From the Millennial Star, May 1944 —

Tuberculosis is Conquered

By Edith Russell

Tuberculosis is probably the greatest and most fearsome ravager of human life that we have to deal with in this present century.

Millions of pounds are spent annually on its treatment. Sanatoriums are built on spacious elevations of land. Specialists and bacteriologists, doctors and scientists devote time and study to the disease. The tubercular death rate remains high in spite of it. But – tuberculosis has not the last word. To illustrate let me quote from the words of Dean Franklin Smiley, A.B.M.D., Medical Adviser and Professor of Hygiene in Cornell University, and of his assistant, Adrian Gordon Gould, Ph.D., M.D.:

“To a large extent the prevention of tuberculosis is a problem in personal hygiene, because the resistance of each individual to the disease is very largely determined by his general vitality. . . .”

Thus, when a man is physically below par his resistance to tubercle bacilli is considerably lessened.

To reduce the chances of disease, either after infection has taken place or before, resistance must be kept high, and I am now going to elucidate how this can be done, how it has been done and with what amazing results.

In the year 1833 at Kirtland in Ohio, a young man, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recorded a revelation given to him from God. It began like this: “A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the Council of High Priests, assembled in Kirtland and Church; and also the Saints in Zion. . . .

And here is the essence of the Word of Wisdom, first the positive teachings:

Meat must be used sparingly andchiefly in cold weather. Here is where to is easy to make a virtue out of necessity in these days of rations! Your acquaintance with the butcher must be firmly, even though reluctantly, curtailed.

Fruit, however, should be used liberally, especially fresh fruits. There is no hardship in that direction. It is good to think of the white firm flesh of the apple, the juicy pear – and did someone say grapes?

Vegetables, too, are really important. All recognised edible vegetables, leafy, root and tuber, should be eaten daily. The leafy vegetables, and some of the others should be eaten in their fresh state.

The daily dietary should include as its basis properly prepared grains. Refined flour should be avoided and whole meal used. All grains are good foods, but wheat is best for the use of man.

Now we come to the factor of liquids First the body needs water, plenty of water drunk freely at arising and between meals throughout the day. We are inclined to disparage water because of its cheapness and accessibility, but its value as an indispensable factor of health cannot be over-estimated. Milk, fruit juices, and grain extracts, notably bran and barley, should supplement the intake of pure water in supplying the body with the necessary liquid.

You will notice how simple are all these injunctions, little meat, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, good whole-wheat, and fresh water and milk to drink. No elaboration of menu, no highly skilled concoction of dishes. It is like a meal of common sense flavoured with divine approval.

The body should be invigorated by regular periods of sleep, preferably early sleep ending in early morning. Sleep in rooms where windows may be thrown wide open to the air. If possible, sleep out of doors altogether. If any of you have experienced camping, you will know how invigorating is sleep enjoyed out of doors. Incidentally, it is an integral part of sanatorium treatment.

Make it a habit to retire early, to rise early. Educate your body to expect it and you won’t require to have your alarm clock mended.

We are generally supposed to be composed of two distinct factors. We speak of our physical make-up and our mental make-up. These two are not distinct, inasmuch as the completely accurate and satisfactory workings of one depends completely on the accurate and satisfactory workings of the other. This is called psycho-physical unity.

To illustrate, let us consider first a sick man, or one whose body is only 70 per cent. fit. His mental reactions to any situation will inevitably be coloured by the hue of his physical condition. His appreciation for good things will be dulled, his capacity for self-criticism will probably be less acute. He may not even be aware that his physical condition is not 100 per cent., but his mental proficiency will be impaired as will his enjoyment of life.

On the other hand, a man whose body is required to be perfectly fit cannot achieve this unless his mind is healthy too. It must be actively engaged peeking after the truth of life and the universe, with a determination to accept it when found. It is no exaggeration to say that a sound religious philosophy is a prerequisite for perfect health.

Now, having dealt with the positive teachings of the Word of Wisdom with respect to establishing man’s immunity from tubercular infection, let us deal with those which counsel us in what we should avoid. This is quite as important as to eat good foods and to take the right liquids.

Alcohol is the first thing which must be eliminated from the human dietary. If people fully appreciated the proper physiological use of alcohol, which is for the washing of bodies in disease, they might see it in its true perspective. Alcohol is one of the chief disturbers of psycho-physical unity. Three drops in 100,000 drops of blood produce inefficiency and inaccuracy. Total abstinence must be observed by all who desire perfect health.

Alcohol, although it has been dressed in its best clothes for public consumption (that, by the way, is not intended for a witticism), is recognised, to speak broadly, as a harmful intoxicant. But, two sisters who dwell shrouded in the veils of the most impeccable respectability have so far not been unmasked. The President of the Temperance League himself will sip a cup of tea; no Archbishop would look askance at a cup of coffee and yet the caffein and tannic acids found in coffee and tea respectively, are drugs; alkaloids, related to some of the most violent of poisons. When taken onto the human body they produce at first a feeling of stimulation, followed in due course by a period of depression, relief from which is sought by the use of more tea or coffee.

One may have developed a craving for these things, but if the Word of Wisdom be practised in full the craving for alcohol, tobacco and other stimulants will disappear.

You will remember this revelation was given to Joseph Smith 110 years ago when Louis Pasteur was only 10 years old,
and eight years after the first scientific experiments upon digestion of foods were begun by Beaumont, yet the recent great advance of science has shown the correctness of the teachings of the Word of Wisdom.

Whole grains, vegetables and fruits supply the necessary mineral and other substances necessary to maintain a proper blood reaction. Vitamins enable the body to effect the physiological transformations necessary for good health, and must be present in every complete dietary. Word of Wisdom foods provide all these essential and necessary vitamins.

Alcohol has been shown to be a deadly physiological poison; the deadly poison nicotine has been found in tobacco; and coffee and tea contain the injurious substances, caffein and tannic acid. And finally a mind at peace has been shown to favour physical well-being. The Word of Wisdom is everywhere in full accord with the latest findings of science. Earnest adherence to its teachings is the answer to tuberculosis.