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DISEASES OF THE GENERAL SYSTEM. 349
of infancy, and in youth the various forms of consump
tion. Whatever part is weakest, or becomes in any
way diseased, becomes the focus of scrofula. If such a
child takes cold, it dies of chronic bronchitis, or pneu
monia ; some irritation or over-action causes determi
nation to the brain, and we have brain fever, tubercles,
convulsions, effusion, and death; the bowels are dis
ordered, and there sets in an incurable diarrhoea or dys
entery, or some trifling injury develops disease of the
elbow joint, white swelling of the knee, or hip disease.
Causes.—
Lugol believes scrofula to be always hered
itary. I believe the disease may be developed first, and
then transmitted. Children are born scrofulous when
their parents have had syphilis, or have been licentious;
are too young or too old, or of disproportionate ages or
strength ; are nearly related ; or suffer from any of
the causes of disease. Scrofula, I believe, also arises
in men, as in animals, from darkness, bad air, bad food,
such as the milk of scrofulous nurses and distillery
cows, eating pork and the flesh of other diseased ani
mals,- drugs and common stimulants.
To prevent scrofula, we must abolish all its causes,
abolish poverty, abolish filth, abolish vice, abolish drugs,
abolish all that poisons, weakens, and degrades human
ity.
We must teach mankind the laws, and surround
them with^he conditions of health.
Treatment.—Light, air, exercise, cleanliness, a pure,
moderate diet, and all healthy conditions, with an avoid
ance of all causes of disease, especially in the exercise,
natural or otherwise, of the generative system. With
water, all tho most powerful means of invigoration and
purification.
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