4,m \3i:»s« ^«>^«><^ni LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, l|^ap 1^6"^^ ipggright :ilo f' .=^^//i..:Fv..e>...5. i UNITED STATES OF AMER'IC M^^^^ J)^*?'^^^. "S^^ ,'^"»-^l-- >:i»a:> HYGIENIC SYSTEM. BY E. T. R0BIX80N, M. D., A GRADUATE OF THE NEW YORK HYGEIO THERAPEUTIC COLLEGE, ^ POMFRET, CT. PUBLISHED BY E. T- ROBINSON 1870. ^ THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. ADVERTISEMENTS, FLOEENOE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY. This model Health Institution is beautifully situated on the east bank of the Delaware River, between Trenton and Phila- delphia. The raoms are large and pleasant, and the house is abundantly supplied with pure, soft water from living SPRINGS. For circulars, &c., address R. T. TRALL, M. D. HYGEIO-THERAPEUTIC COLLEGE. The lecture t^'ms commence the middle of November and continue twenty /jveeks. Ladies and gentlemen admitted on precisely equal terms. All branches of a medical education are thoroughly taught. For further information, address * R. T. TRALL, M. D., Florence Heights, N. J. DEPOT OF HYGIENIC LITERATURE. Dr. Robinson keeps on hand, and can supply at short notice, works on Hygiene and kindred subjects. Any information will- ingly given. Call and examine. Residence, POMFRET, CT. ^ „/ THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM OR THE PEINOIPLES OF HYGIENIC MEDIOATIOIT BEIEPLY EXPLAINED. A WORK FOR INQUIRERS, BY E. T. ROBINSON, M. D., A GRADUATE OF THE NEW YORK HYGEIO-THERAPEUTIC COLLEGE. y^<: l^^^'" ■' ' -.y 1 .^ / PO MFRET, CT. UBLISHED BY E. T. ROBINSON 1870. Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1870, BY E. T. ROBINSON, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, SNOW BROS., PRS., WOKCJSSTKK, MASS. JP^TfPPPPTJPF' It is not the design of this little book to discuss th^ details of the Hygienic System, but simply to give a brief explanation of some of its leading principles, and put them in a cheap form, so as to be within the reach of all. To those who wish to pur- sue the inquiry further, the author would recom- mend Dr. Trail's ''Hydropathic Encyclopedia," also, Dr. Jaclison s ''How to Treat the Sick without Med- icine." There are also several good journals pub- lished, of which "The Health Reformer," and "The Laws of Life," are the best. The author knows that there are large numbers of sick persons in all parts of the world, suffering from disease without hope of relief, who, if they could be made acquainted with this system, would seek relief and find it, without doubt. For such, this work is especially designed. The author would also invite the attention of Philanthropists and Christians to a system which discards alcohol as a remedial agent, and all other things which tend to arouse human passions and excite the propensities arise, to the doctrine here taught, in the minds of of man. He is aware that many objections will those who have not investigated this subject ; but the reader is assured that the objections can all be answered, the only regret is that the limits of this iv INTRODUCTION. tract will not permit the discussion. There is much that goes in the world by the name of Hygiene, hut the true system is the result of experience in the application of Hygienic agencies to the treat- ment of the sick, as well as to the maintainence of health in those who are well. The author acknowledges his obligations to Prof. Trail, to whom the world is indebted for the solu- tion of many problems pertaining to the Healing Art. He would also thank the Professors of the H. T. College, to whom he is indebted for much valuable information. The paragraphs in italics are in the language of Prof. R. T. Trail, and were taken from The Catalogue of the Hygeio- Ther- apeutic College. The Hygienic Syste^vl. 1. ''All healing power is inherent in the living Sy stein," That the human bod}^ has the power to re- cover, under favorable circumstances, from most of the injuries that may be inflicted upon it, no observing person will pretend to deny. For instance : if a person cuts his flesh or breaks a bone, place the part under favorable conditions and the healing power of nature which resides in the part injured will restore it again, in a short time, to its former state of health. Again, if a person takes cold or in- jures himself by over-work, a little care, or rest for a time, will allow nature to recuperate and restore the body to health. So of other diseases and injuries to which a person may be exposed. Only give nature a fair chance and she will alwa}' s prove herself able to right the wrongs that may be inflicted upon her. The existence of such a healing power in (6 THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. the human body has been recognized by medi- cal men in all ages of the world. Some of the ablest minds of the profession have fre- quently acknowledged and proclaimed this fact. That this power exists in the living system alone, and nowhere else, I shall endeavor to prove. 2. ''''There is no curative 'virtue* in medicines^ nor in anything outside the vital organism,'^' This proposition is contrary to the almost universal belief of mankind. It is neverthe- less true, and proven by the following facts : In the first place the world is full of invalids or persons who are partially crippled in some one or more of their powers. Indeed it is a rare thing to find a person who is perfectly sound in health of body or vigor of mind, and so accustomed have people become to sickness and disease that no one considers himself sick unless he is confined to his bed. Those who are able to keep about and attend to business are considered perfectly healthy, yet there are very few who have not some chronic disease. Yet the world is full of ''medicine," and there are at least 50,000 physicians in the United States alone. It is not necessary to consult the newspapers to learn the number of patent medicines in vogue, each of which is warranted to cure ( ?) certain diseases. Millions of dollars are annually expended in advertising these nos- trums, and princely fortunes are amassed in THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. J the traffic ; yet few persons claim to have been cured by them. It is true that many persons who have acute diseases, (those of short continuance) recover. They take medicine and the recovery is attribu- ted to that. Nature does the work and the medicine gets the credit. They would get well under almost any circumstances ; yet thousands < annually die of diseases that are not intrinsic- ally dangerous. They die in consequence of wrong treatment, and many wonderful cures are fortunate escapes. Thousands recover from acute diseases and have terrible forms of chronic diseases, (those of long continu- ance) in consequence. These are are the re- sults of the drugs that have been administered. Such results are never known in Hygienic Practice. Our proposition is further proven by the fact that the older physicians grow the less faith they have in the power of meilicine, and the more ^in nature to cure disease. And thosa who give the least medicine and attend more to the Hygienic condition of their patients, are the most successful in their practice. Again, the practice of Hygienic Physicians, who do not use medicine at all, but rely wholly upon Hygienic agencies, bears still stronger evidence. They rarely lose a case of acute disease, and succeed in curing 90 per cent, of the chronic cases that come to them. All may be benefitted or made more comfortable. 8 THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. The popular belief in the curative powers of medicine amounts to a superstition. It is un- worthy of the enlightenment of the nineteenth century. It is a relic of the dark ages, when charms and incantations were the means re- sorted to, to cure the sick. 3. 'Nature has not provided remedies for diseases/ Although this statement is absolutely true^ it needs a little explanation on account of the popular belief to the contrary. Every phe- nomenon in nature has a cause ; this is true of disease. Disease is the effect of a cause, is in short the penalty of the violation of nature's laws. Nature has provided penalties then for the violation of her laws ; how then can it be supposed that she has provided remedies to do away with the penalties ? Such a supposition would be absurd. Suppose our legislature should establish a penalty for theft, and then say if the culprit will only take a bottle of ^'Plantation Bitters" the penalty will be re- moved ? ''No !" they say "serve out your time and then return to obedience." So says na- ture : "Obey my laws and live ;" "Return to obedience and I will forgive." The healing power being already in the living system, why should we look further? 4. ''There is no "law of cure^^ in the universe; and the only condition of cure is, obedience ta physiological law J' By "law of cure" is meant the "contraria THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 5 contrarius cur ant ur^'" (unlike cures unlike) of the allopathists, and the ^'similia similihus cur- antur^'^ (like cures like) of the homoeopathists. The absurd supposition that one disease can cure another ! What becomes of the patient meantime ? The truth of this proposition fol- lows from what we have already said, that cures depend upon the condition of obedience.^ 5. ^''Remedial ag'ents do not act upon the living system^ as is tau^^ht in medical hooks and schools, but are acted on by the vital powers,'* This follows from a law of nature which is universal, to-wit : The relation of living and dead matter — ''living matter is active and dead matter passive'^ — when they come in contact with each other. By living matter is meant anything that has life, and dead matter any- thing that has not life. When a poisonous substance is taken into the system, the vital powers set to work to resist it and to expel it. Every organ it comes in contact with sets up a defensive struggle. This is vital resistance ; it is disease. The same thing happens when ob- structions occur in the body by matter retained which should be expelled. If food be taken it is transformed into the tissues of the body. This is physiological action ; it is health. ♦Note — Disease being a "remedial effort," is often successful under unfavorable circumstances, hence the patient gets well; but "remedial efforts" are not always successful, hence the need of a physician to assist nature by supplying favorable conditions. 10 THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 6. '^ Disease is not^ as is supposed^ an enemy at war with the vital powers, but a remedial ^#^^'^ ^ lyTocess of ipurification and reparor Hon. It is not a thing to be destroyed^ sub- dued or suppressed^ but an action to be regulated and directed.^* Disease then is an action on the part of the living system — a ''Remedial Effort ;" not in- deed an effort to remedy another disease, but to remove obstructions and repair damages. This follows from what we hav^ said under 1 and 5. This may be illustrated by cholera, in which the vomiting and purging, &c., are ef- forts on the part of the system to rid itself of impurities. 7. ''True remedial agents are materials and inHuences which have normal relations to the vital organs^ and not drugs or poi- sonSy whose relations are abnormal and anti-vital.'' By ''normal" agents is meant those that were intended by nature to be used, and by ''abnormal" is meant those that are unnatural and consequently injurious. It is true that medicines will often alleviate pain^ and so far they may be useful when people do not know any better way. But pain is not disease ; it is only the voice of nature crying out for help. It is one thing to silence the out-cries of nature for assistance, but quite another to remove the cause which occasions all the trouble. THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 11 8, ^^Nature's Materia Medica^ {medical ma- terial) consists of air^ lights heat^ electricity^ magnetism^ exercise^ rest^ food^ drink^ bath- ing^ sleep ^ clothing^ passional influences^ and mechanical or surgical appliances" People get sick by the misuse of these things as well as by the use of things abnor- mal or unnatural. In all their relations 'of life they disobey the laws of health, chiefly through ignorance. They make bad selections of food ; they eat many things that are not food, and that which is good they spoil by a vitiated system of cookery and their appetites have become perverted and unnatural. Many breathe impure air, over-work and neglect cleanliness ; thus they become sick, and then to make a bad matter worse they rush for a medicine bottle, and thus chronic diseases are fastened upon them. People thus debilitated are unable to endure the vicissitudes of weath- er and climate as well as the changes of season to which it falls to the lot of most people to be exposed, and they become an easy prey to the arch-destroyer, death. 9. ''The True Healing Art^ coiisists in supply- ing the living system with ivhatever of the above raaterials it can use under the circum- stances^ and not in the adm^instration of poisons which it must Resist and Expel, In the Hygienic agencies mentioned we have ample resources for the treatment of every dis- 12 THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. ease "that flesh is heir to." By adapting them to the condition of the patient we can cure every curable person, and render all more com- fortable. With the simple agent water, with the assistance of certain instruments and ap- pliances, we can remove all obstructions, and that too without any injur3^ to the patient. In the treatment of inflammations and conges- tions there is no more eflicient agent than WATER, and in skillful hands there never need be any injury from its use. One great advantage in our treatment con- sists in taking away the bad things and sup- plying those that are good. We assist nature in the truest sense of the word. Drugs, on the contrary, only hinder nature's efforts ; they suppress the action constituting disease, but do not cure the patient ; that is always the work of nature, if it is done at all. 10. '''Drugs are themselves causes of disease. If they remove one disease it is only by produce- ing a drug disease. Every dose diminishes the vitality of the patients This statement is proven by the fact, that if a course of ''medicine," which would be given by an allopathic physician in the treatment of any disease, were given to a well person it would make him sick. This is shown in the homoeopathic ''provings." The Homoeopa- thists take a well person and give him a drug in anallopathic dose, and note its effect ; this THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 13 shows its nature. This is then dihited or at- tenuated and given in minute quantities on the principle of ''similia, i&c." '^Every dose di- minishes the vitality of the patient," because it requires an exertion of life power to expel it. The vitality is the sum total of a person's life force, and as every one has a certain fund OF LIFE FORCE wMch canuot be increased, every particle expended uselessly is so much wasted. ''Vitality once lost can never be regained.'* The injury done by "medicine" is proportional to the quantity taken. 11. ^^Drugopathy endeavors to restore health by administering the poisons which produce dis- easeJ' This is done under an erroneous idea of the nature of disease and of the relation of reme- dies to the living system. 12. "Hygeio- Therapy (Hygienic Medication)^ erroneously called *'- Hydropathy'' or " Water Cure^'' on the contrary, restores the sick to health by the means which preserves health in •well persons J' It removes the cause of disease and supplies nature with the means for recovery. 13. "Diseases are caused by obstructions^ the obstructing materials being poisons or impuri- ties of some kind." The truth of this follows from what has al- readv been said. 14 THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 14. "7%e Hygienic System removes these oh- structions and leaves the body sound'' This is the true way to treat disease. 15. ''Drug medicines add to the causes of ob- structions and change acute into chronic diseases," Chronic diseases are characterized by defi- cient vitality. When drugs "cure" (?) dis- ease, it is by exciting nature to increased ef- fort, and thereby exhausting the vitality of the patient and consequently leaving him with de- bilitated organs. Hygienic Medication cures disease without the unnecessar}^ exhaustion of the patient's vitality. When a patient recov- ers from a disease under drug treatment he usually is a long time convalescing. When a person recovers under Hj^gienic treatment he goes about his business as well as ever. 16. "To attemjyt to cure disease by adding to the causes of disease^ is irrational and absurd,'' Does it not strike you so, Reader ? If peo- ple were not ignorant of the real nature of med- icine they would discard the whole drug S3^stem at once. The Hygienic System not onl}^ teaches how to cure disease, but also how to avoid being sick, and it does more than that, for its univer- sal adoption would tend to do away with vice and crime, and thereby add to the sum total of human happiness. THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. IS" 17. '^Hygienic Medication is not a one-ideaism which professes to cure all diseases^ with ''water alone;" nor is it a ''Cold Water Cnre^'^ as is erroneously believed by many. It adopts all the remedial a.ppliances in existence y with the single exception o/ poisons." The Hygienic System is not an impracti- cable theory which seems very fine to read about ; but it is a system which is the product of many minds, founded in sound philosophy, and sustained by the experience of thousands of persons, and has been tested for more than a quarter of a century. Its philosophy of living has been adopted by more than 100,000 persons and it is gaining in popularity every day. THE END. THE HVGIENIC SYSTEM. ADVERTISEMENTS. PHYSICIAN & SURGEON. Hygienic "Practitioner and Lecturer, Calls from a distance responded to; correspondence by letter carefully and confidentially attended to. Residence, POMFRET, CONN. NEW ENG-LAND NAUGATUCK, CONN. J. A. TENNEY, M. D., \ Physiunns .bJ MARTHA WILLIAMS, M.D., f rropri.tors. Scenery wild and romamic, pure soft water in abundance, and all the conditions of health successfully applied by experienced physicians. Patients will be received into a Christian home and loving hearts, where nothing can hinder their speedy restoration to health. Send stamp for circular. ITT PREPARATION. COOK-BOOK: OR THE ONLY WAY TO PREPARE FOOD IN A SIMPLE AND WHOLESOME MANNER. BY MRS. E. T. ROBINSON. For particulars address ^. y. j^OBiNSON, M. p., Publisher, POMFRET, CONN. Pennsylvania Horticultural School AND NORMAL HEALTH INSTITUTE. The Annual Eecord and Catalogue of the above Institution, being a Year-Book of Horticultural Improvement, Health Eeform, and Progress. ContainiDg valuable information for all classes. Edited by B. L. Ryder, M. D. This original work will be issued January 1st, 1871, and should be read by every Hygienist and Reformer. Single copies, by mail, 25 cents ; liberal discount at whole- sale. Enclose a three cent stamp for prospectus, Addrtss B. L. RYDER, M. D., London t Franklin Co,, I*a. RELIEF AND CURE OF HERNIA. T>R. Robinson keeps and applies the latest and best invention in the form of a Truss. Trusses have hitherto been a failure, but we think that w^e have something now that is jibsolutely perfect. Something that will not lust or break, and we are prepared to adjust them to the most diffl'Ult cases. For advice call on or address E. T. ROBINSON, M. D., 'Pdn?/ret, Con??, ^c ^1^ "«-. ^<^<^^ "^m mimsm -3.