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The idea upon which Biochemic Therapeutics is based is the physiological
fact that both the structure and vitality of the organs of the body
are dependent upon certain necessary quantities and proper apportionment
of its organic constituents. These remain after combustion of the
tissues and form the ashes.
The inorganic constituents are, in a very real sense, the material
basis of the organs and tissues of the body, and are absolutely
essential to their integrity of structure and functional activity.
According to Schussler's theory, any disturbance in the molecular
motion of these salts in living issus, caused by a defeciency in
the requesite amount, constitutes disease, which can be rectified
and the requisite equilibrium re-estabiished by administering the
same mineral salts in small quantities. This is supposed to be brought
about by virtue of the operation of chemical affinity in the domain
of histology; and hence this therapeutic procedure is styled by
Schussler the Biochemic method, and stress is laid on the fact that
it is in supposed harmony with well-known facts and laws in physiological
chemistry and allied sciences.
THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE HUMAN ORGANISM.
Blood consiss of water, sugar, fat, albuminous substances, chloride
of sodium, chloride of potash, fluoride of lime, silica, iron, lime,
magnesia, soda and potash. The latter are combined with phosphoric,
carbonic and sulphuric acids.
The salts of soda predominate in the blood plasma, while those
of potash are found especially in the blood corpuscles. Sugar, fat,
and the albuminous substances are the so-called organic components
of the blood, while the above-named salts and water constitute its
inorganic components. Sugar and fat are compounds of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen, while the albuminous substances contain in addition
sulphur and nitrogen.
Sulphnr, carbon and phosphorus are not present within the organism
in a free state, but combined with organic substances. Sulphur and
carbon are found in the albumen, carbon in the carbo-hydrates like
sugar, starch and in the products incident to metamorphosis of organicnic
substances. Phosphorus is contained in the lecithins and in the
nucleins. The sulphnr of the albumen is oxidised by the oxygen of
the inspired air, forming sulphuric acid which combine, with the
bases of the carbonates, forming sulphates and setting free carbonic
acid.
TISSUE-BUILDING
Blood, containing the material for every tissue and cell of the
body, furnishes nutriment for every organ, enabling it to perform
its individual function; thus it supplies every possible physiological
want in the animal economy.
It does this by the transudation of a portion of its plasma into
the surrounding tissues through the capillary walls, by which the
losses sustained by the cells on account of tissue metamorphosis
are made good. According to modem biological views, this pabulum
is a material sui generis, catled irritable matter or protoplasm,
and is the only living matter, and is universally diffused throughout
the organism, of which it constitutes about one-fifth, the remaining
four-fifths being organized and relatively, thefore, dead matter,
In its physical charachter, it is nitrogenous, pulpy, structureless,
semi-fluid, translucent, homogeneous, similar to that of the ganglionic
nerves and to the gray, nervous matter. In this transuded fluid
appear, fine granules, which unite to form germs from which, again,
cells develop. By the union of these cells are formed the tissues
of every kind needed for the upbuilding of the whole organism. Two
kinds of substances are needed in this process of tissue-building,
and both are found in the blood-namely, the organic and the inorganic
constituents. Among the former organic constituents are the sugar,
fat and albuminous substances of the blood, serving as the physical
basis of the tissues, while the water and salts -- namely, potash,
lime, silica, iron, magnesium and sodium - are the inorganic substances,
which are believed to determine the particular kind of cell to be
built up other salts may from time to time be found, but the foregoing,
however embrace all which are constantly present. Wherever then,
in the animal organism, new cells are to be generated and formed,
there must be present, in sufficient quantity and proper relation,
both these organic and inorganic substances. By their presence in
the blood, all the organs, viscera and tissues in the body are formed,
fixed and made permanent in their functions, and a disturbance here
causes disturbed function.
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