The glands emptying mucus into the generative tract cease their activity. A state of quietude comes over the entire generative system, and the menstruation is at an end for that time. Menstruation is rarely free from dis- The Diseases of tress. Unless it is perfectly healthy Menstruation and painless, a woman is unsound, and her vital forces are suffering a drain that will sooner or later tell heavily. Derangements of menstruation are so numerous and serious that they have distinct and formidable names. Among them are amenorrhea (absent menstruation); menorrhagia, or metrorrhagia (profuse and frequent menstruation); dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), subdivided into congestive, mechanical, ovarian and ■a 206 VIA VI HYGIENE membranous dysmenorrhea; vicarious menstruation, and menstrual anomalies brought about by non-development. These will be treated under separate chapters. A glance at the three physical con- The One Natural ditions upon which normal menstru- Treatment ation is based — the nervous system, the blood supply and the health of the generative organs — will show the peculiar fitness of the Viavi system of treatment in assisting Nature to produce conditions upon which normal menstruation rests. By strengthening the circulation of nutritious blood it has brought about naturally an adequate supply of good blood to the affected organs through needed help to the nerves, thus assisting Nature in restoring the organs to a condition of health. The incredible number of women annually made permanent victims of narcotics and stimulants taken to relieve them temporarily in painful menstruation, abundantly attest the failure of former efforts to subdue this destructive and almost universal evil, and the need of a treatment to assist Nature in restor- ing to women their birthright of strength and peace. CHAPTER XXIX. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION (dysmenorrhea) NEARLY all women suffer pain or unnatural distress from menstruation at some time of their lives, and may suffer with every menstruation. This invari- ably indicates an abnormal condition and repre- sents a steady and cumulative drain upon the vital forces. Every pain suffered in menstruation takes a definite value out of life. Every moment of suffering at that time is sapping youth and vitality to a certain extent, hastening the approach of age, depleting the mind of its higher and stronger qualities, weakening the hold upon the finer things of life, impoverishing the spirit, and lowering a woman's capacity for wifehood and motherhood. Not one woman in a thousand realizes these truths. Most women take it for granted that they should suffer at this time, either physically or mentally, not reflecting that as menstruation is a natural function it should be painless, that pain is evidence of disease, and that disease is steadily and mercilessly sapping her life. Suffering during menstruation has nu- Pain Is Always merou c manifestations. With some, Abnormal pain occurs before the flow begins, and disappears when it is established. With others, it extends through the second day of the flow. Again, it continues throughout the period. In others, the first two painful days are followed by complete relief for a time, with a resumption of pain toward the close. With some the pain comes suddenly with the flow and extends through the whole period, gradually lessening toward the close. Some women suffer only when moving 202 VIAVI HYGIENE about, and are relieved upon lying down. Some have pains every other month only. The seat of the pain varies greatly in different women. It may be in any or every part of the abdomen and pelvic cavity, with or without backache or headache. In severe cases it extends down one or both legs, or up to the waist, and even to the armpits. Pain between the periods is not often encountered, and is usually difficult to treat. In some cases violent pains preceding the period are relieved by a gush of blood from the vagina. Then comes comparative relief, followed, in a few minutes or an hour or two, by another paroxysm. These are often so severe that the sufferer writhes in agony and is often insane for a short time. This is seen in many cases when the womb is bent, from the passing of the flow through the closure. Several kinds of pain may exist in the same case, showing that the same sufferer may have several kinds of painful menstruation, just as one person may have several kinds of headache. As in leucorrhea, these abnormalities of menstruation are a symptom, not a disease. There are often nervous and mental Nervous Ills disturbances of a serious order accom- Arising panying painful menstruation! The general nervous disturbance may affect the digestion or circulation, or the bowels or bladder. The mental condition is often distressing. Irritability is common; there is often a desire to withdraw and brood alone over imaginary troubles. It is at this time that the blues are most likely to come, and this is merely a form of melancholia, which in turn is a sort of mental derangement. Among the female inmates of lunatic asylums there is likely to be a marked increase of mania at these periods. It is at such times that women whose mental integrity has been shaken by disease are likely to do the desperate things that send them to lunatic asylums, such as the killing of their children. Suicide among women is commonest during the menstrual period. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 203 We can understand why physical and Why Disturbance mental disturbances are so serious Is Serious during the menstrual period in the absence of perfect health by recalling the intimate nervous connection of the generative organs with the brain. Not one, but all, of the organs are in- volved in any irregularity of menstruation, and hence the entire nervous system of these organs affects the sound- ness of the entire nervous system of the body. Pain from disease drains the recuperative powers of their strength, causing deterioration of mental and physical forces. It is destructive of rest and sleep, without which the proper action of the recuperative forces is impossible. The use of sedatives, narcotics and the like necessarily aggravates the evil in the long run by lowering the nervous vitality and crippling its ability to combat the disease. They have for their object the relieving of pain by dead- ening the sensibilities. Stimulants have an equally injurious effect of another kind — they unduly quicken the action of the heart and aggravate congestion. Evidently the rational treatment is to establish a normal condition throughout the system by natural means, so that the system itself shall be enabled to throw off the disease. Such has been the process under the Viavi system of treatment. Instead of deadening the nerves, or over- stimulating them, its aim is to bring nutritious elements to the blood and render the circulation able to remove accu- mulations occurring in congestion and inflammation. The kinds of painful menstruation, with Dysmenorrhea in their causes, are as follows: Neuralgic Variety dysmenorrhea, in which the pains are variable and shifting, and often unbear- able. It comes with highly nervous temperaments and points to general nervous disorder or weakness. Menorrhagia, a profuse flow during the menstrual period. Metrorrhagia, a hemmorrhage from the womb at any time besides during menstruation. 204 VIAVI HYGIENE Congestive dysmenorrhea, in which the painful menstruation is caused by an abnormal oversupply of blood to the vessels yielding the flow. Mechanical dysmenorrhea, in which the painful men- struation is caused by some physical obstruction to the flow. Membranous dysmenorrhea, in which the painful men- struation is caused by the lining of the womb not being properly shed during menstruation. Imperforate hymen and the other causes of painful menstruation in young girls, as well as other forms of abnormal menstruation in adults, are discussed in separate chapters. We will now take up the different forms of painful menstruation and discuss their character, causes and treatment. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM NEURALGIA In painful menstruation from neuralgia the pains are intermittent, and have the general character of neuralgic pains in other parts of the body. The pains are com- monest in girls at the age of puberty and in young mar- ried women who have not borne children. Pain in such cases indicates a diseased condition of the nerves center- ing in the uterine organs, and is developed by the great disturbance that occurs at the menstrual period. The skin of the lower part of the abdomen is highly sensitive during the pains. These may appear just before the flow begins, and then disappear, or they may persist inter- mittently during the period. They are often agonizing, rendering the sufferer delirious, and after the cessation of the flow she is likely to be prostrated. This form of painful menstruation rapidly undermines the system and opens the door for some more serious disease, and may end in insanity. More cases of destruction of the general health occur from this form of painful menstruation than from all others combined. The pains are not always confined to the pelvic region; sometimes they develop into neuralgic headache, facial PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 205 neuralgia, or neuralgic pains in the teeth, eyes, fingers, toes, breasts, stomach, bowels, and even the heart. Or the spaces between the ribs (intercostal spaces) may be affected. In all such cases the pains generally disappear upon a cessation of the flow; but in some, particularly where there is continued irritation of the cervix, from laceration or other cause, the remote pains continue throughout the month. This fact should be borne in mind, for the reason that this secondary neuralgia is often treated directly, and therefore to the injury of the patient, from overlooking the fact that it has its origin in the uterus. A constitutional neuralgic disposition Many Causes of that manifests itself during menstrua- Neuralgia tion may be inherited. If a mothei has permitted herself to suffer in this regard she may expect her daughter to suffer similarly. Or the constitutional condition may be developed by an impoverished condition of the blood, chlorosis (green sickness) in young girls, gout, rheumatism, syphilis, malaria and the like. If the general low nervous con- dition from any of these causes exists it will give rise to neuralgic pains in menstruation. Of course, if there is any disease of the generative organs we have a sufficient explanation of the general nervous condition that mani- fests itself in this affliction. The fact that the generative organs have so highly developed a system of nerves, and that their condition so easily affects the entire nervous system, and that the disturbance caused by menstruation is so great, explain the localization of the pains in the pelvic region during menstruation. Anything that in- duces nervous depression, whether mental or physical, may cause neuralgic pains in menstruation. It often runs in families, thus showing that it may be hereditary. The proper treatment for neuralgic Needs a Natural dysmenorrhea is to build up the Treatment nervous system. This can be done only by natural means. It is impos- sible to get any but bad results by resorting to forcing 206 VlAVi HYGIENE methods. So refractory is this form of painful menstrua- tion that ordinary methods are helpless in treating it. The Viavi system of treatment, on the other hand, has enjoyed remarkable success in such cases. The peace that followed the removal of this wearing and torturing malady was immeasurable, and the thousands of girls and women who have thus obtained relief are enjoying life. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM CONGESTION Congestive dysmenorrhea is that in which the pain is. caused by congestion. Natural congestion occurs during menstruation, but it is painless, because natural. In chronic inflammation, from displacement of the womb, or from adhesions following pelvic inflammation, and from other causes, we have unnatural congestion, and this causes pain during menstruation and frequently between the periods. Tumors and polypi in the womb are other causes of the congestion. This menstrual difficulty is oftenest seen in women who have borne children or have aborted, but it occurs also in women who have begun the menstrual period and maintained it for some time with- out pain. The symptoms of painful menstruation Symptoms of from congestion are markedly different This Form from those of neuralgic dysmenorrhea. In congestive d3^smenorrhea the pain is generally between, as well as before, the periods. It most often comes on suddenly with the appearance of the flow, and is accompanied with either a diminution or a cessation of the flow. It may be slight, or very severe. The constitutional symptoms are always marked. The pulse is quickened, the temperature rises, the skin is hot and dry and the eyes are suffused; the height of the fever is in proportion to the amount of congestion or inflam- mation. There are severe headaches, occasionally de- lirium, general restlessness, and a considerable increase PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 207 of urine. The surface of the entire body is highly sensi- tive. Many reflex symptoms are experienced, such as pains in the small of the back and down the thighs either inside or outside. Sometimes the legs lose the power of movement. The digestive organs refuse to do their work, the bowels become constipated, vomiting appears, tenderness and soreness come in the breasts. The suf- ferer usually experiences pain in walking, is easily fatigued, has leucorrhea, and the bladder is sensitive both during the flow and between the periods. If the inflammation is very slight the pains may subside when the flow ceases. The Viavi system of treatment for A Philosophical painful menstruation from congestion Treatment seeks the causes and aims to assist Nature to remove them. These pains are merely a symptom of an abnormal condition of the generative system. If the cause is displacement, which prevents a free circulation of the blood and thus induces congestion, the displacement must be righted. If it arises from adhesions, the adhesion must be absorbed. If tumors or polypus growths produce the condition, Nature must be assisted to expel them. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM MECHANICAL CAUSES In mechanical dysmenorrhea the pains are caused by some mechanical obstruction to the free outflow of the menstrual fluid. These are of various kinds. A plug of mucus or blood may form in the cervix. Foreign growths, such as tumors or polypi, may appear in the uterine cavity. Both of these classes of obstructions will inter- fere with the flow. Very common causes are flexions and versions of the womb; these constrict the natural means of escape for the flow. Other causes are a stricture of the vagina and an imperforate hymen. 208 VIAVI HYGIENE The symptoms of mechanical, spasmodic or obstruc- tive dysmenorrhea are very characteristic and easily dis- tinguished. What is known as uterine colic is the kind of pain most frequently observed. This is produced in the following way: The menstrual flow, prevented from escaping, is retained for several hours in the womb, dis- tending it; then the womb contracts, as in childbirth, and the severity of the pain will be in proportion to the expul- sive effort required to force the menstrual fluid past the obstruction. The flow then comes with a gush, and the pain ceases until another accumulation occurs. These recur at intervals during the period, and disappear when the period has ceased. When the obstruction occurs in the cervical canal the contractions will expel a small clot of blood, followed by a gush, which gives relief for the time. Sometimes the clots are large, resembling pieces of liver. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM DISEASED OVARIES Ovarian dysmenorrhea is caused by inflammation of the ovaries. In such cases the ovaries are enlarged or tender, or both. One or both ovaries may be involved. In chronic ovaritis there is more or less pelvic peritonitis, or inflammation of the peritoneum of the pelvis. When the menstrual epoch arrives there is natural congestion of the pelvic organs, and this congestion, pressing upon the diseased and sensitive nerves involved in the ovarian and peritoneal inflamm ion, causes the pain. The suf- fering is paroxysmal and neuralgic, and is tormenting. The affliction has its origin in the diseased condition of the ovaries, either one or both. Intermenstrual dys- menorrhea (paroxysms of pain between the periods) is also a feature of this complaint, and is more common, perhaps, in this form of painful menstruation than in any other. Occasionally it occurs after every other men- struation. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 209 In painful menstruation depending upon inflammation of the ovaries the flow gradually diminishes; this is espe- cially noticeable in girls and young women. It is largely due to non-development of the ovaries at puberty. There is a marked tendency to atrophy (wasting) of the organs, ending in sterility and in loss of function, with a tendency to cancerous degeneration later. In painful menstruation from inflammation of the ovaries the lower part of the abdomen is extremely sensi- tive, and there is a monthly martyrdom. Distressing headache, neuralgia and hysteria are likely to appear. The pain is usually dull, and is confined to one side, or extends to both, as one or both ovaries may be affected; when both are affected the pain usually extends around the pelvis and invades the buttocks and thighs; the breasts are often tender, and there are likely to be general nervous disturbance and depression of spirits. The amount of the menstrual discharge tends to diminish. The Viavi system of treatment is carefully designed to assist Nature in removing the diseased condition of the ovaries, and that of the peritoneum arising from the ovarian trouble. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM A THICKENED LINING Membranous dysmenorrhea is that in which .the lining of the womb, having become diseased and thickened, fails to disintegrate naturally and pass away imperceptibly, as in health. Instead, it is forcibly parted from the womb irregularly, causing pain, and often passes away whole, producing severe pain. The pains usually begin with the flow, and increase as the flow progresses, finally bringing on pains identical with those in labor. During these pains the membrane passes as a whole or in shreds. Usually the pains are severest at these times, and are followed by rather a profuse flow, which soon disappears. It may be followed by a purulent or a watery discharge, 210 VIAVI HYGIENE which may continue for a few days or indefinitely. The sufferer is usually extremely nervous, and sterility is commonly present. The general health suffers seriously. The most irrational treatments have been employed for this affliction, among them dilation and curetting, in conjunction with chloride of zinc or carbolic acid for the purpose of destroying that part of the membrane left behind by the curette. Such a treatment, including curetting, is necessarily unsuccessful, as it makes no effort to remove the cause of the complaint, and introduces special evils not - existing with the affliction. The Viavi system of treatment purposes to assist Nature in restoring the womb to its natural condition, that the lining may be naturally formed after menstrua- tion, be of a natural character, and be naturally and painlessly shed during menstruation. PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM OBSTRUCTIONS Obstructions of one kind or another do not sufficiently account for painful menstruation in all cases. The causes lie deeper than the mere obstruction in such instances, and the obstruction is merely an indication of the deeper cause. We find some women menstruating painlessly through a very small cervical mouth, and others suffering agonies when the mouth is large. Obstructions caused by flexion of the uterus have more clearly defined characteristics, but there are conditions in the flexion itself that cause pain, because a flexion betrays the presence of disease, with highly sensitive nerves. Where the ob- struction is above the junction of the womb and vagina, the pains are severe; where it is below, they are compara- tively light. This is because the circulation is less inter- fered with. The more the circulation is strangled and the harder the pressure on the nerves, the greater the pain. It will be observed by women who have submitted to the old torturing method of treatment that dilation to secure relief when the obstruction is above the juncture PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 211 of the uterus and the vagina, rarely secures the end desired. This subject will be more thoroughly discussed in the chapters devoted to displacements and flexions of the womb. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS ON PAINFUL MENSTRUATION We have classified dysmenorrhea for convenience; as a matter of fact, several kinds may exist at once. The only importance that a classification has is this: If a woman has painful menstruation from a disease of the ovaries, and she fails to place herself under the Viavi system of treatment, she will be advised, almost beyond a doubt, to have her ovaries removed. The harm that she will suffer from such mutilation is pointed out in other chapters. If the disease is in the form of tumors or polypi in the womb, she will be advised, sooner or later, to submit to an operation, perhaps the removal of the womb. The timely use of the Viavi system of treatment has rendered these measures unnecessary. It makes no difference what form of painful menstruation a woman has had; the treatment has been equally efficacious in all, evidently because it assisted Nature to bring the parts into a healthy condition, even after every resource of ordinal y methods had been exhausted and the case given up as incurable. A woman afflicted with any form of painful menstruation is progressing towards a surgical operation, either minor or capital. It may be avoided if she adopts the Viavi system of treatment. After the use of the Viavi system for a Pain a Sign time, menstruation may become even of Progress more painful than before. This should cause no discouragement, but should be accepted as one of the best signs. The delicate nerves have been made exceedingly sensitive by inflammation. In regaining tone under the treatment they have gradually recovered their power to relax and contract the blood 212 VIAVI HYGIENE vessels in the inflamed organs, both to increase the supply of blood and to send the current onward. The unnatural sensitiveness of the parts rendered this natural process painful. The painful symptoms indicated that a normal condition was being brought about, and they gave the strongest encouragement to continue. TREATMENT FOR PAINFUL MENSTRUATION The sufferer should remember that recovery depends upon her recuperative powers, which she should encourage and develop by every reasonable means. She should make the circumstances of her life as agreeable as pos- sible, and adapt herself cheerfully where she cannot con- trol. The general nervous impairment may incline her to irritability; that must be subdued. It may make her negligent in using the treatment; the utmost diligence and fidelity are required. She may tire or become dis- couraged; every effort she makes to overcome such feel- ings is a positive strengthening force. Nothing should be neglected, nothing put off. Any disinclination for needful exercise in the air and sunshine should be deter- minedly conquered, but fatigue should be strictly avoided. Rest and sleep should receive careful attention, and every natural function should be attended to with perfect regu- larity. Each sufferer should make a study of her own case, for the greatest benefits come from such an under- standing. Recovery brings so much gratification that every reasonable effort to secure it is warranted. Viavi Cerate. In all cases of painful menstruation the Viavi cerate should be used over the lower half of the region of the spine (see Cerate on Spine, final chapter), and its use must not be omitted during the menstrual period. It will be from the quantity of cerate absorbed, not the quantity applied, that benefit may be expected. The amount absorbed will depend on the thoroughness of the rubbing and the absorptive powers of the skin, which are normally great in this region. The cerate is PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 213 wasted when more is applied than can be rubbed in. Much depends on the time and work put into the rubbing. Some one with perseverance should be secured to do this. The cerate is to bo applied daily over the region of the abdomen also. (See Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) Compress. In conjunction with the use of the cerate on the spine and abdomen, in cases where the flow is sup- pressed or scanty, or great pain precedes the appearance of the discharge t a hot compress may be used twice a week between the periods; daily in severe cases. (See Hot Compress, final chapter.) It alleviates the pain by reducing the blood pressure on the sensitive nerves. If there is a great deal of inflammation and congestion, cold compresses (see final chapter) should be used twice a week, between periods, or daily if the case demands it, and hot compresses daily at the beginning of the period and a few days before. The cerate is to be applied after the removal of the com- press, and as advised when the compress is not used. Viavi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every night, as directed, except during the menstrual period. Viavt Liquid is to be taken in the stomach as directed. Viavi Royal is to be used as directed Pendent Abdominal Massage. This is one of the best aids in the treatment of painful menstruation. (See Pendent Abdominal Massage, also Reclining Abdominal Massage where the compress and the pendent abdominal massage are omitted, final chapter.) PROFUSE MENSTRUATION, FLOODING "Menorrhagia is an excessive flow during menstruation, and is commonly called profuse menstruation. Metror- rhagia is a hemorrhage of the womb occurring between the menstrual periods, and is commonly called flooding. Neither is a disease in itself, but, like leucorrhea, a symptom of disease. In both cases there is an undue 214 VIAVI HYGIENE loss of blood, and this means an impoverishment of the system. In flooding there is danger of bleeding to death, particularly when it occurs at childbirth. An excessive flow during menstruation is determined by the normal quantity of the flow in each individual. What would be an excessive flow with one woman would not be with another. If the flow is greater than usual we have profuse menstruation; it is evidence of disease and calls for treatment. It may take various forms. The flow may come at the regular time and continue the usual time, but it may be too profuse; or the flow may come too soon or last too long. The question to be settled is whether an abnormal amount of fluid has passed. Numerous causes may produce profuse Cause of Profuse menstruation. A woman may be what Menstruation is called a "bleeder," or one who bleeds easily from any cause. Stagnation of the blood in the veins of the uterus is a frequent cause; this may come from disease of the heart or lungs. Con- gestion of the womb from any cause will tend to produce it; among the causes are a bad circulation, a distension of the walls of the blood vessels from weakness, or excesses. Some of the most obstinate cases occur as the result of subacute or chronic inflammation of the ovaries. Dis- eases of the Fallopian tubes may be the cause. Among the commonest causes are structural changes in the womb, such as tumors or other morbid growths within or upon it. The blood may be either fluid or coagulated, and may show great variations in color and character. Strong, full-blooded women may stand profuse men- struation for some time without apparent serious injury, though injury nevertheless is being suffered; weak women rapidly decline. If a woman is not pregnant, a flow Some Causes of between the menstrual periods may be Flooding due to a fluxion of blood to the womb, or to a tumor or other morbid growth therein, or to change of life. With some it may occur during pregnancy, without apparent injury to the child, PROFUSE MENSTRUATION 215 though it is always to be regarded as an unhealthy sign, and in most cases is the forerunner of abortion during the first half of pregnancy, and of miscarriage or placenta previa during the second half. It may occur upon the expulsion of the child, whether full-term or not. In such cases it is very serious and almost always dangerous. If it is not caused by mechan- ical injuries, it is likely due to the inability of the womb to contract and close the blood vessels. This may result from prolonged or exhausting labor, or from birth hurried by the use of instruments, or from a partly adhering placenta. - Hemorrhages that occur after the birth, and while the mother is still confined, are usually not so severe, and generally occur with women who do not nurse the child. In such cases the hemorrhage indicates that the blood designed by Nature to form milk is thrown out of the system through the womb. Flooding may occur at this time, also, from inflammatory irritation of the womb. Diseases producing great debilitation, such as typhoid, smallpox, cholera and the like, may cause flooding. A persistent flow of blood from the uterus is often due to some morbid growth within that organ, if it does not date from confinement or is due to weakness. If it occurs after the change of life, the presence of a malignant growth in the womb is often indicated. A diseased condition of the lining of the womb is often responsible for flooding. The grave question as to whether one Grave Effects of is losing too much blood may be deter- Hemorrhage mined by the effect of the flow. In hemorrhage the blood comes in gushes, or there is a continual flow of bright red or dark blood. The face turns pale and the extremities become cold. There may or may not be pain. Other possible symptoms are convulsions, difficulty in breathing, anxiety, nausea, a ringing in the ears, feeble pulse; and the mucous mem- branes become pale. A hemorrhage should receive 216 VIAVI HYGIENE immediate and skillful attention, as a woman thereby loses strength rapidly. Medical assistance should at once be sought to check the hemorrhage, so that the action of the Viavi system of treatment may not be retarded by loss of the strength so essential to the sufferer's welfare, which should be her first consideration. Hemorrhage in the case of a woman who has come thoroughly under the influence of the Viavi system of treatment has been more easily checked than that in other cases. A woman need feel no uneasiness if a Flow During the profuse flow, not a hemorrhage, occurs Treatment while she is under the Viavi system of treatment for foreign growths in the womb (see chapter on Tumors), as every flowing brings with it more or less abnormal substance. In the absence of a foreign growth, after the change of life, profuse flow- ing is one of the first signs of malignant disease (generally cancer) of the uterus or cervix. Curetting, the means most often employed, has been discarded by many. The Viavi system of treatment has rendered it unnecessary. Curetting is confined to one part of a single organ, the fact that all the organs are involved, and that the con- dition of the entire system contributes to the affliction, being ignored. Scraping away the lining of the womb can- not possibly place the system and the generative organs in a healthy condition, nor can it induce the growth of a healthy uterine lining. The Viavi system of treatment, when Treatment for allowed to be used, is as follows. It Hemorrhage is not intended to take the place of a physician, but to be used till he arrives, if there is any delay, and in cases where a physician can- not be procured. Upon the first appearance of the flow the sufferer should lie down and keep perfectly quiet until the flow has ceased. This is imperative. Raising the foot of the bed two or three inches and keeping the head and shoulders low, tend to lessen the amount of blood in the pelvic organs. PROFUSE MENSTRUATION 217 Douches. Both heat and cold serve to contract the blood vessels by stimulating the muscular fibers. Water heated to 120 degrees Fahrenheit acts as an astringent, and is one of the most convenient and valuable means to arrest a hemorrhage or profuse flow. A prolonged hot vaginal douche taken lying down will frequently be fol- lowed by good results. The water should be hot, and not merely warm. Vinegar or lemon juice may be used in the douche with temporary beneficial results. In some cases it proves efficacious, but as a rule astringents have but little value even when brought in contact directly with the source of the hemorrhage. Compress. In other cases cold compresses (see Cold Compress, final chapter) act quickly and prove of more value than other methods; it may be found necessary in some cases to cover the abdomen with an ice pack. Where the cold compresses or ice pack are employed, heat should always be applied to the extremities by holding the feet in hot water. Via vi Capsule. The use of the capsule is discon- tinued during the flow, but if the flow continues for any length of time, so as seriously to interfere with the regular use of the treatment, it should be used in the rectum, so that its effects may be felt continuously upon the system. (Also see treatment for Painful Menstruation.) As a rule, the capsule is discontinued the first four days of the flow; then it is used per rectum until the flow ceases, when its use is resumed in the vagina. Via vi Cerate is applied daily along the full length of the spine and also over the abdomen. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) Via vi Royal should be used as directed. Diet. Nutritious food is demanded ; the diet should be generous and well suited to the taste of the sufferer. Beef or good extracts of it, strong broths and soups should be given in small quantities, but frequently. Mutton chops, mill and eggs will prove of benefit. Lemonade, oranges and grapes are beneficial and grateful. Stimulants must be strictly avoided unless used under a physician's guidance. CHAPTER XXX. ABSENT MENSTRUATION (AMENORRHEA) WE ARE concerned here with absent menstruation (amenorrhea) occurring after menstruation has been established and until it ceases because of pregnancy or the change of life. It is a very serious condition, and if neglected will lead to detrimental or fatal results. A suppression of the flow from unnatural conditions causes the system to become stored with foreign, and therefore deleterious, matter. Frequent results are a breaking down of The Results of the lung tissue, an excessive accumula- Amenorrhea tion of flesh, a dropsical condition, tumors, and a general impairment. It is like damming a rivulet. The water will accumulate and form a pond. Some of the water escapes by perco- lation through the soil and some by evaporation; but if the supply is greater than the loss, the accumulation will be constant. The only way to stop it is either to dry up the spring feeding it, or to remove the dam. The use of the Viavi system of treatment contemplates the re- moval of the dam, as that is the natural way. Of course, this increase of flesh is unnatural, and there- fore the sufferer is unhealthy. She becomes languid; mental depression overtakes her; her skin has a peculiar sallowness, and retains for some time indentations made with the finger; her digestion will likely suffer. Then some disease, such as consumption or Bright's disease, appears, and death may ensue. Thereupon it is announced that the patient died of consumption, or whatever else was the immediate cause of her death, and the vital lesson that suppression of the menses really caused her death, has been lost. ABSENT MENSTRUATION 219 Menstruation is the result of a number Causes Producing- of forces and conditions acting in .Ameaorrhea harmony. The destruction of this harmony impairs or destroys the func= tion. The nervous system must be in good order, the blood must be healthy, the circulation must be perfect, and the generative organs must be sound. If there is serious nervous depletion of a general kind, suppression is likely. Thus, it may follow any serious acute disease and may not be re-established until the nervous system has re- gained its normal status. A violent nervous shock, such as fright, grief or anxiety, may temporarily suspend the function. A serious derangement of the digestive system may cause it. It is often found with pulmonary consump- tion, and is produced by the anemia that follows fevers, pneumonia, Bright's disease, diabetes, alcoholism, mor- phinism, cancerous or malarial conditions, or chronic inflammation of the generative organs. Cystic degeneration in the ovaries, tumors of the uterus, displacement of the generative organs by adhesions from peritonitis, flexions of the womb, enlargement and hardening of the uterus following pregnancy, are all causes of suppression. Sometimes a change of climate produces it. Radical changes in the mode of living may bring it on. Taking cold during the menstrual period is a very prolific cause; this is done mostly by cold bathing, keeping wet shoes on the feet, sitting or lying in a cold air current, cooling off quickly after dancing or other vigorous exercise, sitting on cold stone steps, and even changing the linen. If intelligent attention is not paid to the evacuation of the bowels and bladder, the suspen= sion may occur. Pregnancy usually stops menstruation, Suppression and but there are exceptions. It is not Pregnancy always possible to distinguish preg- nancy from suppression, though the indications, in a condition of perfect hea u b, are very different. Pregnancy will be discussed in a separate chapter. As it is a natural condition, and suppression 220 VIAVI HYGIENE an unnatural one, we should expect great differences in the symptoms apart from the suppression, and these we generally find. It must be plainly understood that the Viavi system of treatment has no place with those measures employed to bring about menstruation in cases of pregnancy. Its purposes and effect are the opposite of abortion. In suppression we generally find head- Symptoms of ache, particularly on the top or side of Suppression the head; heaviness of the feet; dys- pepsia; lassitude; drowsiness in the daytime; dropsical conditions; palpitation of the heart; bleeding at the nose; swelling of the veins of the legs. In addition are the constitutional signs upon which the whole disturbance rests. We can easily understand the meaning of all these conditions. The drowsiness comes from an impure condition of the blood, affecting the brain; the nose bleeding is evidence of Nature's effort to get rid of some of the blood that should have escaped in the natural way; the distension of the veins of the legs shows a superabundance of fluid in the system, and the inability of the valves in the blood vessels there to keep the blood from settling. As the body is an exceedingly complex Restoration of organization, and as the forces operat- the Flow ing in menstruation are highly com- plicated, it is evident that in treating suppression, very broad ground has to be taken. A treatment which confines itself to local conditions — as, for instance, the inability of the womb to cast off its lining in menstruation — is disastrously inadequate. All of the complicated conditions involved in menstruation have to be considered and dealt with in seeking thorough and permanent results. There is no such thing as a simple and isolated condition producing any of the derange- ments of menstruation. However simple and restricted the cause mr; seem, we may be sure that there are other and remoter causes behind it, and it is our duty to remove them. We must put the entire nervous system in order; ABSENT MENSTRUATION 221 we must supply the blood with nutrition and strengthen the circulation; we must give intelligent heed to the local condition of all the organs of generation, for all of them are involved, directly or indirectly, in menstruation. Such are the principles of the Viavi system of treatment for suppression, and past success in overcoming this dangerous and common malady is a sufficient attestation of its value. It will be inferred from the following Treatment for directions that the Viavi system of Suppression treatment for suppression of the menses is both constitutional and local, and that it is designed to meet the complex conditions involved in the trouble. Its aim is to provide that the circulation be strengthened, the blood enriched, and the weakness of the generative system overcome. By being thus put in a sound condition, healthy function has resulted, and the menses have returned. This was a natural process, without any forcing. Nature was simply enabled and assisted to do her work. Viavi Capsule. Every night, just before retiring, a vaginal douche should be taken while lying down. One moderately warm douche a day is sufficient, unless a profuse leuchorrheal discharge is present, when a douche night and morning should be taken. After the evening douche a Viavi capsule should be placed in the vagina. When the menses appear, the douche and the use of the capsule should be suspended. If the flow continues over four days, the use of the capsule should be resumed, but in the rectum instead of the vagina until the cessation of the flow, and then again in the vagina. Viavi Cekatb. Use the cerate daily over the lower half of the spine, in a thorough way. (See Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) An assistant should be engaged to apply the cerate to the spine, but where one is not available, the sufferer can apply it by placing it on the back of the hand. The cerate should be applied also over the abdomen in connection with a hot or a cold compress, as may be advised by the Hygienic Department after receiving the 222 VIAVI HYGIENE sufferer's health report, but as a rule the hot compress is employed, daily. (See Hot Compress, final chapter.) The compress should be followed at once by a thorough application of the cerate. Massage. An easy, non-fatiguing way to apply the cerate is by abdominal massage after retiring. (See Reclining Abdominal Massage, final chapter.) The Pend- ent Abdominal Massage (same chapter) is perhaps the more efficacious of the hygienic aids. Via vi Liquid should be taken according to directions. Via vi Royal should be taken according to directions, when a tonic is demanded. Viavi Laxative should be taken according to direc- tions if the bowels are sluggish. VrAvi Suppositories. If the rectum is implicated, the use of the Viavi suppositories in conjunction with the other treatment is required. In such cases individual advice will be given upon receipt of written application to the nearest Viavi office. Diet should be bland and nourishing. Stimulants are to be avoided. Rest, sleep, outdoor exercise, mental composure and perfect regularity of habits are essential. CHAPTER XXXI. CURETTING CURETTING is the scraping away of the lining of the womb. The instrument used is of a spoon or scoop shape and has either a sharp or a dull edge. The operation is performed by first intro- ducing a speculum into the vagina. This enables the operator to fasten a sharp hook or hooks into the neck of the womb, by which this organ is dragged to the vaginal orifice. The mouth of the womb is then dilated, and the curette introduced into the cavity of the womb and repeatedly drawn outward. The pressure of the edge of the instrument against the womb scrapes or cuts away its lining. The womb is then washed out and packed. This scraping away the lining is for the purpose of causing a new lining to form. In the chapter on Menstruation it has been shown that if Nature is given the proper assistance she will not only throw off the diseased lining, but is enabled to grow a new and healthy one. The dragging downward of the womb Injury Done to the length of the vagina is in itself a the Womb serious procedure. It so stretches the ligaments, the posterior wall of the bladder and the anterior wall of the rectum that it requires both treatment and care before these parts regain their normal condition, if ever they do. If adhesions are present they are likely to be torn loose and internal hemorrhage may occur. The dilation of the mouth of the womb is another part of the operation that is injurious. If the organ is hard, or indurated, the dilation becomes a serious opera- tion in itself, and laceration frequently occurs. Before 224 VIAVI HYGIENE the neck of the womb can be made sufficiently large to introduce the curette, the bruising of the tissues by the dilating instrument causes agonizing pains. If the dilat- ing is rendered painless by anesthetics, that does not prevent the injury done the tissues, as they in no way relax. Nature opens the mouth of the womb from within outward, operators from without inward. It is not merely the mouth of the womb that is to be opened, but the entire neck, which is an inch long, or one-third the length of the entire womb. The womb resents mechanical inter- Sensitiveness of ference more than any other organ of the *Womb the body, and it requires most careful manipulation and dilation to open the neck of the womb sufficiently to admit the curette. Note the unwillingness of a rosebud to unfold by mechan- ical interference, and how the petals refuse to separate, and the bruised, unnatural appearance of the bud that has been opened ; this will give some idea of the resistance of the neck of the womb and the bruising of its tissues by this forcible dilation. The neck of the womb, with its external and internal openings, acts as a double guard to the cavity of the womb itself, showing Nature's extraordinary care in trying to prevent any unnatural invasion. If the greatest antiseptic precautions Many Evils Are are not taken, blood poisoning may Accomplished result. The puncturing of the uterine walls with the curette is not an unfre- quent accident, especially where the walls of the womb are soft and somewhat flexed or bent. Sometimes the curette is thrust entirely through the uterine walls into the peritoneal cavity. Uncontrollable hemorrhages may occur, or there may result a complete obliteration of the uterine cavity, the muscular tissues being so torn by the curette that a complete union of the walls results. A diseased lining never exists independent of a dis- eased condition of the womb itself; the whole organ is CURETTING 225 implicated more or less. It would be as sensible to scrape away the lining of the stomach to establish a healthy reaction in that region as to scrape away the lining of the womb for the same purpose. The openings of the Fallopian tubes Damage Done into the womb are exceedingly small; the Tubes curetting leaves them raw, bruised and bleeding, and they frequently become obliterated by the inflammatory process which follows this operation. It should be remembered that these openings are only sufficiently large to admit a very smdl] bristle. This closing leads to diseases of the tubes and ovaries, to painful, suppressed and irregular menstruation and to other complications difficult to overcome. A large number of sufferers coming A Hope Never under the Viavi system of treatment Realized have submitted at some time to this operation, some of them many times each time being led to believe that it would be the last. One woman had submitted to twenty curettements, and though but little could be expected even under the Viavi system of treatment, by reason of the extensive damage that had been done, the recovery was all that could be desired. Large • numbers of women have placed them- selves under treatment for suppression resulting from curettements. Even many of those who have been the most enthusiastic in the use of the curette have abandoned it altogether. It is necessary for the lining to be Injurious and thrown off before the menses can Illogical appear, but before this, Nature prepares the organ for the shedding of the mem- brane. In curetting, the womb is not prepared to cast off its membrane; hence a normal membrane is not formed. It is thickened and hard; hence when the menses appear it becomes exceedingly difficult to cast off. Every succeeding currettement causes the inside of the womb to become more and more abnormal, and 226 VIAVI HYGIENE the membrane to change from an exceedingly thin, tissue-like affair into a thickened and tough covering. Curetting is harsh, unnatural and radical, three con- ditions which should be carefully avoided in the treat- ment of diseases peculiar to women. Curetting is resorted to because those The Cause Not who employ it have no better means of Removed treating the condition that they wish to overcome. Besides all the dangers that accompany it is the patent fact that it does not remove the cause of the condition at which it is aimed. It does not supply the blood with nutriment. It does not produce a healthy circulation. Instead of toning and strengthening the nerves, it irritates and therefore enfeebles them. It does none of the rational and bene- ficial things that Nature could do if she only Were given the assistance she requires. Instead of aiming to help Nature, it endeavors to force her processes. The Viavi system of treatment is just the reverse of all this. It imposes no torture. It commits no outrage upon Nature. It produces no abortions. It attempts no vio- lence, and hence avoids the dangers that violence invites. There are nine serious, conditions, one The Results of or more of which may follow this so- Curetting called minor operation: 1. Liability to internal hemorrhages from the breaking loose of adhesions. 2. Laceration of the mouth and neck of the womb in dilation. 3. Liability to blood poisoning. 4. Puncturing of the uterine walls. 5. Causing of abortions in obscure pregnancies. 6. Hemorrhage from the uterine cavity. 7. Obliteration of the uterine cavity. 8. Obliteration of the openings of the Fallopian tubes. 9. Suppression of the menses. Let a woman contrast these with natural methods and decide for herself. CHAPTER XXXII. THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS In former chapters the normal development of girls was fully considered. As non-development, or retarded development, or arrested development bears a close relation to menstruation, it is treated here. A large pro- portion of the women who suffer through life, or who upon marriage develop some weakness that leads to suffering, failed to receive intelligent attention at the time of puberty. The immensity of the evils generally Great Evils of wrought upon girls by the schoolroom Overstudy can hardly be exaggerated. At the very time when Nature is placing the heaviest strain upon them, they are called upon to work to the full limit of their strength. Any excessive burden placed upon a girl's mind at the age of puberty consumes forces that Nature demands for her physical development. Indeed, at this time there should be no more mental work than is needful to keep the mind in healthy working order. The sexes should never be permitted to work in the same classes at this time. It places girls at an unnatural dis- advantage, and by introducing competition, spurs them on to exertion that they cannot afford to make. Nothing will be lost by proceeding slowly until the girl's menstrua- tion has been firmly established, for when that occurs naturally, there ensues a remarkable mental activity that makes strides with a rapidity impossible to boys. As there is nothing in a girl's instinct Girls Should Be that teaches her to expect menstrua- Instructed tion, she cannot expect it unless she is taught to do so. If she has had no instruction when it appears, she sees for herself that a 228 VIAVI HYGIENE serious thing has happened, and that it is different from any of her former experiences. It is natural for this to fill her with alarm, and her native modesty will likely make her conceal her condition. The discharge contains blood. Every child has learned the danger of losing blood. The girl, if untaught, does not know that the flow in her case is natural, and is alarmed, and her sense of prudence may lead her to check the flow. The in- genuity which girls display in their efforts to accomplish this is remarkable. The commonest way is to take a cold bath. This generally checks the flow, and begins a life- time of suffering. When we realize the strain under Other Sources of which Nature places a girl at puberty, Imperfection and the vital force required to effect the change, we can understand the necessity for a vigorous girlhood as the foundation for the change. If a girl has been born of healthy parents, has been wanted before her birth, and has been reared with all the affection and wise guidance that a competent mother will bestow, and is instructed concerning the change that must occur, and is taken kindly through it, there never will be the slightest trouble. Nine-tenths of women are afflicted to a greater or less extent with some disease peculiar to their sex. To the extent that mothers are not perfect, their daughters will suffer. These young lives not only come into the world burdened with weakness inherited from their mothers, but they fail to receive the wise guidance necessary to their health. It is often difficult to discover a girl's inherent weak- ness until she comes under the strain imposed at puberty. It is then that the story of her mother's condition may be read in her own. Even before that time arrives, some distressing things are found. Many a girl under twelve is afflicted with leucorrhea. In some cases it appears even in infancy. Knowing the constant drain that leu- corrhea makes upon the system, one can imagine what the experiences of a girl who passes through puberty in such a condition must be. THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 229 The ovaries constitute the grand center The Ovaries Are of the womanly nature. Their condi- the Center tion at puberty represents much that goes to the making up of the individual. If the system lacks in inherent strength, there will not be a sufficient source upon which Nature may draw for the vital energy required to develop the ovaries. Around and within these complex little ovaries cluster the finest, most delicate and most skillful adjustments of which Nature is capable. In puberty every resource of the entire system is called upon to contribute its quota of strength toward their development. The digestive system must be perfect. Every vital organ must be in superb working order. The blood must be supplied with the nutriment that the body requires. The circulation must be free and vigorous. All the organs of elimination must be able to work up to their full capacity. The condition of the mind itself must be adapted to the need. If it is exhausted by study, or if it is harassed by troubles of domestic or other origin, the ovar- ies will suffer in development. If the sympathy and affection that the child-heart craves are withheld, or if the peevishness of a sickly mother is present to act as a depressing or irritating influence, the ovaries will suffer. So many causes may and do operate at Retardation of puberty to prevent the normal develop- Development ment of the ovaries that It would be impossible to enumerate them all. It ought to be sufficient to impress upon mothers the con- dition in which puberty places even the most robust girls, much more those who are the least delicate. If Nature cannot find in the system sufficient material out of which to work properly the transforming of a child into a woman, she will take all that she can find, and leave the rest of the body to suffer. So great is the effort that serious disturbances of many kinds are likely to arise unless all the conditions are favorable. Head- aches are very common. Pains in the ovarian region inflict tortures. Many a young girl is so overcome by the trials that she is called upon to bear, that she is dis- 230 VIAVI HYGIENE couraged and down-hearted, and some are even led to suicide. Unless the ovaries develop normally, Mistakes Are the child will not develop normally Committed in any direction. Her form will not fill out properly. She is likely to be flat- chested and stoop-shouldered, her eyes to be dull, her mind stupid, her affections blunted, her bodily functions, deranged. When the attention of the parents is drawn to their daughter's sallow, pinched face, hollow chest, angular figure and lifeless, awkward gait — all evidences of low vitality and lack of natural development — there is too apt to arise a decision to put her through a course of exhausting physical exercise, and thus consume the last remnant of strength that the system requires for other purposes. Instead of this her life should be made as easy and pleasant as possible, all exhausting work withheld, and careful attention paid to rational exercise, a sufficient amount of sunshine, wholesome diet and abundant sleep. It is under such circumstances that the Viavi system of treatment has assisted Nature to accomplish many happy results. As early as ten years of age a girl should A Girl Requires be instructed by her mother to expect Instructien menstruation in the course of time, and should be impressed with its great im- portance to every concern of her life as long as she shall live. The mother should point out the danger of taking cold, of too much violent exercise, particularly in skipping the rope, or permitting the feet to remain wet, or sitting on stone steps or the damp ground. To secure the daugh- ter's full confidence is to make it sure that she will an- nounce the changes that she feels taking place within her at eleven or twelve years of age. Then the mother can explain them and thus remove all the apprehension and shame that they will otherwise arouse. It is wonderful and beautiful to see the readiness with which girls respond V5 appeals to their confidence from their mothers. These THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 231 matters should be discussed frankly, not behind closed doors, as if they were something to be ashamed of. At the same time the girl can be given to understand that the mother is the only one with whom it is right for the daughter to discuss these subjects. The mother will be gratified to see how eager her little girl is for more know- ledge. This can be imparted judiciously, but it is evident that the mother must inform herself before she can be a mother in the full sense. There is a danger — a rare one, but one An Imperforate giving rise to serious possibilities unless Hymen it is understood — that may confront young girls at puberty; that is an im- perforate hymen, one that has no opening through which the menstrual flow may escape. (See chapter on A Wom- an's Organs of Generation.) If there is no opening, the menstrual fluid is dammed up, and becomes a serious menace. The flow, seeking an outlet elsewhere, will likely give rise to very serious results. There is only one cure for imperforate hymen— an opening must be made, and this should be done by a physician. There should be no hesitancy in the use of Viavi capsules by young girls, and they should be instructed in the matter. No rupturing nor stretching occurs if the normal opening exists, by reason of tho high elasticity of the membrane, the opening being sufficiently large. The Viavi system of treatment, besides being designed to enable Nature to establish normal processes in such cases, spares a girl the mortification and injury inflicted by examinations. She takes the Viavi system of treatment in the privacy of her own room, with none but her mother to know. Green sickness is found in girls near the Green Sickness, age of puberty, and is due to a diminu- Chlorosis tion of a valuable constituent of the red corpuscles of the blood which gives them their color. Hence the sufferer is pale ; some- times the skin is clear and of a greenish-yellowish hue. 232 VIAVI HYGIENE There are dark circles around the eyes; the lips and the mucous membrane are pale. There may be also a dropsical condition of the eyelids, face and feet. The breath is cool, and the ears, nose, lips, hands and feet are cold, indicating that the circulation is poor. The sufferer is generally very sensitive to cold. Palpitation of the heart is present. Although the ailing one does not exert, herself in the least, there exists great muscular weakness, and she easily becomes tired. The head is dizzy and aches. There are noises in the ears, and pains in different parts of the body, especially in the back; hysterical spasms, nightmare, and sometimes an inclination to self- destruction. There are a loss of appetite and a desire for sour things, and often a morbid craving for chalk, paper, ashes, fresh earth, coals and even excrement. Absence of the menses, or painful and irregular menstruation, is generally seen, or a thin, watery leucorrhea in place of the menses. In other cases chlorosis is accompanied with profuse menstruation. Hysterical paroxysms are of com- mon occurrence. The whole digestion is disturbed, and consequently the assimilation of nutriment for the blood does not take place properly; hence all functional activity is impaired. Irregular menstruation in young girls, Nervous Ills, from non-development and allied Epilepsy causes, gives rise to nervous troubles that are likely to be much more serious than in the case of adults. Epilepsy is sometimes a result. Low spirits and melancholia are encountered. Many a girl has run away from home because her nervous condition had made her surroundings seem intolerable, particularly if the mother was cross or unsympathetic. It is under such circumstances that suicide is committed by girls of an extremely sensitive nature. It will be inferred from what has been said of the Viavi system of treatment and the manner in which it is aimed to assist Nature to strengthen the nerves, the circulation and the nutrition, that it is especially adapted to chlorosis, which may persist for years if it does not receive the proper THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 233 treatment. Excellent results have been secured by the use of this treatment in this distressing affliction. If a girl shows the slightest weakness at Symptoms of puberty, suffers pain of any kind in any Weakness locality, exhibits any form of nervous- ness, is depressed, has poor circulation, indicated by cold hands and feet or a blue skin, is anemic or chlorotic, has headaches or backache; if the menses are retarded or abnormal in any other way, the bust and chest flat and not developed or the muscles flabby, she needs the Viavi system of treatment, by which Nature is designed to be supplied with the material with which she is enabled to develop the child into a healthy woman. The greatest care should be taken to make her life as bright and pleasant as possible, avoiding undue work and excite- ment and requiring absolute regularity in everything — eating, sleeping, exercise, rest, attention to the bowels. The diet should be carefully managed, to see that only the most nourishing things are eaten, and in abundance. The following treatment is adapted to Viavi Treatment girls in any of these conditions, for Girls including chlorosis. The utmost watchfulness and diligence should be employed to see that the treatment and the personal conduct going with it are faithfully adhered to until health is restored. Girls can rarely be trusted to have the patience required, as they are still children at this time. Firm, gentle guidance is greatly needed and generally imperative. Viavi Cerate. Great care should be given to the use of the cerate over the lower half of the spine at least once a day, so that the nervous system may be properly strengthened. (See Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) The cerate should be used once a day over the entire chest, very thoroughly, with an upward rubbing, all harshness being carefully avoided. Pendent Abdominal Massage (which see in final chapter) is an important aid to the treatment in such 234 VIAVI HYGIENE Hot Compress on the abdomen in connection with the use of the cerate should he employed. (See Hot Compress in final chapter.) Via vi Capsule should be used in the vagina every night. Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. Via vi Laxative should be taken according to direc- tions if there is constipation. Via vi Royal should be used as directed, in chlorosis and other forms of weakness. Experience in the use of this treatment has shown that girls readily responded; the muscles and glands filled out naturally, the appetite became normal and the diges- tion good, the spirits grew light, the budding into woman- hood beautiful. VICARIOUS MENSTRUATION Vicarious menstruation is that in which the menstrual flow occurs from some part of the body other than the vagina. Although genuine cases of it are rare, their serious nature and the readiness with which they have yielded to the Viavi system of treatment make it advisable to consider the affliction here. As a rule, when the menstrual period arrives the flow occurs from the mucous membrane in some part of the body other than the natural place, including the eyes. The most common places are the nose, gums, stomach, lungs, breasts, or even some portion of the skin; or from ulcers anywhere, or from piles. The flow in some cases, instead of having the form of blood, may be serum, which is colorless, in which event the discharge is represented by a profuse watery diarrhea. In seeking the cause of vicarious menstruation, we must look to faulty nutrition or a low condition of the nervous system. It may be due, however, to high ar- terial tension. THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 235 It may be inferred that no matter what The Treatment the cause of this distressing complaint, Efficacious except malformation of the organs, the Viavi system of treatment is adapt- ed to assist Nature in overcoming it. This can be better understood by studying the action of the treatment as explained throughout this volume. The aim is to provide that the blood, be enriched, the nerves and circulation strengthened, and the general system put into a condition that enables the natural functions to establish themselves. Many grave dangers arise from neglect of this dis- tressing condition. Nature's tendency to make the most of a bad situation leads her to adjust her operations as nearly as possible to abnormal conditions that she cannot overcome. In this way diseases become chronic, and are more difficult to overcome than those that have recently arisen. The sooner any disease is taken in hand the easier it is cured, as the less the effort must be to break up a habit into which Nature "has fallen. The treatment for vicarious menstruation is the same as that for non-development. CHAPTER XXXIII. LEUCORRHEA THE word leucorrhea means a white flow. In color it may range from a white glairy muciis to a yellow or greenish tinge, due to its purulent character. In some cases it looks creamy, in others curdled. It usually develops during the menstrual life of a woman, though inherited cases in children are fre- quent. It is the commonest of all the affliction that beset women, nearly every woman being troubled with it at one time or another. The deplorable feature of the matter is that women as a rule do not regard it in its true light as a serious affair representing a condition in which no woman can be healthy, and leading to graver conditions unless its cause is removed. Leucorrhea may originate either in the vagina or the uterus. In severe cases the two forms may exist together, through the sympathic relation of the organs. As the discharge represents a disease of the linings of the organs, the longer the condition persits the more deeply these linings will become involved and the longer will be the time required to bring them to health. The immediate cause of leucorrhea is The Cause of a catarrhal condition of the linings of Leucorrhea the parts, just as a discharge from the nose indicates a catarrhal condition of the lining of that org&n. The discharge is the product of inflammation. In leucorrhea, besides the general systemic conditions of which the affliction may be merely a symptom, special local causes may be present. Among these are menstrual derangements, displacements of the womb, pregnancy, prolonged nursing, abortions, miscarriages, cervical laceration, piles, tumors, a sudden LEUCORRHEA 237 suppression of the menses, violent exercise during the menstrual period, the use of cold water or other harsh injections, and the wearing of pessaries and the like. The extreme sensitiveness of the membranes lining the vagina and uterus renders them peculiarly susceptible to inflammation, and requires intelligent care. Where the cause is constitutional, as anemia, scrofula, consumption, malaria and the like, inspection will fail to disclose any local cause. The abnormal activity of the vaginal Some Effects of lining, due to its inflammation, causes Leucorrhea its secretions, which in health are slight, to become abnormal in quantity, and they are withdrawn from the blood. The blood provides only for normal secretions by the mucous mem- brane in any part of the body, and is obviously impover- ished to a greater or less degree when an unnatural drain is made. Musin, an albuminoid, one of the constituents of the secretions by the mucous membrane, is a valuable element carried by the blood, and its excessive sub- traction works a general injury. This probably explains many of the symptoms accompanying leucorrhea, symp- toms often treated erroneously and harmfully, in ignor- ance that leucorrhea causes them. Thus leucorrhea is the open door to disease, besides producing immediate evils, including weakness and a gradual breaking down from the tendency of the affliction to grow worse instead of better unless the causes producing it are overcome. Many of the ills that so grievously afflict women have leucorrhea in their early history. In some cases of leucorrhea the mouth Other Effects of the womb closes, owing to the sticky Observed character of the discharge and the in- flamed condition of the cervix. As a result, mucus accumulates within the womb, and is finally expelled by labor-like contractions of the womb, giving rise to uterine colic. When the condition of which leu- corrhea is evidence has become chronic, the blood supply of the uterine organs is seriously interfered with. Abnor- 238 VIAVI HYGIENE mal growths may appear in any of the organs — vagina, womb, Fallopian tubes or ovaries. It should be borne in mind that leucorrhea is not a disease, but a symptom of disease, and that the condition of which it is a symptom will lead to grave results unless they are eradicated. Under the inflammatory condition present in uterine leucorrhea, the womb gradually enlarges, and eventually becomes too heavy to be held in place by the ligaments designed to support a womb of normal size. The womb then becomes displaced. A serious and trying result of neglected leucorrhea in many cases is the excoriating character of the discharge, rendering the skin sore and setting up external inflam- mation. Or the acrid discharge will affect the mucous membrane over which it passes. The temptation to resort to astringent Astringents Are douches to stop the flow is exceedingly Injurious strong, and is widely advised under the ordinary method of treatment. A little reflection will show how unwise and hurtful such a practice is. It completely ignores the cause of the dis- ease; unless this is removed the disease cannot be cured. In many cases where the disease is deep-seated and com- plicated, the discharge acts as a safety-valve until the cause is found and overcome. Besides that, in uncom- plicated leucorrhea the sudden application of a solution of alum, or other astringent, to the highly sensitive membrane will likely derange its capillary circulation and thus aggravate the inflammation. To dam up the flow brings about complications that would tax the best skill to reach, extending to the tubes, ovaries, etc. These injections have an injurious effect reaching beyond the generative organs. Some of the worst cases of gastric indigestion that we have met were clearly traceable to vaginal injections used to check leucorrhea. The only rational treatment of leucorrhea is to remove the cause producing it, and the only measures that can produce satisfactory and permanent results are natural ones. LEUCORRHEA 239 With the assistance given by the Viavi How Cure Was system of treatment, Nature has re- Effected moved the cause of leucorrhea, and thus gradually and naturally put a stop to the discharge ; so that when the sufferer was cured she remained well if she did not again permit the cause producing the disease in the first instance to arise. While a woman is under the treatment she must, of course, avoid any conduct that would tend to weaken her system or produce local irritation. ' She should under- stand all that has been said about rest and sleep, the blood and its circulation, the wearing of proper clothes, the use of a separate bed, and all the other matters that appeal to a woman's common sense. The knowledge that there is some cause Treatment for behind leucorrhea should enable any Leucorrhea sufferer to determine what it is. That cause must be overcome. If it is laceration of the cervix, for instance, that condition must be attended to. (See Treatment for Laceration.) If it is inflammation of the womb, or other parts of the gener- ative tract, see Treatment for Inflammation of the Womb. If it is the absence of the menses, see Treatment for Amenorrhea. If tumors, see Treatment for Tumors. If anemia, or impoverished blood, see Treatment for Nervous Debility. Vaginal douches for leucorrhea are not cura- tive, but in the Viavi system of treatment are useful in cleansing the tract for the better absorption of the Viavi capsule. The treatment given for debility should be employed if the cause for the leucorrhea is, for some good reason, not ascertained. In combination with the treatment for a known cause, and in uncomplicated leucorrhea, the flowing treatment is advised: Viavi Capsules are to be used as directed. In very copious discharges they are to be used in the rectum as well as the vagina. Viavi Cerate on the lower half of the back and on the abdomen, once a day. 240 VIAVI HYGIENE Hot Compress on Abdomen once a day in conjunction with the application of Cerate. (See Hot Compress, same chapter.) Pendent Abdominal Massage. See directions in final chapter. Via vi Liquid as directed. Via vi Laxative as directed, if there is constipation. Via vi Royal in severe cases, as directed. Baths. See final chapter. Diet. Simple, nourishing, abundant. Rest, Sleep, Exercise. See chapter on Activity, Rest and Sleep. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE VAGINA (and some of its diseases) INFLAMMATION of the vagina (vaginitis) may be either acute or chronic. It may be caused by cold and dampness, excesses, irritation from pessaries, excoriating discharges from the uterus, retention of bits of sponge, medicated or astringent douches, exten- sion of inflammation from below or above, childbirth and infection. The symptoms depend upon the sever- Symptoms of ity of the attack. The leucorrheal Vaginitis discharges are at first scanty, but soon become profuse and often purulent, accompanied with a burning heat and a throbbing sen- sation in the vagina, and sometimes severe pelvic pain. There are often an aching and a sensation of weight in the perineum, or floor of the pelvis, frequent urination, and painful sensitiveness. The mucous membrane of the vagina becomes red and congested, showing raw patches, which may progress to ulceration. In granular vaginitis, the walls feel on examination as if they were covered with millet seed; this condition may extend up over the neck of the womb. This form of vaginitis is extremely painful and is stubborn. In adhesive vaginitis (where the vaginal walls adhere) the walls bleed easily, and the leucorrheal discharge is watery and tinged with blood. As bloody discharges generally point to grave conditions, adhesive vaginitis is likely to be diagnosed wrongly, thus placing the trouble under malignant diseases. The flowing of the excoriating discharges over the' parts will likely produce extreme 242 VIAVI HYGIENE soreness about the vaginal orifice, and ii often accom- panied with pruritus, or intense itching. In chronic vaginitis the red appearance of the vaginal walls and an excessive leucorrhea may be the only noticeable symptoms. As vaginitis means inflammation of the vaginal walls, it comes within the range of the Viavi system of treatment, as does other inflammation elsewhere. Upon a reduction of the inflammation the discharges become gradually lessened; also ihe burning, soreness, etc. Extreme nervousness accompanies all diseases of the vagina. As much rest lying down, preferably Treatment for undressed and in bed, as can be had, Vaginitis should be taken, particularly in cases even approaching severity. The in- flammation weakens the tube, and may bring about the distressing condition known as prolapsus of the vagina. In severe cases, being on the feet invites prolapsus. Douche. A copious hot-water douche, to which twenty drops of Viavi liquid to the pint have been added, should be taken night and morning while lying down. (See Douches, final chapter.) Viavi Capsule. One should be inserted in the vagina night and morning, immediately after the douche. After the morning douche the sufferer should remain lying down for about an hour. Viavi Cerate is to be used over the abdomen, lower half of the spine and over the perineum for at least thirty minutes, once a day. (See Cerate on Abdomen, Cerate on Spine, and Massage of the Perineum, in final chapter.) Viavi Liquid is to be taken as directed. Hot Sitz Bath is to be taken once a day. (See Hot Sitz Bath, in final chapter.) When the condition has somewhat moderated, the walls of the vagina may be kept separated by a fold of sterilized gauze or clean old linen, which should be satur- ated with the contents of three Viavi capsules thoroughly THE VAGINA 243 mixed with one teaspoonful of vaseline or olive oil. To insert the gauze, it may be laid over the vaginal tube of the syringe; withdrawal of the tube will leave the gauze. It should be of sufficient length to come down just to the orifice. The external parts should be well covered with this mixture. Vaginismus, a painful, spasmodic con- Treatment for traction of the muscles of the vaginal Vaginismus orifice, may accompany vaginitis, and will yield with a cure of that trouble; or it may be caused by an abrasion or rawness at the vaginal opening, or by the inflamed remains of the hymen; sometimes it is purely nervous. Via vi Capsules. The contents of one capsule, unmixed with oil, are to be used several times daily over and about the vaginal sphincter, the muscle closing the orifice. Hot Douche. Very hot douches should be taken several times a day, lying down. Via vi Cerate is to be used on the spine, abdomen and perineum as directed for vaginitis. Cold Sitz Bath. See final chapter. Prolapsus of the vagina is caused by a Prolapsus of relaxation which permits of the walls the Vagina rolling outward or protruding down- ward through the vaginal opening. When the posterior wall rolls out it brings with it the anterior wall of the rectum, and a swelling is produced of variable size at the rectal orifice; this is known ab rectocele. When the anterior vaginal wall prolapses it brings with it the posterior wall of the bladder or its base; this is known as cysto ^ele. Both of these conditions interfere with the parts involved. In rectocele the expul- sive powers of the rectum are greatly diminished. In cystocele the pouching downward of the base of the bladder causes a retention and decomposition of the urine; inflammation of the bladder is a frequent result. 244 VIAVI HYGIENE A relaxation of the vaginal wall is fre- The Causes of quently brought about by retaining Prolapsus the urine until the bladder is weakened. It is comparatively easy for men to empty the bladder frequently; women are often forced to hold the urine until the bladder becomes relaxed, and prolapsus of the bladder and anterior wall of the vagina results. This weakness is progressive, and is not dis- covered until the "lump," which is the prolapsed bladder, is noticeable. Other causes are external laceration and getting up from the lying-in bed too soon. Weak, flabby abdominal walls also aggravate a loss of tonicity in this region. It is important that as much rest as Treatment for possible be taken lying down, prefer- Pro lapsus ably undressed and in bed, and cer- tainly with the loosest possible clothes about the waist. Via vi Capsules should be taken as directed. Via vi Cerate is to be used as directed for vaginitis. Cold Compress on the abdomen is to be used twice a week, and a cold sitz bath every other day. (See Cold Compress and Cold Sitz Bath, final chapter.) Vaginal Douche. A hot vaginal douche is to be taken lying down, morning and night. (See Vaginal Douches, in final chapter.) After the morning douche remain lying down for at least an hour, as heat relaxes the parts temporarily. Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. Pendent Abdominal Massage should be given daily. (See Pendent Abdominal Massage, final chapter.) The bladder should be emptied frequently. Pruritus is an intense itching of the Pruritus and vagina or vulva. It is not a disease, Its Causes but a symptom of some abnormal con- dition, which is not always confined to the generative tract. It may yield quickly to treat- ment, but as a rule it is stubborn. THE VAGINA 245 The distress is generally increased by warmth in bed. The itching and burning may be so intense that the suf- ferer cannot refrain from scratching or rubbing the parts, but by thus breaking the tender surfaces, she intensifies her sufferings. She constantly makes use of the douche, and bathes the external parts with first one medicated wash and then another, but all to no avail. The itching may extend to the anus and even down over the thighs, causing some to become hysterical and to suffer from nervous prostration. Women approaching the change of life are more fre- quently afflicted than others, but pruritus is not infre- quently found in children and young women. In children it may be caused by an acrid leucorrhea that irritates the vagina and external parts, or by worms that creep from the anus into the vagina. It frequently accompanies leucorrhea of an irritating character. Tumors also induce it by the abnormal secre- tions that at times accompany them. At the change of life it is frequently due to an abnormal condition of the urine, which at any time of life may cause it. The sufferer should make a careful Treatment for study of herself and if possible ascer- Pruritus tain the cause of her distress. If she has some trouble of any of her gener- ative organs, it should be overcome. When it occurs at the change of life, the kidneys are likely involved; in that case Viavi liquid is required. If it is caused by a dis- charge aggravated by the presence of a tumor, the advice given in such cases should be followed. (See chapter on Tumors.) If it is caused by worms, a cold salt-water rectal douche should be taken twice daily (see Rectal Douche, final chapter), and Viavi liquid should be taken as directed on the bottle. For children the dose is from three to five drops, three times daily, about twenty minutes before meals. Children should also be given a cold sitz bath twice a week. 346 ViAVI HYGIENE Via vi Cerate should be used as directed for vaginitis, the external parts being rubbed with it. Viavi Capsules. The contents of three capsules should be used on a cloth inserted in the vagina, as directed in the treatment for vaginitis. Care should be taken to see that the ends of the cloth separate the lips of the vulva. Vaginal Douches, three or four, should be taken daily, lying down. Ten drops of Viavi liquid should be added to each pint of water, which may be either hot or cold, as experience determines which proves the more grateful. Women differ in this regard. Cold Sitz Bath should be taken just before retiring every night. Where an itching of the parts follows Good Symptoms the treatment for a uterine disease, it Observed should be looked upon as a favorable symptom, as poisonous secretions are being eliminated. The itching and burning are caused by the secretions excoriating the surfaces over which they pass, but the relief offered by the treatment just given should be sought nevertheless. It requires considerable perseverance under these cir- cumstances to continue the treatment, but one may rest assured that the best is being done that can be done. The source of the trouble must be reached, and when that is overcome to some extent, the sufferer will begin to feel much better. To apply ointments to the parts, exter- nally, will only alleviate for a time, and the trouble will again appear with renewed force. Unless the treatment is directed at the cause, which is likely a uterine or a kidney trouble, permanent results may not be looked for. CHAPTER XXXV. INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB METRITIS, SUBINVOLUTION INFLAMMATION of the womb (metritis) may be either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is of recent oc- currence; chronic inflammation is that which has become established. In an acute condition the natur- al curative powers of the system have not been so generally reduced as in a chronic condition, and its more recent appearance invites natural efforts to combat it with more vigor. In a chronic disease, Nature, finding her efforts to cure unavailing, has adapted herself somewhat to the abnormal condition, though all the time protesting with pain and thus calling upon our intelligence for remedial assistance; but the abnormal condition has become to a certain extent a habit of the system. Upon the first indications of inflammation of the womb we should employ intelligent treatment to overcome it. If not, it will merge into the chronic form, and re- quire much more time, effort and expense. Apart from immediate causes producing General Causes inflammation of the womb, there are of Metritis general causes that are discussed in the chapter on Congestion and Inflamma- tion. Thus, the extreme sensitiveness of the generative organs to abnormal conditions of the system, sucb as impaired nutrition or devitalized nerves, from unwise liv- ing, lack of proper food and insufficient rest, sleep and exer- cise, invites the localization within the generative organs of any weakness that may exist generally in the system. If, for instance, the tone of the nerves whose function it is to regulate the elasticity of the arterial walls becomes lowered throughout the system, the probabilities are tha*- 248 VIAVI HYGIENE the ensuing weakness of the arterial walls will become localized in the generative organs, and particularly in the uterus, by reason of the great number of its blood vessels and the sensitiveness of the nerves controlling them. In such cases it is evident that to torture the womb with local treatment has no effect whatever upon the causes producing the condition, and that the Viavi plan of assist- ing Nature to remove the causes by furnishing vital nour- ishment is the rational one. The nervous system must be built up, and intelligent living must be followed. Aside from the general causes that Specific Causes produce inflammation of the womb are of Metritis many of a local character. Among these are the inflammation following delivery (this is generally associated with blood poisoning — septicemia) ; a sudden suppression of the menses, caused by taking cold; injury from the use of the sound, the curette, pessaries, tents and medications; laceration; the production of abortion; surgical operations upon the uterus; miscarriage; excesses; non-development. Suppression of the menses produces inflammation by stopping the escape of waste which Nature designed should be removed. Some medications have a similar effect. Abortions, miscarriages and surgical operations are vio- lent interferences with natural conditions, and produce a radical nervous derangement that prohibits a natural control of the uterine blood vessels. Displacements have a similar effect upon the nerves, and retard uterine cir- culation. When the inflammation extends from the womb to the peritoneum covering its body or upper end, we have perimetritis. It is impossible for one part of the Entire Womb Is womb to become inflamed without Involved affecting other contents of the pelvic cavity to a greater or less extent; consequently, when we treat metritis, or inflammation of the womb, we include endometritis, which means in- flammation of the lining membrane of the womb, as it is INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 249 impossible for the body of the womb to become inflamed without its lining membrane becoming involved. We also include inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis), in- flammation of the lining membrane of the cervix (endo- cervicitis), and allied inflammatory conditions. An inflamed finger will not only involve the whole hand, but the arm as well, and impair their functions if the condition is permitted to continue. It is the same way within the pelvic and abdominal cavities. Inflam- mation cannot be confined to one spot, nor treated in one spot to effect a cure. We must treat the contents of these regions as a whole. Hence the success of the Viavi system of treatment. If a woman is told that she is suffering from metritis, endometritis, cervicitis and endocer- vicitis, she becomes terrified, believing that an operation is the only means of relief. But if she is told that she is suffering from inflammation of the whole womb, which those words mean, she does not become frightened, but realizes that inflammation here can be as successfully reached by a natural treatment as inflammation elsewhere. A large majority of the cases of chronic The Causes of inflammation of the womb, are due to Subinvolution subinvolution, a failure of the womb to return to its natural size after child- birth, abortion or miscarriage. The process of involution, the returning of the womb to its natural size after child- birth, is not completed, even by a healthy woman and under the most favorable circumstances, in less than ninety days, and a great many accidents may occur to delay or largely arrest it. Mental shocks, suppression of the milk, retention of pieces of the placenta, and, commonest of all, the unconquerable and unpardonable proneness of women to leave their beds too soon, interfere with normal involution. Subinvolution almost invariably follows childbirth where a woman has conceived with the womb in otherwise than a perfectly healthy condition. In many cases it is caused by a constitutional laxity of fiber; this may be peculiar to women in all ranks and to those who look healthy. 250 VIAVI HYGIENE Another frequent cause of subinvolution is neglect after an abortion or a miscarriage. Women of all classes are too apt to overlook the fact that these occurrences, instead of being trifling, are generally more serious than normal labor; they are a violent interference with the natural course of events, whereas normal labor is natural. Another cause is a recurrence of the condition in a slight form after each birth. In such cases the uterus has not regained its normal size after childbirth before another pregnancy occurs. Repetitions of this gradually bring the uterus to a size two or three times as great as it should be, and there is a continuous copious leucorrhea. Prolapse or even protrusion of the uterus is a frequent addition to this condition. This will be more particu- larly discussed in the chapters devoted to displacements of the womb. We frequently find married women Beginning of who date their invalidism from child- Invalidism birth. These periods of illness extend over many years, from fifteen to twenty and over. We have reference to cases of subinvolution uncomplicated with laceration-cases in which involution has not occurred properly after childbirth. Where the womb remains large and heavy, as in subinvolution, every monthly period becomes almost a menace to life, if the patient is unfortunate enough to contract a cold or overtax her strength. If the hand, foot or any visible part of the body remained abnormally enlarged from disease for several years, would not its functions become impaired, and would it not become a burden? So it is with the enlarged and heavy uterus, but much more so, as it cannot be put to rest like a member of the body, for it has its function to perform monthly, and this is of vital necessity to health and life. The symptoms of inflammation of the Symptoms of womb are many and varied. Enlarge- Metritis ment always occurs, and this in turn causes displacement; hence the pres- ence of the symptoms peculiar to the displacement, in INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 251 whatever direction it may fall, backward, forward, or- downward; pain in the abdominal region, in the back; a sense of weight and bearing down in the pelvis, increased when standing; pain in the uterine region when sitting down; leucorrhea; menstrual anomalies of all kinds, with an aggravation of the symptoms during the menses; great heat, with a burning sensation of the cervix and vagina; digestion and appetite become impaired; the lower extremities are painful and lame, often leading a woman to diagnose her case as rheumatism; sterility, if it becomes complicated with inflammation of the tubes and ovaries; while the inflammatory process overlaps and involves surrounding tissues and organs to such an extent that often the whole body from the waist to the feet is hardly free from pain. Mental symptoms arise, such as forgetfulness, peevish- ness, crying easily, and for no cause, despondency, melancholia; and even various forms of insanity, more or less severe. We find also sleeplessness, intense head- aches, pain on the top of the head and at the base of the brain; also a marked or peculiar pain between the shoul- ders, with tenderness of the spine and breasts, which show that the generative tract constitutes the center of the whole female organism, that an impairment of it im- plicates the whole body; and that by removing the cause — the inflammation within the pelvic region — all dis- tressing symptoms, even in remote parts of the body, disappear. As a rule, menstruation should not be When to Expect expected until at least seven or eight Menstruation months after delivery, if the breasts are yielding milk to the child; if not, menstruation should be expected two or three months after delivery. If, therefore, a woman has had her menses regularly and profusely ever since her confinement, or has had a continual blood-colored discharge, with occas- ional flooding, we may conclude that she is suffering from subinvolution or something worse. 252 VIAVI HYGIENE In chronic inflammation due to the Signs of Chronic failure of the womb to return to its Subinvolution natural size after childbirth, the womb is always large and hard, and tender to the touch. Enlargement and tenderness of the ovaries will be generally found present, from the close sympathy existing between them and the uterus. The treatment for inflammation of the Treatment for womb or any of its parts, cervicitis Inflammation (inflammation of the neck of the womb or of its lining), salpingitis (in- flammation of the Fallopian tubes), ovaritis (inflamma- tion of the ovaries), subinvolution, enlargement, erosion, granulation, and laceration, is the same, as the cause to be removed is the same. The symptoms differ with the locations, and the names merely indicate the location. Removing the cause will remove the condition, though it be called by a thousand names. Via vi Capsules are to be used, one at night and one in the morning, the one at night in the following way: Hot Vaginal Douche. Before placing the capsule at night take a hot vaginal douche. (See final chapter.) If a profuse leucorrhea is present, take the douche night and morning. Viavi Cerate. This is to be applied thoroughly over the spine and abdomen, in accordance with the fol- lowing directions: Cerate on Spine. See final chapter for directions. The cerate should be used over the lower half of the spine, an assistant being employed; but if that is not prac- ticable, the sufferer may apply it by placing it on the back of her hand, once daily. The perineum also should be thoroughly rubbed with cerate once a day. Pendent Abdominal Massage. See directions for this in the final chapter. This has a highly beneficial effect unless there is frequent flooding or the bladder is involved. Should either of those conditions exist, the cerate should be applied gently while the sufferer lies on INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 253 her back. The cerate should be used on the abdomen once daily. (See Cerate on Abdomen, same chapter.) Abdominal Massage may be used instead if more convenient. (See directions, same chapter.) Displacements. If there is a displacement of the womb, see Positions, in the chapter on Displacements of the Womb. Via vi Liquid is to be taken three times a day as directed . Hot Compress (see directions final chapter), is to be used on the abdomen three times a week or oftener if required, when the inflammation is acute and is not accompanied with profuse discharges of blood. It should be used just before applying the cerate. Cold Compress With Hot-Water Bag at Back (see final chapter), should be used twice a week, or oftener if necessary, if the inflammation has existed for some time and is accompanied with profuse and frequent men- struation. Hot and Cold Compress should be alternated every ten minutes for one hour, where the continued use of either proves debilitating and is not followed by marked improvement. (See final chapter.) Via vi Laxative should be used as directed if there is any tendency to constipation. (In that case see Knead- ing the Abdomen, final chapter.) Baths that the sufferer finds most convenient and best suited should be taken regularly. (See Baths, same chapter.) CHAPTER XXXVI. ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB FROM a study of the structure of the womb (see chapter on The Generative Organs of Women) we can understand why congestion or inflammation of the womb causes enlargement of that organ. The blood vessels of the womb are not only very numerous, but exceedingly tortuous, or kinky, resembling loops; this is a wise provision of Nature to prevent their rupture from the enormous stretching occurring in pregnancy. If the vessels were straight, or approximately so, as in other parts of the body, they would tear asunder. The uterine blood vessels, like those The Causes of everywhere else in the body, have their Enlargement particular sets of nerves whose function it is to maintain the tonicity of the vessels, and thus enable them to keep the blood moving naturally. If these nerves lose their tone, they cannot perform their work, and the blood vessels become lax; the blood cannot be kept moving properly; it accumu- lates in the vessels, distending them, and causing them to press upon the nerves of the womb, thus producing pain, not only in the womb itself, but also in the small of the back and in the lower part of the brain. As there is a great abundance of these vessels, and as their lax con- dition renders them distensible, their congestion increases the size of the womb. There is another source of enlargement from con- gestion. The stagnation of the blood in the vessels prevents the proper feeding of the uterine tissues and the removal of their waste, with the result that they undergo important changes, and the muscular fibers take on a low grade of tissue enlargement. Again, following ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB 255 pregnancy there are many cases of subinvolution, as explained elsewhere. Congestion inevitably tends to produce inflammation. In this stage the destructive processes are more advanced, and tend, to ulceration. The rational course is to take the congestion in hand as soon as it appears, and check it before it develops the more serious changes. The adaptability of the Viavi system of treatment to this condition can be readily understood. Among the causes of enlargement may be mentioned the following: Inflammation of the womb from lacera- tion, curetting, abnormal menstruation, adhesion of a part of the placenta after childbirth, the inability of the womb to return to its natural size after confinement, tumors and other abnormal growths, a sudden stoppage of the menses, inflammation of the ovaries, dropsy, and a general lowering of the nervous tone of the entire sys- tem from severe fevers and other ailments of all kinds. The enlargement may not be uniform; one part of the womb may be much more enlarged than another. The womb may be large and soft, or large, hard and sensitive to the touch; on the other hand, its sensory nerves may be so impaired that it is devoid of sensation. Enlargement of the womb causes more Bad Effects of disturbance and distress than would a Enlargement large degree of displacement without inflammation. The reason is that it encroaches upon surrounding parts and places a greater strain upon the ligaments supporting it. When these are healthy and not overtaxed, they are elastic, and move regularly with the breathing. If they are under an undue strain from enlargement, this movement is retarded, causing an impairment of strength and function, and also pain and distress. They bear up under this strain as long as possible, but presently they give way, and the womb becomes displaced as well as enlarged. An enlarged womb will become displaced sooner or later, and then we are presented with a two-fold source of pain, and of drain upon the strength of the entire system. 256 VIAVI HYGIENE The pelvic cavity is small, and the Enlargement and generative organs are snugly packed Pregnancy within it, each designed to occupy a certain amount of room. The un- natural enlargement of any one of them distresses all the others and interferes with their working and health. An instructive lesson may be learned by contemplating the difference between the conditions arising from enlargement of the womb by disease and by pregnancy. For a time after conception the womb remains in the true pelvis, but its enlargement there in no way inter- feres with the other organs or gives them distress. That is because pregnancy is a natural condition; enlargement of the womb from disease is not. As the womb con- tinues to enlarge in pregnancy it rises out of the true pelvis into the false pelvis. A tumor of that size, being an unnatural growth, would interfere with the working of every vital organ. While in pregnancy the natural forces governing the conduct of the womb raise it into the false pelvis, where it will have room to expand, in enlargement from disease the opposite course is found. These forces lose their power, and the womb gravitates downward, producing either a tilting or bending out of position, or prolapsus. A better opportunity than this for learning the difference between natural and unnatural conditions could not be found. This difference is ignored in those forms of treatment for enlargement which resort to unnatural instead of natural means. The first thing to consider in connec- Two Treatments tion with enlargement of the womb is Compared that, like all other enlargements pro- duced by congestion or inflammation, it is amenable to rational treatment. Cutting or scari- fying the cervix to relieve congestion is irrational, and adds injury to disease.- Operations to shorten the liga- ments which hold the womb in place do not reduce the enlargement nor strengthen the ligaments, but injure them. Yet outside the Viavi system of treatment surgery is the ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB 257 most common means employed in this distressing condition. What is obviously required is, first, an avoidance of all violence to these delicate organs, rendered all the more susceptible to permanent injury by their weakened condition from disease; second, a treatment that will render such aid to the natural recuperative forces of the body that they themselves, by natural means, will bring about a natural return to a healthy state. That is just the philosophy on which the Viavi system of treatment is planned, and the remarkable success which has attended its use in such cases cannot be overlooked. The treatment for enlargement of the womb is the same as that for inflammation of the womb, given in the last preceding chapter. CHAPTER XXXVII. DISPLACEMENTS OF THE WOMB SOME description of the womb is given in the chapter on The Generative Organs of Women. The blood supply of the generative organs, including the womb, presents conditions existing nowhere else in the body and explains the origin and nature of their diseases and the adaptability of the Viavi system of treatment to them. The peculiar character of the blood vessels of the womb, permitting their stretching in pregnancy, is ex- plained in the chapter on Enlargement of the Womb. The womb is suspended, or swung, with- The Effects of in the pelvic cavity by means of mus- Displacement cular ligaments, and hence has more freedom of movement than any other organ of the body. It is deemed displaced when it is permanently out of position, as in versions and flexions. The temporary displacement backward by the filling of the bladder, and the temporary displacement forward by the filling of the rectum, are natural movements, as are those occurring in walking and in deep breathing. These movements are beneficial to both the womb and the liga- ments supporting it, giving them wholesome exercise. When that is prevented by prolonged displacement, the circulation of the blood in the womb loses the stimulus of natural exercise, and the womb grows large and heavy, and in consequence diseased. A large number of blood vessels supplying the womb pass between the layers of the broad ligaments. Displace- ment of the womb twists these layers more or less, re- ducing their blood-carrying capacity and eausing con- gestion, inflammation, enlargement, displacements, tu- mors, cancer, etc. DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 259 A cause of displacement is anything The Causes of that will weaken the uterine ligaments. Displacements It may be a general weakness; accord- ingly, when the womb becomes tem- porarily displaced from the filling or emptying of the blad- der or rectum, the ligaments have not the strength to lift it back into position. If the womb becomes inflamed and heavy, an extra weight is placed upon the ligaments, which are unable to lift it; in consequence, the enlarged and heavy womb becomes displaced. The longer it remains dis- placed, the heavier it becomes, as the quantity of blood held within its walls becomes greater and greater, until inflammation is the result. Understanding the causes of displace- Comraon Plan of ment, it will be evident that to reach Treatment and overcome them we must seek the causes and remove them. This cannot be done naturally by the use of pessaries or other false supports. (See Pessaries, this chapter.) Neither can it be accomplished by surgical methods. The sewing of the fundus of the womb to the abdominal walls is one of the most abused as well as inhuman methods employed. Only the woman who has submitted to this operation can describe the pulling, burning pain and the intense nervousness that often result. Here the attempt is made to overcome one kind of displacement that is amenable to rational treatment, by a misplacement which is not only permanent, but worse, with no hope of relief. The womb by this operation is dragged forward and upward several inches, thereby putting nerves, muscles, tissues, and often the bladder, on a constant strain, and thus also displacing the other organs. The womb now lies upon the top of the bladder. The abdomin- al walls have varied uses, but it was never intended that any of these organs should be tacked to it for support. The operation for shortening weakened and stretched ligaments impairs them the more ^hile doing nothing- to 260 VIAVI HYGIENE overcome the diseased condition that caused the displace- ment of the womb. In the usual method but little attention is paid to the cause of the trouble. No assistance is offered Nature; her able powers are ignored, her laws violated. Under the Viavi system of treatment, which avoids all violence and aims simply at giving Nature the assistance required, these troubles have yielded so consistently as to create a reasonable expectation of recovery in similar cases. Each form of displacement has its The Symptoms of special symptoms, but there are some Displacement symptoms and effects that are common to all. A retarding of the normal movements of the uterus gives rise to a sensation of a dull, heavy weight pressing upon the surrounding organs. Sometimes a great deal of pain is experienced; in other cases not much, if any; but in these the inflammatory process is generally very destructive; a great amount of damage has occurred before sufferers feel it necessary to seek relief. Generally there is pain in the head and back, with inability to walk or stand for any considerable length of time, from the feeling of weight and lameness in the abdomen. There is likely also to be lameness in the legs; the memory may become impaired and sufferers often fear insanity. The tissues of the displaced womb rarely eliminate fully the menstrual secretions; hence the monthly vas- cular purging is imperfectly performed; or the blood may be held within the cavity of the womb until it gives rise to labor-like pains in expelling it. This injures the tex- ture of the womb, and if allowed to continue it prevents the formation of a healthy lining, which must be renewed each month. ANTEVERSION In anteversion the womb as a whole falls out of po- sition forward, thus resting more or less upon the bladder, DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 261 which is forced to become its unnatural support. As this is not the function of the bladder, it becomes irritated. Its capacity also is much lessened, and the sufferer, by reason of the irritation, is forced to urinate frequently. This is a characteristic symptom of anteversion. If the displacement is permitted to continue, an inflamed con- dition of the bladder results; this is cystitis. (See chapter on Bladder and Urethra.) Voiding the urine does not relieve. In Effects Upon time the sphincter muscles that control the Bladder the flow of urine lose their function through constant irritation, with the result that incontinence of urine supervenes, and there is frequently a constant dribbling. A woman in that con- dition is an object of pity, and yet such is the condition of many who have suffered with anteversion for some time. Inflammation of the bladder, resulting from this displacement, in time involves the ureters, and this in- flammation in time extends to the kidneys, producing there one or more serious and often fatal diseases. No organ nor part of the body can suffer prolonged irritation without becoming diseased. Another result of anteversion is urethritis, or inflamma- tion of the urethra, the duct that conveys the urine from the bladder. (See chapter on Bladder and Urethra.) Other symptoms of anteversion are backache, distress in walking, nervousness, painful menstruation, leucorrhea (from interference with the circulation), and a heavy bearing-down pain in the pelvis. When the womb is healthy it is actively alive, light and hollow 7 , ballooning about out of harm's way. When it is inflamed, enlarged and displaced forward, our purpose is to restore it natural- ly to a healthy state. It has become anteverted because it was too heavy to remain in position. It became en- larged from the inflammatory process, and the treatment must be directed to bring it back to its natural condition and size, where its weight can be sustained by its muscular supports. 262 VIAVI HYGIENE (For treatment of anteversion, see the end of this chapter.) ANTEFLEXION In anteversion the womb as a whole tips forward; in anteflexion it bends forward upon itself, much as a jack- knife when being closed. In anteversion the womb is usually large and has overtaxed its muscular supports, which have allowed it to fall forward as a whole; but in anteflexion the muscular substance of the womb itself has become so softened from inflammatory processes that it has fallen forward upon itself, or doubled over. Ante- flexion and anteversion may both be present. The womb resembles an inverted pear, the heavy part upward. The point of flexion is generally at the junction of the neck with its body. The symptoms of anteflexion are much Symptoms of the same as those of anteversion, but Anteflexion as a rule more severe and requiring longer treatment. Menstruation is in- terfered with. A part of the flow, in the form of clots, may be retained from one month to another, being un- able to pass the abrupt bend in the uterine canal. This keeps up a constant aggravation, which brings about- destructive inflammation; frequently there is an absolute break in the softened tissues of the womb. A flexion often causes sterility, as the lining of the womb is never normal; it cannot prepare itself for the accommodation of the fertilized ovum, which fails to take root. Membranous dysmenorrhea may become per- manently established, the nervous system badly impaired. The retained discharges are injurious, and the entire system suffers. (For treatment of anteflexion, see end of this chapter.) DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 263 RETROVERSION Retroversion is a tipping backward of the womb as a whole. It produces so many distressing and injurious conditions that the cause of the trouble is too often lost sight of, and direct treatment applied uselessly to second- ary conditions. If one of these organs is enlarged or dis- placed, the others will suffer, but direct treatment of them to the neglect of the primary condition accomplishes nothing. In retroversion, the enlarged, heavy, back-tilted womb rests upon the rectum, irritating it by unnatural pressure and reducing its caliber. This causes the fecal matter to gather in a mass above the point of pressure and push the displaced womb still farther down and back. This increases the unnatural tension on the ligaments support- ing the womb, and causes backache. From this partial closing of the rectum Some Effects of and packing of the feces, they dry and Retroversion harden, and are finally discharged after some of their deleterious elements have been absorbed into the circulation and carried to all parts of the body, to do what mischief they can. The packed feces injure the lower part of the rectum and the anus, and by their hardness and by severe pressure upon the diseased womb, aggravate its inflamed condition. The irritation produced by the constant pressure of the womb on the rectum interferes with the circulation in the rectum, often giving rise to fistula, hemorrhage, inflammation and ulceration of the rectum, with the various forms of tumors or piles generally seen with this condition. (See chapter on The Bowels.) Many rectal troubles among women are caused by this displacement backward. The injurious effects of retroversion are Affects Bladder not confined to the rectum, as all of the and Navel organs in this locality are attached — the womb to the vagina, the vagina to the bladder, the bladder to the urethra, the bladder 264 VIAVI HYGIENE also by means of a cord to the umbilicus, or navel. When the womb falls backward, it makes traction on the bladder, it, in turn, makes traction upward on the urethra. One of the effects of this strain is to produce partial or complete paralysis of the nerves controlling the urethra and the sphincter by which the urine is controlled. There will be, in consequence, a dribbling of the urine, or a retention necessitating the use of the catheter. This upward stretch- ing of the urethra also irritates its lining, and may give rise to urethral caruncles, purplish growths lining it or hanging from its mouth like small, dark-red tongues; they are often extremely sensitive. As the bladder is stretched backward as well as upward, the urachus, or cord that attaches the bladder to the navel, is also stretched backward; hence there may be pain in the umbilical region, the irritation frequently causing a watery or pus-like discharge from the navel. The causes of retroversion are the same The Symptoms of as those producing anteversion. A Retroversion large number of nerves are located in that part of the pelvic cavity where the top of the retro verted womb rests; hence the mental and nervous symptoms that accompany retroversion. The most prominent symptoms of retroversion are back- ache and a pressing-down sensation in the pelvis; this greatly interferes with walking. We find also leucorrhea, and often erosions of the cervix. Emptying the bowels is painful. Pains run down the front of the thighs, and become worse upon motion. A burning sensation on the top of the head is a characteristic symptom, or extreme pain in the back of the head. There may be melan- cholia and hysteria, and mild insanity, or a fear of in- sanity; loss of memory, palpitation of the heart, stomach troubles, irritable spine and impaired eyesight. From poor drainage the lining membrane of the womb becomes inflamed, and this in time involves the whole womb. The inflammatory process may cause this organ to be- come adhered to surrounding parts. The ligaments are twisted and the circulation is impeded, not only in the DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 265 womb and ovaries, but also in the broad ligaments, which in time become varicose. The Viavi system of treatment aims at The Cause Must the fundamental trouble, which is some Be Found weakness manifesting itself in deficient nerve action and defective circulation, both in the parts directly involved and in the entire body, the means employed being such as Nature appears to require. Both the philosophy of the treatment and the practical procedure based on it have abundantly justified their value in the long list of recoveries that have been secured. (For details of the treatment for retroversion, see the end of this chapter.) RETROFLEXION In retroflexion, the womb bends backward upon itself at the junction of the cervix and the body of the womb. It is similar to anteflexion, except that the bending is in the opposite direction. The bending in both cases is caused by enlargement and heaviness of the body of the womb, and a softening of its tissues. In retro- flexion, as in anteflexion, the cavity of the womb is closed by the bending, and the menstrual flow and leucorrheal discharges cannot easily escape. The evils arising from these abnormal conditions have already been pointed out. Flexions are more likely to occur after confinement than at any other time, from women leaving their beds too soon, the womb at this time being very soft and large. Flexions produce inflammation of the lining of the womb, and of the womb itself, with the formation of adhesions to the bowel. In addition to this, certain changes take place in the walls of the womb, such as a thinning of the front wall and a thickening of the rear wall. A varicose condition of the veins within the liga- 266 VIAVI HYGIENE ments is also a result. This in time leads to prolapsus of the ovaries and Fallopian tubes. (The treatment for retroflexion is given at the end of this chapter.) PROLAPSUS Prolapsus uteri ("falling of the womb") is a slipping down of the womb into the vagina; in severe cases the neck of the womb protrudes from the vaginal orifice. The immediate cause is an unnatural heaviness of the womb, produced by congestion leading to inflammation and enlargement, and a giving way of the supporting ligaments under the unnatural strain. Serious as the condition appears— and serious as it really is under ordinary methods of treatment, whose chief reliance is artificial means — the outlook should not be regarded as gloomy. Evidently, if a treatment is employed under which the weakness that made the con- dition possible is removed naturally, health of the womb and its natural return to its right size and position will follow. With the removal of that which causes a condi- tion, the condition may be expected to disappear. That is the aim of the Viavi system of treatment. As the upper part of the vagina is con- The Symptoms of tinuous with the neck of the womb, the Prolapsus vaginal walls are dragged down with the womb-, and made to fold upon them- selves. The anterior wall of the vagina forms the posterior wall of the bladder; hence the bladder also is dragged down. It is not unusual to find the bladder protruding from the vaginal orifice just in front of the. womb. When it becomes distended with urine, it is large and prominent, varying in size from an egg to a quart bowl. When the urine is voided the bladder resembles a flabby mass. From friction and the acrid urine, the protruding bladder becomes inflamed and the sufferer's condition is pitiable. DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 267 It often becomes necessary to push the bladder upward with the fingers before it can be emptied. Lameness of the legs frequently accompanies prolapsus and is often mistaken, and treated for rheumatism, of course without good results. The legs may even become partially paralyzed from pressure on the nerves leading down them. The dragging-down sensation in prolapsus is similar to that in the other displacements. The pain is dull and heavy, especially across the back. The ovaries and Fal- lopian tubes, as well as the bladder and vaginal walls, are dragged downward, and many painful symptoms throughout the whole pelvic and abdominal regions are present the nature of which it becomes impossible for the sufferer to describe. In short, all symptoms of ante- version and retroversion may be present, with many more. There is no part of the body that yields Mechanical Aids to rational treatment more quickly than Irrational the generative tract, and no part that resents mechanical or surgical methods so stubbornly and keenly. This fact speaks for itself whenever surgery or a mechanical aid is resorted to. As these resorts fail to reach the cause producing the con- dition, it would be unreasonable to expect a cure under them. Under the Viavi system of treatment, there is no cutting, no patching up, no propping up, no stitching. The cause of the condition is aimed at, and rational aids are offered Nature for overcoming it. The fact that the generative organs respond so readily to a rational, natural treatment doubtless explains in part the success that this system of treatment has met in these conditions. (The treatment for prolapsus is given at the end of this chapter.) SYMPTOMS OF RECOVERY When any of the foregoing displacements occurs, stagnation of the blood in * ^ blood vessels of the organs 268 VIAVI HYGIENE has taken place. The walls of these vessels are injured by the overdistension, as are also the nerves of the vessels. When the nerves are sufficiently strengthened, they grad- ually regain their ability to control the blood supply and the movement of the blood. During this process there may be pain, but it will be only temporary, and is an encouraging symptom. As soon as the circulation is re- established — a necessary process in recovery — the pain will disappear. Sometimes the vaginal discharges become excoriating after commencing the treatment, producing itching, burning and even rawness. This is due to the throwing off of impurities, and will disappear as the parts become healthy and there is less of the impure matter to be thrown from the system. The tissues also become sounder and are not so tender as in the first place. TREATMENT FOR DISPLACEMENTS As all the displacements mentioned in this chapter came from one original cause, the general features of the treatment — those aimed at lending Nature the assistance required to strengthen the nerves and re-establish a normal circulation of nutritious blood, and designed to meet both general and local conditions — are identical; in addition, certain external aids are given for the different kinds of displacement. Via vi Capsules are to be used as directed. Douche. A vaginal douche before placing the cap- sule is necessary, as by cleansing the tract it facilitates the absorption of the capsular contents. If profuse leucorrhea exists, a douche and capsule are required night and morn- ing. (See Vaginal Douches, final chapter.) Via vi Cerate. The cerate is to be applied over the entire spine and abdomen once daily, for thirty minutes over each part. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Abdomen, same chapter.) Reclining Abdominal Massage. If the sufferer is DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 269 tired at night, or the room is cold, or there are not suffi- cient conveniences, the cerate should be rubbed thorough- ly over the abdomen while in bed. (See Individual Abdominal Massage, same chapter.) Pendent Abdominal Massage (see directions, same chapter) is highly useful unless there is frequent flooding or the bladder is involved, in either of which conditions it must not be used. Massage of Perineum. The space between the rectal orifice and the vaginal orifice should be thoroughly kneaded with the cerate once a day. (See Massage of Perineum, final chapter.) Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. Via vi Royal should be taken as directed. Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is any tendency to constipation. (See Viavi Laxative, also Kneading of Abdomen, final chapter.) POSITIONS FOR ANTEVERSION Spread a quilt on the floor. Lie on it, on the back, with two pillows, one on top of the other, under the but- tocks, and the feet on a low stool or the lower rounds of a chair; or lie on a lounge, putting the feet over the head of it and several pillows under the buttocks. This will tend to let the womb fall backward into its proper position. In this position apply the cerate on the ab- domen. (The Knee-Chest Position for retroversion is useful also in some cases of ante version.) FOR RETROVERSION AND PROLAPSUS Knee-Chest Position when there is pressure on the rectum. At night, after getting into bed, proceed as follows : Get upon the knees, resting the chest on the bed, so as to have the hips as high as possible and the chest as 270 VIAVI HYGIENE low as possible. Separate the walls of the vagina with the fingers, so as to admit the air. The weight of the uterus will cause it to drop back to a more natural position. Lie down, and do not get upon the feet again till morning unless it is absolutely necessary. Tampon for Prolapsus and Retroversion. Procure at a drug store or a chemist's some absorbent wool and absorbent cotton. Make a roll of the wool about twice the size of the thumb, or larger if necessary, and around this roll a layer of the absorbent cotton. Cut the roll thus made into three - inch lengths and tie a cotton string tightly about the center of each piece. This will form a light, fluffy tampon, which may be inserted in the vagina for temporary support in prolapsus. Empty the contents of six Viavi capsules into half a cup of olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Saturate one of the tampons in this mixture, and after taking a morning vaginal douche, assume the knee-chest position and while in this position insert the saturated tampon in the vagina. This will form a tem- porary support for the womb during the day, and at the same time the muscles and ligaments will absorb the cap- sules. Two douches should be taken daily, one before inserting the tampon, and one after withdrawing it, just before retiring. Then a Viavi capsule should be inserted. Baths. The baths most convenient should be taken. (See Baths, final chapter.) The Hygienic Department, if written to, will advise individually as to what bath will be the best. Hot Compress. A hot compress (see final chapter for directions) on the abdomen should be used twice a week if the inflammation is severe. Cold Compress. A cold compress (see final chapter for directions) on the abdomen should be used twice a week instead of the hot compress, if the inflammation has existed for some time and there is profuse and frequent menstruation. Hot and Cold Compress Alternately. Where con- tinued use of either the hot or the cold compress debili- tates and is not followed by marked beneficial changes, the alternate use of the hot and the cold compress for DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 271 one hour is advised. The hot and the cold compress should be alternated every ten minutes. The Hygienic Department will be pleased to suggest, on application to it, additional aids where satisfactory progress is not being made. PESSARIES A pessary, commonly used under ordinary methods of treatment to cure displacements, is merely a mechanical makeshift at relief to prop the displaced womb partially into position. This is done to the great injury of the womb itself, its ligaments, and adjacent organs and tissues. No hard, foreign substance can be placed in the vagina and allowed to remain for any length of time without doing injury. Stem pessaries, which are partially inserted into the uterine cavity, are dangerous, as they frequently cut through the walls of the womb, especially when the walls are soft and inclined to bend upon themselves. Those in the form of oblong rings so greatly distend the vaginal walls that ulceration frequently results. We saw an illustration of this in a case where extensive ulcer- ation had occurred. The pessary had imbedded itself in the walls of the vagina so deeply that they in time grew partially over it, requiring a surgical operation to remove it. The cup pessary allows the neck of the womb to rest in a receptacle resembling a cup. By its use a constant irritation is kept up, as the womb is continually moving. Few can wear this kind of support for any length of time. A pessary cannot reduce the enlargement, which is the cause of the displacement, nor strengthen the muscular supports, which are by it entirely relieved of their func- tion; hence injury follows its use, after serious damage has been wrought the tissues by pressure. The vaginal secretions corrode the pessary if metal, and accumula- tions occur if it is made of rubber. In time, the pressure may be so much as to cause perforation of the vaginal walls, allowing the escape of urine and fecal matter into the vagina. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE FALLOPIAN TUBES (and some of their diseases) THE Fallopian tubes are described in the chapter on The Generative Organs of Women. The closest structural and functional relation exists among the Fallopian tubes, the womb and the ovaries; for this reason, inflammation of one is likely to involve the others. Inflammation of the Fallopian tubes is called salpin- gitis, of which there are three kinds, — the acute (which is often caused by infection), the chronic and the catarrhal. The tubes, from inflammation, may The Results of become displaced, enlarged, elongated, Salpingitis and twisted or bent into knuckles. In severe inflammation they become closed, and the secretions, which may be abundant, accumulate within them, producing distension and elongation, often causing them to become convoluted and td hang down by the side of the uterus in a sausage- like tody. Sometimes inflammation renders the tube very easily brokm, and the small fimbria which connect it with the ovary become severed. Stricture of the tube also results. Wh*.re pus forms and is held in the tube we have a pelvic absr/ess. Unless salpingitis is checked by rational treat- ment, the tubes may become adhered to adjacent parts. The onset of salpingitis may be very severe, or it may be mild. The causes are much the same as those pro- ducing inflammation of the womb and ovaries, and the symptoms are very similar. The Fallopian tubes are simply prolongations of the womb; they are only four THE FALLOPIAN TUBES 273 inches in length, and the ovaries are attached not only to them, but to the womb as well, by the short ovarian liga- ment, a perfect loop being thus formed on either side of the womb. These organs, being closely connected and held within a very small space, cannot be successfully treated separately; they must be treated as a whole. Extended observation of tubal troubles Treatment for under the Viavi system of treatment Salpingitis has shown excellent results where the treatment has been thorough and per- sistent. Obstructions have been overcome, so that the tubes could discharge their accumulations; in other instances suppuration ceased and its products were absorbed and eliminated. Catarrhal conditions here have yielded as readily as elsewhere. In order to avoid the danger of great tubal distension and rupture, followed by peritonitis, any inflammatory condition of the tubes should be promptly taken in hand and the treatment persisted in till recovery is secured. Recovery from chronic salpingitis is necessarily slow, but experience has shown that the time is determined largely by the fidelity and intelligence with which the treatment was followed, and the condition of the sufferer's recuperative powers. (The treatment for inflammation of the Fallopian tubes is the same as that for inflammation of the ovaries.) No satisfactory treatment for infective In Cases of disease of the Fallopian tubes has been Infection found. While beneficial results have been secured in such cases under the Viavi system of treatment, they may have been due to a general strengthening of the system, and therefore would appear logical; but the condition is so refractory, the recuperative powers of the sufferer so important an ele- ment, the treatment likely to be so long, tedious and dis- couraging, with uncertainty of results, that the treatment is not recommended for this distressing affliction, it not being intended for any of these infectious diseases. At 274 VIAVI HYGIENE the same time, we know of no other beneficial treatment, and unless the condition is at least held in abeyance, advice to have the tubes removed by operation may be expected. CHAPTER XXXIX. THE OVARIES (and some of their diseases) THE ovaries are described in the chapter on The Generative Organs of Women. As they are the center of a woman's generative system, an affec- tion of them is a serious threat to the basis of her womanliness. The wonderful potencies exhibited by these small and seemingly insignificant organs, which produce the eggs in which all human life originates, are not confined to them. They in turn are merely the organs, the means of expres- sion, of the complex and mysterious forces that ramify throughout a woman's being; but without these organs to express the forces that they represent, the forces them- selves become crippled or powerless. One cannot talk if one's tongue is cut out. One cannot see if one's eyes are removed. So a woman cannot give full expression to her womanliness if her ovaries are diseased or removed. Yet their removal in disease may be expected by those who depend on ordinary methods of treatment. Inflammation of the ovaries (ovaritis) The Nature of may be acute or chronic. The acute Ovaritis form is that which has existed but a short time; the chronic is that in which the inflammation has become firmly established. Its character is similar to that of inflammation anywhere else in the body. The nature and tendencies of inflam- mation have been discussed in the chapters on Congestion and Inflammation, The Generative Organs of Women, Menstruation, etc., together with the peculiar adaptive- ness of the Viavi system of treatment to these conditions 276 VIAVI HYGIENE and the results that have been secured from its use. Equally brilliant have been its achievements in ovarian troubles. The left ovary is oftener affected than the right, because the upper part of the rectum is on that side, the pressure from the passing fecal matter, particularly in constipation, acting as an irritant, and also because the left side of the cervix is oftener lacerated than the right. The causes of ovaritis are many, among The Causes of them a sudden suppression of the Ovaritis menses, extension of inflammation from surrounding parts, infection, excesses, astringent or cold-water injections, abortions, miscar- riages, displacements of the pelvic organs, any condition that tends to weaken or impede the circulation, pessaries, an improper use of instruments, and cauterization of the cervix. The ease with which the ovaries sympathize with other generative organs that are diseased is explained by the closely related nervous and circulatory systems mak- ing all these organs parts of a whole. Not only that, but as the other. organs are the servants of the ovaries, the ovarian functions are impaired and disease invited if the servants are diseased. "The uterus and its append- ages" is a misleading phrase. The incorrect inference from it is that the womb is the center of the generative system, and that the ovaries are among the organs inferior to it. The reverse is the truth. The ovaries are the organs demanding the most care and the most jealous preservation. Ovaritis being, as a rule, complicated The Symptoms of with other inflammatory processes, the Ovaritis symptoms are many and varying. The affected ovary or ovaries may be enlarged and tender, with pains radiating at intervals or continually to the sides and down the lower part of the back. Pain in the ovarian region of a dull, aching or burning character, aggravated by moving about or by a THE OVARIES 277 sudden jar, is characteristic. Pain in the groin is a fre- quent symptom, and the leg on the affected side is often kept partially bent to ease the pain. Pains in the leg may be so severe as to cause lameness. Considerable pain may be experienced at stool or while urinating. Hysterical symptoms are often developed, and frequently profuse leucorrhea. All symptoms are aggravated as the menstrual period approaches, and menstruation will be painful and generally profuse. With some sufferers the pain ceases when the flow is fully established. A little excitement will often cause the ovary to throb and burn. The painful symptoms accompanying ovaritis are caused also by a diseased cervix and by ante version. This has frequently led to a wrong diagnosis and brought the sufferer under surgical treatment, the mistaken diagnosis being discovered only when the abdomen has been cut open and healthy ovaries exposed to view. Other instances in which similar cutting is done on a wrong diagnosis are when the ovaries suffer with neu- ralgic pains from conditions elsewhere in the body. In both cases the ovaries are generally removed when the operation has progressed thus far, on the theory that if they are out they will give no trouble! As they were not responsible for the pains, no relief is experienced from their removal. On the contrary, all painful symptoms become intensified and many new ones may be added. Under the Viavi system of treatment Mutilation May it has been demonstrated that ovario- Be Avoided tomy (removal of the ovaries), advised in many cases, was unnecessary. We prefer, of course, that women take their ovarian troubles in time and thereby avert all reasonable excuse for the removal of their ovaries. The Viavi system of treatment has established a firm and extensive record in that field, as might have been expected from an understanding of its aim to aid Nature, and its methods designed for doing so. But while it is far better that the ovaries be restored to health and preserved to their owner, yet if their removal has occurred in the absence of a knowledge concerning 278 VIAVI HYGIENE the Viavi system of treatment, no such gloomy outlook as that presented by the surgeons quoted in the chapter on A Talk with Men should be accepted if the treatment is employed and persisted in after the operation. Many women so operated on and suffering in consequence have been brought to a condition of peace and comfort that they had never known before. The lost ovaries cannot be restored, but the violence of the readjustment which the whole organism must make after the operation, has often been eased, the nervous system strengthened and steadied for its work, the circulation started again in a normal flow, and other disorganized functions harmonized. With local and general conditions made as sound as pos- sible, the expectation is that a tendency to a cancerous development may be averted. The advance of surgical skill has so much reduced the danger of dying under operations or from blood-poisoning resulting from them that it has served greatly to increase unnecessary removal of the ovaries. Thus the harm has been increased. To discharge a woman as cured by such an operation is a different thing from following her his- tory in the after-years. We do not hold with those who believe Our Position on that operations should never be per- Operations formed. When the sufferer has neg- lected her condition so long that there seems to be no chance for gentler efforts to succeed, or when the method of treatment employed upon her had permitted such a condition to arise, operations sometimes appear to offer the only promise of comparative relief. The aim of this treatment is to reach the sufferer before such a condition arrives. Unless Nature is helped in time, the vital forces may be so reduced and disorganized as eventually to prohibit recovery by any method of treat- ment. In such cases operations may be offered as a necessary palliative, being the less of two evils. But every person who knows what an operation means will refuse to consent to it until all reasonable methods have been examined. The operation should be the last THE OVARIES 279 resort. We cannot say too often nor make it too impres- sive that very many women who have been told that an operation was their only chance, have recovered without it by employing the Viavi system of treatment. In offering it in such cases before extreme measures are employed, we are only doing what we should wish to be done by. Generally much persuasion, argument Different Moral and threatening are required to make Effects a woman submit to an operation. Perhaps it is meant as a kindness that she is not informed of the significance of the operation, and the effects it will have on all the remainder of her life. On the contrary, she gets the idea that it is some short cut to perfect restoration or relief. In the process she learns nothing and acquires harmful views. Worst of all, some of them, proud of having been operated on, use their influence in urging other women to have a similar experience. Her situation under the Viavi system of treatment is very different. There she learns the laws of her being, the errors that caused her affliction, and an intelligent mode of life that will enable her to live wisely and main- tain her health in all ways. She learns the value to her- self, and to her husband, children, friends and home, of her wholeness and strength, and the power of womanly perfection. She comes to realize that the radical read- justments demanded of her organism by an operation are serious enough in a physical sense, but that the mental and moral injury is far more profound, — a factor rarely considered. Scientific persons call the removal of a woman's ovaries castration, and the victim a castrated woman. But those unpleasant terms are never used in her hearing before the operation is performed. Under the mere knowledge that she secures by means of the Viavi system of treatment, to say nothing of the sound physical condition in which she may place herself, she offers a singular contrast to the woman who has suf- fered from the removal of her ovaries. 280 VIAVI HYGIENE If the finger, arm or leg be amputated, Physical Effects the stump remains exceedingly sensi- of Surgery tive, and has to be carefully protected, even though it is covered with skin. If any part of the generative tract is cut, innumerable nerves are severed, and there is no thick skin with which the severed ends may be covered. Hence these nerve-ends suffer incessant irritation, and this is constantly nagging the brain centers and drawing upon the strength of the system. Again, as the blood supply to these parts is abundant, large numbers of blood vessels also are severed; the larger ones are tied, the smaller ones are caught within the stumps or the scar tissue which forms. It is in these that cancer so frequently develops. The beautiful mechanism of the abdominal circulation is badly injured, the blood-current is impeded, and Nature rebels. A certain amount of inflammation follows these opera- tions, and peritoneal adhesions form from that condition. The evils of this are set forth in the chapter on The Peri- toneum. Let us observe the conduct of the millions of nerves that have been severed by the operation. The removal of the organs that they were designed to govern deprives them of the work that they were created to do, and besides, the cutting of them is a direct violence. The integrity of the nervous system is therefore impaired, and thus the source of all healthy physical and mental activity is weakened. Every organ in the body has a special space allotted to it. Ingenious compactness is observed upon opening the body. All the internal organs are dependent upon the others in a mechanical sense to a greater or less extent. Each organ needs exactly its own natural space, no more, no less, for its health. If this space is either increased or diminished, harmony is destroyed, and the entire body must suffer. If an organ be removed its suspensory ligaments are severed, partially or wholly; this weakens the entire body. Other of the viscera, especially those just above the removed organs, sag down THE OVARIES 281 out of place; others, just above them, also sag, and so on, until all the viscera become displaced more or less. The severing of the abdominal walls, a serious feature of these operations, is discussed in the chapter on The Abdominal Walls. Castrated women are prematurely, and Other Effects of therefore unnaturally, forced into the Castration change of life. When this change occurs naturally, an exquisite read- justment of all the functions takes place gradually. Every nerve, every fiber, every cell is called upon to do its particular share of the work; but in this elaborate process the presence of the ovaries is necessary, as it is through them that the genital life is largely established and normally given up. Many of the ills that a castrated woman suffers come from her being forced unnaturally into the change of life. Shock, a dreaded accompaniment of operations, comes from violence to the nervous system generally by violence to some part of it, and its degree depends partly on the number of nerves injured and partly on the general nervous condition of the sufferer. These general con- ditions are what introduce the element of uncertainty, and explain the deaths that occur from shock under the operation. We recall a case in which each of the ovaries was of the size of a small orange. An operation had been ad- vised as the only thing that could be done. It was declined, and the ovaries gradually returned to their natural size and condition under the Viavi system of treatment, and the woman became sufficiently healthy to give birth to a fine child. It occurred to one eminent physician Failure Proved to follow up one hundred cases of by Statistics ovariotomy performed in the Broca and St. Louis Hospitals, Paris. The result of his investigations, published in 1897, were as follows: "Of castrated women, 78 per cent, subsequently 282 VIAYI HYGIENE suffered a notable loss of memory; 60 per cent, were troubled with flashes of heat and vertigo; 50 per cent, confessed to a change in their character, having become more irritable, less patient, and some of them so changed as to give way to violent and irresponsible fits of temper; 42 per cent, suffered more or less from mental depression, and 10 per cent, were so depressed as to verge upon melancholia. In 75 per cent, there was a diminution in sexual desire, and some of these explained that they were sexually dead; 13 per cent, were not relieved from the pain from which they suffered; 35 per cent, increased in weight, and soon became abnormally fat. Some com- plained of a diminution in the power of vision; 12 per cent, noted a change in the tone of their voice to a heavier, more masculine quality. • Some 15 per cent, suffered from irregular attacks of skin affections; 25 per cent, had severe headaches, as a rule increased in intensity at the catamenial period. Equally as many complained of nightmare, more or less constant, while about 5 per cent, suffered from insomnia. In a few cases there existed a sexual hyper-excitability not present prior to castration. I particularly noted a few cases presenting chiefly gastric reflexes, where without any premonitory symptoms or apparent cause the stomach would reject food or refuse to prepare it for intestinal digestion, and the subsequent distress following the fermentation compelled the patient to seek relief. It should be noted that usually these troubles were more marked in women under thirty or thirty-three years of age." We have already seen, according to another authority, that 35 per cent, of those who recover from the operation for the removal of one or both ovaries die of cancer induced by the operation. This showing is remarkable enough, but Other Injuries it will be noted that some very impor- Inflicted tant things are omitted. It fails to show that a single one of these cases escaped one or more of the troubles enumerated ; and the presumption is that not one o r \em did. Thus, of the THE OVARIES 283 50 who did not "confess" to having "suffered a change of character, becoming irritable and giving way to violent fits of temper," we may be certain that 39 suffered a "notable loss of memory," that 5 were so depressed as to verge upon melancholia, and so on. In other words, if one of these unfortunate women escaped one affliction, we may be certain that she did not escape one or more of the others. Of course the foregoing report fails to show also deaths from diseases that gained a foothold as the result of the weakened and deranged condition of the nervous system from the operation, and also deaths that occurred during or soon after the operation. It was only the women alive at the time the investigation was made who were included. Women are cut open on a wrong diagnosis of ovarian inflammation, and then it is discovered that the cutting was unnecessary. Infinitely worse than cutting open on an erroneous diagnosis is what is termed "exploratory surgery." This is when a woman is cut open simply to find out what the trouble is! That may sound incredible to the uninformed, who know nothing of the harm done by opening the abdomen, but it is not only a fact — it is a very common one. Ovaries that are displaced, sensitive Conditions That and swollen have yielded in some cases Frighten rapidly to the Viavi system of treat- ment, others more slowly. This, of course, means here, as elsewhere, when the condition had not progressed until it had become incurable or malignant, which is not of frequent occurrence. Many women sub- mit to operations on hearing that there is a collection of pus somewhere Within the pelvic or abdominal regions, and that an immediate operation will be necessary to prevent blood-poison. While these conditions are serious, and demand immediate attention, the large numbers of such who have placed themselves directly under the Viavi system of treatment, and have grown safe and sound, furnish evidence that even though there be pus, it has not 284 VIAVI HYGIENE always warranted an operation. We are not suggesting that the sufferer take any risk, but merely that she or her husband go thoroughly into the matter, seek all possible light before taking an irretrievable step, and be convinced that life is in immediate or early danger; for the outlook from an operation is the gravest that can confront all concerned. (See chapter, A Talk With Men About Women.) Under the Viavi system of treatment there is nothing radical or dangerous, no mutilation, no dis- astrous after-effects. In ovarian troubles it has been not at The Significance all uncommon for the sufferers to feel of Pains decidedly worse after begininng the Viavi system of treatment. The in- flammatory process had been of a destructive nature, and the tissues and nerves were largely devoid of feeling in many cases. As a healthy reaction was established, the sense of feeling returned, the nerves resumed their func- tion, and the brain was notified by the signal, pain, that an abnormal condition existed. The part of the nervous system here implicated acts independently of our will, and the brain becomes the overseer, so to speak, while the repair work progresses to a finish; hence these pains which arose were simply signals and a part of the curative process. Often great amounts of diseased tissue and black, offensive clots of blood were expelled from the vagina and rectum after the sufferer had been under treatment for several months, she previously having felt bad, or much worse than before coming under the treat- ment. New pains, aches and disagreeable symptoms have appeared, and the one who did not understand that the body was growing stronger and enabled to do this work might have become bewildered and unable to account for her seemingly growing worse. But this fact, that one may feel worse for a time under the Viavi system of treatment than before employing it, has come to be well understood as a favorable symptom. With recovered strength, Nature was making a vigorous fight for health, but gave ability to bear discomfort. THE OVARIES 285 The various parts and organs used what No Two Cases they could of the treatment and to the Identical best interests of the body. No. 1 had ovarian trouble, but her progress varied greatly from that of No. 2, who also suffered from dis- eased ovaries. So we could select a hundred cases of ovarian troubles, not two of the sufferers having exactly the same experience while under the treatment; but the results were all the same. Here the Viavi system of treatment differs from all other forms of treatment. If the inflammatory process had extended a little further in one case than in another, causing an entirely different form of suffering, it was overcome by exactly the same treatment, as the cause was the same. A different remedy for each ache and pain is not required, but if the cause be removed by assisting Nature, as is the aim of the Viavi system of treatment, the results may be ex- pected to be the same where the treatment is used early and sufficiently long. The sensitiveness of even healthy Treatment for ovaries to nervous disturbances should Ovaries warn the sufferer to give her personal conduct the strictest attention. Any- thing that unduly stimulates the nerves, functions, mind or emotions should be avoided, and the sufferer should keep herself as quiet as possible without neglecting a reasonable amount of outdoor exercise and sunshine, and the society of cheerful friends and books. A considerate husband, realizing the nervous unbalance into which his wife's condition has thrown her to a greater or less extent, will make every condition of her life as peaceful as pos- sible. In carrying out the following treatment the sufferer must avoid being overzealous in its use, and must be very careful not to give herself pain in the ovarian region by a too vigorous application of the cerate. Patience, gentle- ness and thoroughness are essential. Viavi Cerate is to be used once daily, at night, over the entire abdomen, the spine and the entire back, 286 VIAVI HYGIENE whether the trouble is with one ovary or both, and down over the buttocks. (See directions for using the cerate in final chapter.) The cerate should be used on the groins and legs also if pains are there. If the ovarian condition is severe, the cerate may be used several times a day. It can do no harm, and the more of it that is absorbed, the better, but no more should be applied than can be ab- sorbed. Pendent Abdominal Massage should be used at least twice a week (see directions in final chapter), as adhesions are likely to be present, and the massage will assist in loosening them for their readier absorption under the treatment. But this massage should not be used if there is pus in or about either ovary. Compresses. A hot compress on the abdomen (see Hot Compress, final chapter) should be used once a week, covering the entire abdomen, so as to include the ovarian region on both sides. Alternating it, the cold compress on abdomen (see Cold Compress, same chapter) may be used, but with great caution to ascertain whether it pro- duces the slightest general feeling of chilliness; if it does, it should be avoided altogether. Under no circumstances should the system or any part of the body be unduly dis tressed in the application of the treatment, and the suf- ferer should strictly avoid fatiguing herself in using the treatment. Douches. A moderately hot douche should be taken lying down, every night, just before retiring (see Vaginal Douches, final chapter); if there is a copious leucorrhea, this douche should be used both night and morning. Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina daily, at night, after the douche. If a whole capsule causes so pronounced a reaction that much distress follows, half a capsule should be used for about two weeks or a month. As soon as the system has accommodated itself to the half capsule, the whole capsule should be used. If a standstill appears finally to be reached, double strength capsules are advised, to maintain a steady advance. Viavi Liquid should be used as directed. THE OVARIES 287 Via vi Suppositories are to be used if there is any affection of the rectum, including piles. Viavi Tablettes are to be used if there is indigestion. Via vi Laxative is to be used if there is constipation. Any pain or unhealthy condition aside from that of the ovaries aggravates their disease and should receive careful attention. Baths that experience shows to give the most com- fort and are best suited to the sufferer's surroundings should be used. (See Baths, final chapter.) Their value is in assisting to establish a good circulation. Diet should be light, abundant and wholesome, with a strict avoidance of any foods or drinks that stimulate or cause distress of any kind. If coffee or tea seems neces- sary, let it be very weak. Anything exciting or depress- ing the heart or the nerves aggravates the condition and retards recovery. Rest in bed during the menstrual period, or, if that is impracticable, lying on a couch as much as possible, with clothes loosened, at that time, will greatly facilitate recovery, and a nap every afternoon will be beneficial. Vigorous exercise, lifting and all wearying occupations should be strictly avoided. Physical or mental fatigue is very bad for these troubles and retards recovery. CHAPTER XL. THE PERITONEUM (peritonitis, adhesions) PERITONITIS The peritoneum is a closed sac lining the pelvis and abdomen. The contents of these cavities are not enclosed in it, but rather shut out of it, except the free ends of the Fallopian tubes, which open into it. The surface of the peritoneum is as great probably as the external surface of the body. We find a part of it in close proximity to the great artery of the liver; a prolongation of it separates the diaphragm from the liver, the liver from the stomach, the small intestines from the large, the intestines from the uterine organs and pelvic viscera. A part lies between the rectum and the womb, another part between the womb and the bladder. It forms, as well, a part of the ligaments that support the womb, ovaries, etc., which would lie helpless on the floor of the pelvis were it not for an ingenious arrangement of these ligaments to hold them in place and give them the freedom and ease that they require. Here again we see the wonderful provision that Nature has made for the care of these organs. When all or any part of this extensive membrane is inflamed, we have peritonitis, an inflammation that often results disastrously, even fatally, largely by reason of its great extent. It may be either acute or chronic. The causes of acute peritonitis are Symptoms of the many and varied. It may come from Acute Form an external injury, a blow, a fall, a penetrating wound, infection, exposure to cold and wet, abortions, unclean instruments in making THE PERITONEUM 289 examinations, and surgical operations. It may also be caused by an extension of inflammation of the womb, Fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, liver, spleen, by child- bed fever and abnormal menstruation. Pain, severe and stabbing, is always present in peri- tonitis, and is increased by the slightest motion or touch. The sufferer lies on her back, with legs drawn up. She uses only the chest muscles in breathing, and avoids all action of the abdominal muscles. The weight of the bed- clothing cannot be borne. The inflammation seldom involves the The Danger of, whole peritoneum, but only a part or Peritonitis parts. No inflammation can exist in the abdominal and pelvic cavities but that certain parts of the peritoneum become involved, sometimes extensively. The peritoneum possesses won- derful powers of absorption, and heals rapidly under proper treatment. Its extreme sensitiveness is a frequent cause of death from shock produced by operations within the pelvic and abdominal regions. Acute peritonitis is dangerous, and the best medical attention should be obtained at once. The danger varies according to the cause, complication and extent. The minute vessels become filled with fluids varying in quan- tity and character, and they ooze through the membrane. Sometimes the oozing is very extensive, and the abdomen, in consequence, becomes greatly distended; but owing to the fact that the fluid is composed largely of serum, it is easily absorbed. When the inflammation is oi a fibrinous nature, the fluid is sticky and gluey; this is apt to cause adhesions. The surfaces of the peritoneum may become adhered together where they are in contact, and form sacs in which the fluid is retained ; or strings and bands of fibrin may be formed, which fasten the intestines together, causing strangulation of the bowels. The womb, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries also may be bound down by adhesions. (See Adhesions.) 290 VIAVI HYGIENE The Viavi system of treatment for Treatment for acute peritonitis is intended to control Peritonitis this great inflammation as speedily as possible, and at the same time to regulate the circulation in the affected membrane. It may save life if the attendance of a physician cannot be immediately secured, or where no physician is available; but it is not intended to take the place of skillful medical attendance. Although a highly dangerous and a very painful dis- ease, and quick in its progress, it is simply an inflamma- tion of the peritoneum, the danger lying in the great ex- tent of the membrane and the rapidity with which the inflammation may spread over a large area of it. It is imperative that the sufferer go at once to bed and that the extremities be kept warm. Viavi Capsule. A capsule should be used in the vagina night and morning. Hot Douche. A hot vaginal douche, taken in bed with the use of a bed-pan, should be employed before the capsule is inserted. (See Vaginal Douches, final chapter.) If there is no bed-pan and one is not immediately pro- curable, use the first capsule without a douche, and at once procure a bed-pan. Viavi Cerate. With care not to expose the sufferer's body to the air, unless the room is very warm, and prefer- ably not at all, have an attendant gently but thoroughly rub the entire length of the spine and well down on the sides and flanks with the cerate for thirty minutes, being careful not to cause pain by too heavy pressure. (See Application of the Cerate, final chapter.) Then the sufferer, on the back with the knees drawn up, should have a hot foot bath in a tub under the covers. While the feet are in the hot water, wring out in cold water a thin piece of cloth or a light face towel and lay it on the abdomen and stomach under the covers, with care not to cause pain. This will quickly become warm, when it should be re- placed with a cold one by gradually slipping it under the warm one. The application of this cold compress will require patience and gentleness, and should be kept up THE PERITONEUM 291 for about an hour. At first, tty reason of the tenderness of the abdomen, it may be possible only to lay the cloth on, but after a while a little gentle pressure can be borne in making the compress lie snug. At the end of the hour discontinue them, and then apply the cerate. If the abdomen is very tender, melt about a teaspoon- ful of Viavi cerate in a cup set in hot water, and with a camel's hair brush (or very gently with the hand, if it can be borne) apply the melted cerate entirely over the ab- domen and stomach, and well down over the flanks. Cover the entire region with oiled silk and this with cotton batting, on which lay a hot-water bag, over the abdomen, if it can be borne,, and with only a little water in it. Cover this in turn with more batting, remove the foot-tub, dry the feet under the covers, and let the sufferer rest. This treatment should be given twice a day, or oftener if the condition is very severe. If there is no oiled silk or cotton batting on hand and it cannot be procured, a cloth on which mutton tallow, previously boiled and cooled, has been spread, will serve to lay over the cerate, but it is not so useful in keeping the abdomen warm. It will be observed that this cold compress differs from the ordinary cold compress in being very thin and light in weight. That is because of the extreme sensitiveness due to the peritonitis. If the sufferer can easily bear two or more thicknesses of cloth, which may be possible after a few applications of the single thickness, they should be employed, as they do not become warm so quickly and therefore do not have to be replaced so often. Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is constipation. Care should be used not to cause purging. Viavi Suppositoeies should be used as directed if there is any affection of the rectum, including piles. Viavi Tablettes should be used as directed if there is indigestion. Baths. As soon as the sufferer can move without pain,a hot bath .followed by a cold spray should be taken once a day. (See Hot Bath and Cold Spray, final chapter.) 292 VIAVI HYGIENE Diet should be very light and mainly liquid, such as milk, broths, gruel, milk toast, or toast soaked in hot water, and should be taken in small quantities every three hours. Nothing heavy or difficult to digest should be eaten, or it may aggravate the condition or cause a relapse. The attack will run its course in from three days to a week or longer, depending on the severity of the attack and the condition of the sufferer; but recovery has been gen- erally quicker than under ordinary methods of treatment, and the results better. Adhesions are not nearly so likely to follow, but if they do, they should receive the treatment given in this chapter for adhesions. Great care should be taken not to leave the bed too soon; one should keep in bed several days after the last indication of ten- derness has disappeared, and should only very gradually return to a normal diet. Under no circumstances should the bowels be neglected. Chronic peritonitis has much milder If Peritonitis symptoms than acute peritonitis, and Is Chronic is unaccompanied with fever. It is a prolific cause of adhesions, and at any time may light up into the acute form and prove highly dangerous, though not dangerous if that does not happen. The pain from it is somewhat similar to that caused by adhesions, but may be distinguished by not having a constant connection with certain movements of the body which experience has shown cause pain. Via vi Cerate should be used over the spine, abdomen and stomach once daily, care being taken not to cause pain in the abdomen. Hot Compress over the entire abdomen should be applied after each use of the cerate. Via vi Capsules should be used as directed. Hot Douche. A hot vaginal douche should be used once a day before the insertion of the capsule. Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is any tendency to constipation, it being important to se» cure perfect regularity of bowel action. THE PERITONEUM 293 Via vi Suppositories should be used if there are piles or other affection of the rectum. Viavi Tablettes should be used as directed if there is indigestion. Viavi Royal should be used as directed. Diet should be light and easily digested, but abund- ant and nutritious. Exercise, Rest and Sleep are exceedingly impor- tant. A walk every day, short of fatigue or pain, should be taken, and the couch should be sought in the middle of every afternoon, and if possible a sleep of a half houi or an hour should be taken. ADHESIONS The adhesions here considered are those caused by inflammation of the peritoneum, which in health exudes serum in sufficient quantity to make it slippery, so that its surfaces touching each other may rub with frictionless ease. This affords a free movement which is essential to the health and proper function of the organs held or enveloped in the peritoneum, and is one of the many won- derful provisions of Nature. Inflammation of the peri- toneum often causes the abnormal production of a glue- like lymph, which tends to cause a sticking together of the surfaces of the peritoneum that touch or rub against each other. In a short time, often in a few hours, this sticking together becomes permanent, and the free and healthy movement of the organs held in the folds of the peritoneum is therefore prevented. Thus we have an abnormal condition, productive of discomfort, pain and disease. Inflammation of the peritoneum may The Origin of spread with great rapidity and leave Adhesions extensive adhesions. As the intestines are covered with the peritoneum almost their entire length, they may become matted in a solid 294 VIAVI HYGIENE mass; or the inflammation may be circumscribed, pro- ducing adhesions among the uterine organs. The fim- briated ends of the Fallopian tubes may adhere to the ovaries; or the womb, tubes and ovaries may all adhere to the surfaces adjacent to them. The more severe and extensive the inflammation the greater the extent and firmness of the adhesions. The symptoms of adhesion are not easily differen- tiated from symptoms of other conditions, but there is generally a feeling of something being bound and of pain caused by motion. The arrest of any organ's activity interferes with its function. From this condition ner- vousness of all kinds arises, with a general bad effect upon the entire economy. As every disease of the uterine organs invites peritoneal inflammation and adhesions, the wise course is to avert that additional affliction by curing the original disease be- fore this complication has had time -to arise. Adhesive tissue is of a low grade, Character of containing no nerves and but a meagre Adhesion blood supply. Adhesions do not follow all inflammatory conditions, only those of a fibrinous character. It is largely a question of the gravity of the inflammation and the depth to which it affects the tissues beneath the peritoneum. Every in- flammatory condition, however, is a threat that the kind producing adhesions will be developed. Nor does every exudation of lymph mean that ad- hesions must necessarily follow. As soon as the exudation begins, the absorptive powers of the system come into play to dispose of it. If these powers are sufficiently strong, or the amount of lymph exuded is not greater than they can handle, the lymph will be absorbed and no adhesion will result. If the amount exuded in excess of that absorbed is great, a very dense and firm adhesion will result; but often the adhesion is so slight that it will separate of its own accord if assisted by a slight strain. Thus, adhesions of the womb in displacement have given way under the Viavi system of treatment, even before THE PERITONEUM 295 being absorbed, and the womb has become reduced in size and enabled to resume its natural position. The ordinary method of treating ad- Operations for hesions is to cut the body open and Adhesions tear the adhesions loose by force. In the chapter on The Abdominal Walls, one may see one of the effects of this procedure. After the abdomen has been opened, the abdominal and pelvic organs are turned over and examined, and if possible the adhesions are forcibly loosened. It is unnecessary to point out what may happen in such a procedure. Nature had already given the clue to the proper treatment by showing her ability to get rid of much of the lymph before permanent adhesion occurred, and to get rid of it alto- gether in cases where no adhesions resulted. It was by absorption, in which process the blood took up the lymph and carried it away. The fact that adhesions have occurred does not mean that the natural absorptive powers have been lost, but merely that they were not sufficiently strong, by reason of some unnatural weakness. Whatever powers of absorp- tion the body has are still present, although adhesions exist, and if they had their natural strength, they would absorb the artificial binding substance that holds the peri- toneal surfaces together. Sufferers are generally told that the surf ces have "grown together," implying that their actual tissues had united. Nothing of the sort exists. The condition is almost identical with the sticking to- gether of paper by means of mucilage. The fabric of the two sheets has in no sense united or amalgamated. A foreign and more easily dissolved substance than the surrounding tissues is all that holds them together. If the paper is moistened, the mucilage melts and the sheets separate. If the nervous system and the circula- The Natural tion are normal, the blood will loosen, Process break up and take into the blood ves- sels the substance artificially holding the peritoneal surfaces together. This is a natural ab- 296 VIAVI HYGIENE sorptive process, and is rapid or slow in proportion to the extent of the adhesions and the strength of the forces naturally at work to overcome them. Even without aid these natural powers are striving all the time to absorb the adhesions; they fail because of inadequacy. But if they are lent natural assistance that restores their in- tegrity, they will be able to absorb the binding substance and thus free the adhering surfaces. That is just what the Viavi system of treatment is designed to do, and satis factory results have been abundantly secured by means of it, as might have been expected from an understanding of the principles on which it is based. Adhesions are caused by a product of the organism, which, as it has the power to produce, must have also the power to remove. Under the treatment, the adhesive substance has been gradually and naturally absorbed. In consequence, pain disappeared, comfort was secured, and the organs, hitherto tied down and cramped, and crippled for their work, found their natural places and condition. In many cases, where the womb was tied down by adhesions, producing distress and painful menstruation, it has regained its freedom, and the distress disappeared. The treatment for adhesions is the same as that for inflammation of the womb, which see. CHAPTER XLI. THE ABDOMINAL WALLS FIRM, taut abdominal walls, as Nature intended them to be, are an imperative necessity to health. They are generally normal in men, whose mode of life encourages a healthy state in this particular, but loose, flabby abdominal walls are often found in women, being traceable to irrational practices inducing weakness in these walls — such as tight lacing and neglect of a vigor- ous use of the bodily muscles. If the abdominal walls are weak, the pelvic contents are imperfectly supported, and consequently sag out of position, producing an injuri- ous disarrangement. Outside the Viavi system of treat- ment the importance of this part of the body and of its functions, has been virtually overlooked, and the wali& are cut open as thoughtlessly as though their purpose extended no further than the skin covering a part of a leg or arm. Care of the abdominal walls and of theii many functions, and the restoration of their tone and use, constitute an important feature of the Viavi system of treatment; for tense, firm abdominal walls are just as necessary to health as a strong spinal column, and no spending of time or care can be too lavish to preserve their natural character and usefulness. Failure to recognize the symptoms that Walls Injured accompany a loss of tonicity in this by Cutting region has led to all kinds of operations, from plastic surgery to the removal of both womb and ovaries. As soon as a person loses the temporary benefit derived from a few weeks of enforced rest in bed, where the operation has placed her, she is frequently no better, and often her condition is much worse. The old symptoms return in an aggravated form— 298 VIAVI HYGIENE headaches, backache, dragging-down pains, indigestion, constipation, mental depression, extreme irritability of the nerve centers of the abdomen, and inability to stand upon the feet for any length of time. Nothing has been done to strengthen the abdominal walls, and much has been done to destroy their strength and function. Disappointments have rarely or never followed the use of the Viavi system of treatment for lax abdom- inal walls, as through the medium of the Viavi cerate and its manner of application, natural strength and elas- ticity, and hence activity, were given then. This produced a delightful sense of comfort . The muscles of the abdomen have been Vital Uses of wonderfully and beautifully arranged the Walls for the purpose of securing strength and harmony of the internal organs and the work done by them. The good effects are not confined to the abdominal region, as these walls are very closely connected, functionally, with many remote parts of the body. They assist largely in the performance of many vital functions, besides supporting the abdominal viscera. These walls are powerfully exercised in expulsive efforts. They help to expel the child during labor, the feces from the rectum, the urine from the bladder, and the contents of the stomach in vomiting. They are also largely used in breathing, laughing, coughing, sneezing, singing, talk- ing and in all movements of the trunk. As they so largely assist in the performance of all these functions and many more, we see the necessity of their possessing not only strength, but great elasticity also, as their action must be both powerful and prompt. Displacement of the womb and ovaries seldom exists alone; as a rule there will be present also a sagging of the abdominal contents. The rational treatment for displace- ments of the generative organs includes the treatment of the displaced abdominal organs as well, and aims to restore to both the pelvic and abdominal viscera their healthy, elastic muscular supports, of which the abdominal walls form the larger part. THE ABDOMINAL WALLS 299 The pelvic and abdominal cavities are The Benefits of not separated by a partition, but con- Strong Walls stitute one cavity; hence, what affects the contents of one affects the contents of the other. When the abdominal walls cannot assist the many organs to perform their various functions, the whole body is weakened and ailing. Here is where some of the good results have been obtained in the Viavi system of treatment through the application of the cerate in a thorough manner over the abdominal region. Under this treatment, weariness has disappeared and the general health improved, as with healthy abdominal walls the many organs of the body are assisted in performing their special functions, while the viscera receive their proper support. Weak abdominal walls contribute to constipation, dyspepsia, palpitation of the heart, impeded respiration, kidney trouble and other disturbances. Every one is familiar with the great How the Abdomen weakness that exists when the walls Is Injured of the abdomen break. This is known as abdominal hernia, or rupture. The smallest rupture will necessitate the wearing of a truss to keep the viscera in place. Abdominal incisions impair the beautiful mechanism of these walls, and a long, often puckering scar is left. The line of junc- ture is inadequate to give proper support to the abdom- inal contents; hence often the necessity for a bandage for years. It is wide knowledge of the fact that the Tiavi system of treatment is non-surgical that brings under the treatment so many who have been operated upon, thus placing us in a much better position to judge as to which method has proved the more efficacious, and to determine the effects of abdominal incisions even better than the operators themselves. After abdominal incisions many are left in a pitiable con- dition, as the support offered by the strength of the abdominal walls has been Weakened or destroyed, while with some, large, festering holes remain as a constant 300 VIAVI HYGIENE menace to life. Physical degeneration is the result; every function is more or less disordered and hence every nutri- tive process lessened. Probably the most common cause of The Process of weak abdominal walls is the wearing Recovery of heavy skirts, corsets, tight waist- bands, etc. The first step always is to remove the cause. An erect, strong spinal column to hold the body in a normal position is also of so much impor- tance in helping to overcome the weakness above mention ed that we devote much space to this subject. (See chap- ter on The Nervous System and the Back.) The accumulation of fat, or adipose tissue, in the abdominal region, either within the cavity or within the abdominal walls, is caused by forced inactivity oi* a loss of healthy reaction. This function, thus impaired, is not irreparably suspended nor lost. It has been regained and the abdomen made to resume its normal size under the Viavi system of treatment. This healthy reaction so obtained caused this abnormal accumulation to be thrown from the body as are other forms of waste re- tained in disease. Viavi Cerate applied nightly on retir- Treatment for ing, entirely over the abdomen, the Lax Abdomen application extending well over on both sides, constitutes the central idea of the treatment. In case cutting has been done within a year, the application should be gentle, but none the less thorough; if the walls have not been cut, and there is no internal disease or tenderness, the rubbing should be very vigorous and the muscles should be kneaded with the knuckles. The skin should be carefully prepared before- hand. (See Cerate on the Abdomen, final chapter.) Where it can be comfortable tolerated, the Pendent Abdominal Massage (see directions in same chapter) should take the place of the ordinary massage twice a week. Viavi Capsule should be used daily in the vagina, except when menstruating. THE ABDOMINAL WALLS 301 Baths. Either a hot bath at night or a cold sponge bath in the morning should be taken daily. Exercise. A reasonable amount of walking outdoors daily, short of fatigue, should be employed. A breaking of the abdominal walls is Treatment for known as abdominal hernia, or rupture. Rupture It is generally in the region of the navel or low in the groin. Under some con- ditions rupture may be cured. Some cases are incurable, but they are generally extensive and of long standing, and where the vitality and recuperative powers are low. The great difficulty is the lack of patient persistence and want of a realization that the seriousness of this condition is great and that very slow progress must necessarily be made. The success of the Viavi system of treatment with these troubles has been so marked that we believe that wherever it is possible to cure this condition it can be reached by that means. The treatment is the same as that for lax abdominal walls. CHAPTER XLI1 PREGNANCY IN SETTING in motion the train of events that lead to the introduction of another human life to make the struggle for existence, a woman assumes the crowning responsibility of her life. It is then that she accepts partnership with God. To the extent that she understands her obligations and ably meets them, will she add to her own happiness and secure that of the life she is to bring forth. In conception, pregnancy and child- birth we come face to face with the sublime mystery of creation, and are instruments for the working out of its immutable laws. It is needful that we approach the sub ject with reverence, and understand as much of it as pos- sible. Upon a woman's conduct during pregnancy de- pends largely the question as to whether her child will be useful and happy. Upon her health will largely depend the question as to whether the child shall be to her a blessing or a curse, a stay and comfort or a burden and reproach. The processes involved in pregnancy Processes of are ovulation, impregnation, gestation Pregnancy and parturition. Ovulation is the ex- trusion of the ovum (egg) from the ovary. Impregnation is the mingling of the male germ with the egg. Gestation is the development of the egg in the womb. Parturition is the birth of the child. Conception takes place at the moment when the male and female principles unite; that is the origin of the new life. Pregnancy begins with impregnation and ends with parturition. Much mystery surrounds many of these processes, particularly with reference to ovulation and the time and • PREGNANCY 303 place of conception, giving rise to wide differences of opinion. The relation of menstruation to the Pregnancy and child-bearing function is involved in Menstruation much obscurity. Menstruation gen- erally ceases when conception occurs, though there are exceptions. . During pregnancy the ovaries are relieved of the monthly disturbance that they experience in menstrua- tion, and all the activities of the generative system are centered in the womb, whose important duty it is to nurture the new life. It may be assumed that the menstrual fluid is needed for the growth of the fetus. This assumption seems to be borne out by the fact that menstruation remains sus- pended after parturition, the nutrient elements of the menstrual flow presumably contributing to the production of milk. The duration of normal pregnancy is Reckoning Time nine calendar months, ten lunar months of Delivery or about two hundred and seventy-five days. To obtain the exact date of parturition is very difficult and uncertain. The best rule, though uncertain, is as follows: First determine the exact day when the last menstruation appeared; then count backwards three months and add seven days. For instance, a woman's last menstruation appeared on the 20th of August. Counting backwards three months would take her to the 20th of May, and adding seven days would make her date of delivery the 27th of May, or very close to it. The shorter the period of gestation, as a rule, the less the vitality of the child. When the impregnated ovum lodges Many Kinds of and develops in the womb, we have a Pregnancies normal, or uterine, pregnancy. It is single when the uterus contains a single fetus; double when it contains two. Complicated preg* 304 VIAVI HYGIENE ■ nancy is when, in addition to the fetus, there is present a tumor, dropsy or other abnormal condition. There are four varieties of extra-uterine pregnancy: ovarian pregnancy, where the ovum develops within the ovary; peritoneal pregnancy, where the impregnated ovum fails to pass into the tube, and lodges in the folds of the peritoneum and there develops; tubal pregnancy, where the ovum lodges in the Fallopian tube and is there developed; interstitial pregnancy, where the ovum pene- trates and develops in the wall of the womb instead of within its cavity. Extra-uterine pregnancy terminates disastrously unless relieved by Caesarian section (delivery by abdominal incision). False pregnancy means an en- largement of the abdomen from tumors, when no living fetus is present. From the time of the impregnation, the womb begins to prepare for the reception of the guest that it must guard and nurture for nine months. The egg is so delicate and minute that extraordinary provision is made for its care. By the time that the egg, in its slow passage through the Fallopian tube, enters the womb, it finds the lining of that organ thickened and arranged in soft vel- vety folds to serve as a bed for the honored guest. The ovum throws out villi, or hair-like projections, which take root in the uterine lining, forming a firm attachment. As pregnancy requires the mother to Changes in the nourish two lives, important changes Mother occur in different systems and organs of her body. The new life must live as she does, except as to breathing. Its growth involves nourishment, circulation, repair, waste and a kind of res- piration. These will be performed well or ill according to the mother's condition, and the manner in which they are performed determines the future of the child. Both the quantity and the character of the mother's blood are altered, the quantity being increased and the character changed. As the heart has more work to do, it increases in size about one-fifth. If the mother nurses the child after birth, the heart still remains large, for the PREGNANCY 305 work of preparing milk requires more blood than usual, and a stronger heart to keep it properly moving. The spleen and liver increase in size. The pressure of the enlarged uterus produces changes in the position of the lungs and gives rise at times to palpitation of the heart. The power of the lungs to eliminate impurities is increased The mother must furnish nutriment for the child as weli as herself; hence she must eat and digest more food. In the earlier months the appetite is likely to be capri- cious, but as the system becomes better used to the great change, it steadies itself, and the appetite and digestion increase. The body gains ten to fifteen pounds in weight besides that represented by the increased weight of the womb, and this gain is greatest in the last two months. The skin undergoes a change, probably due to an increase in its eJiminative powers. The urine becomes more abundant, possibly for a similar reason. The nerves become highly keyed, so that a pregnant woman is keenly impressionable. For this reason she requires the greatest care and comfort, mental and physic- al. She may become fretful, irritable and unreasonable. This shows the demand of her whole nature for the best consideration and sympathy. If she is not sound, her digestion may suffer, giving rise to imperfect nutrition. This will likely produce depression, melancholia or mania. There is nothing sadder than a deranged woman in the act of childbearing. It was never intended by Nature that undue distress of any kind should be suffered during pregnancy. If it occurs, there is evidence of disease or irrational living. The Viavi system of treatment contem- Purpose of the plates the following ends in pregnancy: Treatment to enable the mother to undergo with- out undue distress the wonderful changes that occur in her organism; to place her digestive system in good order, so that her blood may be properly furnished with nutriment; to render the circulation full and regular, to the end that nutrition of both mother and child shall be complete; to tone the nerves, so that the 306 VIAVI HYGIENE nervous system, which controls all the functions, may be enabled to discharge its duties properly; to assist the proper nourishment of the fetus, to the end that it may be born with the strength that it must have to battle successfully with life; to produce in the mother a nervous stability that may promote peace and strength of mind, and prevent erratic mental conditions from affecting her own organism and that of the child; to establish a healthy balance between mother and fetus, and thus prevent the growth of the fetus at the expense of the mother's strength; to promote the healthy enlargement of the womb, so that pains may be avoided; to give to the womb the strength that will be required to expel the child naturally at term, thus aiming to avert prolonged and exhausting labor, and the use of instruments, which is dangerous to both mother and child; to make the tissues of the womb and cervix elastic, and thus prevent laceration; to enable the membrane uniting the placenta to the womb to disinte- grate normally, so that the placenta may be naturally expelled after the birth, instead of being torn away with instruments; to enable the womb to contract normally after delivery, so that the blood vessels ruptured by the separation of the placenta from the uterine walls may be promptly closed to avert a dangerous or fatal hemorrhage; to enable the womb, after delivery, to return to its proper size, by the absorption of the extra amount of tissue that it has taken on during pregnancy, thus preventing sub- involution, and flexion or other form of displacement, due to its enlarged and softened condition and the weak- ness of its sustaining ligaments; and last, to enable the mother to furnish milk, for the mother's milk is the only natural food for her infant. All these are natural. They are what Nature would do were the system of the mother in perfect order. The Viavi system of treatment has done Good Effects on much for the pregnant woman, but it the Child has helped to do even more for the unborn child, whose greatest of all rights is that of being well born. "Viavi babies" are well- PREGNANCY 307 developed, healthy and strong. Especially is this notice- able in the firm muscles and strong spine of the child whose mother had a thought for its welfare as well as her own before its birth. "Viavi in Babyland" is the title of an instructive booklet published for the benefit of women expecting maternity. The period of use of the Viavi system of When a Woman treatment takes a woman up to the Is Confined time of delivery. When that time comes the services of a skillful physician are necessary. If the labor is normal, as it has usually been under ordinary circumstances after a thorough course of the Viavi system of treatment, the services of the obstetrician will be merely those of an' intelligent attendant, whom every woman should have at such a time. It is necessary to have one who is skillful, for the reason that it is beyond human power to know exactly what complications may arise, or what kind of presenta- tion of the child will occur even when the mother is sound. A difficult presentation requires high obstetrical skill, in order to avoid injury both of mother and child. The pregnant woman should be examined carefully at fre- quent intervals during pregnancy by the one who is going to attend her at confinement. Many mistakes and much suffering may thus be avoided. Nature provides for the nourishment Uses of the of the fetus by the development of the Placenta placenta, or afterbirth. The maternal side is closely attached to the uterine walls. To the fetal side is attached the umbilical cord, which contains two arteries and one vein. The arteries carry the impoverished arterial blood from the child to the placenta, which serves the double purpose of a respiratory and nutritive organ. The vein carries it back to the child, purified, and laden with nutriment for its growth. When the placenta has obtained its full size it is about six inches in diameter, three-fourths of an inch thick in the center, and tapers to a thin edge. 308 VIAVI HYGIENE The fetal blood constantly communicates with the maternal blood in the placenta by a process known as endosmosis (the commingling of two fluids by passing through a separating membrane) , but never directly com- mingles with it. The cord arises in the placenta and ter- minates in the child at the navel, or umbilicus, where its blood vessels communicate directly with the blood vessels within the child's body. The average length of the cord is from twenty-one to twenty-three inches. As the child depends entirely upon the mother's blood for nourishment, to bring forth a healthy, well- developed child the mother's blood must not only contain sufficient nutriment, and be properly purified, but it must circulate normally. The aim of the Viavi system of treatment during pregnancy is to assist Nature in pro- viding not only for the proper nourishment o| the blood, but its normal circulation and purification. During pregnancy the womb undergoes The Conduct of important changes in character, size the Womb and position. During the first three months it remains in the pelvic cavity, a little lower than usual, especially if the pelvis is large. By so doing the navel may be drawn inward by traction on the urachus. Approaching the fourth month, the en- larging womb gradually rises into the false pelvis, which is more commodious, and at four and a half months it lies entirely there. Then "quickening," or life, is felt; as a rule, it indicates that half the period has passed. The growth of the child is rapid during the second half of gestation, and the abdominal walls yield progressively to accomodate it. A short time before delivery, fatty degeneration of the membrane between the uterine walls and the placenta takes place. This causes the placenta to be easily shed from the womb at labor. If it does not occur, the pla- centa adheres and the hand must be introduced to tear it loose. This is painful and dangerous. If the operating hand is unclean, or particles of the placenta be left ad- hering, blood poisoning may result, and there is always PREGNANCY 309 danger of hemorrhage by delay of the contractions that close the blood vessels. Labor proceeds as follows: The mus- Cause of Pains cular fibers of the womb contract to in Labor expel the child, and at the same time the mouth of the womb relaxes, thus removing the resistance to the escape of the child. Let us take our left hand in our right, pressing the left to a de- gree that we judge would be just short of that which would injure a child at birth. We find that our left hand suffers no pain under the pressure, but if it is diseased or swollen, we experience acute pain. The womb is placed under a very severe strain in parturition, but evidently it was intended to bear the strain without pain. The buttocks bear constant pressure from sitting, and they never suffer pain, but if a boil ap- pears on them, sitting is painful. All the parts of us designed to bear pressure or strain can do so without causing pain if they are healthy, but cannot do so if they are diseased. The inference is that extreme labor pains are evidence of disease, even though it may be impossible to find any trace of disease otherwise. We have seen how the Viavi system of Elastic Tissues treatment is designed to enable the Demanded womb to expand with the growth of the fetus, and how the treatment aims to give the womb strength to expel the fetus naturally at term. There are other very important tissues involved, and upon their condition serious things depend. We have shown that while in childbirth the womb is contracting, the cervix is relaxing. If there is rigidity of the cervix, relaxation will not be thorough, and hence the cervix must tear as the womb forces the fetus through it. This is laceration, one of the commonest and most distressing conditions following confinement, and one of the most prolific sources of cancer. (See chapter on Laceration.) The other tissues involved are those of the abdominal walls. These are greatly stretched during pregnancy. If they are rigid it is impossible for them to stretch without 310 VIAVI HYGIENE injury. It is common to find women with a number of small white scars on the abdomen. These are the evidence of the injury to which the tissues had been subjected in pregnancy. Another affliction that the abdomen is likely to suffer is a loss of tone during pregnancy. After confinement the mother may find her abdomen lying in folds. Besides being disfiguring, the flabby condition denies to the in- testines, etc., the support that healthy abdominal walls give them, and that is necessary to their health and func- tion. (See chapter on The Abdominal Walls.) The use of the Viavi cerate during pregnancy has been valuable in assisting to preserve the natural elasticity of these walls, which condition averts those distressing results. Women are often, and most unwisely, Ovaritis and advised to invite pregnancy as a cure Adhesions for ovarian disease. If it happens that pregnancy has occurred in the presence of ovarian disease, it offers an opportunity for employing the Viavi system of treatment to overcome it during the nine months of rest that the ovaries enjoy in pregnancy. There is a helpful absence of the interruption and aggra- vation of menstruation. Where adhesions have been present when the Viavi system of treatment was employed, they were rapidly absorbed during pregnancy. As they became softer and thinner under the treatment, they were absorbed more rapidly, because of the greater normal movement of the internal organs during pregnancy. Many women who had previously befen invalids emerged from pregnancy, after using the Viavi system of treat- ment, with perfect health, the first they had enjoyed in years. Sometimes the senses of sight, taste, Special Senses smell and hearing become affected in Affected pregnancy. From this we judge that the nutrition by means of the ; blood is not normal. If such aberrations are caused by: an unsound condition of the generative organs, which pro- PREGNANCY 311 hibits their bearing well the strain of pregnancy, the need of a treatment that will enable them to do so is indicated. The sensory and motor nerves are frequently perverted. Structural alterations in the fetus may result from un- sound maternal conditions. Not one idiot nor monster, not one child deformed or imperfect to the slightest extent, to our knowledge, has been born where the Viavi system of treatment has been used. Sudden unpleasant news, fright and physical shocks- are to be carefully avoided. The slightest fear of danger in confinement must be peremptorily suppressed. Kind and firm assurance should be given that Nature knows her business well. The truly wise never fear her, never doubt her. If an unhealthy woman should become The Wisdom of pregnant, experience has shown that Preparedness the best thing that can be done is to use the Viavi system of treatment dur- ing the term. But by far the better plan for a married woman is always to be ready for maternity, for there is no telling when it may come. Although such a woman, un- fortunately, may not desire children, and although her physical condition may be so bad as to prohibit concep- tion or to induce miscarriage if conception occurs, she may rest assured that she is in a much worse condition than if she were able to bear children and should become a mother. Women who have gone unassisted Meaning of the through pregnancy and suffered during Discovery it, at childbirth and afterward, are in a position to appreciate the thorough- ness of the Viavi system of treatment in meeting as many as possible of the distressing troubles that may overtake women during that time. The strengthening of the ab- dominal muscles held the pregnant womb and all other organs in their natural place, preventing distress or disease due to laxity of those walls. It was gratifying to be free from nausea, leueorrhea, pruritus, inflammation of -the bladder, varicose veins, lameness, dropsy, or the 312 VIAVI HYGIENE danger of miscarriage. It was highly important to prevent the adhesion of the placenta at childbirth and the hemor- rhages that often follow delivery, and to avoid laceration. It was comforting to have a generous supply of good milk for the child. All of these things are sought to be accom- plished by the Viavi system of treatment, and all of them have been accomplished many times. Childbearing is not a disease, a thing to be dreaded; it is natural, and capable of being performed without undue distress, without risk to life, without apprehension or repugnance, without so much surgical interference, with its accompanying dangers and terrors. Delivery is only a step in the scheme of Strength After maternity. Not only must the physical Confinement condition of the mother be brought back to its normal standard after confine- ment, but she must be competent for the duties of mother- hood. One of the most important of these is the furnish- ing of abundant and healthy milk for her child. A mother who is healthy and strong can give her child the sym- pathy, affection and guidance that it requires for develop- ment into a happy and useful man or woman. To accomplish all these things has been a triumph, the magnitude of which can hardly be comprehended. To assert that it has been won and is being won in many cases, without the most convincing reason and evidence to support the assertion, would be folly. Experience and observation in this matter, extending over all civilized countries, have brought a confidence that nothing can shake. All the intelligence that a woman and The Hygiene of her husband can bring to bear are Pregnancy needed during her pregnancy. It is a time when every fine sentiment of manhood is appealed to, when every resource of the woman's cheerfulness and hopefulness should be em- ployed. Everything disagreeable or burdensome should be removed as much as possible. Generous allowances PREGNANCY 313 should be made. The direct happiness of two lives is in- volved in the care that a woman receives at this time. While a very strong obligation rests upon the husband, the woman herself is in no sense relieved of the greater obligations that Nature has imposed upon her. It is her own conduct, more than any other, that determines the issue. In pregnancy the Viavi system of treatment con- templates and requires intelligent living in all ways, for at no other time of life is it so urgently needed. Diet. The appetite is generally poor during the early months and there are cravings for certain foods. These cravings should be satisfied, for generally morning sick- ness is thus avoided. The digestion improves and the appetite returns after the fourth month. If nausea ap- pears, the Viavi liquid should be taken in hot water into the stomach in ten-drop doses three times a day, about twenty minutes before each meal. Nutritious animal and vegetable foods that can be well digested and that are desired, should be supplied freely. There should be no inflexible rules about what to eat and what to avoid. The idea is to give what is desired in reason and all that is wanted, and to know that the food is digestible. A fruit and vegetable diet has been suggested, that the bones of the child should be soft and easy delivery assured. It is not soft-boned, weakly children that are desired, but the heartiest, healthiest and most robust that can be produced. It has been demonstrated that when pros- pective mothers placed their bodies in such a condition of health by means of the Viavi system of treatment that the appetite was good and the digestion sufficiently normal to assimilate a varied, nourishing diet, they needed to have no fear of suffering unbearable tor- tures in giving birth to a hearty, robust child. After the womb has risen into the false pelvis, there is some compression of the stomach. This reduces its ca- pacity, necessitating the taking of food in smaller quan- tities and oftener. At times a milk diet may be required. Clothing. The clothes should be loose, so as not to bind the abdomen and chest, and warm, and as light as the demands of comfort permit. A most astonishing tiling, 314 VIAVI HYGIENE often seen, is tightly laced corsets on pregnant women. It would be unreasonable for them not to expect serious consequences. Corsets should not be worn at all. Even tightly-fitting skirts and bands around the waist are injurious. All such practices impede the circulation and digestion, and lay the foundation for suffering. Garments are best suspended from the shoulders. If the abdominal walls are flabby from previous pregnancies, they should be supported by a flannel bandage about the abdomen. Besides lending needed support it will give comfort. Rest, Sleep, Exercise. It is highly essential that a pregnant woman should have abundant sleep. At a certain time every day she should lie down for an hour or two for complete rest, and, if possible, sleep. The shoes should be removed and perfect comfort secured. At first it may be difficult to induce sleep, but gradually the habit will be established. Great benefits will be de- rived from it. Violent and excessive physical exertion should of course be avoided, but moderate and pleasant exercise is higjhly beneficial. If a woman is accustomed to walking, she should walk a certain distance every day. If this proves disagreeable or detrimental, she should drive, if possible. Abundant fresh air and sunshine should be had. Bright company should be sought, and pleasant books read. Bathing. Bathing should be done during pregnancy as well as in its absence. If the cold bath has been used before pregnancy, it should be used during the term. Of course the season of the year and common sense will largely determine this matter. Established habits in this regard may be safely followed as a rule. A free use of the bath and thorough applications of the Viavi cerate will maintain the activity of the skin. The Husband's Help. During a woman's pregnancy her physical and mental health, and that of the child, is peculiarly responsive to the husband's thoughtfulness. Punishment for any violation of natural laws during that time will be disastrously visited on mother and child. Viavi Cerate is to be used daily during pregnancy, upon the abdomen and hips, and at least three to six times PREGNANCY 315 a week over the spine by an assistant. If the cerate is applied for one hour each day it is not too much. The more cerate absorbed, the better. A good plan is to apply it thirty minutes in the forenoon and the same at night. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina to within a few days of confinement, and resumed fifteen days after- ward. If a woman is using the treatment when she be- comes pregnant, she may continue the use of the whole capsule. If she begins the treatment after becoming pregnant, only half a capsule should be used two weeks to a month, and afterward the whole capsule. The Douche. The use of the syringe should be dis- continued after the fourth month, but the parts should be flushed regularly by hand, to secure cleanliness. During the period when the douche is used, the water should be only moderately warm, never hot. Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed if there is nausea. Viavi Laxative should be taken if there is a tendency to constipation. If one pill does not establish a normal movement, two should be taken every night before re- tiring. Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if there are piles or other rectal trouble. Sitz Baih. See directions, final chapter. CHAPTER XLIII. THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT (and some diseases of the breasts) THE BREASTS • Inflammation of the breasts (mastitis) generally occurs during lactation (nursing), and is most frequent at the beginning of lactation. It less frequently occurs at weaning. As it is a distressing condition, and if neglected will lead to serious results, besides cutting off the infant's natural food supply or poisoning it with the products of inflammation, it requires prompt treatment. In these affections we have seen the Viavi system of treatment assisting Nature with as good results as in all other inflammatory conditions. The inflammation may arise within the Causes and Kinds breast, or one of its milk tubes, by the of Mastitis stagnation of milk, generally induced by a sore or imperfect nipple. Another cause is a weakness of the child which prevents its empty- ing the breast thoroughly. The undue pressure of ill- fitting clothes or corsets may be the cause; this will serve as a mechanical obstruction in a number of tubes, the obstruction leading to inflammation. The two kinds of inflammation are the external and the internal, each developing into both forms. Inflam- mation of the milk ducts, or tubes, is the internal form. This will have a tendency to extend outward and involve the surface. External inflammation begins on the surface, or rather in the tissue just beneath. It is of a character resembling erysipelas, and extends inwardly, involving the substance of the breast, with its ducts, and producing THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 317 caking. This external form is caused by injuries, such as bruises, or by fright or cold. It frequently results in When it is found that the milk cannot be drawn in the natural way, whether from the absence or weakness of the child, or from an obstruction of the milk tubes, or some defect of the nipple, no time should be lost in making an effort to draw it by other means. Another infant may be secured for the purpose, or the service may be performed by a friend, or by using a glass breast-pump, procur- able at a druggist's or chemist's. Another way is to heat a large glass bottle and quickly place its mouth over the nipple; as the bottle cools, the air in it decreases in volume, and if more air is not permitted to enter around the nipple, the milk will be drawn from the breast. The heating of the bottle may have to be repeated. If this method of drawing is so strong as to cause pain, let a little air enter the bottle. Good protection should be given the inflamed breasts in cold weather. If the Viavi system of treatment is Treatment for faithfully followed during pregnancy, Mastitis these distressing afflictions may usually be avoided. If from cold or other circumstances an inflammatory condition has appeared, and the breast gathers or threatens to gather, hot com- presses (see Hygiene for Breasts, in the chapter on Cancer), should be used, followed by a thorough applica- tion of the Viavi cerate two or three times a day. After nursing, the nipples should be sponged off with a little warm water, in which have been placed a few drops of the Viavi liquid. Then dry with a soft linen cloth, and dust over with corn starch, which will keep the nipple dry. Before placing the child to the breast, the adhering starch should be removed with warm water. Every time the child is taken from the breast, this process should be repeated, until the nipple becomes sufficiently toughened. If the breasts become inflamed at any time inde- pendently of pregnancy, the hot or the cold compress 318 VIAVI HYGIENE should be used once or twice daily. (See Hygiene for Breasts, in the chapter on Cancer.) The Viavi cerate is to be applied gently and thoroughly over the breasts and under the arms immediately following the compress. Seldom has it been necessary to lance a gathered breast where this treatment was begun in time and followed up. If an open sore exists, see Hygiene for Breasts, No. 3, in the chapter on Cancer. NOURISHING THE INFANT (lactation) The giving of milk by the mother is a continuation of the principle involved in pregnancy; it is the second step in the great scheme of Nature to provide for the pro- tection and nourishment of the infant. The main differ- ence is that in the first step the mother cherished and guarded and nourished the child within her body; her obligation is in nowise lessened by the fact that she now carries the little life in her arms and feeds it at her breast. In her unfailing wisdom, Nature has The Mother-Love provided after the child's birth that a Arises new force, the strongest that the woman preserving her natural womanliness can bring into operation — love of her offspring — shall enter as the most powerful and persistent guard that can be thrown about the child's welfare. The mother's nursing of the child is her sweetest, most satisfying expression of that finest of all human impulses, and it is the most beneficial thing to both mother and child that can happen in their mutual relations. Very unfortunate indeed are both if the mother is incapable for this happy duty; both must suffer in consequence to a greater or less degree. Nature's plans are so rounded, so perfect in arrangement and detail, that she never contemplates the bestowal of THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 319 the child-bearing capacity without aiming to accompany it with the milk-giving capacity. Where this latter fails, some serious and hurtful thing of human origin has more than likely been done to thwart a perfect purpose. The probabilities are very strong that the exercise of a little intelligent care at the right time would have averted what must be regarded as a disaster. As the breasts are a part of the genera- Breasts Affected tive system, it is to be expected that in Disease if there is a disease or weakness of the generative organs, the function of the breasts will be impaired, by reason of the intimate ner- vous connection. In lactation the breasts take up the work that the womb has been doing in pregnancy. If there has been great distress during pregnancy, we may expect absent or defective lactation after confinement. If pregnancy has proceeded easily and parturition has been devoid of abnormal conditions, we may expect healthy lactation. Further, if by intelligent treatment we overcome abnormal conditions in pregnancy and avoid them in confinement, we may expect the breasts to per- form their natural function properly. As the Viavi system of treatment has accomplished those results with regard to pregnancy and delivery, it may naturally be expected to place the breasts in a condition to perform their work satisfactorily. Such expectation has been amply met in the past. This happy result has been aided by the direct and regular application of the Viavi cerate to the breasts throughout pregnancy, in addition to the treatment for any trouble that may be present. Even where there is no visible trouble, its use on the breasts as a safeguard against unforeseen contingencies arising in con- finement has probably averted many an affliction that might have impaired or destroyed lactation. The failure of the mother to furnish Explanation of milk may be due to some disease or Interruption weakness of the generative organs, or to a depletion of nervous force. Thi? depletion may take the form of inability to digest antf 320 VIA VI HYGIENE assimilate food in a way necessary to furnish the blood with nutriment that the breasts may transform into milk. Hence we conclude that if the nervous system is in perfect order, the proper secretion of milk will result. As the use of the Viavi system of treatment has exhibited a special value in aiding Nature to assure the integrity of the nervous system, the natural result of its use during preg- nancy has been an ability to secrete milk. If the lack of nervous integrity explains the absence of milk, we may be certain that the injury which the mother suffers is by no means confined to the milk-secreting powers. Every other function of her system must suffer. One of the most deplorable acts is the If Lactation Is deliberate and unnecessary suppression Suppressed of the milk after it has appeared. When the interruption of a natural process occurs through weakness, the tendency of Nature is to restore the strength needed for a resumption of the process. It is for this reason that the use of the Viavi system of treatment has been so efficacious — it furnished Nature with the material upon which she could build her own strength and thus resume her process. When, however, the process is checked unnecessarily and un- naturally, Nature resents it in the most summary man- ner. Swollen and broken breasts are to be expected. These are often indications of extensive harm. The entire system has received a shock; its orderly way of attending to its duties has been deranged. For a time the mother may experience no serious consequences of her act, but sooner or later the punishment will come; some disease eventually will appear and its original cause may never be suspected. If the child dies, and lactation is normal, Nature seems to lend a wonderfully kind hand to ease the situation. The problem offered for solution in such cases is so com- plex that we can do no more than say that Nature meets natural conditions intelligently. It seems to be a fact that lactation suppressed by the death of the child rarely produces the evil results that are noticeable in cases THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 321 where mothers refuse to put the child to breast when the milk-secreting powers are normal. Is it wise for a woman to deny herself Injury to the the softening and expanding influence Affections that comes from having the confiding and affectionate little life pressed close to her heart and drawing its nutriment from her? This is the sweetest phase of maternity. It is the one more than all others that brings the mother and her child into the closest relations, that gives her a power over its destiny, and that awakens the finest emotions of her nature. It was the mother's blood that contained and conveyed to the unborn child the nutriment employed in its de- velopment; it is still the mother's blooa that furnishes the nutriment in the form of milk. To change the character of the nutriment designed by Nature for the sustenance and development of the child, is to violate Nature's in- tention and defeat her purpose. Nature knows best. The mother's milk, the milk of the mother who bore the child, is its only natural food. The bowels of a new-born child con- A Child's First tain a substance called meconium. This Necessities has a useful purpose in the fetal state, but must be got rid of after birth. To accomplish this, the first milk is scant and watery; it contains little nutriment, but carries the very laxative needed to act properly on the infant's bowels to rid them of the meconium. If this is not removed, the digestive system of the child will be impaired at the very thresh- old of its life. No artificial laxative can be identical with that contained in the first milk of the mother. The character of the mother's milk changes progressively, Nature thus enabling the mother to furnish, at any given time, milk containing the ingredients that the child's developing organism requires at that time. For this reason it is impossible to find cow's milk, or the milk of any other animal, that contains exactly the ingredients demanded by the infant's needs. 322 VIAVI HYGIENE The child's first act of volition is to seek its mothers breast. Before being placed thereto, it gives signs that indicate its desire. When placed to the breast it will know what to do. Nature had implanted in it both the desire for the breast and the knowledge of what to do when placed to it. If there is no milk for it,- or if the breasts are too sore and tender to bear it, or the mother denies it, it cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be made to understand that the gratification of its intense longing is impossible or undesirable. The babe at its mother's breast, drawing its sus- tenance from her, is the most beautiful picture in the world. The tender little life has found the harbor for which its every in^inct yearns. It is a part of her, body, blood and soul; it still depends upon her wisdom and kindly care. In addition, it has something more precious — the mother-love, in full bloom and fragrance, the ten- derest, the most enduring thing in life. In the warmth of her body it enjoys comfort and satisfaction, and the best of all aids to its digestion and the other natural functions of its little life. For it there is no other haven, no nest so sweet and comfortable. There are no other breasts that it can caress so lovingly, no other arms that hold it so tenderly. Just as a mother's conduct and the Accidents To Be condition of her health, as well as her Avoided state of mind, affect the quality of the child's nutriment and the manner of its supply while she is carrying it in her womb, so will similar conditions have a like effect upon the food supply, the milk, after birth. It therefore behooves the mother to exercise the greatest care while she is nursing her child. Many cases are recorded in which the child was poisoned through the milk by the mother's giving way to some violent passion. Innumerable children have starved to death, because, although the quantity of the mother's milk seemed sufficient, it was lacking in proper nutritive elements, due to unwise eating or other conduct. The one safe rule is for the mother to keep her mind and spirits THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 323 cheerful, to guard her health in every possible way, to preserve her strength, and to eat abundantly all the nour- ishing food that she desires and that she finds to agree with her. Countless thousands of drunkards are made from the use, by mothers, of beer, wine or spirits while nursing their children. Fondness for tobacco, tea, coffee, sedatives and other nerve stimulants or hypnotics is thus implanted. The use of the Viavi system of treat- Effect of Viavi ment during pregnancy, besides ac- in Nursing complishing all the good that it has produced in that condition, has assured a natural condition after delivery that made lactation complete and enabled it to meet all the demands of the young life. The resumption of the treatment fifteen days after confinement has been a further aid to that end. It enabled Nature to furnish the body the material and strength by which all the functions of the reproductive economy, in all its stages, were made natural. Lying in wait for infants are numerous diseases that sweep them off in appalling numbers. Dysentery, due t® improper nourishment, is the most frequent cause. This is easily explained by the condition of the mothers. There are many other diseases that they may have, such as measles, whooping cough and the like. If they have sufficient strength, they will come safely through. The use ef the Viavi system of treatment has consistently enabled mothers to impart to their children the strength that brought them through to competent manhood or womanhood. As children furnish the greatest of the joys that life can bring, so the commonest and deepest and most lasting of griefs comes from their death. But most of the deaths of children are unnecessary, and due to parental fault. CHAPTER XLIV. LACERATION A CERVICAL laceration is a tearing of the os, or mouth, of the neck of the womb. The orifice of the womb is surrounded by muscular rings, or bands, which ^re capable, when healthy, of great distension. The mouth of the womb is so small that to the finger it feels like a dent. It is abnormally large when the end of the finger can be inserted. If the os feels elongated or like a slit to the touch, a laceration exists. Compare an opening that would admit a small pea with one that would accommodate an infant's head, and a very good idea can be obtained of the expansion that must occur to allow the passage of the child through the mouth of the womb. It is opened from within outward by the gradual pressure of the bag of waters, which pre- cedes the presenting of the child's head. When the womb is diseased the neck is either rigid and unyielding, thus tearing or lacerating at childbirth instead of expanding, or is soft and easily torn from the lack of normal elas- ticity. In the healthy os the muscular rings or bands are elastic; this condition is its only protection against laceration or other injury at childbirth. In laceration, the rent is similar to Edges Do Not that made by the tearing of the Unite mouth into the cheek. The raw surfaces roll away from each other; hence there is no tendency to spontaneous healing. As the womb is greatly enlarged at pregnancy, the surfaces of lacerations are sometimes very extensive, and the dis- charges immediately following delivery, and leucorrhea at other times, irritate the exposed surfaces. After the LACERATION 325 lapse of a few days these discharges decompose, becom- ing more or less offensive, producing liability to blood poisoning, the much-dreaded child-bed fever that so often proves fatal. The irritation from the laceration causes and keeps up inflammation; hence the womb remains large. Following delivery, the substance of the womb undergoes great changes under healthy circum- stances, and through these changes the womb is restored to its usual size and condition. Where lacerations occur these changes are inter- rupted. Such women date their invalidism from child- birth. The delicate membrane lining the neck ©f the womb in health is so protected that it is never irritated by friction, but when lacerations exist this membrane is exposed to the irritating secretions of the vagina, as well as brought in contact with the vaginal walls; this is a very pronounced source of irritation. Nature's efforts to heal the rent cause The Forming of the formation of much scar tissue. A Scar Tissue large part of this tissue forms in the angle of the rent, in the form of a hard plug. Immediately beneath and around the scarified tissue, the parts become exceedingly tender and painful, from the contracting or pinching of the numerous injured nerve filaments between and within the hardened muscu- lar fibers. In extensive lacerations a great amount of scar tissue forms, so much at times that it partially or completely surrounds the os, forming a complete or par- tial stricture, and the womb remains enlarged and hard. A lacerated womb, enlarged, becomes displaced, and so follows a train of ills, among them menstrual anomalies, ovarian, rectal and bladder diseases, leucorrhea, head- aches, nervousness, and sometimes cancer of the cervix from irritation, etc. When a woman places herself under The Process of this treatment for laceration, let us Repair assume that the womb is four times its natural size from inflammation, and the tear one inch in length. So long as the womb remains 326 VIAVI HYGIENE this size, the laceration will remain one inch in length. By the use of the Viavi system of treatment the inflam- mation may be gradually reduced; as a consequence the womb will become smaller and smaller, and so must the laceration. Before the enlarged cervix has been reduced to something like its normal size, the hard scar tissue must have been absorbed. The tear was one inch long when the womb was four times its natural size. Now that it is reduced to one-quarter of its enlarged size, the tear is reduced to one-quarter of an inch in length. The circulation in the parts has become normal, and healthy granulations now form and fill the small remaining rent, just as Nature heals external injuries of the muscular tissues of the body. (See chapter on Wounds, etc.) The rent has healed by a natural process so perfectly that many times inspection reveals no trace of the laceration. # There is no part of the body that, from How Cancer Is a comparatively slight injury, can give Caused rise to so much suffering or lead to such injurious results as a cervical laceration, a slight laceration often causing as serious complications as an extensive one. A lacerated cervix is responsible for many painful reflex symptoms over the entire body, but one of the most serious results is the increased susceptibility to cervical cancer, which is caused from the continued irritation from friction of the scarified, hardened cervix. The womb is moved constantly by the function of other organs and largely by respiration and locomotion. The continued irritation of any mucous surface by friction is the most frequent cause of cancer. Only a small percentage of cancer patients are found among unmarried women, and only a small percentage in married women who have not borne children; hence the conclusion that injury followed by friction is the most frequent cause of cervical cancer. Additional dan- ger lies in the constant irritation to which the sensitive surfaces of the laceration are subjected in the marital act, from infection and in locomotion, besides the other normal movements. LACERATION 327 A lacerated cervix may give but little trouble for many years, or until a woman enters or nears the change of life, when a great rearranging of the system occurs. Then many alarming and distressing symptoms will arise one after another, until the whole body becomes implicated. A cancerous condition may be discovered, which has developed in a trifling laceration to which no thought had been given for perhaps twenty or thirty years. The reflex symptoms from laceration The Effects of are so numerous that the cause is too Laceration frequently overlooked. The injury never permits the womb to regain its normal size; hence it presses upon surrounding parts, affecting the bladder and rectum, and the nerves, tissues and blood vessels in its vicinity. If the rectum is en- croached upon largely, there will result piles, which will drive a woman to seek relief. Or the pressure upon the nerves will cause intense headaches and backaches, and the sufferer will resort irrationally to plasters for the back and remedies for the headaches. If the enlarged organ rests on the bladder, she seeks relief for kidney troubles. And so the various reflex symptoms are treated for years, while the cause remains overlooked and neg- lected until cancer is sometimes developed. In operations for cervical laceration, Evil Results of parts of the cervix are cut away. Thus Operations its size is lessened, while the muscular bands encircling the os are shortened, and sometimes their elasticity almost destroyed. In our experience we have met but few women who escaped extensive laceration in confinement following this surgi- cal treatment. It could not reasonably be otherwise. In the first place, the womb was torn because the os was too small to permit the child to pass through. It was rigid and unyielding, or soft and easily torn. In the cutting nothing is done to bring the abnormal tissues to a normal condition, but a part of the organ is pared away and the raw edges drawn together. Sometimes they heal and sometimes they do not. When the stitches tear out, 328 VIAVI HYGIENE the laceration is greater than before, more of the lining of the cervix is exposed to the acrid secretions of the vagina, and more extensive raw surfaces are exposed to friction. If the pared edges do unite, the neck is smaller than before, and more rigid. It is a very plain fact to understand that if the neck of the womb was rigid and small in the first place, it will surely be smaller and more rigid after parts of it have been cut away and the edges drawn together and united. A shrinking and contract- ing scar is bound to remain. Many women are using the Viavi system of treatment to-day because women whom they know, after using it to prepare themselves for an operation, were informed, upon examination when presenting themselves for the operation, that the laceration no longer existed, and there- fore that the operation was unnecessary. The process by which the Viavi system The Process of of treatment has assisted Nature to Healing heal a lacerated cervix was apparently the same as in a case of external injury. There is no reason why in this particular location it should be otherwise, as the neck of the womb will as actively repair itself if given the means as any other part of the body. It has also become healthy, elastic and easily expansive under the Viavi system of treatment when employed during pregnancy, so that a woman's life was not placed in jeopardy during her lying-in period. The treatment has proved the best means for a woman to employ during pregnancy to render the parts so healthy and elastic as to prevent laceration; likewise nothing has been so good for a woman to use for lacerations. The time is past when women were willing to be left to take desperate chances unassisted. If the treatment is em- ployed during pregnancy, laceration is less likely to occur. (See chapter on Pregnancy.) Where the treat- ment has been employed after laceration occurred, it assisted Nature to repair the injury in a natural way. The importance of this will be understood when the serious nature of a laceration is realized. LACERATION 329 Where external lacerations have not If Laceration been extensive, the tissues were ren- Is External dered firm and elastic by the treat- ment, so that little or no inconvenience resulted. In extensive external laceration the torn sur- faces cannot be brought together except by surgical means. It is wise for a woman to do all in her power to strengthen and build the muscles and other tissues that form the floor of the pelvis before submitting to an oper- ation for external laceration, as only too often control of the sphincter of the anus is largely lost, allowing gases to escape from the bowels inopportunely. Such a con- dition drives women to isolation or submits them to mortification. External laceration usually results from instrumental delivery, and should have been repaired at once. The Viavi system of treatment for cer- Treatment for vical laceration is the same as that for Laceration inflammation of the womb (which see) , as inflammation always exists. This treatment should be combined with that given in this volume for whatever form of displacement exists — ante- version, retroversion, or prolapsus. The time required for a laceration to heal under the treatment has depended on the sufferer's recuperative powers, the condition and extent of the laceration, the extent of the inflammation and displacement, and the thoroughness with which the treatment was followed up. Viavi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every night when not menstruating. By protecting the sensitive parts from the acrid vaginal secretions and assisting Nature to reduce the inflammation, the treatment has been followed by a gradual softening and absorption of the hard scar tissue and the building up of the injured parts. Viavi Cerate should be applied over the lower half of the spine and over the lower abdomen for thirty min- utes daily. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on Abdo- men, in final chapter.) 330 VIAVI HYGIENE Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. Via vi Royal should be used as directed. Via vi Suppositories should be used in the rectum if there is any trouble there. Via vi Laxative should be used if there is consti- pation. Baths best suited to the individual should be taken. (See Baths, in final chapter.) CHAPTER XLV. MISCARRIAGE ABORTION may be spontaneous, accidental or intentional. It commonly means the procure- ment of premature delivery. Under this defi- nition there are two kinds — the non-criminal, or that which is done to save the mother's life, and the crim- inal, or that which is produced to escape the burden or shame of maternity. Criminal abortion is a subject that calls for no discussion here, and is something that this system of treatment has nothing to do with. In scientific usage, expulsion during the first three months of preg- nancy, from whatever cause, is generally termed abortion. If it occurs between the termination of that period and the viability (ability to live) of the fetus, it is generally termed miscarriage, or immature delivery. If it occurs between the appearance of viability and the maturity of the fetus, it is called premature delivery. In this chapter we shall speak of them all as miscarriage; that leaves no room for popular doubt as to the meaning intended. Almost anything affecting a woman to a Some Causes of marked degree, whether from internal Miscarriage or external sources, may produce mis- carriage at any time during pregnancy. No two women are alike in this regard. Within certain limitations, what may easily produce miscarriage in one will not in another. A great deal depends upon the strength of the individual, and her susceptibility to in- juries and impressions. Any unhealthy condition, con- stitutional or local, may produce miscarriage in one woman and not in another. Some women pass safely through pregnancy with the severest disease; a slight 332 VIAV1 HYGIENE illness will produce miscarriage in others. Some women bear the heaviest sudden strain or most serious accident in safety; the slightest mishap, such as a misstep, the lifting of a light object, or fright, joy and the like, will produce miscarriage in others. Disease of the uterine organs tends to cause miscarriage. The only rule that should govern women is to exercise the greatest care at all times, and to secure health as a safeguard against any contingency. If a miscarriage occurs at any stage in pregnancy, a repetition of it is likely to occur when that stage arrives in a subsequent pregnancy. For that reason, a woman who has suffered a miscarriage and again becomes preg- nant, should be on her guard. Upon the approach of the critical time she should keep to her bed or couch as closely as possible. In habitual prolapsus the impregnated womb may become impacted in the true pelvis, thus preventing its rising into the roomy false pelvis; as the womb enlarges in this small space, it suffers irritation, which causes miscarriage. Retroversion may be followed by the same results, and also ante version, where the bladder is greatly irritated. Other causes are inflammation, ulceration, cancer, leucorrhea, placenta previa, induration or hardening of the cervix, irritable uterus, etc. One of the most fre- quent causes is the failure of a rigid womb to expand properly, as it opposes the growth of the fetus, which must die. Thus an unyielding womb may cause mis- carriage after miscarriage, until a habitual miscarriage has been set up. The Viavi system of treatment seeks to assist Nature to restore to the muscles of the womb their natural tone and elasticity, enabling gestation to proceed to its natural termination. We have seen that in pregnancy the Closer Study of heart is enlarged to do the extra work the Evil imposed upon it; that the digestive system undergoes important modifi- cations in order that it may be able to sustain two live? MISCARRIAGE 333 instead of one; that the uterine organs, particularly the womb, have adapted themselves to the intelligent dis- charge of the wonderful duty that they are called upon to perform; that the entire nervous system has undergone important modifications that enable it to direct the new and complex forces called into play; that the character and circulation of the blood have been changed, to meet new conditions. It is intended that all of these complex forces should continue in operation for a certain length of time, and undergo modifications as the various stages of the creative miracle are met. At once a wheel may snap in this complex and cease- lessly busy machine, and the purposes that Nature had in view are dashed to the ground. Every one of the re- adjusted forces in the system finds itself violently checked and turned aside. Could any but serious consequences be expected? And yet there are women who look upon miscarriage as a trifling affair, and some who welcome it as a release from an impending burden. Miscarriage strikes at the foundation of everything that makes a woman a woman. She suffers not alone physical harm that will endure, and that will give par- ticular evidence of its presence at the change of life, but her mental and moral nature has received a blow. Every obligation that rests upon a woman impels her to guard against so grievous a misfortune. A woman predisposed to miscarriage Treatment for should take no vigorous exercise what- Miscarriage ever during pregnancy, and should not let herself become overheated nor ex- cited, but throughout the entire term should live as quietly as circumstances permit. In miscarriage there is a great danger of hemorrhage, from retention of parts or all of the membranes or placenta. Not unfrequently the placenta remains for weeks, causing a constant hemorrhage more or less profuse. At the first indication of approaching miscarriage, the sufferer should undress and go to bed, and remain per- fectly quiet there until all symptoms have disappeared. 334 VIAVI HYGIENE If it should be imminent or should occur, the prompt attendance of a skillful obstetrician is required. Pending his arrival, or in case his attendance cannot be procured, the Viavi system of treatment may, if employed imme- diately, prevent miscarriage. Viavi Cerate should be used lightly over the ab- dominal region daily, and over the spinal column thor- oughly once a day. (See Cerate on Abdomen and Cerate on Spine, in final chapter.) Viavi Capsule should be used once a day in the rec- tum, not the vagina. Avoid douches. Viavi Royal should be used as directed. Viavi Liquid should be use as directed. Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if there are piles or other rectal trouble. Viavi Laxative. Purging should be avoided, but the bowels should be kept mildly active if there is consti- pation, by using the Viavi Laxative, or fresh fruit, or a change of diet. Hot Compress should be used over the abdomen once a day. (See Hot Compress, final chapter.) CHAPTER XLVL BARRENNESS BOTH men and women may be sterile; that which is here considered is the sterility, or barrenness, of women, and the causes discussed are those asso- ciated with the diseases peculiar to women, and are preventable or removable. It is generally accepted as a fact that in every ten cases of childless marriages, where children are desired, the sterility of the husband accounts for one and that of the wife for nine. That is, for every sound man there are nine unsound women, excluding the rare cases of congenital imperfection This astonishing and unnatural difference indicates the prevalence and destructiveness of diseases peculiar to women. The healthy married woman, with a Significance of wholesome training and a normal out- Barrenness look on life, desires children; that desire is a natural expression of what is finest in her nature, and in yielding to it she brings to bear upon herself the highest forces that Nature can offer her for self-development and usefulness. If the circumstances of such a woman's life are not exceedingly hard, she will never think of limiting the number of her children, but will have a new joy and experience, an expansion of her life, with the advent of every child. The large number of married couples who desire children and are denied them, present a far more serious problem than is commonly realized, and the fact that the wife's condition accounts for nearly all the trouble invests the subject with an added gravity. The child- bearing ability is a woman's sweetest charm, and is the sign of her perfection. To secure, if possible, that 336 VIAVI HYGIENE capacity where it is lacking, is to assure the foundation of womanly lovableness. When women are convinced that this cannot be done by artificial means, and that the methods ordinarily employed for the diseases of womea account for much of the barrenness that leaves the home incomplete and uncemented, there will come a finer race of women through an understanding of the value of the child-bearing capacity, and the employment of rational, natural means for rehabilitating womanhood. It may be deemed fortunate that the Viavi system of treatment offers a natural means for securing such a result. The sterility of many women is due to Some Causes of their neglect by their mothers at the Barrenness time of puberty, through non-develop- ment of the ovaries. (See chapter on The Non-Development of Girls.) A general weakness or nervousness may cause it in fully developed women. The chapter on Nervous Debility will throw much light indirectly on this subject. A chronic disease of any serious kind may account for it. Generally the cause is found in the weak or diseased condition of the generative organs. Thus, disease of the ovaries, such as a tumor or chronic inflammation, disturbs the nutrition there and may prevent the ripening of the eggs. Disease of the £ aliopian tubes may close them or otherwise render them unable to pass the egg to the womb, or an acrid secretion from such disease may kill the male germ or the fertilized egg. Adhesions binding the ovaries or Fallopian tubes may prevent the movement of the egg to the womb. The dreadful condition known as tubal pregnancy gen- erally results from a diseased condition in the Fallopian tube which prevents the free passage of the egg. Inflam- mation or tumors of the womb, or the thickening of the lining from curetting, may destroy the ability of the womb to form the placenta. The chapters on Pregnancy and Miscarriage throw light on this subject. Enlarge- ment, flexion or displacement of the womb may be a cause. Leucorrhea and diseases of the vagina may cause sterility. BARRENNESS 337 No woman yearning to bear children Treatment for should take it for granted that her Barrenness barrenness is incurable unless she has positively assured herself that it is due to some cause other than one coming within the range of the Viavi system of treatment, whether this condition is referable to her generative organs or to conditions elsewhere that cripple her. Many women had accepted the declaration that they were incurably barren, — as they undoubtedly were under the treatment that they employed, — and they have been surprised and gratified to bear healthy children after adopting the Viavi system of treatment. As each case may offer special problems, we invite the sufferer to correspond with the nearest Viavi office, so that suggestions may be made concerning the appropriate form of treatment. CHAPTER XLV1I. THE CHANGE OF LIFE THE change of life (menopause) indicates that the child-bearing period has passed and that the surplus blood supply for menstruation, preg- nancy ana lactation will not henceforth be manu- factured. The woman will aow manufacture only a quantity sufficient for her own needs. Just as great a readjusting of her body now occurs in giving up the men- strual function as occurred at puberty in acquiring it* The ovaries cease their function, and shrivel. The month- ly influence of the nervous system upon the generative tract is suspended, there is no monthly congestion, and the womb becomes smaller and smaller until in time it re- sembles the uterus of childhood. The change of life is a normal process. Change Should not a disease that may threaten life. Be Normal Just as menstruation is looked upon as a sickness by unhealthy women, so is the change of life regarded by those who have not had perfect health for some time before arriving at this station in life, which should be passed without undue disturbance. The painful and sometimes fatal diseases that de- velop at the menopause do not always commence at this time. They have been long lurking in the body, and now from the great change within the organism they, too, have changed form, and we see developing hot flashes, tumors in various parts of the body, hemorrhages, cancer, painful enlargement of joints, particularly those of the fingers, gout, pruritus, etc. Through the menstrual discharge a purifying of the organism occurs; if this is abnormal a purification does not occur, and in conse- THE CHANGE OF LIFE 339 quence injurious matter is held within the body that will develop trouble. Disease depending upon retained menstrual impurities varies greatly in intensity and in the time it takes to develop. We gather from women seeking relief at the change of life that the cause of their troubles dated far back in their lives, or perhaps in the lives of their parents. We cannot break the laws of Nature without paying the pen- alty sooner or later. If vengeance is not wreaked di- rectly upon the offender it will be upon the succeeding generations; many a woman suffers at the change for the unwisdom of her mother. There are more who owe their condition to their own conduct. Frequently women who, having suffered from leu- corrhea the better part of their lives, say that when the menses ceased at the menopause, so did the leucorrhea — in other words, that they were cured. But not so, for they come seeking relief for other abnormal conditions, knotty fingers (rheumatoid arthritis), for instance; the disease now appears in some other form. The change does not come suddenly. Preparation for The organism prepares for its appear- the Change ance gradually, and if not hampered by disease a woman is not aware of the change going on until the menses cease. They simply leave off. The unhealthy woman is not so fortunate. When this great readjusting begins, the waste with which the body is loaded commences to change as well, and we find distressing symptoms beginning to develop. These are so-called characteristics of the change of life, but it would be much better to say characteristics of an abnor- mal change, as the normal change is free from abnormal conditions. For instance, observe the woman who has suffered with a lacerated cervix for years. The womb has never gone back to its normal size; it has also become chronic- ally displaced, and therefore, menstruation has never been normal, although it may have been painless. Let us sum up all these abnormal conditions and ask how this last 340 VIAVI HYGIENE great function, which involves the whole body, is going to be smoothly performed. Such miracles do not occur. Our records show that ninety per cent, of cervical cancer cases develop at the approach of the menopause from laceration. It is not unusual for the breasts to become lumpy and painful during the change; but in this, as in other ab- normal conditions of the generative system, the faithful use of the Viavi system of treatment has enabled women to pass through the change naturally. In women who have repeatedly sub- Poor Treatment mitted to cauterization for an ulcerated Is Cause cervix, and in those who have suppressed leucorrhea by astringent washes, may we especially look for a stormy menopause. These conditions, instead of being suppressed, should have been regarded as local expressions of a diseased condition, which acted as an outlet for the time. The treatment should have been systemic, as it is under the Viavi system of treatment; then no trouble need have been expected at the menopause. This system of treat- ment has stood these tests for years. Instead of sup- pressing an abnormal condition and thus forcing the waste back upon the system, with the inevitable result of its appearance in another form at some future time and be given another name, the Viavi system of treatment is aimed to overcome the condition at its source in some weakness of the system. Again, the menopause, occurring in a woman who has bled profusely at her periods, may become a hemorrhage. The tone of the womb is gone, the vitality of the nerves which govern the generative organs is exhausted, the blood vessels remain relaxed and overdistended, the very substance of the womb is in so abnormal a condition that it cannot grow a healthy lining. This woman's life goes out when she has but half lived it and when her usefulness to her family and the world should be at its height, or her health is so crippled that chronic invalidism may darken her life and home. THE CHANGE OF LIFE 341 It is necessary that a woman fee vigor- Good Health Is ous when she approaches the change, Essential and not in a generally weak, fagged condition from menstrual anomalies, nervous collapse, uterine and ovarian troubles, etc. This volume attempts to show in a simple, practical manner how health can be maintained, and how it may be re- gained if lost. Upon those who have not entered the change of life, we would urge that if an abnormal condition exists, the Viavi system of treatment be employed to bring the body back to health in the shortest time possible. Upon those who have entered this period, their bodies hampered with waste (disease), we would urge that they too employ the Viavi system of treatment to bring about a healthy reaction of the whole body. Every organ may be assisted to regain its health. This is the rational method of assisting the system to unload itself of waste — by strengthening the organs of excretion, which are the blood-purifiers of the body. The change usually occurs from forty- Treatment at five to fifty years of age, but it is often Menopause earlier or later. As no woman can foresee the time when it will come, she should always be prepared. Remembering that most of the trouble comes from diseases of the generative system, the Viavi system of treatment for any such trouble should be thoroughly employed. Even in apparently sound women latent weakness of some unforseen kind may develop under the heavy strain experienced in the change. For that reason, on the first signs of approaching change, a woman should place her- self in correspondence with the nearest Viavi office, par- ticularly if she experiences the slightest discomfort of any kind, or lacks in perfect nervous poise. All such indica- tions, even the slightest, are notice that intelligent at- tention is demanded. It is a very extraordinary occur- rence that some distress signal is not given at this time. Many women erroneously regard them as natural ac- companiments of their condition. They assuredly are 342 VIAVI HYGIENE not. A woman is entitled to all the peace and comfort she can get in the change. The ordinary treatment in cases where there is no obvious cause for discomfort is as follows, and it should be started promptly at the first sign of the change, and per- sisted in faithfully until the change is perfected, and for some weeks afterward, as appearances of a settled con- dition are sometimes deceptive. To use the treatment merely occasionally, at times when distress appears, will be useless; it should be daily and constant: Viavi Cerate is to be used entirely over the abdomen and spine every night. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) Viavi Capsule is to be used once daily in. the vagina. Douche. A warm vaginal douche is to be used be- fore the capsule is placed. Baths. A daily bath of moderate heat, not pro- longed, should be used if possible. Plenty of wholesome, non-fatiguing outdoor exercise should be taken, stimulating drinks and foods should be avoided, wholesome food in as great variety as possible should be eaten, tight corsets and bands should be avoided, and the mental state should be kept bright and hopeful, with cheerful thoughts, friends and books. Should there be disease anywhere in the system, it is highly advisable that the sufferer write the Viavi office. Of course, if there are conditions of which the sufferer is aware, and they come within the Viavi range of treat- ment, she will require the treatment for that condition. For instance, if the rectum is diseased in any way, Viavi suppositories are required; if there is indigestion, Viavi liquid is needed; if any disease of the generative organs, it should have the treatment designed for it; if there is nervousness, the spine should receive careful attention; and so on. Advice will be cheerfully given to all who write. CHAPTER XLVIII. TUMORS THE prevalence of tumors among women increases with the frequency of women's diseases, and rep- resents one of the most alarming conditions into which those diseases develop. The particularly dis- astrous feature of tumors is that under ordinary methods of treatment the knife is virtually the only resort. Under the Viavi system of treatment, on the contrary, the quality and circulation of the blood, acting with the wonderful principle of absorption, and care in building up the system, are the reliance. An operation does not remove the condition out of which the tumor arose. The Viavi system of treatment is aimed at that con- dition itself. The tumor would not have occurred if an abnormal condition had not existed; to remove that condition is, of course, to remove the tumor. That is what Nature would do if she had the power; the Viavi system of treatment aims to arouse that power, leaving the cure to Nature, which always cures if it has the ability. With the natural removal of the tumor the sufferer is left in health, free from the condition that made the tumor possible. Much that is pertinent to the subject of Unnecessary operations for the removal of tumors Operations may be found in the chapters, A Talk With Men About Women, and The Ovaries. The declaration of a distinguished authority will there be seen, that the removal of the womb for fibroid tumors "is an operation that has done far more harm than good, and its mortality is out of all proportion to the benefits received from the few." The author was referring to the danger of cancer resulting from such an operation. 344 VIAVI HYGIENE Many women who had been informed that an oper- ation was the only possible means for the removal of a fibroid tumor of the womb, and that it would continue to grow unless so removed, thus more and more reducing their ability to bear an operation, have seen their tumors disappear by absorption or pass away whole, from a faithful use of the Viavi system of treatment. Many others, whose tumors had grown to a large size, were assured that nothing whatever could check the growth, and that if they did not at once submit to an operation for its removal, they would soon be killed by it. Those also have either experienced recovery or so ameliorated their condition by adopting the Viavi system of treat- ment as to render the operation unnecessary. There may be and are times when an operation has become necessary, but they are much rarer than is com- monly supposed. It is the unnecessary operation, not the necessary one, that we oppose and in place of which we offer the Viavi system of treatment. A tumor is an abnormal or exagger- Nature and Names ated growth of a part or organ, or a of Tumors mass of new tissue that grows inde- pendently of surrounding tissues. Tu- mors generally occur in the abdominal and pelvic cavities, have little tendency to spontaneous cure, and generally enlarge steadily, at either a quick or a slow rate. They are harmful, as they are likely to crowd other organs and interfere with their health and function, and by pressure on the nerves create various disturbances, some in remote parts of the body. The origin of tumors is involved in obscurity; there are various opinions concerning it; but an overgrowth of tissue resulting from disturbed nutrition seems to be the most probable cause. Tumors are named from their location and from the tissues or organs involved, such as uterine fibroid, nasal polypoid, ovarian cyst, etc. The kinds of tumors most frequently encountered are the fibroid, cystic, fatty and glandular, and polypus growths. TUMORS 345 A fibroid tumor is one that is formed of fibrous tissue. A cystic tumor is one that contains fluid in a sac. A fatty tumor is composed of fat. A glandular tumor is one growing in or near a gland and resembling it in structure. The polypoid is one that grows from a stem, whatever its situation or nature. A floating tumor is a movable mass, usually in the abdomen; such a one may be a movable kidney, a loosely attached ovarian cyst, a collection of fecal matter, etc. A malignant tumor is one that threatens life, without reference to its nature or situation. A tumor or a tumorous condition may What a Tumor be present in the system for years be- Indicates fore becoming sufficiently large to be noticeable or to cause serious dis- turbances. If we find a tumor under the arm or in the breast, uterus or ovary, it does not indicate that the tumorous condition is confined to that particular part and that a woman is otherwise healthy. If so, the tumor never would have formed. The whole body is impli- cated, and before a perfect cure can be effected the whole body must be made healthy and the conditions out of which the tumor arose eliminated. The inability of surgery to accomplish this result accounts for the return of the tumor after its removal by that means, one oper- ation after another being often employed. In addition to failing in that essential regard, an operation so injures the remaining tissues that the development of cancer from such operations is easily understood. (See chapter on The Ovaries.) It can be as readily understood why Record of Viavi the Viavi system of treatment, by in Tumors relying on assisting Nature to establish a good circulation of nutritious blood and to bring the absorptive and eliminative powers to their normal efficiency, has established so remarkable a record in such cases. If by natural aid offered to Nature the conditions out of which the tumor arose are abolished, the growth disappears, either by being cast out whole, if 346 VIAVI HYGIENE there is a natural opening through which this may be done, or by gradual breaking up and absorption where an escape whole is impossible, its components being thrown out of the system through the organs of elimination. The natural removal of a tumor destroys all expectation of a return, since the body has been made sound, and as no injury has been done by cutting, no cause for the develop- ment of cancer has been planted. Some authorities assert that tumors Some Causes of are formed from misplaced cells in fetal Tumors life which develop later, but it appears that tumors develop most rapidly in those parts of the body where the blood supply is the greatest, as in or near the generative organs of a woman. The origin is obscure, but anything that interferes with the free circulation of the blood, as tight or heavy clothing suspended about the waist, all kinds of displacements, menstrual derangements, chronic constipation, inflam- matory processes, adhesions, etc., tends to the develop- ment of foreign growths. Tumors are not always accompanied with pain in the beginning, but it sooner or later will develop. Women sometimes carry these growths for a long time without being aware of their presence, but most of them suffer. Pain may be absent for months or years, but whatever impairs the general health or lowers the vital resistance may start a train of serious symptoms. The constant pressure of the tumor Some Effects of upon surrounding parts often causes so Tumors much irritation that a woman becomes a nervous wreck. A tumor pressing upon the ovary may not only cause extreme pain, but great irritability and hysteria. The sufferer is sad with- out knowing why, cries without reason, is discouraged and weary,, impatient and irascible. The tumor may press upon the bladder, and even though it be small, the irritation and nervousness are intense. It may press upon the ureters, and thus, impair the function of the TUMORS 347 kidneys, or it may be in such a position that it will inter- fere with the stomach or the rectum, and even cause paralysis of the legs and other parts from pressure upon nerves. More or less inflammation is present, greater at some times than at others. This inflammatory process often causes the formation of adhesions, which interfere with the normal movements of the parts. Such sufferers complain of severe dragging pains unless lying in certain positions. Therein is the danger in delaying treatment, as after a time the adhesions may become so extensive as to bind the contents of the pelvis and abdomen into a solid mass. (See chapter on The Peritoneum.) The constant interference of kind-hearted but mis- chievous friends who persistently try to shake the pur- pose of the sufferer in her efforts to secure recovery by slow and natural means, and especially those who have a mania for surgical methods, often drives these afflicted ones to desperate measures, when if left alone they would be content to follow up the Viavi system of treatment for a sufficient length of time to bring about noticeable results. When this period arrives the woman is safe from wavering. She knows within herself the gratifying changes that are taking place. Tumor sufferers coming under the Symptoms of Viavi system of treatment are anxious Progress to know how long it will be before they may expect recovery. This cannot be told, as no two have had exactly the same experience; one has got well sooner than another. The time has depended upon the nature, size and location of the tumor, and largely also upon one's general health and the fidelity with which the treatment was used, and most of all upon one's vitality and recuperative power. Sometimes a tumor, when it is situated in the womb, has been expelled whole by muscular contractions of the womb, with labor-like pains, when the treatment had been used for a sufficient length of time. Others, situated in the walls of the womb, were eliminated in small pieces at the monthly period ; in some of those cases menstruation was 348 VIAVI HYGIENE very painful; in others, the discharges varied, occurring f or tumors, and we have abundant proof on record. The gravity of large and rapidly in- Care in Cystic creasing cystic tumors demands the Tumors attendance of a physician. When women so afflicted adopt the Viavi system of treatment in the early stages, the chances of recovery are much more favorable. For tumorous con- ditions that have not become malignant, the Viavi sys- tem of treatment has proved successful when used suf- ficiently early and continued for a sufficient length of time. Strong drugs, advised to be taken in the stomach t« stop the growth of tumors, destroy the tone of the digestive system, and the morbid growth increases in proportion as they do so. They act far more strongly in crippling the healthy parts than in melting away dis- eased growths. Patience, time and thoroughness are Treatment for the first requisites in rational efforts to Tumors be rid of a tumor. The cause may be deeply seated and stubborn. This has not always proved the case. Promptness in beginning the treatment at the first knowledge or suspicion that a tumor is present may be naturally expected to make a great difference in the time required. The physical condition to be established includes a strong circulation, nutritious blood and healthy absorp- tive and eliminative powers. Every care should be taken to build up the recuperative powers with judicious rest and food. All the natural functions should be kept as normal as possible. Tight bands and corsets must be loosened. The mind should be kept cheerful and hope- ful, and all the powers of the will to get well and to do what is necessary to that end should be called into action. Viavi Cerate should be applied daily over the region 350 VIAVI HYGIENE affected, and also over the entire spine. (See Cerate o** Spine and Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) Viavi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every night, after a warm douche lying down, except during menstruation. Viavi Liquid is to be taken as directed. Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is constipation. Viavi Suppositories should be used if there are piles or other rectal troubles. Compresses should be taken twice a week, a hot compress at one time and a cold at the other, over the seat of the tumor, and continued for thirty minutes to an hour. If the cold compress proves depressing or chilling, it should not be used. (See Compresses, final chapter.) Viavi Brush Bath should be taken as directed in the final chapter, but if the sufferer chills easily, the Salted Towel Rub should be used instead. (See same chapter.) Baths of the kind that experience shows are best suited to the individual case should be taken. (See Baths, same chapter.) Douches. If the discharges ensuing from the treat- ment are copious and debilitating, rest on a couch or the bed is imperative. If extremely profuse, hot vaginal douches of vinegar and water may be used, very hot and protracted. (See Vaginal Vinegar Douche, final chap- ter.) Copious discharges while under the treatment need not alarm. If the driving out of the tumor is accom- panied with profuse discharges, the capsules should be discontinued for a week or longer, but the cerate and liquid should be used regularly. If one is subject to severe hemorrhages we do not permit the use of the treatment except under the care of a physician. Diet. Food should be taken in small quantities and frequently, as large quantities produce pressure. For tumors of the rectum, see chapter on The Rectum. For tumors of the breast, see chapter on Cancer. CHAPTER XLIX. CANCER THE increase of cancer, one of the most dreadful of diseases, is keeping steady pace with that of the diseases peculiar to women, and is a frequent ac- companiment of the ordinary methods of treating those diseases. Drastic measures, in which violence instead of assistance is offered to Nature, might be ex- pected to have such a result. The introduction to the chapter on Tumors applies equally to this discussion of cancer. Weakness is indicated in the inception and pro- gress of the disease, and strength is its enemy. At the beginning, the natural forces of the body might have checked and eradicated the condition had they been sufficiently strong, and if they had been given that strength in a natural way they might have won the victory. That is what the Viavi system of treatment aims to do, and while it does not claim to be a cure for cancer, the victories that Nature has won through it in many cases pronounced cancerous and therefore incurable seem to give convincing evidence of its value. We much pre- fer the use of the treatment for the conditions out of which cancer arises. CANCER OF THE CERVIX While cancer may appear in numerous parts of the body, as will be mentioned later in this chapter, the os (mouth) of the womb and the cervix are the parts most frequently attacked. The disease commonly develops between the ages of thirty and sixty. In its incipient stage it causes no pain, although the most excruciating 352 VIAVI HYGIENE pain may develop as the disease advances. Here is where the knowledge of what a normal condition is becomes a woman's safeguard. The cancerous cervix feels to the touch quite different from the small, smooth, normal cervix. As a woman would detect from touch an abnormal condition of the end of the nose, so should she be able to tell for herself the normal condition of the cervix and os. As this disease is becoming alarmingly Cause of Cervical prevalent, our object has been to as- Cancer certain, if possible, its cause, and by removing it suspend or prevent its development. Our observation, which has been extensive, has proved beyond a doubt in our own minds that in- flammation from mechanical injurjr is one of the many causes of cervical cancer. The inflammation need not be intense, but of a low form kept up for a long time. Nearly every cancer case has a history, which can generally be found. Unmarried women seldom suffer from uterine cancer, and women who have given birth to children suffer more frequently than those who have not. This is evidence that injury followed by irritation causes its development. A bleeding womb is a serious menace to health and even life. A womb that bleeds on touch may speedily develop into a condition that will place a woman beyond help unless wise measures are taken in time. Women as a rule are so prone to menstrual anomalies and the habitual irregular appearance of a bloody flow, that the presence of a bloody discharge, unaccompanied with pain, disturbs them but little. It is only when the discharge becomes offensive, watery, and copious that they are likely to seek relief, only to be told of a well-developed and incurable cancerous condition. Knowledge and care might have prevented it. The slightest cervical laceration or Danger from abrasion places a woman in jeopardy. Laceration The free motion of the womb is pro- duced by breathing and locomotion, aad is necessary to its health. Thus its neck is constantly CANCER 353 sweeping against the vaginal walls. If it is lacerated, or its surface is raw from erosion or abrasion of any kind, a constant irritation is kept up. (See chapter on Lacera- tion.) It is the small injuries, to which no heed is given, on account of the absence of pain, that are frequently the cause of a cancerous degeneration. Where no cervical laceration exists, Other Symptoms but the surface is raw, as in erosions, of Cancer an irritation is kept up by locomotion, thus laying the sufferer liable to the development of cancer in this region at any time after thirty. A persistent flowing at the change of life is always a suspicious symptom. If it occurs frequently after the change of life has apparently taken place, it is one of the strongest indications of cancer. From the foregoing it will be seen that among the most frequent causes of cancer are laceration of the cer- vix; long-standing leucorrhea or cervical catarrh; ero- sions, ulceration or any other diseased condition of the cervix that renders it irritable to the normal movements of the body; heredity also exerts a considerable influence. It will not be necessary to enumerate Phases of the the different forms in which cervical Disease cancer shows itself, nor to give their technical names. They may be soft or hard, may grow to excessive size, or the parts may increase in size little or not at all. Some forms of cancer are accompanied in the beginning with discharges and hemorrhages ; in others the discharge is so slight as not to attract attention, and it is only when the cancer sore has gained great headway that symptoms develop which drive a woman to seek assistance. At first the discharge may be serous, pink and devoid of odor, but when ul- ceration has taken place, the discharge becomes offensive. It varies in color, being grayish yellow, black, green or brown. When pain does develop it is of a lancinating, pricking and burning character, but as the disease progresses the 354 VIAVI HYGIENE pain all through the pelvic and abdominal region becomes intense. The early stages of cancer cannot be recognized, and we find that it frequently attacks large and strong women who declare they have seen but few or no sick days. Such sufferers apparently remain in an excellent physical condition until the disease has gained great headway. The progress of cancer of the tongue can Cervical Cancer be observed. It is generally induced by Unsuspected a jagged tooth, which keeps up a chronic inflammation of the tongue, this finally terminating in a malignant condition. The continual irritation of a pipe-stem may cause cancer of the lip. The progress here can be daily observed, as can also the progress of cancer of the breast. Unfortunately, cervical cancer excites no suspicion of its presence, from the absence of pain, and many times of discharges, until the disease is well developed. Cancer develops also in the body of the womb, causing it to enlarge but little and producing no sensitiveness, even though the cavity be filled with cancerous degenera- tion. It attacks also the vagina and external generative organs, the esophagus (gullet), stomach, liver, scrotum or rectum, but its favorite seat of development is the uterine cervix. The cutting out of a cancer or the re- Cutting Is Not a moval of a cancerous organ is thought Remedy by many eminent men to be worse than useless. In the efforts of the sufferer's recuperative powers to overcome the severe injury done by the operation, the cutting itself may impose a greater strain than the cancer, and thus weaken the resisting powers more, thus inviting an early return of even a worse cancer than the one removed. That is one of the results to be expected of an operation. Shock from the opera- tion, and immediate collapse under it, may occur. The cutting sets up conditions in the remaining cut tissues that invite new and more extensive cancerous conditions. CANCER 355 Where careful microscopical examinations have been made and the case pronounced cancer, the sufferer has recovered, and, again, where microscopical examinations have placed the ailing one upon the curable list, she has died of cancer. Increased skill will undoubtedly make this aid to diagnosis very valuable. In each case there is a turning-point which decides whether the Viavi system of treatment will produce good results. As yet we have been unable to determine what conditions have yielded and what have not. But this system of treatment offers to the sufferer a means by which she may possibly save her life. If that happy result is not accomplished, she has done all that is pos- ible to render herself comfortable. We do not wish it to be understood The Curability that cancer comes within the range of of Qancer the Viavi system of treatment. It is a fully established fact, however, that cases diagnosed as cancer have recovered from its use. The beginning of the disease is so obscure that any diagnosis of it in its early stages is unreliable, and is not made sure until the cancer has developed beyond all help. Whether the cases diagnosed as cancer that have yielded to the Viavi system of treatment were really cancer, or whether an error had been made in the diag- nosis, it is impossible to determine. The two important things to consider in this connection are these: First, a diagnosis of cancer in its early stages means its cutting out under the ordinary method of treatment; second, the Viavi system of treatment enables the system to rid itself of conditions out of which it is thought cancer is developed. In well-established and early-defined Abolishes Risk cancer, the Viavi system of treatment to Life incurs none of the risks to life that are engendered by surgical treatment, and brings a comparative ease and prolongs life to an extent impossible to the ordinary method. As there is doubt 356 VIAVI HYGIEN3 concerning the correctness of the diagnosis in the obscure stages of the disease, thv Viavi system of treatment gives sufferers the benefit of the doubt and aims to build them up systemically, and the results secured for many years have been gratifying. If it is felt that the condition is hopeless, we do not allow the sufferer to place herself under this treatment without an explanation, thus enabling her to decide what method she prefers to use. The profuse and offensive discharges in incurable diseases, as cancer, etc., have been favorably modified by this treatment, and it has contributed materially to the comfort of sufferers. Those afflicted with cervical cancer may put them- selves in correspondence with the Hygienic Department of the nearest Viavi office. CANCER OF THE BREAST Cancer in the breast is, like cancer elsewhere, one of the most severe and fatal of affections. Not all lumps or swelling of the breast are by any means cancerous. It is a common occurrence for these lumps, which vary from the size of a pea to that of a pigeon's egg, to appear, be very painful, and disappear without causing serious incon- venience. If a woman has received a blow or bruise on the breast, and a lump forms, it will not likely disappear spontaneously, but will call for a continued and intelli- gent treatment. The cause of all such growths in the breast, both those that give trouble and those that do not, is weakened vital action, such as should remove waste from the body in- stead of allowing it to accumulate. These lumps in their first stage are easily dispersed, but persistency of treat- ment is required in the second and third stages. Uterine and ovarian diseases are many times the cause of painful, enlarged and inflamed breasts, these parts being closely connected through the nervous system. In such cases the Viavi capsules are to be used with as great regularity as CANCER 357 the local application of the Viavi cerate over the region of the breast and spine. Removal of diseased breasts rarely proves entirely successful. So disappointing have these operations been that many advise against them. If after the removal, the disease does not reappear elsewhere, the operation was unnecessary and the disease might have been cured otherwise and without mutilation. If the breast is un- mistakenly cancerous, the operation rarely prolongs life and often causes a fatal termination. In the first stages of lumps in the First and Second breast, when they are movable, they Stages give little trouble. In the second stage the breast increases in size, is hard, pain- ful and swollen, the nipple sinks and possibly discharges. The glands under the arm and in the neck may be en- larged, the arm on the diseased side painful and lame. The condition now may be malignant or not. As in cancer of the cervix, it is impossible to determine accur- ately whether it has passed the curable stage. If it is on the curable side of the turning-point, the sufferer's life may be saved if she uses the treatment thoroughly; if beyond it, by building up the general health by means of the treat- ment, life may be prolonged and the condition rendered more comfortable than without the treatment. A soft cancer runs a much quicker course than the hard or withering kind, but both are fatal if not brought under the proper treatment before the malignant stage has been reached. This stage cannot always be deter- mined, even with the microscope. It is not the violent and dangerous attacks of illness that lead to malignant conditions, but complications of the circulation so slight as to pass unnoticed for years. When statistics show that in four years, 1901-1904, there were no less than 11,364 deaths in England and Wales from cancer of the breast, while operations for cancer are growing more and more frequent, it is time to look seriously for the cause of the trouble instead of de- 358 VIAVI HYGIENE ciding merely to cut away a part of the body after the cancer has developed. Before menstruation, or at its begin- Signs of Breast ning, a sense of fullness and often ten- Cancer derness is felt in the breasts; it subsides after the flow is established, showing that they are in close sympathy with the generative organs through the nerves and the circulation. Women suffering from menstrual irregularities often complain that the breasts are painful; the symptoms pass away with the appearance of the flow. With the cessation of the pain the matter is forgotten, but there is a deviation from the normal, and later it may develop into cancer of the breasts. The unnatural amount of blood sent to the breasts did not pass from the body in the menstrual flow, and this occurs again and again until the breasts take on malignant degeneration. Not only irregular menstrua- tion, but any other form of abnormal menstruation, is an irritant to the breasts and lays them liable to cancer. The palliative measures here suggested, Treatment of while not offered as a cure for cancer of Breasts the breast, are such as in the past have brought recovery from lumps in the breast and from conditions which had been declared to be cancer and removable only with the knife. Before cancer develops, there is a pre-cancerous condition, in which the use of this system of treatment may be expected to be beneficial, possibly aborting the cancerous develop- ment. Where cancer has unquestionably developed, special suggestions will be necessary by reason of serious complications that may exist. Although the following suggestions include such cases, it is exceedingly important that the sufferer correspond with the nearest Viavi office nevertheless. Where there has been no diagnosis, and the breast is swollen and sore, such correspondence is strongly urged. Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the spine throughout its entire length. (See Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) CANCER 359 Via vi Capsule should be used once a day in the vagina. Via vi Liquid should be taken three times a day as directed on the bottle. Local Treatment. Treatment suited to the various local conditions will be suggested upon application to the nearest Viavi office. HYGIENE FOR BREASTS First Stage: Hot Treatment for Lump in the Breast. Fasten a towel about the neck in the manner that a bib is fastened about a ehild's neck. Slip it to the side so that it will cover the afflicted breast. In the lap and under the breast place a vessel sufficiently large to hold the amount of water to be used. From the tube of a fountain syringe allow water as hot as can be borne to play slowly upon the towel, which will cling to the breast as soon as wet and closely hold to it the moist heat. At the same time very gently press the breast with the hand, which should be cupped, not flat. After the water in the syringe has been exhausted, the breast should be dried and thoroughly but gently rubbed with the Viavi cerate for ten minutes; then the entire operation should be repeated once. The gentle pressure stimulates vital action in the whole substance of the breast. This treat- ment is to be employed twice daily until the breast has become normal. Second Stage: Cold Treatment for Incipient Cancer of the Breast. When the lumps are present and the skin is discolored, but not broken, it has become neces- sary to apply the cold treatment. In doing so the most rigid following of the rules herein laid down becomes a positive necessity. No half-hearted, careless, slipshod method of following them will be productive of good results; hence we wish those so suffering, either to follow advice just as directed, or not to employ the Viavi system 360 VIAVI HYGIENE ©f treatment at all. Lie upon the bed, with a hot- water bag at the back between the shoulders. An attend- ant should sit at the side of the bed wringing one towel after another from ice cold water and placing it upon the breast, the sufferer being meanwhile closely covered with blankets from neck to foot. The towel should be folded to four thicknesses and gently laid upon the swollen breast and inflamed parts. In three or four minutes, as the towel becomes warm, it should be replaced with a cold one. The cold towel should be slipped under the warm one in a way that will not expose the breast and so cause a chill. This renewing of the cold towels should be kept up an hour; then the breast should be sponged with a little warm vinegar and water and gentle application of the Viavi cerate made, remembering always that it will be from the quantity of the cerate absorbed that bene- ficial results may be obtained, and not from the quantity applied. The cerate should be applied also from the breast to the arm-pits along the course of the glands. This cold treatment may be given twice a day, until the swelling has been reduced and the breast made capable of extensive absorption, when the cold compresses may be discontinued and the hot treatment employed if it feels grateful and does not cause pain. If the hot treatment causes pain, however, it should be discontinued at once and the cold treatment continued until the hot one can be employed with good results — when it soothes and comforts. Third Stage: For Cancer of the Breast, Open Sore, The disease has now progressed until the tissues have broken down extensively. The surface is raw and cracked and the breast may have deep fissures. Have a stream of cold water from a fountain syringe play upon the breast, taking care to hang the syringe low, so that the stream will have but little force. A vessel sufficiently large to catch the water should be placed under the breast. Ice-cold water may be used if it does not cause a shock to the system and where it proves grateful to the diseased and heated parts. Five drops of carbolic acid should be added to each quart of water used. When the raw surfaces are thoroughly cleansed by the flow of water, CANCER 361 dry the breast with a piece of absorbent cotton. Apply the Viavi cerate as follows: Spread it on oiled silk. If that is not procurable, prepare some mutton tallow by boiling it and stirring it until cold. Spread some of this soft tallow on a piece of linen and over the tallow spread a layer of cerate. The tallow will prevent the cerate from being absorbed by the linen. Apply the side with the cerate upon it to the raw surface. Where the fissures or cracks are deep the Viavi liquid should be diluted one-half with water and sprayed upon the parts thoroughly with an atomizer. The surface should be entirely covered with the liquid spray, after which the linen containing the tallow and cerate should be placed over the raw surface, the cerate next to the body. A layer of absorbent cotton, or several layers of old, soft, clean, white linen, should be placed over the raw breast so as completely to protect it. When parts of the diseased tissue loosen, they should not be touched under any circumstances, but left alone, to fall off unassisted, as manual or surgical interference only aggravates this condition. We have repeatedly observed that when loosened pieces were picked or clipped off there was a stimulation of the growth. Nature em- phatically objects to violent interference in these condi- tions. The gentle flow of water will be sufficient to wash away the loosened particles and impurities when it is time for them to be shed. This treatment should be employed twice a day, until a decided improvement is noticeable; then once a day will be sufficient. CHAPTER L. FORMS, USES AND HYGIENE OF VIAVI THE character and uses of the various forms of Viavi have been indicated in foregoing chapters, but it is deemed advisable to put the subject here in a compact and comprehensive form, for a clearer understanding and easier reference. In addi- tion are given the hygienic aids employed in the treat- ment. While the vegetable substances used in the Viavi preparations contain curative principles which have long been known, the combination obtained by us is, we believe, entirely unknown outside our own laboratories. An experience of nearly a quarter of a century has proved the efficacy of such combination. Where it is said that such and such things happen or may happen, or that such and such conditions arise or may arise, it is meant that those things have happened and those conditions have arisen consistently in the past, thus creating the expectation that such things will hap- pen and such conditions arise under similar circum- stances in the future. Nothing is intended as giving assurance that such things will happen and such con- ditions arise in any particular case in the future, though every possible care will be taken to see that they do. More than that would go beyond human foresight and power. It will be observed that we consist- Why a "System ently use the expression, "the Viavi of Treatment" system of treatment," to designate the Viavi method. That choice of a name indicates the distinctive character of the method and the vital difference between it and ordinary methods. The Viavi plan, varied to suit the different conditions coming FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 363 within its range, has three leading features, — education, life-conduct, and Nature-aids to health. The educational feature of the Viavi system instructs in the general laws of Nature and health, and imparts practical knowledge concerning the body, and the causes, prevention and rational treatment of disease; the feature relating to life-conduct furnishes mental and physical guidance in ways of living that promote health; the Nature-aids are natural, practical hygienic measures, and simple vegetable products scientifically compounded and' of proved value in certain diseased conditions. As these three elements, united, comprise an intelligent mode of living to secure health and retain it, their united use is called a system of treatment. The word "Viavi" (pronounced ve-ah-ve) is composed of the Latin words via, vis, meaning the way to strength. The Viavi system of treatment has Foundation of been developed from the results ob- the System tained by the persistent use of those three elements of health, — education, life-conduct, and Nature-aids, — on the ground that all three of them are essential, and that no one or two of them can be omitted if real and permanent results are to be expected. Such omissions have often been attempted by those (including ourselves) who have seen the remark- able success of this system, especially in refractory dis- eases that had failed of recovery and been pronounced incurable under other methods of treatment, and by others who doubted the essential value of the Viavi preparations, ascribing the success to the hygienic aids alone. Those aids are indeed exceedingly valuable; they are indispensable; but so have long experience and thorough experiment shown all the other features to be, including the Viavi preparations. All such efforts at omission have caused only a loss of precious time and an unnecessary prolongation of suffering. The Viavi system is a united whole, indivisible, and amply proved. Its limitations are clearly implied by exclusion where they are not directly announced. The conditions in 364 VIAVI HYGIENE which it has proved efficacious are unmistakably pre- sented in this volume. All diseased conditions outside its range belong to other methods of treatment, where they belong to any. The Viavi system is not designed to mee.t those conditions which come unmistakably within the province of the physician or the surgeon. While there is much resemblance in Similar Forms the directions for treating the different of Treatment diseases that come within the range of the Viavi system, there are still v«ery important variations, and they should never be over- looked. The resemblance is based on this fortunate fact : This system of treatment is designed primarily to assist Nature in overcoming congestion and inflammation, and a considerable range of diseased conditions arising from them. These conditions, wherever localized and what- ever named, are fundamentally similar, for back of them is a fault of the circulation, and that fault means imper- fect nutrition of the affected part, and imperfect removal of the injurious products of the disease. Obviously, if the circulation is re-established, the immediate cause of the condition which results from imperfect circulation will disappear. In this procedure the. nervous system, includ- ing that part of it which controls the circulation must be built up to a normal standard. This accounts for the ap- proximate similarity in the treatment for groups of diseases. So logical and natural a plan gives the Viavi system of treatment a special distinction, and offers a sufficient explanation of the active support and advocacy of lead- ing thinkers and reformers. With the aid of two physical means Common Sense of offered Nature, the Viavi system of the Method treatment has met these diseased con- ditions depending on impaired circu- lation. One is direct treatment of the part affected, in order to assist Nature in overcoming the local weakness that permitted the disease to become localized, and the other is a general treatment to build up first the nervous system, that the natural conditions of health may be FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 365 re-established, including a normal circulation of nutritious blood generally and in the affected part. The idea is not to single out the disease and attack it as an intruder, but to regard it merely as a negative condition, indicating the absence of sufficient natural strength to maintain health. Under the treatment the disease has simply disappeared; the negative has merely yielded to the positive, just as darkness in a room vanishes when a lamp is lighted. In this entire procedure the aim is simply to give Nature the assistance she requires to establish health, so that its recovery shall be on natural lines, to secure natural health, which is the only real or possible health. For Nature alone does the curing, and nothing but Nature can. If her curing powers have become so weakened that she cannot cure without aid, she will readily accept and use the aid she needs when it is offered to her, and will accept and use no other. This aid must, of course, be natural. Nature will not use unnatural, artificial aids, rebels at their use, and punishes for their use. Perhaps no one can know positively just how Nature uses the aids furnished her by the Viavi system in pro- ducing the brilliant results that have been so abundantly secured, nor why Nature is able to use this simple aid in removing so many conditions that on the surface appear so different. There are theories to explain the process, our own among them. But they are unnecessary here. Results are what really count. It must be deemed exceedingly fortu- A Fortunate nate that so simple and fundamental Discovery a plan has been found for reaching so many important conditions through the prime fault lying behind them all. To a large extent it renders unnecessary a bewildering scheme of experi- mental dosing, and unnecessary, unavailing surgery, both of which require long technical training to handle, and are therefore inaccessible to the millions. But these millions should have a sense of responsibility for their own conduct and health, just as they have a sense of 366 VIAVI HYGIENE accountability to civil laws and of responsibility to moral laws, and it is good for them to have that sense; it is what largely distinguishes them from savages. It does not look right to withhold from them the forces of self-preservation where health is concerned. Our extended observation of those who have been made sound and competent by means of the Viavi system of treatment convinces us of the wisdom of arming people with a sense of responsibility for their own health, and with simple, common-sense understanding and means for securing and preserving their own health. VARYING QUANTITIES OF REMEDY By the use of the Viavi system of treatment an adjust- ing process has been established, and it proceeded until all parts of the system were working in harmony and recovery was assured. At certain times and under cer- tain conditions the system was able to make use of but little of the treatment at a time without creating a dis- turbance. This was sometimes a little uncomfortable, as all distressing symptoms present before beginning the treatment seemed to be aggravated. The amount of Viavi ordinarily used may be divided into halves, thirds or quarters. It should be remembered that when a Significance of reaction of this kind has occurred it Reaction showed that a re-adjusting to bring about a more normal condition was taking place; that accumulated impurities or waste were being eliminated. Extensive experience has shown that the worse a sufferer felt after beginning the treatment, the stronger the indication that it was needed. If the system was loaded with impurities, recovery was impossible with- out some disturbance. Cleaning and repairing the body is not accomplished like cleaning a house, room by room, for the body does not consist of separate compartments, each with a door that may be closed until the chamber is FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 367 renovated. Every part must do its share, and it cannot lie idle while the repair work is going on. The building and renewing are done by that tireless messenger, the blood, which, if not impeded, will go to the most remote parts of the body, neglecting none, and taking nutriment to all and carrying away waste. The blood must-be of the right quality, and must flow from the parts as freely as to them. And the nervous system must be toned and strengthened to assure the proper action of the blood vessels and of the assimilative and eliminative organs. As the body is a united whole, every Symptoms That part must respond actively for the Encourage repair work to be successful; hence we hear from some that the stomach was disturbed for a time after beginning the treatment, or that the body was sore and sensitive to the touch, as if bruised; the heart may have palpitated, the liver may have given indication that it was involved in the repair- ing process; the kidneys may have become active and the urine either copious or heavily loaded with waste and variable in color, quantity and consistency; the head may have ached for a time, and the nervous system may have been disturbed; eruptions possibly appeared, showing that impurities were being eliminated through the skin; quantities of waste were probably carried away through the bowels. In the case of some women the ovaries became sensitive, showing that congestion or inflamma- tion was present and that the circulation was being established in the parts. As the inflammation was re- duced, the distress from uterine displacements may have seemed aggravated for a time, and as poisonous secretions were eliminated through the vagina, itching and burning existed in some cases until the secretions became more normal. When uterine tumors were present and Nature was making an effort to expel them, labor-like pains were experienced, which, although painful, were indications of a curative effort on the part of Nature. These efforts of Nature should never give alarm nor be interfered with. Drugs should never be administered 368 VIAVI HYGIENE to deaden the pains which give evidence of so much good. Most sufferers when beginning the treatment were in such a condition that they responded to it readily, none of this heavy repair work taking place — those whose bodies were in a starving condition, so to speak, and who felt better from the first. Some have been compelled to use the treatment for months before their bodies could be placed in a condition to begin rebuilding, while in others for months no change whatever was noticeable; but the results have been generally graduated to the co-operation of the sufferer. When the repair work is heavy, strength Misconceptions is required for its performance. Ac- Avoided cordingly, we have heard some say that they were better, but very tired and weak. We wish all to understand the changes that may occur and their importance to the future physical welfare. There should be perseverance in the treatment at this time, but if a reaction greater than one is willing to bear is produced, a half instead of a whole capsule may be used, or even a quarter of a capsule if necessary, gradu- ally increasing until the whole capsule can be used; that is, as soon as the system can accommodate itself to the whole capsule. The cerate may be diluted one-quarter, one-third, or one-half with pure olive oil, the undiluted cerate being employed as soon as possible. The rectal suppositories, the liquid and the tablettes also may be used in smaller quantities until the system can utilize the full treatment without great effort. THE VIAVI CERATE The first thing necessary in the application of the Viavi cerate is the preparation of the skin. The skin possesses remarkable absorptive powers, which are extensively employed in taking up the cerate. It was a recognition and use of this natural fact that have made APPLICATION OF CERATE 369 such gratifying achievements possible with the Viavi cerate. Mix one part strong vinegar with two Preparation of parts comfortably hot water. Saturate the Skin a cloth with this and thoroughly wash the skin with a circular movement over the area to which the cerate is to be applied , keeping this up until a dark substance rolls up. Continue until no more of this impurity appears. Then wash off with clean water and good soap, and dry thoroughly. This is the best way for thoroughly cleaning the skin and for enabling its absorptive powers to take up the cerate. If the skin becomes irritated from the repeated use of vinegar and water, shave a piece of good soap into a basin, add a little warm water, and whip it to a fine foam. Rub this on the skin thoroughly instead of vinegar and water. Then wipe dry. Resist any temptation to slight or neglect this prepar- ation of the skin, or any of the other directions. Long experience has fully demonstrated their value. Unless the skin is properly prepared, as here directed, it will not satisfactorily absorb the cerate. The user is very fortunate when the skin takes in quantities of the cerate. It is never being wasted, as it is the amount taken into the body that accomplishes results. Slow absorption of the cerate indicates that the absorptive powers are sluggish, and greater effort should be made to strengthen the circulation by means of baths (see Baths, this chapter), exercise, etc. One cannot absorb too much cerate. The cerate is to be used externally only. Application of It should be applied with the fleshy the Cerate ends of the fingers or with the palm, whichever is the more expeditious and soothing for the place to be rubbed. It should be borne in mind that the hand, as well as the part rubbed, absorbs the cerate, and that the palm, being larger than the finger-ends, absorbs more. This does no harm, of 370 VIAVI HYGIENE DIAGRAM Showing Position of Internal Organs and Boundaries 01 Regions This plate is valuable as indicating the regions over which the Viavi cerate should be applied in treating the internal organs. With its use over these organs, the cerate is also to be applied over the spine. APPLICATION OF CERATE 371 Organs Indicated by Figures. Heart. 2,2,2,2,2. Lungs. Front part of Liver. Lower part of Stomach. Gall Bladder. Lower part of Spleen. Ascending Colon (large intestine). Cecum (beginning of Colon). Transverse Colon. Descending Colon. Sigmoid Flexure of Colon (behind left ovary). Umbilicus (navel) surrounded by Small Intestines. 13. 13. Dotted lines showing Kidneys behind Intes- tines. 14.14. Ureters, descending from Kidneys, passing behind Womb (15) to lower part of Bladder (18). 15. Womb (dotted lines showing part of Womb behind Bladder). 16. 16. Ovaries (suspended under Fallopian Tubes). 17. 17. Fallopian Tubes (extending on either side from Womb, and terminating in fringe). 18. Upper end of Bladder. 19,19. Hip Joints. 1. 2,2,2. 3,3,3. 4. 5. 6. 7,7,7. 8. 9,9. 10, 10. 11. 12. REGIONS. The four straight lines divide the abdominal cavity into regions, and show the organs in those regions. The regions are marked with letters: A. Right Hypochondriac. B. Epigastric. C. Left Hypochondriac. D. Right Lumbar. E. Umbilical. F. Left Lumbar. G. Right Inguinal. H. Hypogastric. I. Left Inguinal. 372 VIAVI HYGIENE course, as the more cerate the body takes in, the better; only in many cases this may not be necessary, and an assistant, if one is employed, is taking up through the hand much of the cerate that appears to be absorbed by the user. Where there is soreness or tenderness under- neath the area being rubbed, as in ovarian inflammation, rubbing with the finger-ends may irritate the condition, while rubbing with the palm may soothe it. The user is to determine these matters by experiment, the idea being to avoid irritating by the rubbing, and to produce a soothing effect. Rubbing Motion. The movements of the hand in applying the cerate are of two general kinds, depending on the place to be rubbed. One movement is circular, the other up or down, and a combination of these movements. The double purpose of them is to facilitate the absorption of the cerate and to aid the movement of the blood. The circular movement is better for the abdomen and chest, and may be employed along the spine and on either side of it if preferred. The up or down movement is best for the limbs and is good for the back. In the circular movement care should be taken to make the upper sweep of the circle, or the one toward the heart, firmer than the lower, so as to bring the harder pressure toward the heart. In the up or down movement the stroke must be toward the heart. The reason is that the rub toward the heart assists the flow of the venous blood toward the heart, that it may be sent to the lungs for purification, the circulation being quickened meanwhile. The circular movement is to be in small circles, the up or down movement in long, smooth, slow strokes. Over the abdomen the cerate is applied with the finger-ends, with an outward and upward circular move- ment, never hard downward. By an outward and upward movement is meant a movement in an outward direction from the median, or central, line of the body. When using both hands on one's own body, the hands describe two circles on the abdomen, touching the groins at the lower part of the abdomen and the short ribs at APPLICATION OF CERATE 373 the upper part. The hands when spread out will thus cover the greater part of the abdomen. To relax the abdominal muscles one should lie com- fortably on the back, with the knees bent. In no case should the rubbing be rough, hard or hurried. It should be gentle, slow, soothing, and should leave one feeling better. An Assistant. It is better to have the cerate applied by some one else if possible, but it is not absolutely neces- sary. When it is thus applied, the assistant should be acceptable, and should be one who can soothe by rubbing. When it is necessary that one apply the cerate on the spine one's self, one will find it easier to rub the cerate on with the back of the hand. Quantity. Only a little of the cerate, just sufficient to make the hand pass easily over the skin and prevent irritation, should be put on the hand at a time, and this should be rubbed in before more is taken. If any remains at last it should be gently wiped off with a soft old towel kept for that purpose, to prevent soiling the clothes. Time. The time to be occupied in the rubbing depends on circumstances. Thirty minutes is the average time. If the cerate is readily absorbed, twenty minutes will suffice; if absorption is slow, the rubbing should be continued longer than thirty minutes, even up to an hour, but never, in any case, to the point of mental or physical irritation. It is better, in cases of slow absorption, to rub twice a day, a half hour each time, than once for an hour. At the same time, the user should cultivate pa- tience and look hopefully forward to its reward. The cerate may be applied at any time down to a meal, but not until two hours afterward. This is especially true when rubbing the stomach or abdomen. The most convenient time is upon going to bed at night, but the application may be made in the middle of the forenoon or afternoon. It is far better to have a regular time every day for making the application, for Nature is particularly grateful and responsive to intelligent habits. Regions of Application. The illustration accom- panying this chapter shows the different regions of the 374 VIAVI HYGIENE body and their relation to the internal organs. By refer- ence to it one may see where to apply the cerate over the liver, the abdomen, the stomach, the ovaries, etc. In the following pages are given special directions for apply- ing the cerate over special parts and organs. The purpose of the application of the On Spine and Part cerate is to secure an important two- Affected fold result through the skin's absorptive powers: one is that the diseased tissues themselves may receive the direct benefit, and the other is that through the circulation the general system may receive strengthening, building material. As nerve cent- ers are situated along the spine for the control of the cir- culation in the internal organs, it is of the greatest im- portance that the spine receive the cerate in all cases where internal organs are involved. Largely in this man- ner it is aimed that internal inflammation, Without regard to its situation, be attacked, while at the same time the application of the cerate over the seat of the disease is a direct attack upon the condition. These combined processes are aided by various hygienic measures described in this chapter and throughout this volume. Neither the cerate nor any other form of Viavi should be regarded as a ' \ pain-killer." Long after the pain, sore- ness or tenderness due to inflammation has ceased, Nature is in need of assistance in the rebuilding process. The aim is to bring about real, natural health, hot to produce temporary and deceptive conditions. CERATE ON SPINE One should lie face down, or sit on a stool or chair, with the back exposed. The back should be washed with a mixture of two parts of warm water and one part of vinegar, then thoroughly dried. The rubbing in of the cerate should be done by an assistant, who should spend at least thirty minutes to an hour, one or more times COMPRESSES ON SPINE 375 daily, at the work. Use gentle force to reach the super- ficial tissues and a harder pressure to reach the deeper tissues, but never more force than be easily borne, nor enough to bruise the skin. The application should extend from the napo of the neck to the lower extremity of the spine. Where the entire back is to be rubbed, especial attention should be given to the spine and from two to three inches on either side of it, using first the circular and then the upward and downward strokes. The spine is often so sensitive from diseased nerves within it that at first the cerate must be applied lightly. The tenderness will soon disappear, and then more pressure may be used. Self-Application of Cerate on Spine. If it is not convenient to employ an assistant, the cerate may be easily applied while sitting or standing. Rub the cerate on the palms and fingers and rub with both hands, one on each side of the back, the thumbs being towards the front, resting loosely on the hip bone; or the cerate may be put on the back of the hand. The lower part of the back is easily and effectively reached in this way. COMPRESSES ON SPINE It is often necessary to use compresses, either hot or cold, to increase the circulation and thus facilitate the absorption. The following are suggested: Application of Compresses. Before applying the first compress, always rub the skin to bring about a glow. Then gently apply the compress. When it is necessary to change, lift the compress up at one side and slip the fresh one under; never expose the part if possible. Al- ways cover the compress with a dry, warm, thick towel. Hot Spinal Compress, to increase circulation and relieve congestion. Lie on a bed or couch, face downward. Cover limbs and expose only portion of the body upon which compress is to be applied. Use a hot-water bag wrapped with a hot damp towel. Allow it to remain one 376 VIAVI HYGIENE hour. Use two bags if the area to be covered is larger, a spinal bag if the spine is to be treated. If hot-water bag is not available, use towels folded to the size desired. Dip into boiling water, wring out inside a dry towel so as not to scald the hands, and apply for one hour, replacing with fresh hot towels as fast as the hot ones lose their greatest heat. Dry the body and apply the cerate. Alternating Hot and Cold Spinal Compress, to re- duce congestion, improve the circulation and relieve pain. Lie on the side of the bed with the body covered suffi- ciently to prevent becoming chilled; hot-water bags or bottles may be placed at the feet and the sides. First wring out a folded thick towel from hot water, place it the full length of the spine, and cover it with a dry cloth. Let it remain five to ten minutes, then replace with a cold one for the same length of time, thus alternating the hot with the cold compress, keeping up the application thirty minutes to one hour. Then dry the back and apply Viavi cerate thoroughly along the full length of the spine and for two or three inches on either side. Cold Spinal Compress, for tenderness on spine and back, and for inflammation and soreness. Lie on the bed, face downward, with a hot-water bag at the feet, keeping the feet, legs and hips well covered, and (if one chills easily) a hot-water bag, or bottles filled with hot water, on both sides of the body. An attendant should sit at the side of the bed and wring cloths or towels from cold water, placing them on the spine the entire length, covering them with flannel, and keeping the sufferer well covered meanwhile. The cloths should be changed for cold ones as soon as they become warm. This should be kept up for an hour. The back should then be dried, and the entire length of the spine and back should be rubbed with the Viavi cerate for thirty minutes. A warm glow should always follow the use of this compress. Cold Spinal Douche, for nervous debility, exhaus- tion, and as a tonic when tired. At night, before retir- ing, place the feet in warm water, especially if they be cold; at the same time sit over the edge of the bath tub COMPRESSES ON SPINE 377 or wash tub, and have some one hold a pitcher of cool or cold water about three feet from the body, pouring the water on the spine. This will produce a slight shock, and will conduct the nerve force from the brain and into other channels. Afterwards the back should be well dried and rubbed until a glow is produced. One should then lie down, and the Viavi cerate should be applied to the spine along its entire length and for two to three inches on each side of it. This should be done by an assistant, who should spend thirty minutes in rubbing it in. Ice Compress on Spine, for inflammation, soreness of the spine, nervous debility, and to increase the circula- tion. If a spinal ice-bag cannot be procured, a good sub- stitute can be easily made at home. It will help to es- tablish a vigorous circulation of the blood in the capil- laries. Procure a piece of flannel of a length sufficient to cover the spine from the nape of the neck to the end. Over this spread pulverized ice, then fold until about five or six inches wide and place over the spine while the suf- ferer is lying face downward on the bed. One should then be covered well and surrounded with hot-water bags. This compress, when using the spinal ice-bag, may be taken in a sitting position; in that case the feet should be put in a foot tub of hot water, which should be kept hot by renewing a little at a time. The compress should be allowed to remain until w.,rm. Repeat for at least thirty minutes to one hour daily until the inflammation has passed away. The sufferer should then be dried thoroughly and the compress followed by a thorough rubbing of the Viavi cerate over the region of the entire spine. Spinal Sun Bath, for brain-fag, nervousness, and spinal weakness and disease, or in cases where the spinal region is sensitive or painful to the touch. Applications of the Viavi cerate to the spine may be made at any time while the sun is shining brightly. After a thorough ap- plication of the cerate, the entire length of the spine is exposed to the direct rays of the sun; or the application of 378 VIAVI HYGIENE the cerate may be made to the spine while exposed to the sun. The sun's rays hasten the absorption of the cerate, and the tonic effect of the sun's rays along this important nerve trunk is very beneficial. A person should remain in the sun's rays from fifteen minutes to half an hour, or longer if agreeable. Care should be taken not to let the skin blister. Baths. In addition to compresses, which have for their purpose an increased local circulation, use baths to increase the general circulation. Several are given in this chapter. The ones which can be used conveniently and which will accomplish the purpose should be used. (See Baths.) CERATE ON ABDOMEN, CHEST AND EXTREMITIES Preparation for Massage. The term "massage" is employed in Viavi hygiene to mean a careful kind of rubbing, and not the elaborate manipulation commonly known as massage. Before the rubbing is done, the bow- els and bladder both should be emptied. If the bowels are heavily loaded a rectal douche should be taken. The rubbing should not be given until at least two hours after eating. If the parts are very sensitive the applica- tion of a hot compress (see Hot Compress) immediately before the rubbing will make it much more comfortable. If the abdomen is sensitive after the rubbing, a long towel should be wrung from cold water and wrapped two or three times about the body, covering with a warm woolen blanket, the sufferer remaining quiet in bed for at least two hours afterward. Under these circumstances the massage is much better taken at night, when one may remain quietly in bed till next morning, but it may be taken in the middle of the forenoon or afternoon, always resting for at least thirty minutes and with sleep if pos- sible. MASSAGE OF ABDOMEN, CHEST 379 Position of Sufferer. The sufferer should lie on a bed, couch or rubbing table of proper height. (See Rubbing Table, this chapter.) Cerate on Abdomen. To massage the ovaries, womb and tubes, the right and left sides of the lower abdomen should be rubbed. The sufferer should draw up the knees to take the tension from the abdominal muscles. Position for Assistant. The assistant should stand at the side of the sufferer with the back towards the sufferer's head. The sleeves should be rolled up to the elbow. After the rubbing, all remaining cerate should be carefully wiped off with a soft cloth, otherwise it will soil the clothing. The great trouble with most is that they do not rub for a sufficient length of time. Those who have been ill a long time should have a rub of thirty minutes at night and another of the same length of time in the middle of the morning, but the rubbing should not be prolonged to a point where distress is caused. Individual Abdominal Massage. A comfortable and non-fatiguing way of massaging the abdomen with the cerate, where one can have no assistance, is to retire after sponging the abdomen with vinegar and water; lie on the back; elevate the knees. The abdomen may be rubbed in this position for thirty minutes easily with but little exertion. Pendent Abdominal Massage. Use three chairs having no seat braces nor arms. Place two of the chairs together so that the length of the legs shall lie upon them. The third chair should be placed about a foot and a half from the others, so that the body, face downward, from the waist up shall rest upon the chest and arms; this will leave the abdomen unsupported and pendent. In short, lie upon the chairs face downward as a boy lies upon his sled when coasting, with one chair removed from the others so as to leave the abdomen free. An assistant, after covering the palms of both hands with the Viavi cerate, should stand at the side of, but bending over, the sufferer, and with the back towards the head of the sufferer, and beginning in the right and left inguinal 380 VIAVI HYGIENE (groin) regions, should rub the abdomen upward toward the short ribs and chest, first with one hand on one side and then with the other on the other side, the movements being alternate. The same results cannot be obtained where the sufferer lies on the back. In lying face down, the abdomen, being unsupported, falls downward, pro- ducing an inward and outward movement, which is helpful, in conjunction with the treatment, in establishing the circulation. It is of great assistance in overcoming painful menstruation. This massage also helps to over- come constipation by strengthening the peristaltic move- ment of the bowels. It assists also in loosening adhe- sions, as well as in helping to right displacements of the womb and ovaries. This massage is also successfully employed in non-development. A rest for the chest and head can be made so that the sufferer can give herself this massage, taking care not to fatigue herself. Abdominal Vibrations. A vibratory movement ap- plied to the pendent abdomen following the Pendent Abdominal Massage, is a powerful means of stimulating the nervous plexuses, circulation, glandular activity and peristaltic movement of the bowels. The attendant stands bending over the sufferer. The palm of the hand is applied to the surface, and slight, gentle vibratory movements, not slapping, are executed in such a manner as to throw the whole abdominal contents into vibration. The effects are marked in cases in which the abdominal walls are considerably relaxed. Another vibratory move- ment may be obtained by placing the palm upon the ab- domen, then making a rapid rotary movement without allowing the hand to slip on the surface. The direction of the movements should alternate, half a dozen in one direction and then an equal number in the opposite di- rection. Individual Abdominal Vibrations. Excellent re- sults can be secured by the sufferer giving herself these vibrations, following the directions in the last preceding paragraph, and while lying on the back, although they CERATE ON LIVER, STOMACH, ETC. 381 are not as satisfactory as the vibrations given by an assistant while the sufferer lies face down. Kneading of the Abdomen for Constipation. To knead the abdomen a quantity of the Viavi cerate should be first rubbed over the abdomen, about as much as will thoroughly absorb — say a half-teaspoonful. Then knead with the fist, using a screw-like motion of the knuckles along the following course: Begin at the right groin and gradually work upward until the short ribs are reached, then across the body just above the navel to the short ribs on the left side, and then downward to the left groin. By so doing the course of the ascending, transverse and descending colon is followed. (See cut showing outline of organs.) Cerate on Liver. Massage the right front and side. (See plate. Note how far the liver extends across the body towards the left side.) Cerate on Spleen. Massage the left front and side of the body just under the left short ribs. Cerate on Stomach. Massage in center of body and towards the left. (See plate.) Cerate on Lungs. Massage the chest, front and back. (See plate. Note how low the lungs extend.) Cerate on Kidneys. Massage the region of the back covering these organs. (See plate.) The sufferer should lie on the abdomen, side of face resting on a pillow, arms above the head, assistant standing at side, back towards feet of sufferer. Massage of the Perineum. The sufferer should un- dress and go to bed. While lying on the left side, on the free edge of the bed or couch, the Viavi cerate is rubbed with the right hand thoroughly over the floor of the ab- domen, Or the soft parts that extend from the end of the coccyx behind to the pubic bones in front. This includes the muscles in which are the external organs and the soft parts extending between the bones upon which the body rests in sitting. This rubbing is almost as beneficial as the massaging of the abdominal walls. When the right 382 VIAVI HYGIENE hand wearies, one may turn upon the right side and mas- sage with the left hand. This massage should be from fifteen to twenty minutes daily. CERATE ON NOSE, THROAT, EARS, ETC. Nasal Massage, for colds, hay fever, etc. Douche the nose thoroughly (see Nasal Douche) after thoroughly cleansing. Take a small piece of cerate on the fleshy part of the finger and introduce into the nostrils. Turn the hand around so that the back of the hand is towards the face. Then with the finger massage the inside of the nostrils at the very tip, where in most persons a little depression or sac is found. Massage each nostril at least ten minutes or longer. Leave a little of the cerate on the nasal walls. Do not scratch the membrane with the finger nail. Massage for Nose, Throat, Ears. In catarrhal con- ditions and diseases of the ears the cerate should be applied over the nose, throat and about the ears night and morn- ing, massaging gently but firmly. Begin with the fore- head and temples, extending down over the nose and throat, and then apply the cerate in front and back of the ears and down the cords of the neck. This will help to strengthen the muscles and tissues and to re-establish a natural circulation through the blood-vessels supplying these parts. It will not be necessary to apply the vine- gar solution to the face, but the face may be first washed with pure castile soap and warm water. COMPRESSES ON ABDOMEN, CHEST, ETC. Cold Compress over Kidneys, with Feet in Hot Water. The sufferer sits sidewise on a chair or on a COMPRESSES ON ABDOMEN, CHEST 383 stool, bending the head forward and resting it on the arms, which are placed upon a table or the back of another chair. This position allows the back to be exposed easily to apply the cold compresses while the rest of the body is covered, and the feet are kept in a foot tub of hot water. Cold Compress on Body, with Hot-Water Bag at Back, for pain, inflammation and tenderness. Lie near the edge of the bed. Have the body well protected with blankets easily lifted. Place a hot-water bag under the body at the small of the back, at and below the waist line. Then apply the cold compresses to the parts. Have at least two face towels. Fold them to cover the parts to be treated. Keep one in cold water (ice water if possible) while the other is upon the body. Wring fairly dry, so that the water will not drip when placing on the body. Always rub the body with the hand before placing the first cold towel, so that the shock will not be too great. When changing a cold for the warm one do not expose the body, but slip the cold one under the warm one. Continue the application for one hour. Always keep the rest of the body warm. If necessary take a drink of hot milk, broth or water previously pre- pared, the object being to get a good warm glow, not a chill. If the latter is the result, the object for which the compress was used is lost. Dry the body, and apply the Viavi cerate thoroughly for not less than thirty minutes. Ice Compress on Abdomen, to check hemorrhage or excessive flowing. Use a regular ice bag. If it is not possible to get one, use a hot-water bag, filling it with finely crushed ice, or make a bag of flannel sufficiently large to cover the abdomen. Fill this with crushed ice and lay it on the abdomen. Tho bed should be protected with a rubber sheet, oil cloth, or several thicknesses of blanket. It is very essential that the feet should be kept warm, with a hot-water bag or in a hot foot bath, conven- iently placed in the bed. The ice compress may be re- newed at intervals until the hemorrhage ceases. Cold Compress on Parts in Which There Is Much Tenderness, such as in Peritonitis. This compress 384 VIAVI HYGIENE consists of but one thickness of cloth, which at first may be an old, soft linen handkerchief. Even so, the greatest care must be used in placing it, as in peritonitis the ab- domen is exquisitely sensitive. If extreme tenderness is not present, the compress should be thicker. A face towel folded several times will keep cold longer. Upon becom- ing warm, it should be lifted gently and replaced with a cold one. This changing should be repeated at intervals for about a half hour, then the melted Viavi cerate ap- plied over this region with a soft camel's hair brush. At the time the cold compress is being used, the feet should be in hot water, a foot tub being placed in the bed near the buttocks. After the compress is discon- tinued, the feet should be thoroughly dried. Cold Compress on Chest, with Hot- Water Bag. Lie on the bed with the hot-water bag between the shoul- der blades. A face towel of four thicknesses and suffi- ciently large to cover the chest should be wrung from cold water by an attendant and placed over the chest; then cover the body thoroughly with a blanket. The compress should be replaced every five or eight minutes with a cold one. This should be continued for one hour, according to the sufferer's strength, after which the body should be thoroughly sponged with warm water and castile soap and rubbed briskly until a healthy glow is obtained. The Viavi cerate should then be rubbed gently but thoroughly over the chest, well around to the sides and over the back between the shoulder blades, and well up and down the spine. The cerate should be used daily; the compress twice a week. Hot Compress on Abdomen, Liver or Kidneys. The sufferer lies in bed. A thick bath towel, or a face towel folded about four times, dipped in hot water and thoroughly wrung out, is laid over the region being treated, and on this is placed a hot-water bag only par- tially filled with hot water, so as not to be too heavy. Then cover it with a dry towel. The sufferer is then carefully covered with a blanket. If the wet towel or flannel becomes so dry under this hot-water bag that the COMPRESSES ON ABDOMEN, CHEST 385 heat is not moist, it should be dipped and wrung again. The duration of this compress should be not less than one-half hour. The hot and the cold compress is of great service in restoring lost reactive powers and alleviating suffering. Thorough application of the Viavi cerate over the same region should follow, for not less than thirty minutes. Hot Japanese Compress. This may be used instead of the foregoing hot compress. Place a layer of cotton batting over the region to which the compress is to be applied. On these lay one or two of the little Japanese punk stoves designed for this purpose, after lighting the punk within it. (The stoves may be procured at almost any chemist's or druggist's.) On this place another layer of cotton. Retain this in place for an hour, being sure that the thickness of cotton underneath is just right to permit a bearable degree of heat to reach the skin. Then prepare the skin with hot water and vinegar as already directed, and apply the cerate. This should be done about three times a week. It will be found a very effective method for applying heat to any part of the body where there is pain or stiffness, and we advise that two of these stoves be kept in the house, with an extra supply of punks. Cold Compresses on Body with Feet in Hot Water. Just before retiring, and after undressing, put on a warm flannel night gown. Spread a blanket on the bed in such a way as to have it hang over the edge to the floor. Lie across the bed, with the feet hanging over the side so that they may be placed in a bucket of hot water. Place pillows under the shoulders and head, and fold the blanket over the body and legs, enveloping the bucket with it. The water should be kept hot by renewing it. The hot- water bag should be placed under the small of the back. Cloths or towels wrung out of cold water should then be laid over the afflicted region (see illustration showing the region of the organs), changing them every five or seven minutes, as they become warm. This should be keot up for fully an hour. If the feet are tender, salt 386 VIAVI HYGIENE should be used in the water, or the feet may be withdrawn in twenty minutes and a pair of woolen stockings drawn on to retain the heat. After removing the compresses, dry the body and rub the Viavi cerate thoroughly in for not less than thirty minutes. Wet Towel Compress on Liver. An easy method of applying a cold application on a torpid liver is to wet a long roller towel in cold water, wring it fairly dry, wrap it two or three times around the body just above the hips and below the arms, then cover the towel with warm woolen material; then put on woolen night gown. Allow the towel to remain all night. In the morning wipe the body thoroughly dry. In this case the application of the Viavi cerate is to be made before the towel is placed about the body. Hot Compress for Legs. Wring a piece of heavy flannel or a piece of blanket from water as hot as can be borne and wrap it about the legs, each one separately, which again should be wrapped in a dry flannel and kept in this pack for at least fifteen minutes, the legs being elevated or placed on a level with the body. After removing the pack a thorough application of the Viavi cerate should be made with an upward movement from the feet toward the body, so as to favor venous circula- tion. One should never stand upon the feet immediately afterwards, but should remain quiet for at least an hour if the pack is taken in the morning or during the day. If taken in the evening, one should at once retire. (See Hot Foot Bath.) THE VIAVI CAPSULE One of the forms of Viavi used in the treatment of uterine diseases is contained in a capsule, and is to be removed and placed in the vagina. Its immediate use is designed for the generative tract, but by no means confined to this one part of the body, as the entire system is included. VIAVI CAPSULE 387 As the vagina is a muscular tube, possessing high absorptive powers, the treatment is aimed to extend to the adjacent tissues and organs, which are bountifully supplied with blood-vessels and nerves. From the vagina, the contents of the capsule are carried by absorption to the womb, tubes and ovaries, which are adjacent. By reason of the very high absorptive properties of these and adjacent tissues, Viavi is readily absorbed and carried through the entire body, but it is applied to the affected parts first. The absorptive powers of the vaginal tissues are greatly heightened by the use of the proper douche, which not only thoroughly cleanses the vagina, but increases the circulation, before the capsule is inserted. The Viavi is to be taken from the cap- How Capsules sule and placed in the vagina. The Are Used heat of the body melts it, permitting it to be absorbed during the night, especially if the vagina has been thoroughly cleansed and the circulation is good. In usual conditions one capsule used at night is sufficient, but one may be used in the morning also, or the double strength capsule may be used where conditions demand more Viavi. In some cases the vaginal secretions may be so tenacious from disease that even with the proper douche (see Vaginal Douche) will be removed with difficulty, and the congestion may be so great and the circulation so poor that absorption for a time is imperfect. (See chapter on Absorption.) The nearest Viavi office will be glad to give whatever sug- gestions may be needful in such cases. Women suffering from no apparent uterine disorder frequently express wonder when advised to use the cap- sule. It is through the Viavi system of treatment that one is intended to avail oneself of every absorptive power of the body that can be made use of, by which Viavi may be conveyed to the various parts. When the capsule is placed in the vagina and the difficulty is not there, nor in the generative tract, it is carried on still farther to the parts that are in need of it. In such cases its use in the 388 VIAVI HYGIENE vagina is the most convenient and satisfactory way in which its good effects upon the entire system have been secured. VAGINAL DOUCHES Under the Viavi system of treatment douches are advised for the purposes of cleaning, increasing the cir- culation, and healing. They are to be taken in the vagina, rectum, nose or ear, according to the nature of the disease under treatment. Their principal purpose is to cleanse the mucous membrane lining those organs, and to stimulate the circulation in the membrane, so that the Viavi preparations may be the more readily absorbed. They shorten the time and lessen the cost of the treat- ment. All vaginal douches are best taken while lying on the back. A bed-pan will be needed to catch the water if an ordinary fountain syringe is used, but is not required with the Vaginal Refluent Tube. The bag should be hung at a height above the bed that will give a comfortable pressure to the water. This varies with individuals. Nothing to cause the least discomfort or pain should be permitted. A most convenient way to take a A Rubbing douche is to have a carpenter make a Table cover for the bath tub, in the shape of a boot-jack, large enough to cover the tub. It may be hinged to the wall and fastened up when not in use. The douche-water can then easily be con- ducted into the body and allowed to run away into the bath tub, the part of the cover at the foot of the tub being cut away like a boot -jack, so far up so as to reach the body when lying on the cover. Holes may be made, one on each side, in which to put the heels, so that one can easily elevate the knees towards the abdomen. This arrangement makes a convenient table for taking many VAGINAL DOUCHES 389 hygienic measures, such as Rubbings, Compresses, etc. It is very convenient, because the bath room is usually small and can be easily heated. Then, too, hot and cold water are at hand. The Temperature of the water should be such as to promote the absorption of the Viavi capsule. Women are not alike in this regard. Some find that water as hot as can be borne is best, and by its use they experience relief. Others find cooler water more satisfactory. Still others experience the best benefit from cold water. Each woman must determine this for herself. In excessive menstruation cool water is best in all cases. The Quantity of water should be from two to four quarts. Sometimes several gallons of water are used when the effort is to increase the circulation or decrease the inflammation. In such conditions a large tin or granite-ware reservoir, with a small tube as an outlet, may be placed on a shelf at the proper height to get the required force to allow the water to flow in and out of the vagina, the rubber supply tube being attached' to the outlet of the reservoir. During pregnancy the syringe should not be used after the third month; the parts should be gently flushed with the hands instead. The Refluent Vaginal Tube has been devised to meet all the requirements perfectly. The water flows from the tube into the vagina from a number of minute openings in its upper end, taking a rotary motion that thoroughly cleanses the whole tract, especially the cul- de-sacs, or pouches, at the neck of the uterus. By thor- oughly cleansing the parts in this manner a perfect ab- sorption of Viavi is insured. Number of Douches Daily. Usually before placing the capsule at night one is taken. Another may be taken upon rising in the morning. If the discharges are copious or irritating several douches daily may be taken. Viavi Milk Douche, for excoriation. Take a douche of two quarts of hot milk. This is very useful when the parts are raw or excoriated, and may be taken several times daily. 390 VIAVI HYGIENE Via vi Liquid Vaginal Douche. First cleanse the vagina with a douche of plain water of the desired tem- perature, emptying the water-bag. Then to a half pint of water add a half teaspoonful of Viavi liquid, and use this mixture as a douche immediately afterward. Vaginal Vinegar Douche for Hemorrhage. Pure vinegar, at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, may be used for severe hemorrhages. In profuse flow the vinegar should be diluted half to a quarter with water. Vaginal Hot Douche for Hemorrhage. Water heated to 120 degrees Fahrenheit often acts as an astrin- gent, and is one of the most convenient and valuable means of arresting a hemorrhage or profuse flow. A pro- longed hot vaginal douche while lying on the back is advised. Vaginal Antiseptic Douche. Add from ten to fif- teen drops of commercial carbolic acid to each quart of water used, being extremely careful to mix the acid thor- oughly with the water, or it will collect and thus issue so strong as to burn. Instead of carbolic acid, other cleans- ing and antiseptic agents, such as lysterine, lysol, hydro- gen peroxide, etc., may be used in the douche- water. Vaginal Salt Douche. Add a teaspoonful of common salt to each quart of water, when it is desired not only to cleanse the vagina, but to stimulate the circulation in it. THE VIAVI LIQUID The mucous membrane of the nose, throat, bronchial tubes, stomach, intestines, etc., possess highly absorptive powers, and this important fact is taken advantage of in the character and use of the Viavi liquid. A catarrhal (inflamed) condition of the mucous membrane is caused by a congestion of blood in the membrane, and this con- gestion passes into inflammation, which results in in- creased activity of those glands in the membrane which produce mucus. The nerves controlling the blood supply VIAVI LIQUID 391 in the membrane are at fault in the origin of such a con- dition. Through the use of an atomizer or nasal douche, or by taking into the stomach, the Viavi liquid is brought into contact with the mucous membrane and is readily absorbed by it. The result has consistently been a steady, natural improvement in the condition of the membrane, through a more normal action of the nerves controlling the circulation, and with a normal blood supply the con- dition has gradually and naturally disappeared. Thus the impurities arising from the inflammation were no longer loaded upon the system, but were borne away and cast out. The Viavi liquid may be used in the How the Liquid nose and throat by means either of an Is Used atomizer or a nasal douche; or if spray- ing the throat gags, gargling may be employed. With an atomizer, if the proper tubes are used, the entire mucous membrane lining the nose and throat, crevices included, may be reached. Directions for use of the liquid with an atomizer are given on the bottle. Cleansing Douche. Before spraying with the Viavi liquid, cleanse the nose by snuffing, out of the cupped hand, warm water to which has been added a little vinegar or salt (not too strong), and then blowing the nose. Nasal Douche. Take fifteen drops of Viavi liquid and enough warm water, preferably boiled, to fill a nasal douche, which is obtainable at the druggist's or chemist's. Place the finger on the opening at the top, put the small end in the nostril, tip the head as far back as possible, then lift the finger from the opening and allow one-fourth of contents to run into the nostril. Placing the finger on the opening again will stop the flow, when the same amount can be put in the other nostril. Then holding both nostrils closed with the thumb and first finger of the left hand, the head should be tipped forward as far 392 VIAVI HYGIENE as possible. By tipping the head back and forward two or three times the liquid reaches every part of the nasal cavities and upper part of throat. The liquid can then be allowed to run out, and the remainder in the douche used in the same way. This douche is to be used twice daily in ordinary cases and more frequently in severe cases. In diseased conditions of the stomach Internal Use of and bowels the liquid is to be taken the Liquid internally. The dose for adults is ten drops in hot water three times a day about twenty minutes before meals; for children, five drops, and for infants, three drops. When Viavi liquid and Viavi Royal are both being taken, the liquid can be taken one hour after meals and the Royal one hour before meals. Kidneys and Bladder. Viavi liquid may be taken in doses as on the bottle, or excellent results may be obtained by taking ten to fifteen drops in a glass of hot water twenty minutes before meals and before going to bed. The best results are generally obtained if water is hot as can be sipped. For infants, three drops. A minute description of how the Viavi liquid is to be used in treating open sores will be found in the chapter on Wounds, etc. For its proper use in rectal troubles in conjunction with the Viavi suppositories when the disease is high seated, see Viavi Rectal Suppository in this chapter. THE VIAVI TABLETTES The Viavi tablettes are used in indigestion accom- panying liver trouble and are put up in a form convenient for carrying. The Viavi principle is combined in them with digestive ferments, and also principles that have a direct action upon the liver. The increase of strength through the Viavi principle combined with digestive ele- ments, and in addition the increased activity of the liver, have made the tablettes useful as a tonic for nervous dys- VIAVI TABLETTES, LAXATIVE 393 pepsia and in cases where the activity of the liver needed to be increased. When these conditions were present, constipation was lessened, because one function of the liver is to provide material that assists in the movement of the bowels. This combination is preferred in all forms of indigestion where the liver is implicated. The tablettes are arranged in vials — yellow, brown and white. Take one from the yellow vial before break- fast, one from the brown vial before the heaviest meal of the day (whether noon or evening) and one from the white vial before the light meal (supper or luncheon). Masticate them thoroughly before swallowing. (See Cerate on Stomach and Abdomen. See Baths for im- provement of the circulation.) THE VIAVI LAXATIVE The common idea of a laxative is anything that will move the bowels, with no thought of strengthening and developing the muscular tissues of the bowels or increasing the activity of the liver so that the movement of the bowels may be brought about normally. This condition is so prevalent that we find many with whom it has long been necessary to use daily some form of laxative in order that the bowels may move at all. It is unnecessary to say that these cases become chronic, and that the bowels de- pend upon this assistance. The aim of the Viavi laxative has been not only to move the bowels, but so to strength- en them and the other organs directly concerned in di- gestion, that the bowels may in time act normally and without its use. For this reason, the Viavi principle has been combined with laxative principles. Hence, wherever a laxative was necessary, the Viavi form of it was found most satisfactory. In severe cases it is sometimes neces- The Uses of the sary to take three or more of the pills Laxative at the beginning, but if used properly and in conjunction with the Viavi system of treatment for diseases that are present in other 394 V1AVI HYGIENE parts of the body, one may expect that it will not be long before the bowels regain their powers and perform their work naturally. After that condition has been established and correct habits have been planted, the laxative will no longer be required. The suggestions given in the chapters on the Stomach and Bowels, as to diet and exercise, must be followed, and the application of the Viavi cerate externally and the kneading of the abdomen and bowels. Not all realize the immense amount of work that has to be done. The age is a rapid one. Results are obtained so quickly by mechan- ics and by inventions of various kinds that the human body is expected to answer to the same laws. While Nature will do much, it is necessary in regard to disease to use the treatment sufficiently long. Various lengths of time are required by different persons, owing to different conditions. The dose should be increased or decreased in accord- ance with the action desired. Where the peristaltic movement is badly impaired, as in chronic constipation, it will require the use, for some time, of two or even three laxative pills every night before retiring. If one or two pills are found to accomplish the desired results, no more should be used, and the dose should always be cut down to one pill as soon as possible. The three pills should not be taken at once if there is griping, but at intervals of thirty minutes, so as to allow one to dissolve before the second one enters the stomach. (See Flushing of the Bowels, in this chapter.) THE VIAVI IRON TONIC TABLETS Many cases come under the Viavi system of treatment with the vitality exhausted and the recuperative powers exceedingly low, and seem to demand the intelligent use of an iron tonic. Many have been in the habit of taking VIAVI IRON TONIC, ROYAL 395 tonics, for they believe that nothing can be accomplished unless they do, and often they worry because they do not have one, and thus seriously retard their improvement. In many cases they do absolutely need a tonic until the Viavi principle has demonstrated its power and there is a more normal circulation in the various organs, each one performing its functions with greater effect. VIAVI ROYAL Viavi Royal is a combination of the Viavi principle with highly efficient and quickly acting vegetable tonics. Hence it is intended to be both a builder and a tonic. The purpose of the Viavi principle is to assist Nature to over- come disease or weakness and remove impurities from the system. By its use, the circulation has been made strong and regular, the organs enabled to perform their functions properly. The addition of the tonic principle to the Viavi prin- ciple in forming Viavi Royal, introduces a potent and quickly acting element that has enabled the natural forces of the system to employ the Viavi principle with more immediate results. In nervous debility, depression, ex- A Craving for haustion or prostration, or in depres- Stimulants sion from disease, or in the weakness of convalescence, a strong desire for a stimulant arises. A mere stimulant may lend a transi- tory strength, but all this has come from stimulation of forces within the system, and not by the introduction of strength from without. Viavi Royal is designed to give a positive and per- manent addition to the vital forces. The feeling of ex- hiliration and strength that it imparts has proved to have a solid foundation; the benefits felt were real, not arti- ficial. It gave to the natural forces of the system what they apparently needed to be strong, vigorous and elastic. 396 VI AVI HYGIENE The good that it has accomplished did not pass away. It both invigorated and built. Viavi Royal under ordinary circum- Great Value as stances has greatly abridged the cure a Tonic of the diseases of women, children and men to which the various forms of the Viavi system of treatment are applicable. It has been highly beneficial also in convalescence from any illness, and a valuable aid as a tonic to women using the Viavi system of treatment for the diseases peculiar to their sex. For those troubled with depression of the spirits, it has been the greatest of blessings, as it at once gave ani- mation and made the whole world seem as it should — bright, beautiful and full of opportunities. One great charm of Viavi Royal is that it does not create a need for its indefinitely continued use. When the system has grown strong, vigorous and resistant, its use will be discontinued" voluntarily, and no inconvenience will be experienced. That is simply because it is not an artificial brace. Some of the most striking of the good Effects Upon effects of Viavi Royal have been wit- Children nessed in children. Many children are overcrowded with school work, and thus the vitality that is needed for their healthy physical development is diverted. In consequence they become thin, or acquire a listlessness foreign to childhood. Many of them become afflicted with headaches or insomnia. Numerous children not thus burdened grow with so great rapidity that the system is put upon a heavy strain. Under such conditions, the bones are likely to be weak and the muscles inadequate. Often the shoulders acquire a permanent stoop. The mental forces are necessarily drawn upon to supply the needs of the rapidly growing body, with the result that such a child is likely to be stupid. Viavi Royal has brought improperly developing children and youths into a hearty and vigorous condition. Puny and fretful infants have been equally benefited by its use. VIAVI RECTAL SUPPOSITORY 397 Many persons, particularly men, find For Nervous their powers waning in middle age, Debility when they should be at the height of their prime. Insomnia, headaches, nervousness, irritability and numerous other signs of nervous decay make their appearance. These are brought on by overwork, the use of tobacco, alcoholic stimulants and tea and coffee, overeating, and in other ways. A system in such a condition is an easy victim to disease of any kind, which will shorten life and fill it with suffering. To yield to the great desire for stimulants in such cases is to make the evil worse. Viavi Royal has produced re- markable results in such cases. Its benefits were felt at once. It apparently found the weak and impover- ished places and built them up. Viavi Royal is in a liquid form, has a Its Use by the bitter taste that is not unpleasant, and System ic readily retained by the most sensitive stomach. Its use is not intended to impose the slightest strain upon the digestive powers, for, like all the other Viavi preparations, it is at once taken up and led to every part of the body. Every func- tion receives its assistance, the weaker giving the first evidences of benefit. It has banished fatigue, cleared the brain, toned up the nervous system, created a natural desire for rest and sleep when they are needed, and given to the entire organism a lasting and genuine sensation of renewed energy and power. Viavi Royal is to be taken three times a day, one hour before meals. The dose for adults is a half teaspoonful; for children and youths, one-quarter teaspoonful; for infants, four to six drops. THE VIAVI RECTAL SUPPOSITORY The use of the Viavi rectal suppository is limited to the rectum, its range including the more common curable 398 VIAVI HYGIENE diseases to which this organ is liable. (See chapter on the Rectum.) The rectal suppository is to be placed in the rectum at night just before retiring, or immediately after stool at any time during the day. It readily dissolves and is absorbed. It is designed to assist Nature to restore a healthy reaction by establishing a normal circulation and so reducing inflammatory conditions and the results aris- ing therefrom, as are found in diseased conditions of the tract. Marked beneficial results have followed the use of the Viavi rectal treatment. Both men and women afflicted with rectal diseases are invited to place them- selves in correspondence with the nearest Viavi office. The rectum should be emptied and How To Place cleaned before the suppository is placed Suppository in it. The suppository is inserted about the length of the forefinger, the finger having been anointed with vaseline or some similar harm- less substance, so that it may be easily introduced. There are two sphincters in the rectum, one at the outer opening and one about an inch and a half above. The suppository should be placed above the second sphincter. If the user so desires, a black rubber placer, with which the contents of the capsule can be pushed into place, may be purchased at the nearest Viavi headquarters. Rectal Enema. This is taken with the short rectal tube, for cleansing the rectum where that is necessary before using the Viavi suppository, and not for packed feces in the colon. Hence care should be taken not to re- tain the water, else it may be forced beyond the sigmoid flexure. This enema is best taken while sitting on the toilet. It is not generally necessary if the bowels are regular and the suppository is used immediately after emptying the bowels. One or two quarts of warm soapy water will suffice. In case of ulceration of the rectum, this enema should be followed by the injection of a half pint of water in which a teaspoonful of Viavi Liquid has been mixed, and it should be retained as long as possible. A towel pressed to the anus assists retention. RECTAL DOUCHES 399 When the above is not convenient, a small rectal douche of warm water, expelled, to insure a thorough cleansing of the rectum, will promote absorption of the suppository. Rectal Douche. Where the upper part of the rectum is diseased and beyond easy reach, a rectal douche of a half pint of warm water, in which has been placed a half teaspoonful of Viavi liquid, may be used. The soft rubber discharge tube of the douche bag may be introduced into the rectum as high as necessary. The tube is so soft and flexible that it does not injure the parts; but a still smaller rubber tube about five inches long may be inserted in the regular tube, and the smaller one inserted in the rectum. The douche is to be taken while lying on the left side, and retained if possible. When it is necessary to use the Viavi liquid for rectal trouble, the suppository is also to be used in the morning. By using the Viavi system of treatment as above prescribed, every part of the rectum, both high and low, is brought into contact with the treatment, thus assist- ing Nature to promote circulation, overcoming congestion and inflammation, and enabling Nature to establish healthy function. High Enema. A high enema is taken while lying on the left side or the back, so that the water may pass the sigmoid flexure and enter the colon. It is better taken with a long, firm rubber tube made for that purpose, but with care in resisting a desire to expel the water if only the ordinary rectal tube is used, it can be made to enter the colon. This is the enema taken in constipation, when the colon has become packed. Moderately warm or cool water is best. Good soap in the water will help. A gallon to a gallon and a half of water should be used, and one should lie still and retain it for fifteen to thirty minutes. Not more than three a week should be taken, as they weaken the bowel. If there is catarrh of the bowel, a teaspoonful of Viavi Liquid may be added to each quart of water. Viavi Cerate is always to be used over the abdomen, 400 VIAVI HYGIENE liver and spine when rectal troubles are present, as it increases the abdominal circulation and assists in remov- ing the congestion in the rectal tissue. Massage. Use massage for the abdomen and liver and for constipation. (See directions in this chapter.) To remove rectal troubles the circulation must be made as normal as possible. BATHS There is probably no other familiar means of health so imperfectly understood as that of bathing, and yet there is hardly any other more easily understood or more capable of yielding comfort and benefit. A bath may be employed either for cleanliness, or as a very valuable hygienic measure for promoting health or overcoming disease by increasing the circulation. Cleanliness is essential to health, and hence the bath is useful for that purpose; but if in securing cleanliness injury is inflicted in other directions, the purpose of the bath is defeated. Again, the bath may be used to produce nervous states that have an important relation to both health and disease; but unless intelligence is employed in the process, more harm than good may be wrought. A most impor- tant result of intelligent bathing is the increasing of the circulation, which is essential to healthy nutrition and the elimination of impurities. There are innumerable small glands in the skin that perform important offices affecting the welfare of the body. They not only constitute in the skin an important organ of elimination, to take up from the blood and cast out through the skin certain elements of which the body must rid itself in that way, but they secrete an oily sub- stance that assures the health of the skin itself. All of these substances are brought to the surface and there accumulate to some extent, and in time become rancid and offensive. In this way they produce not only an unpleasant condition, but an unheal thful one besides, for BATHS 401 they close the minute pores of the skin, which perform an important service to the general economy. The watery elements of the skin secretions (always coming to the surface, but imperceptible unless from heat or vigorous exercise it is copious, when it is known as sweat), are taken up by the clothes or evaporated by the air, leaving a residue. It is this that becomes rancid in time, giving a disagreeable odor to the skin, or to clothes that have been worn too long. Among the elements undergoing this decomposition is the oily substance that the skin secretes for its own health. Under ordinary conditions, the decomposition of these secretions occurs in a few days. Hence a cleansing bath need not be taken under ordinary circumstances oftener than every few days. A cleansing bath is one in which soap is used, and the cleansing process is promoted by the use of warm or hot water. If soap is not used, there will be comparatively little cleansing, but other good effects will be secured. This is an important fact, because it is ordinarily not advisable to cleanse the skin oftener than once or twice a week, yet it may be highly essential to bathe much oftener. As the oily secretion serves a most useful purpose, its too frequent removal will invite disease. We may avoid that danger by taking frequent baths that do not cleanse, and cleansing baths as often as needed. Cold Baths. Baths of extreme temperatures, par- ticularly cold, give a violent shock to the nervous system. Countless nerve filaments terminate in the skin, and every one of them receives the shock and transmits it to the en- tire system. This shock might be beneficial in some cases, particularly those associated with nervous troubles, weak- ness or derangement, as insomnia, debility, obesity, etc.; but unless extreme care is taken it will do more harm than good, allowance being made for differences among in- dividuals, and for the resultant fact that what may prove good for one may not for another. If a very cold bath is taken, it should not last over thirty seconds. It should never be taken while the body, or any part of it, is cold. 402 VIAVI HYGIENE It should be taken only after some sharp exercise or a good rub that has rendered the skin warm and moist. After it, the body should be dried and rubbed very vigorously un- til a red, tingling glow appears all over it. The best time for taking it is just before going to bed. It may be taken on first arising, if every precaution against chilling is employed immediately afterward. The cold bath is a good invigorator if one is careful to follow the above directions closely. Hot Bath. The hot bath does not impose so severe a strain as the cold bath. It should not be taken when the body is hot and moist, nor for two hours after eating. The water should be gradually cooled before coming from it by letting in cold water. Very robust persons are benefited by a cold shower instead of this cooling pro- cess. One should not remain in a hot bath longer than twenty minutes. Drying and quick dressing should fol- low, as the body is rendered exceptionally susceptible to taking cold. The hot bath may be taken two or three times a week. Hot Bath and Cold Spray. This rs especially bene- ficial after being rubbed with the cerate, and is best taken before retiring. It is very refreshing, and may be taken every night if neither too weakening nor too stimulating; otherwise it may be taken every other night. Lie in a bath tub full of water as hot as can be borne, keep- ing the temperature high by allowing the hot water to run in while the cool water is running out slowly. The person should remain in the water fifteen to thirty minutes, or until the body becomes very red, indicating that the blood is coming to the surface. The body should be rubbed (if possible by an assistant) gently with the bare hand while in the water. Having been in the water the re- quired time, allow half of the water to run out. Stand up in the remaining water, which is still hot, and spray or sponge the body quickly for half a minute, with cold water. Get out of the tub and thoroughly dry the body with vigorous rubbing and at once retire to a warm bed. The cerate which has been absorbed into the skin BATHS 403 will, by the aid of the increased circulation, be carried quickly into the body, leaving the skin clean. If one is hungry, a little very digestible food or drink may be taken. Sleep will be very refreshing. Swimming Bath. If possible, and one is sufficiently strong, salt swimming baths should be taken. They may be either hot or cold, according to the constitution of the person. Some are so weak that cold baths are unbearable. Swimming is an excellent means for securing a good circu- lation, but such a bath should never be indulged in when one is tired or until two to four hours after eating, else digestion will be impaired. Salt Sponge Bath. If the circulation is very slug- gish, a toning effect may be obtained by taking a cold salt sponge bath in the morning, in the following manner: .To an ordinary basin of water, add a handful of sea-salt, and sponge off the entire body, afterwards rubbing thor- oughly until the skin assumes a warm, healthy glow. The salt may be added to the water at night, so that it will be ready for the morning. This bath should be done as quickly as possible. Dry Salt Rub. Rubbing the body daily with dry salt is exceedingly beneficial as a tonic. Take a saucer of common salt and about a quart of water; dip the hand in water and then in the salt, rubbing the body thoroughly. Afterwards the body may be sponged and well dried. If the person is susceptible to cold, only that part of the body which is being rubbed should be exposed. Dry Salted Towel. A very effective method for es- tablishing the circulation by a dry method, is by rubbing the body every morning with a salted towel, prepared in the following manner: Make some brine (using sea-salt, if available), strong enough to float an egg. Saturate a towel in this brine and hang it up to dry without wringing. The towel is now thoroughly filled with salt and ready to use. It tones the skin, hardens the muscles, beautifies the complexion and increases the circulation; at the same time, there is no liability to cold. Use no water after the rubbing. Several towels may be prepared at once. 404 VIAVI HYGIENE Each towel should be used as long as sufficient salt re- mains in it to produce a refreshing effect. This method is especially useful in those conditions where water cannot be used, because of taking cold easily, or when water is not obtainable. Via vi Brush Bath. Prepare a solution of one part strong vinegar and two parts comfortably hot water. Saturate a face cloth with this and rub the entire body with a circular movement, until a dark substance appears on the surface of the skin. Then wash off with clean water and good soap; dry thoroughly. Afterwards brush the body from head to foot with a flexible flesh- brush or hair-gloves that do not cut the skin. (Burlap is a good substitute.) Brush the soles of the feet well. Rub until the body has a warm, healthy glow. Then rub the Viavi cerate over those parts of the body which are affected. Take the bath in the middle of the forenoon, if possible, and rest afterward; if not, take it just before retiring. Vapor Bath. Use a chair with a solid wooden seat (never a chair with an open seat of any kind), and under it place an oil or alcohol stove. Light the stove, and on it set a vessel of boiling water, which should be kept boiling by the stove. Undress completely and sit on the chair. The feet may or may not be put into hot water, but it is better if they are. Cover the body from the neck down with a blanket or a rubber gossamer, so that it will reach to the floor all around and form a tent over the body and chair, thus preventing the escape of the steam. Remain in this bath for twenty minutes. If there is any rush of blood to the head a towel wet with cold water should be placed upon the head or about the neck. This bath will produce a copious sweating, which in turn will cause intense thirst. Water, not ice- cold, should be drunk sparingly, a little at a time and often. The temperature of the bath may safely range from 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, but should not exceed 140 degrees. An unwise degree of heat will generally be announced by great discomfort. A better BATHS 405 plan is to hold a thermometer in the hand and pass it out every few minutes for examination. After the bath the body is to be well sponged off with warm water; or, if it is possible to take this bath in a warmed bath room, have the bath tub half full of hot water. Step into it quickly from the vapor bath with the least pos- sible exposure of the body to the air, and remain in the hot bath until the water has become cool by the run- ning of cold water into it. Portable cabinets are made for taking this bath. They are better than a blanket, but a blanket meets the requirements if a box cannot be procured. This bath should be taken from one to three times a week, as the strength permits, but is never to be taken if there is a tendency to heart trouble. Hot Am Bath. This is taken exactly as the Vapor Bath, except that the water on the stove in the cabinet is omitted, only dry, hot air being employed. Blanket Bath. This should be taken in case the system needs invigorating. Take a heavy all-wool double blanket, a vessel of hot water and a bar of good soap. Dip the soap into the water and rub it on the blanket until the latter is thoroughly covered with lather. Fold the blanket lengthwise three times, doubling it each time; then roll it up in the shape of a bottle. Pour a kettle of hot water into each end of the roll. Having undressed in the meantime, wrap the blanket closely about the body from the chin to the feet, tucking it closely to the body. Wrap around this a heavy comforter, to retain the heat. Sit in this until a perspiration begins, or until the blanket begins to get a little cold — say from fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove the blanket a little at a time and wash the body with a solution of one part strong vinegar and two parts water. Care should be exercised that cold is not taken. When this has been done thoroughly, rub the body with warm olive oil in which has been mixed a half teaspoonful of the Viavi cerate. Wipe off with a soft towel. Then go to bed and rest; sleep if possible. This bath should not be taken oftener than once a week. An assistant is re- 406 VIAVI HYGIENE quired to give it properly and assure the best results. Sun Bath. The sun bath will prove of great benefit to both the weakly and the strong, in the latter to pre- serve strength and vigor, in the former to regain it. The room should be well warmed and accessible to the full rays of the noonday sun. A blanket should be thrown over a stool and the person should sit upon it, entirely de- void of clothing, for about a half hour, in the direct rays of the sun, turning at intervals so that each part may receive the effects. This bath allows the skin to breathe in the oxygen, while the sun acts as a powerful tonic to the nerves. To keep up a slight degree of exercise if the person so wishes, the body may be lightly brushed over with a soft brush, but this is not a necessity. SITZ BATHS Cold Sitz Bath. Take a sitz bath of moderately warm water, keeping the feet in hot water and the shoul- ders well covered. A good plan, where a regular sitz and foot tub is not available, is to take a small, ordinary wash- tub, and place it inside the regular bath tub, turning it partially on its side and filling it with lukewarm water. Sit in the water, and put the feet in hot water, which may be in the bathtub itself or in a bucket. Then allow cold water to run into the tub in which the person is sitting, until it is barely warm, or even cold if it does not chill. Remain in the water for five or ten minutes. Afterwards rub well with a rough towel. This bath may be taken two or three times a week. Hot Sitz Bath. This is often beneficial. It is taken in the same manner as the cold sitz bath, except that hot water is used and there is no necessity for placing the feet in hot water. The hot sitz bath should be seldom used where there is a tendency to piles, as it favors venous congestion of the rectum. Instantaneous Sitz Bath. This bath is taken FOOT BATHS 407 by sitting in cold water for one instant, then drying the body thoroughly. It is best taken at night just be- fore retiring. It has often been the means, where one was troubled at night with restlessness and insomnia, of producing a restful and refreshing sleep. It may be taken during the night if the person sleeps well during the first part of the night and is restless during the latter part, by those who are accustomed to cold water. FOOT BATHS The feet should never be plunged into water that is either very hot or very cold. Such treatment distresses or tortures. The proper way is to use lukewarm water, of a temperature that is perfectly pleasant, and then gradually bring the temperature to the desired point by adding hot or cold water, and, if necessary, dipping out the excess. In this way much hotter or colder water can be borne agreeably. Cold Foot Bath. This assists in equalizing the cir- culation. After the feet have been placed in the tub con- taining water of a comfortable temperature, cold water should be added until the bath is sufficiently cold, and the feet should remain in the bath from five to ten minutes. Then dry them and rub them thoroughly with the Viavi cerate. This will produce a grateful feeling of warmth by bringing the blood to the extremities. This bath taken by those who have stood or walked until the feet are tired or bruised, with a thorough rubbing in of the cerate on the feet, will overcome the distress and produce a refresh- ing rest. Hot Foot Bath, with Salt or Vinegar. The hot foot bath is best taken by adding hot water to the luke- warm water until the bath is sufficiently hot. The feet should remain in the bath from ten to twenty minutes. It should be followed with a vigorous rubbing in of the Viavi cerate. This bath draws the blood from the head 408 VIAVI HYGIENE and trunk to the extremities, and assists greatly in over- coming congestion, relieving congestive headache and equalizing the circulation. Either a little salt or pure vinegar may be added to the bath, with beneficial results. The hot foot bath should always be used when a cold compress is used on any other part of the body. Hot Foot Bath in Bed. A foot tub or bucket two- thirds filled with warm water is placed in the bed under the covers and close to the buttocks, while the knees are so raised that the feet may rest easily in the vessel. The water may be kept hot by dipping out a part and adding hot water. The bed-clothes should be tucked closely around the person to prevent the escape of steam and heat. A cloth should be placed between the buttocks and the vessel. This foot bath is followed by refreshing rest of the whole body, with relaxation and much relief from pain. The bath should be removed from the bed in from twenty to forty minutes, and the feet and legs rolled separately in a flannel or blanket without drying. Foot Bath for Cold Feet. Dip the feet in cold water and hold them there for one minute; then plunge them immediately into water as hot as can be borne. Do this five times, alternating the cold water with the hot. A convenient way for doing this is to have two foot tubs side by side, one containing cold water and the other hot, or by setting the hot-water tub in a bath tub con- taining a few inches of cold water and sitting on the edge of the bath tub. After the bath dry the feet and rub them thoroughly with the Viavi cerate. Vapor Bath for Feet or Legs. A rather wide and thick blanket is placed lengthwise upon a chair, upon which one sits with feet and legs bare. A wooden foot tub, keeler or bucket is a little more than half filled with boiling water and placed before one. On the top of the vessel are placed slats or a coarse sieve, on which to rest the feet. Great care must be taken to secure the foot rest, in order to prevent scalding the feet. A small stool or a wooden block may be placed in the bath for this purpose. When one is ready, with the feet on the slats ADJUNCTS TO TREATMENT 409 over the steaming water, the blanket is laid around the vessel and over the knees closely, to prevent the steam from escaping. This bath may be continued for thirty minutes. Then one foot and leg are taken from the bath and quickly sponged with cold water, and dried with a soft towel. The second extremity is given the same treat- ment. Like the other foot baths, this is followed by a thorough rubbing of the Viavi cerate. This foot bath is not to be used oftener than once or twice a week. ADJUNCTS TO THE TREATMENT Every woman should keep in the house, in some definite place reserved for the purpose, the following articles, all of which are useful as adjuncts to the Viavi system of treatment, and some are greatly needed in emergencies: Hot Water Bag holding at least two quarts. Two Rubber Ice Bags. Two Japanese Punk Stoves, with extra punks, for the application of heat. Douche Bag holding three quarts, or Douche Reservoir holding three or four quarts. The reservoir is of white enameled steel, is of the shape of a half cylinder, is open at the top, and is provided with a spout at the bottom, to which a rubber tube is easily attached, and at the top a loop for hanging on a nail, or it may be set on a shelf. Its cost is usually somewhat greater than that of a rubber bag, but it is virtually in- destructible, and therefore more economical in the end, and is much more sanitary. It may be procured at druggists' or chemists'. White Enameled Metal Bed Pan, and to use with it a flannel or blanket cover over the part on which the back rests, to prevent the cold metal from causing distress. Or, in place of the flannel, the bed pan may be warmed before using. 410 VIAVI HYGIENE White Enameled Foot Tub. A dish pan of this material will serve, or one of tin, or a wooden tub. Oiled Silk. Absorbent Cotton, sold in packages by druggists and chemists; or if this cannot be had, use old but clean and soft table-cloths, sheets, etc. Thermometer (Fahrenheit) for determining the heat of water used for douches and baths. This is not the ordinary thermometer for indicating atmospheric tem- perature, as such an instrument may break if put into hot water. A special thermometer for water is sold by chem- ists or druggists; it is partly enclosed in wood. This in- strument is a necessity, as the usual method of ascertaining the heat of water by putting the hand in it is unreliable; the hand may be much less sensitive to heat at one time than another, and scalding of the vagina or rectum may result. The ordinary temperature for hot douches is 110 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will be observed in some of the directions that in special cases 120 degrees are called for. It is impossible to be certain of these temperatures without a thermometer, and no risk of scalding should be taken. Soft, Clean Old Linen, but if that is not con- venient, worn-out cotton bed-sheets will serve. It should be kept fresh and sweet. Soft, Clean Old Woolen Cloth. Old Linen Towels and Handkerchiefs. Rolls of Surgical Bandages, from two to three inches wide, for sprains, cuts, burns, varicose veins, etc.; procurable from chemists or druggists. Glass Nasal Douche, procurable from druggists or chemists. Mutton Tallow, Paraffin or Beeswax, to spread on cloth in connection with the use of Viavi cerate as directed in certain cases. As tallow becomes rancid, it should be freshly prepared frequently. While it is pre- ferred to beeswax or paraffin, either of these is better than poor tallow, and one of them should be kept on hand for ADJUNCTS TO TREATMENT 411 an emergency. This is easily melted in a vessel set in boiling water, and is best spread with a brush. Camel's Hair Brush, for applying the cerate in certain cases where directed. One-inch Flat Paint Brush, for spreading the cerate on cloth covered with tallow or paraffin. Vaseline. Olive Oil. Pure Vinegar. Commercial Carbolic Acid, great care being taken to keep it out of the reach of children. Rubbing Table on the bath tub, as described in this chapter. THE END INDEX ABDOMEN, compresses on, 382-6 kneading of, 381 massage of, 378 Viavi cerate on, 378 vibration of, 380 Abdominal Walls, operations injure, 259 pregnancy and lax, 309 treatment of, 297-301 Abortion, see Miscarriage Abscess, of ears, 138 liver, 124 rectum, 112 Absorption, of adhesions, see Adhesions tumors, see Tumors uses of, 56-8 Viavi treatment employs, 58 Adhesions, absorbed in pregnancy, 310 barrenness caused by, 336 causes and treatment of, 293-6 massage for, 380 pleurisy causes, 96 tumors cause, 347 Amenorrhea, causes and treatment of, 218-222 Anteflexion, causes and treatment of, 262, 268 Anteversion, causes and treatment of, 260-62, 268-9 Anus, see Rectum Apoplexy, cause of, 69 Appendicitis, cause of, 69 operations for, 165 Asthma, cause of, 69 see Lungs B ACK, see Spine Barrenness, anteflexion causes, 262 causes and treatment of, 335-7 Baths, directions for, 407-409 foot, 407 sitz, 406 Bile, see Liver Biliousness, see Liver Bladder, anteversion affects, 260-61 children's weakness of, 148 diseases and treatment of, 128-131 operations on womb affect, 259 uterine prolapsus affects, 266 tumors affect, 260-61 vaginal diseases affect, 241-6 Viavi liquid for, 390 Blood, adhesions absorbed by, 295 catarrhal conditions drain, 80 circulation of, 46-52 Blood, composition of, 47 congestion of, see Congestion in womb, 254 disease impoverishes, 46 renders impure, 52 laceration causes poisoning of, 325 leucorrhea affects, 237 lung diseases affect, 91 milk derived from, 321 poisoned by neglect of bowels, 33 purification of, 49, 90 retroversion affects, 263 supply of uterine organs, 193 work of, 38, 46 Bowels, description of, 100 diseases and treatment of, 107 kneading of, for constipation, 381 regularity of, essential, 33, 107 see Rectum Viavi laxative for, 393 Brain, description of, 38 disease affects, 40 insomnia injures, 74 see Circulation, Nervous System Breasts, cancer of, 356-61 diseases and treatment of, 316-18 lumps in, at change of life, 340 Bronchitis, colds cause, 84 nature and treatment of, 91-3 Burns, treatment for, 145 CANCER, development of, 182-7 laceration causes, 236 miscarriage caused by, 332 of breasts, 356 operations cause, 165, 169-70 origin of, 346 rectal, 120 Catarrh, of bladder, 126 bowels, 110 nose, 81-85 stomach, 105 massage of nose for, 382 Catarrhal Conditions, kinds and treatment of, 79-89 Cervix, cancer of, 351, 353 curetting injures, 223 description of, 190 laceration of, see Laceration miscarriage from disease of, 332 operations on, injure, 256 retroversion affects, 264 treatment of, see Womb VIAVI HYGIENE 413 Change of Life, cancer at, from laceration, 327,353 diseases and treatment of, 338-42 pruritus in, 245 ovariotomy forces, 281 see Cancer Childbirth, calculating time of, 303 comfort in, 312 invalidism from, 325 laceration in, 309 menstruation after, 251 see Pregnancy womb enlarged from, 248, 250 Children, development of, 182-7 diseases of, overcome, 147 eyes diseased in, 140, 143 heredity and environment affect, 14 neglect of, by parents, 149-154, 157 pruritus in, 245 see Girls Viavi Roya. for, 395 Chlorosis, nature and treatment of, 231, 233 Circulation, bathi. promote, 400-409 compresses assist, 374-8 displacement obstruct, 258 fetal, 308 pregnancy aftects, 303 < • rubbing aids, 372 see Blood Varicose Veins tumors from poor, 346 uterine, 254 Colds, see Catarrh Compresses, Japanese, 385 on abdomen, chest, etc, 378, 382-6 legs, 386 liver, 384, 386 spine, 375-7, 384 Congestion, compresses for, 376-7 nature of, 53-6 of liver see Liver womb, 254 Viavi treatment affects, 364 Constipation, disease caused by, 108 massage for, 380 retroversion causes, 263 see Bowels, Rectum Viavi laxative for, 393 tablettes for, 392 Consumption, 97-9 Coryza, see Catarrh Croup, treatment for, 148 Curetting, barrenness caused by ,336 evils of, 223 Cystitis, see Bladder T^EAFNESS, catarrhal, treatment for, 87-8 - L/ from other causes, 137-40 Diarrhea, treatment of, 110 Digestion, blood fed by, 47 mind affected by, 59 process of, 100-2 see Dyspepsia, Stomach, Bowels stimulants impair, 67 sympathetic nerves control, 72 Viavi tablettes for, 392 Disease (in general), barrenness caused by, 336 constipation causes, 108 divorce caused by, 177 dyspepsia causes, 102 exercise in, 21-7 incurable, 363 insanity from pregnancy in, 305 men afflicted with, 63-71 menstrual anomalies cause, 218 Nature alone cures, 27 punishes with, 13 nerves affected by, 40, 60 ovariotomy causes, 281 sleep in, 21-7 Displacements of Womb, massage for, 380 inflammation caused by, 248, 254 kinds and treatment of, 258, 271 laceration causes, 325 miscarriage caused by, 332 ovaritis caused by, 276 Divorce, causes of, 177 Dry Salt Rub, 403 Douches, appliances for, 401-10 nasal, for catarrh, 301, 410 rectal, 398-9 rubbing table for, 388 temperature of, 410 vaginal, 388-390 Drugs, habit of using, 25 sleep from, unnatural, 75 Dysmenorrhea, kinds and treatment of, 201-17 Dyspepsia, catarrh causes, 67 causes and treatment of, 102-5 stimulants cause, 67 see Stomach Viavi tablettes for, 392 Ears, catarrh affects, 87 diseases and treatment of, 137 Education, Viavi gives, 178 Endometritis, see Womb Environment, influence of, 17 Epilepsy, in girls, 232 Eustachian Tubes, see chapter on Catarrhal Conditions Excretion, nature of, 57 Exercise, uses and effects of, 21, 30 Eyes, diseases and treatment of, 140-4 FALLOPIAN TUBES, barrenness from disease of, 336 curetting injures, 223 description of, 189-90 diseases and treatment of, 272-4 massage for, 379 pregnancy in, 304 uterine prolapsus affects, 267 Fathers, duty of, 149-54, 161 Fistula, see Rectum Flooding, causes and treatment of, 213-17 change of life and, 340 Foot Baths, directions for, 407 ^~*ALL STONES, see Liver Gastritis, treatment of, 105 Generative Organs of Women, 188-94 414 INDEX Generative Organs, sensitiveness of, 247 treatment of, 257 Girls, barrenness from neglect of, 336 chlorosis in, 231 development of, 182-7 epilepsy in, 232 father's duty to, 161, 171 instruction of, 180, 227, 230 menstruation suppressed by, 228 neglect of, 178 non-development of, 227 suicide of, 230 Viavi treatment for, 231 Green Sickness, see Chlorosis H ABITS, regular, essential, Hay Fever, causes and treatment of, 88-9 massage of nose for, 382 Health, blood determines, 46 exercise affects, 21 Heart, description of, 48 Hemorrhage from Womb, 213 compress for checking, 383 douches for checking, 390 Heredity, children affected by, 14 Hernia, causes of, 299 INDIGESTION, see Dyspepsia Infants, born healthy, 306, 311 diseases of, overcome, 147 development of, 183 eyes diseased in, 140, 143-4 mother's conduct affects, 322-3 nourishment of, 318-23 pregnant mother affects, 302 Inflammation, general, causes and kinds of, 53-6, 255 effects of, 40, 54-6 Viavi[s effect on, 364 Insanity, disease causes, 59 menstrual troubles cause, 202 pregnancy with disease causes, 264 retroversion causes, 305 see Mind JAUNDICE, see Liver KIDNEYS, anteversion affects, 261 cold compress over, 384 diseases and treatment of, 126-7 uterine tumors affect, 347 Viavi liquid for, 392 LACERATION OF CERVIX, cancer from, 352 causes and treatment of, 324-30 childbirth and, 309 curetting causes, 223 perineal, 329 Lactation (giving milk), 318-23 Legs, compress for, 386 Leucorrhea, anteversion causes, 261 barrenness caused by, 336 cancer arising from, 353 Leucorrhea, causes and treatment of, 236-40 change of life complicated with, 339 girls have, 228 miscarriage caused by, 332 ovaritis causes, 277 pruritus caused by, 245 retroflexion causes, 265 retroversion causes, 264 Life, source and uses of, 11 Liver, cancer of, 354 compress on, 386 diseases and treatment of, 123-5 Viavi tablettes for, 392 Locomotor Ataxia, cause of, 69 Lungs, blood purified by, 49, 90 diseases of, 90-9 MARRIAGE, effects of, 151 meaning of, 177-9 Massage, directions for, of abdomen, 378-81 chest, 378 ears, 382 kidneys, 381 liver, 381 nose, 382 perineum, 381 throat, 382 Mastoid disease, 140 Maternity, see Barrenness Men, morals of, 65 nervous debility in, 63-71 piles in, 113-15 sterility of, 335 Viavi Royal for, 397 women helped by, 157-77 Menopause, see Change of Life Menstruation, abnormal after childbirth, 251 absent, 218-22 anteversion affects, 261 anteflexion affects, 262 beginning of, 185 breasts affected by, 358 cancer indicated in, 352 change of life in painful, 339 description of normal, 195-200 girls suppress, 228 ovaritis causes painful, 277 from suppressed, 276 painful, 201-17 pregnancy and, 303 retroflexion affects, 265 vicarious, 234 womb enlarged from suppression of, 248 Metritis, see Womb Mind, disease affects, 16, 59-62 menstrual anomalies affect, 202 milk affected by, 322 ovaritis affects, 264 pregnancy affects, 305 retroversion affects, 264 Miscarriage, causes and treatment of, 331-4 evils of, 250 ovaritis caused by, 276 womb inflamed from, 248 Mucous Membrane, absorption by, 390 diseases of, 79-89 VIAVI HYGIENE 415 N ARCOTICS, injury from using, 23-7 Nature, habit used by, 34 punishes, 12, 150 Viavi treatment and, 363 Nerves, barrenness from weak, 336 baths affect, 407 circulation governed by, 46 congestion from weak, 54, 254 disease affects, 40 of girls, shattered, 232 uterine organs, 194 operations injure, 280 pregnancy affects, 305 stimulants injure, 66-7 sunshine affects, 30 sympathetic system of, 72 Nervous Debility, 63-71 treatment for, 70 Viavi Royal for, 395 Nervous System, debility of, 63 description of, 38-41 disease affects, 60 drugs injure, 24 lactation depends on, 320 menstrual anomalies affect, 202-3 menstruation controlled by, 196 Viavi affects, 61, 70 work of, 24 Non-development, causes and treatment of, 227-35 massage for, 379-80 Nose, catarrh of, 81-7 douche for, 391 ozena of, 84 polypi in, 86 Viavi cerate on, 382 Viavj liquid in, 391 OPERATIONS, abdominal walls weakened by, 297 adhesions treated by, 295 cancer caused by, 169-70 fashions in, 165 for cancer, effect of, 354 dysmenorrhea, 210-11 displacements not cured by, 256, 259 injury from, 280 necessary, 166, 278 on rectum, 122 ovaries, 276-8 peritonitis from, 289 prevention of, 168 unnecessary, 163, 277-9, 283, 343 Ovaries, amenorrhea caused by, 219 barrenness from disease of, 336 cancer from removal of, 170 cystic tumors of, 349 description of, 191 development of, 185 disease from removal of, 281 diseases and treatment of, 185 dysmenorrhea from disease of, 208 massage of, 379 menopause affects, 338 Ovaries, non-development of, 229 pregnancy brings rest to, 310 removed for dysmenorrhea, 211 tumor affects, 346 uterine prolapsus affects, 267 Ovariotomy, see Ovar'?? Ovaritis, see Ovaries Ozena, 84, see Catarrh PARALYSIS, cause of, 69 children's, 147 Parents' Responsibility, 149 Paresis, cause of, 69 Pelvis, description of, 188 Perineum, laceration of, 329 massage of, 381 Peritoneum, description of, 188 diseases and treatment of, 288-97 see Adhesions Pessaries, effects of using, 271, 276 vaginitis from, 241 Piles, causes and treatment of, 113-15 Placenta, see Pregnancy Pleurisy, nature and treatment of, 95-7 Pneumonia, nature and treatment of, 9-3-. r: Polypus, of nose, 88 see Tumors Pregnancy, description and treatment of, 302-15 menstruation and, 219 see Miscarriage, 331-35 womb's conduct in, 256 Prolapsus, position for treating uterine, 269 see Rectum, Womb, Vagina Pruritus, see Rectum, Vagina Puberty, in girls, 185 non-development in, 226-35 RECTUM, cancer of, 354 diseases and treatment of, 112-22, 397- 400 retroversion injures, 263 Refluent Tube, 389 Rest, uses of, 21 Retroflexion, 265 Retroversion, 263-5 position for treating, 269 Rubbing Table, directions for making, 388 Rupture, causes of, 299 treatment of, 301 SALPINGITIS (inflammation of Fallopian Tubes), causes and treatment of, 272-4 Scrotum, cancer of, 354 Secretion, explanation of, 56 Sex, origin of, 182 Sitz Baths, directions for, 406 Skin, baths affect, 400-406 Sleep, see Insomnia uses of, 21-30, 72 Spine, cerate on, 374-8 compresses on, 375-8 416 INDEX Spine, description of, 41-5 douches on, 376 _ sun bath for, 377 Sprains, treatment for, 146 Sterility, see Barrenness Stimulants, use of, 66, 395 Stomach, cancer of, 354 diseases and treatment of, 100-107 Stricture, of rectum, 120 Subinvolution, see Inflammation of Womb,247 Suicide, disease causes, 153, 202, 230 Sun Bath, directions for, 406 Sunshine, value of, 28 Suppository, see Viavi Surgery, see Operations HTAMPONS, for displacements, 270 Throat, spraying of, 391 Tuberculosis of lungs, 97-9 Tumors, barrenness caused by, 336 change df life develops, 340 ' kinds and treatment of, 343 rectal, 121 vaginal pruritus caused by, 245 LCERATION, inflammation leads to, 55 U Ulcers, varicose, 134-6 Urethra, anteversion affects, 261 diseases and treatment of, 131-3 Uterine Organs, description of, 189-95 Uterus, see Womb V AGINA, barrenness caused by disease of, cancer of, 354 description of, 189 diseases and treatment of, 241-6 douches for, 388-90 uterine prolapsus affects, 266 /apor Bath, 404 for legs and feet, 408 Varicose Veins, causes and treatment of, 134-6 Viavi, capsule and its uses, 386-8 cerate and its application, 368 on abdomen, chest, etc., 378 ears, 382 kidneys, 381 liver, 381 lungs, 381 nose, 382 spleen, 381 throat, 382 spine, 374 stomach, 381 forms of, 362 iron tonic, uses of, 394 Viavi laxative, uses of, 393 liquid, in vaginal douches, 390 uses of, 390 Royal, uses of, 395 suppository, uses of, 397 tablettes, uses of, 397 varying quantities of, 367 Viavi System of Treatment, absorption em- ployed by, 58 adjuncts to, 409 basis of, 62 blood affected by, 41 explanation of, 362-G natural sleep from using, 27 nerves strengthened by, 69 operations prevented by, 168 symptoms from using, 367 V\70MB, barrenness caused by tumors of, cancer from removal of, 170 indicated by bleeding of, 352 cancer of, 354 curetting of, 223 description of, 189-90 displacements of, 258-71 dysmenorrhea from disease of, 206-9 enlargement of, 254-7 hemorrhage from, 213 inflammation of, 247-53 laceration of unhealthy, 324 enlarges, 325 leucorrhea from, 237 massage for, 378-80 menopause affects, 338 menstruation from, 197-8 miscarriage caused by disease of 338 operations on, injure, 328 pessaries injure, 271 pregnancy changes, 304-8 Women, barrenness of, 335 change of life critical for, 338 child-bearing power in, 311, 335 disease common among, 228 impairs, 174 underrated by, 172 generative organs of, 188-94 insanity among, 59 men can help, 157-77 menstrual anomalies affect, 195, 201 miscarriage readier with some, 331 injures, 333 operations urged on, 279, 344 pregnancy places obligations on, 302 profoundly affects, 304 protection of, 167 Worms, pruritus caused by, 245 021 062 804 6