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