Within the limits of this abstract I do not propose to deal with the
disturbances in the system caused by traumatic influences, such as
wounds, etc. We are treating only of _constitutional_ diseases which,
whether of acute or of chronic character, are all caused by the lack of
such chemical elements as described.

It has been shown that the blood supplies all the chemical substances to
the different tissues, and that, consequently, it is the lack of these
elements in the blood, which causes the tissues to degenerate, or, in
other words, _the lack of certain chemical elements in the blood is
disease_.

It is, therefore, merely a question as to _which of the elements are
missing or which do not exist in correct proportion_, that determines
the different forms of disease.

When once this fact is established, the method of healing consists
mainly in supplying in the regular way, that is, _by certain additions
to the regular food_, the missing chemical elements in organic form; and
medical science has but _to determine which elements are wanting_, and
consequently, must be supplied.

_It goes without saying that in this system the old, pernicious drug
method of filling the body with various poisons to counteract the
effects or symptoms of disease, has no place whatever._ Certain
poisonous drugs may prove effective to suppress certain symptoms by
benumbing the nerves and preventing pain; they may, and do counteract
the natural process by which nature exercises her power in various ways
in the spontaneous effort to throw off disease, in the form of
inflammations, fevers or pains; _but they can never heal, or eradicate