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CURATIVE AGENCIES. 297
Bon ; for in this, as in all other things, there is one grand
rule of practice : that we adapt our measures to the
condition of the patient.
"
Cease to do evil, learn to do well," applies to sins
bodily as well as sins spiritual. But what is well for
the well man is not always well for the sick. It is well
for the well man to eat, drink, take exercise, labor, and
partake of all , enjoyments. But the best thing for the
sick man may be to entirely stop eating, and to rest,
mind and body. The effort to digest food, to take ex
ercise, and to "
keep up," is a cause of exhaustion.
Many patients at water-cure establishments are injured
by long walks, as well as by too much treatment.
They are ambitious to cope with others in exercise ;
they want to get their money's worth of water-cure ;
exhausted by both, they eat to get strength, and over
task again the digestive powers ; finally they sink un
der this triple mischief, and go away worse than they
came.
The hunger-cure, or absolute rest to the stomach, is
one of the simplest means of cure, in both acute and
dyspeptic diseases. No food, not one atom of any kind,
should ever be taken in any case of acute disease, until
it is cured. Starve and drink water is all that is needed
for the digestive apparatus. This, with cold water to
the skin, for cooling and purification, and cold water in
jections to the bowels for the same are purpose, the
means of cure.
And in all chronic diseases, which are dependent
upon or complicated with dyspepsia, the whole digest
ive system needs rest, absolute rest, more than any
tiling else. Let such a patient resolutely starve, not