| Many doctors have refused to accept that | | | | people. Could this not then be a case of |
| both arthritis and rheumatism, are | | | | masking the disease with the very |
| either caused, or at the very least | | | | substance which is causing it? |
| seriously affected, by diet. Most people | | | | There is virtually no part of the body |
| over the age of thirty, will notice a | | | | which may not be affected, either |
| twinge or an ache somewhere, if they | | | | directly or indirectly, by an allergic |
| persist in eating something that is bad | | | | reaction - particularly with respect to |
| for them. In actual fact, both | | | | food and chemical intolerances. It is |
| rheumatism and arthritis are classic | | | | important to understand that the effects |
| examples of masked food allergies at | | | | of an ongoing allergic condition, on the |
| their rampaging worst. There is a mass | | | | body, can ultimately be catastrophic, by |
| of evidence throughout the world to | | | | virtue of the cumulative effects over |
| support this fact. | | | | months or years. These effects certainly |
| One example, in many, is research done | | | | go much further than the general, |
| during a three and a half year clinical | | | | discomforting symptoms discussed in |
| trial, conducted by Dr D.M. Carroll of | | | | previous chapters and can lead to |
| North Carolina. In 300 patients | | | | serious degeneration and disease in |
| suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, 98 | | | | major organs if allowed to persist |
| per cent were found to be severly | | | | undetected. |
| allergic to different foods, and some to | | | | Unfortunately, few doctors understand |
| several foods. The analysis showed 37 | | | | that allergy illness affects the body as |
| per cent allergic to wheat, 27 per cent | | | | a whole. This problem is well described |
| to corn, 23 per cent to milk, 19 per | | | | in a passage from the Complete Book of |
| cent to eggs and 12 per cent to | | | | Homeopathy by Michael Weiner and |
| tomatoes. Once the offending foods were | | | | Kathleen Goss. |
| removed from their diets, they all | | | | Yet perhaps the most destructive effect |
| showed marked improvement. That is very | | | | of modern orthodox medicine lies in the |
| conclusive evidence in one study. | | | | changes that have taken place between |
| The influence of arthritis on our | | | | physician and patient... The general |
| society is significant. In 1981, | | | | practitioner (in the traditional sense) |
| according to the Bureau of Statistics, | | | | is almost a thing of the past, and each |
| it was responsible for 25 per cent more | | | | specialist treats only that organ system |
| lost work time than industrial disputes. | | | | that comes within his area of expertise. |
| It is known to affect 1,250,000 | | | | No wonder we feel that our doctors are |
| Australians, many of them children. | | | | not really looking at us as whole |
| Common sense must eventually dictate | | | | beings. Common sense tells us that many |
| that the diet and environment of these | | | | symptoms appearing in different organs |
| people, should be thoroughly examined | | | | systems may be related - that they at |
| for food and chemical intolerances. | | | | least constitute a whole picture of our |
| At present the most widespread medical | | | | state of health. Yet our trips to the |
| treatment for arthritis is the | | | | doctor's office must often result in a |
| administration of large daily doses of | | | | sense of frustration when we feel that |
| aspirin, over a prolonged period. | | | | the specific organ-directed treatment we |
| Aspirin is made up of acetylsalicylic | | | | receive is not based upon the doctor's |
| acid which is a salicylate derivative. | | | | assessment of our entire symptom |
| It is well documented that salicylates | | | | picture. |
| are a potent allergen, affecting many | | | | |