th.
And again, in regard to healing, psychology teaches how to influence the
patient so that he may discontinue to be his own worst enemy; that he
may recognize his mistakes as such and discard them, although possibly
he may have grown so addicted to his tastes as to prefer to continue
therein in place of daring to be healthy.
In the plan of production of a regenerated and healthy humanity, every
individual of this kind must be regarded as a foe who interferes with
the prevention of disease both now and in futurity. To win such an one
over, to make him an enthusiastic believer in the theory that health is
a necessity, and, a task less easy, to prevent his relapse into his
previous degenerate manner of life and health,--this is another branch
of science for which psychology and physiognomy are more needful than
anything else.
Here again it is the true physician's principle to enlighten the layman,
and not to surround his methods with a mysterious, but imposing wall of
secrecy.
We do not hesitate to reveal the main points of our system of diagnosis,
which is much broader than the old system of scholastic medicine,--the
performance with auscultation, percussion, X rays and the rest. Certain
knowledge of these things will lead every one, ere long, to submit all
disturbances of health to the hygienic physician while prevention is
still probable and possible, instead of waiting until disease has taken
firm hold. It will also enable men to realize that the old-school
practitioner who pronounces them sound while they feel for themselves
that there is something wrong within has yet "a something" left to
learn.
The realm of psychology, however, is beyond the scope of my present
endeavour, save in so far as it may serve to show that we are fortified
with this particular knowledge, and to the end that this book may
constitute a help to the aspiring hygienic-dietetic physician, calling
his attention to the necessity of acquiring as profound a knowledge of
psychology as may be.
I will confine myself at present, therefore, to the external symptoms
which must be observed, though they are not generally considered as
symptoms of disease; and yet they indicate disease or the disposition
thereto, individual or hereditary, as the case may be.
I shall consequently deal with the peculiarities of hands and feet,
nails and hair, eyes and ears, nose and teeth, mouth, forehead, tongue,
chin, cheeks, neck, chest, abdomen, legs, and
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