The results displayed in the post mortem findings cited, and the comparisons made in the statement that follows, are tangible assets in the claim that, in the absence of defects in the organs of the body, abstinence from food, together with the needful health-giving and health preserving accompaniments elsewhere described in the text, is the unfailing remedy for the correction of functional ills. Both physician and patient from the outset of treatment possess the assurance of recovery; and confidenee that rests on infallible natural law is in itself of the greatest assistance in accomplishing results.

Comparative statement of post mortem findings is death by starvation (medical), and post mortem findings in death during the fast as noted in the text.

Emaciation

Death by starvation:

Marked.

Death by fasting:

In cases where cirrhosed state of liver or stomach existed, emaciation was similar to that in chronic ailments, but in the other instances it was not at all marked.

Skin

Death by starvation:

Shrivelled and wrinkled; emits a fetid odor; sometimes dark brown, varnishy coating; tightly adherent to parts beneath; rough, scurvy surface.

Death by fasting:

Smooth and pliable in all cases; free from odor; no coating; not adherent. Except in eases of cirrhosis of liver or stomach, perfectly white. In the latter cyanosed condition as noted

Sub-Cutaneous Fat

Death by starvation:

Absent.

Death by fasting:

In all eases sub-cutaneous fat was present. This was especially so where disintegration of the liver is noted.

Post Mortem Rigidity

Death by starvation:

Pronounced.

Death by fasting:

Very slight.

Putrefaction

Death by starvation:

Sets in at once and progresses very rapidly.

Death by fasting:

Very slow in progress. No preservatives were used on any body before holding the autopsy. In one instance post mortem was held one month after death, and putrefaction was hardly noticeable. Slowness of decay is attributable to the constant employment of both external and internal baths during treatment. Fasting is a process of elimination in immediate result, and the products that tend to swift decomposition are removed from the body as rapidly as formed.

Heart

Death by starvation:

Usually contracted, containing only a small amount of blood. Sometimes distinct atrophy.

Death by fasting:

Normal in all cases.

Lungs

Death by starvation:

Normal but smaller.

Death by fasting:

Normal except as noted.

Blood

Death by starvation:

Lessened in amount, but thin and fluid from anemia.

Death by fasting:

Abundance of blood. No apparent anemia.

Bladder

Death by starvation:

Invariably empty. Sometimes much atrophied.

Death by fasting:

In all cases contained some water. Pus as noted. No atrophy except in Case 7.

Stomach

Death by starvation:

Small, contracted; walls thin; mucosa corrugated and pale.

Death by fasting:

Several cases showed extreme dilation; two were in state of cirrhosis; none showed contractions except Case 3 (hour-glass), and Cases 10 and 11 (cirrhosis). Other variations as noted.

Intestines

Death by starvation:

Show uniform contraction as to lumen and length; walls usually thin and transparent to light; their atrophy in this connection is characteristic. Sometimes empty; sometimes containing dark mucus; sometimes distended with gas.

Death by fasting:

The condition of the intestines is specifically noted in all cases. There were no general characteristics, but in no instance were the walls unduly thin.

Kidneys

Death by starvation:

Do not seem to suffer.

Death by fasting:

Suffered as noted.

Spleen

Death by starvation:

Not noteworthy.

Death by fasting:

Normal in majority of eases. Disintegration noted in Case 4, atrophy in Cases 6 and 7.

Pancreas

Death by starvation:

Always atrophied, sometimes to practical disappearance.

Death by fasting:

Atrophy noted in Cases 6 and 7; hypertrophy with cirrhosis in Case 4; incipient cirrhosis in Cases 10 and 11. Others normal.

Omentum

Death by starvation:

Transparent and destitute of fat.

Death by fasting:

In all cases some fat; in Case 4 excessive fat. Transparent in no case.

Liver

Death by starvation:

Unaltered except in size, which is lessened.

Death by fasting:

Noted in all cased There were no general characteristics; the organ varied in size and structure with the individual.

Gall Bladder

Death by starvation:

Usually full; contents staining adjacent tissues.

Death by fasting:

Case 8 was the only instance in which there was staining of adjacent tissues. Others were as noted or normal.

One fact of significance shown in the post mortem findings and in the comparison noted above is that, no matter how general were the defects in other organs, nor how emaciated the body, unless they themselves were organically imperfect, the heart, the lungs, and the brain were normal in size and in functioning ability. It may be added that, although not always specifically stated, the brain in each instance in the cases cited was thoroughly dissected.

Through the facts related the immediate cause of death in every case described may easily be traced to its origin. And furthermore these facts virtually prove that organic deficiency, if not produced by drug dosage, is the direct result of digestive impairment. The scientific worth of this observation is much enhanced for the reason that in these autopsies the entire organism in each case was exhibited unaffected by recent drug paralysis. Observation also shows that the subjects in whom glands were hardened or atrophied were invariably of an emaciated or wiry physique, while those in whom a softening of the organs had occurred were inclined to obesity. It is also interesting to note that, where mental control was lacking at any stage of the fast, the colon upon dissection showed displacement and distortion, so much so that its evacuation was rendered most difficult even with the aid of enemata.

From the scientific viewpoint the observations included in the present chapter are of greatest import. By them the theory of Fasting for the Cure of Disease is fully substantiated, and proof of its efficacy as a therapeutic measure is rendered incontrovertible.