Early methods of detoxification
Humans have always interacted extensively with their physical world.
The relationship of ancient peoples with
their earth was a clean and nurturing one. It
provided them with air to breathe, water to
drink, food for nourishment, materials for
shelter, substances for maintaining their
well-being, and beauty for their enjoyment.
Except in extreme circumstances, the earth
was not toxic, and they were not damaged
by their world. Unfortunately, these people
sometimes damaged their world. They over hunted and stripped the land of its vegetation, cutting down trees for shelter and firewood. When the land was depleted and
would no longer support them, however,
they were able to move to another area.
As civilizations developed and populations increased, people began to congregate
in cities. The problem of pollution began in
these ancient cities. Garbage was thrown
into city streets, and drainage water and
sewage ran down the middle of the streets.
Drinking water became contaminated. People contracted diseases from the unsanitary conditions. Indoor fires and poor ventilation
in the small dwellings of the masses fouled
the air in many homes. Houses were shared
with domestic animals that ate the scraps
thrown on the floor. Rodents were rampant,
spreading infectious diseases.
Because early humans often did not
understand the physical origin of their illnesses, they developed the philosophy that
disease was a spiritual matter caused by
supernatural forces. For many centuries,
medicine was a mixture of practical treatments, magic, superstition, and religion.
Medicine men and women were the first physicians.
The ancient Greeks separated medicine
from religion and formulated the earliest
principles of scientific medicine. By the end
of the sixth century they had developed the
doctrine of the humors, which formed the
basis of ancient medical pathology. For centuries, it was believed that an equilibrium
between the four humors - blood, phlegm,
yellow bile, and black bile - must be
achieved to maintain health.
As time went by, it might be expected that
each culture would develop its own unique
program of medical treatment. This was not
the case. The recorded history of all cultures
and countries shows almost identical techniques, with some local variations. Many of
these treatments evolved concurrently.
- BLOODLETTING
- Bloodletting was perhaps the favorite of the
ancient treatments, but it was not used on
the very young or old. The purpose of bloodletting was to cleanse and balance the humors by removing "bad blood." Bleeding
was used as a cleansing technique in the
case of abscesses, swelling of the spleen, fever, diseases of the mouth, eye, and head, headaches, and gynecological disorders. In
the case of hemorrhage, whether from a ruptured blood vessel, wound, or childbirth,
bleeding was used as a "balancing" treatment.
The most common method of bleeding
was to open a vein to divert the blood from
the problem area or to use freshwater leeches, a milder method of bloodletting. At
first, ancient physicians performed all of the
bloodletting. When the university schools of
medicine were organized around 1000 A.D.,
bloodletting became the task of the barber-surgeons. Both bloodletting and surgery
were considered beneath the dignity of the
university-trained physicians, and surgeons
and barber-surgeons were below them in
status. Below them were the apothecaries
and bathhouse keepers who frequently
rented the leeches to their clients.
Cupping was another favorite bloodletting method. A small piece of hemp (tow)
was burned in a cup. As soon as it had
burned out, the cup was placed over a cut on
lightly greased skin. Suction from the cup
caused it to fill with blood. If the skin had not
been cut, the cup was left in place until it fell
off, producing a blood blister. A cupping
glass over the stomach was considered to be
an infallible cure for seasickness.
Bloodletting began centuries before the
birth of Christ and remained popular into
the 19th century. Every civilization in the
world has practiced bleeding. It is still practiced today, even in North America, but on a
very reduced scale, and for more practical
reasons. Leeches are valuable for removing
blood from bruises and black eyes, and for
removing the congestion from around a
reattached amputated limb.
- COUNTER-IRRITATION
- Another method of balancing the humors by
drainage was to cause a chronic inflammatory reaction in the form of a running sore.
This sore could be maintained for long
periods of time, and the humors could be continuously released from the body. For
treatment of asthma and paralysis, counter-irritation was as popular as bloodletting. The
blister was the simplest method of counter-irritation and was commonly produced by
applying a poultice of a cantheride (blistering agent). The poultice was left in place
until a blister of the appropriate size was formed.
Counter-irritation was sometimes produced by direct application of a cautery, a
hot instrument manufactured in a variety of
shapes. Different numbers of blisters were
called for to treat different diseases, and the
design in which these blisters were placed
on the skin was thought to be of great importance. In addition to the use of the solid
cautery, boiling liquids such as honey, oil,
syrup, or wax were used for cauterization.
The physician applied the cautery until a sizzling noise, noxious smell, and shriveling of
the skin were obtained.
Cauterization is used on a limited basis
today to treat nosebleeds. However, a chemical or electric cautery is used to cauterize the
skin and vessels in the nose rather than a hot instrument.
- ENEMAS
- Enemas have been used without exception
by all cultures. Not only were enemas employed as a cleansing procedure, but also as a
standard beginning treatment for almost
every illness, injury, or health problem, including diarrhea. The Egyptians and Greeks
routinely gave enemas to treat wounds received in battle. At one time, only physicians
administered the enemas, and many early
physicians required that an enema be administered before bleeding. Medication and
nutrients were sometimes administered in the enemas.
Many cultures used ritual and routine
cleansing with enemas to help maintain
health. Even today, some cultures still use
the enema as a vital part of treatment for all
conditions. Enemas can be a valuable part of
a detoxification program and are still used to
relieve extreme constipation.
- CATHARTICS
- A cathartic, sometimes called a purgative, is
a substance taken orally that causes an active
movement of the bowels. Because constipation was considered a disease rather than a
symptom, cathartics were used even more
frequently than enemas to cleanse the digestive tract.
Cathartics have been used for centuries,
but because of their toxicity several of the favorites used by the ancients are now obsolete. Calomel was dangerous because it disturbed the mineral balance of the body and
could result in mercury poisoning. Croton
oil blistered the skin and deaths were reported from as few as 20 drops.
Cathartics were often considered an essential part of treatment, helping to remove
and cleanse morbid humors. Each humor
had its specific purgative, which was supposed to act on it and it alone. As with bleeding, purgatives were not used with the
very young or very old. This routine use of
cathartics for all medical conditions has long
been abandoned. However, laxatives - a
mild form of cathartic - are still sometimes
prescribed by physicians and used by many people.
- EMETICS
- An emetic is a substance that induces vomiting. Nearly all the ancient civilizations routinely used emetics as cleansing treatments,
in addition to cathartics and enemas. An active emetic, such as white hellebore, was
supposed to recall the humors from the innermost recesses of the body. Until this century, it was felt that emetics and cathartics
cleansed the body of harmful accumulations,
increased the appetite, promoted digestion,
cooled the system, and destroyed wind.
Emetics were standard treatment for
gastric disturbances, and they were used as
routine treatment for many medical conditions. Emetics were kept ready for the "ease,
comfort, and happiness" of the patient. With
our better understanding of physiology and
digestion, we now realize that these measures are too harsh, and in some instances
can be fatal. Proper diet and nutrition better
aid digestion, and cleansing can be accomplished by milder methods. However, emetics are still used today to induce vomiting in
some poisoning cases.
- TREPHINATION
- Trephination involves cutting a section of
bone out of the skull. Evidence of trephined
skulls dates to around 10,000 B.C. Over the
years, many ancient trephined skulls with
round or oval pieces of bone removed have
been found all over the world. The holes vary
in size, and some skulls found in North
America contain multiple holes.
For 2,000 years, surgeons have used
trephination to relieve brain compression
caused by fractures. However, many ancient
trephined skulls show no evidence of fracture. It is believed that trephination was also
performed as a purification or cleansing
treatment, and that the bones removed were
worn as protective amulets. As late as the
17th century, surgeons trephined skulls as
treatment for epilepsy and other nervous
and convulsive diseases, to "allow evil air to
breathe out." Until recent years, some tribal
societies used trephination for treatment of
chronic headaches.
- BATHS
- Numerous types of baths have been used by
all civilizations to wash away illness and to
purify and cleanse the body. Sickness was
considered an unclean state, and purification of both the sick person and the home
was required. The original baths were taken
in rivers, seas, lakes, and pools. Springs
were considered to be divine, with special
powers for healing, and enhancing fertility.
The temperature of the medicinal bath
varied with its medical purpose and the disease involved. For centuries, cold baths and
cooling compresses have been used to treat
fevers and help reduce pain. Tepid or warm
baths were used to calm hysterical and agitated, mentally ill patients, because warm
water has a sedative effect that tends to induce both relaxation and sleep.
The most popular was the hot bath, dating back as far as ancient Egypt. A hot bath is
clinically analgesic, but is also stimulating to
the nervous system. The Greeks and Romans frequented bathhouses in which both
hot and cold baths were available. In medieval Europe, there were no baths in private
homes and the general public went to bathhouses, not just for cleanliness, but for their health. Bleeding, cupping, and massage
were available at bathhouses, along with various tonics and herbal remedies.
The hot bath caused sweating, which
was considered therapeutic as well as cleansing. According to ancient tradition, there
were three kinds of sweat: the sweat of illness, of toil, and of bathing. Steam baths and
wet saunas are used today to help respiratory
diseases and relieve rheumatic pain. They
are also helpful for skin tone and texture.
- MASSAGE
- Humans have practiced some form of massage throughout their history. Some massages were no more than an oil rub. Others
involved deeper bodywork to relieve muscle
tension and help eliminate waste matter
from the muscles. Massage also served as a
mechanical cleanser, pushing out waste
products, particularly in those suffering
from constipation.
Massage has been described with many
different terms, such as passive exercise,
therapeutic manipulation, stroking and
kneading, rubbing, and mechanotherapy.
As medical theory and practice have expanded, bodywork has kept pace. During
this century, there has been an explosion of
techniques, practitioners, and discoveries of
new ways in which the hands can be used to
affect human physiology. Regardless of the
technique used, massage helps to cleanse
and balance the body.
- ACUPUNCTURE
- Organized medicine began in China in the
first millennium B.C. Although the origin of
acupuncture in China is not clear, the first written reference to it dates to 90 B.C. It is
probable that the technique is older.
Acupuncture involves inserting, into the
skin, fine metal needles one-half to several
inches in length. Some needles are inserted
gently and others are inserted with force to
different depths. The needles may then be
heated, twirled, or vibrated. They are left in
place for varying amounts of time, depending on the condition being treated.
The points where the needles are inserted are called acupuncture points, which
are located on meridians that run the length
of the body. These meridians are called energy pathways and are believed to control
certain physical conditions. Traditional Chinese physicians believe that all disease or
pain is the result of imbalance in the energy
flow along these meridians. Inserting acupuncture needles at the appropriate points
restores and balances the energy by diminishing an excess and replenishing a deficiency. Order and harmonious balance are
thus restored in the chi, or life force, that circulates through all the organs of the body.
- FASTING
- True fasting means complete abstinence
from food and beverage, including water.
Early humans began to fast in an attempt to
placate divine powers they believed to be
displeased with them. As time went by, fasting became part of religious and purification
rituals. Hippocrates and other early physicians felt that fasting dried the body and balanced the humors, but it was not used with
infants or the elderly. Although fasting was
occasionally prescribed as a cleansing treatment, most early physicians preferred the emetic, cathartic, and bleeding approaches
to cleanse and balance the body.
Today many people use periodic fasting
as a cleansing procedure and in religious observances. Very few people follow true fasting, but consume some type of juice or broth
in addition to water.
- EARLY MEDICATIONS
- Early medications in most cultures were prepared from plants. Flowers, fruits, roots,
barks, leaves, juices, oils, and resins were
used. Many plants were believed to have
specific applications for balancing a particular humor or element. The Chinese claim to
have used herbal remedies for over 10,000
years, to balance their five elements of fire,
metal, earth, water, and wood. Ancient literature in India listed 760 plants as having
medicinal properties. They, too, were used
to balance their five elements of wind, fire,
water, earth, and space. However, history
points to the Egyptians as the first people to
use plant remedies in an organized way.
Resinous materials were used as remedies for their antiseptic properties, while
wine and other alcoholic preparations were
widely used for their anesthetic properties.
Mineral remedies were also used, particularly in Egyptian and Hindu pharmacies. In
most cultures, mercury was considered the
"king of metals" and was given both externally and internally.
Many cultures, especially in the ancient
East, felt that water had cleansing and cooling properties, and purified both body and
soul. Water was employed for its own medicinal properties and also as a vehicle for other remedies.
Several ancient civilizations classified
medicines according to their function, such
as emetic, purgative, laxative, tonic, and aphrodisiac, for a total of 35 different classifications. Medications were prescribed in several forms, including infusions, decoctions,
mixtures, pills, salves, syrups, pastes, plasters, poultices, powders, ointments, suppositories, tinctures, and fumigations. Preparation of these various forms of medication
was governed largely by astrology. A particular phase of the moon or positions of the
planets and stars were considered an important prerequisite in preparation procedures.
Treatment with all medications was an
attempt to cleanse, purify, or balance the humors or elements of the body. Although
most ancient remedies are not in use today,
some medicinal herbs are still given for the
same conditions. Modern scientific research
into the medicinal actions of these herbs
continues to verify the effectiveness of many
of these "folk remedies." Many modern prescription medicines have been derived from plants.
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