The science of vital force. Its plan, division of function, and operative methods in health and disease ...

Contents

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Introduction 7

I. Statement of the Situation ... 9 II. The Plan of Operative Vital Force. Division of Duties and

Introduction

nr*HE object of this volume is to designate -*- and demonstrate the fundamental principles of The Science op Vital Force, — a department of natural science that is directly applicable to the preservation of health and the treatment of disease. It is implied in fundamental principles and laws of Nature not yet recognized and presented for consideration, and is a department of science that will require a large amount of literature to illustrate its practical application to individual and national affairs. It also implies a rev- ^/ olution of the recognized plan and principles of a department that has been erroneously presented, — a revolution as significant as was effected in the ideal change of the centre of the solar system, and the principles in-

8 INTRODUCTION.

volved being as capable of a positive demonstration. We allege that medical practice, both regular and irregular, is based on imaginary fundamental principles as unreal as was the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, on theories that are insufficient for the safe guidance of treatment, and dangerous in their application.

Stoneham, Mass.

THE SCIENCE OF VITAL FORCE.

STATEMENT OF THE SITUATION.

Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions. — O. W. Holmes.

TT 7E shall call attention to a department * * of natural science not taught in the schools and institutions of learning, — a science implied in that agency called " vital force," a subject referred to in medical literature as being too profound for this age, and which is thus relegated to future generations for a solution. It is a department awaiting the recognition of living outgrowths of actual principles in Nature.

This science is not capable of being verified from accepted fundamental principles now recognized, but can be demonstrated in the functions of the living human organism. The nature and laws of the force of gravitation have been solved, and are now being taught as operative in astronomical science, while that agency called " vital force " is receiving little or no consideration from any department of literature. We shall present many nice distinctions for adjustment; and the differentiation of the operative significance of the agencies called " mind," " life," and " vital force," may not appear distinct at first, but will be defined later. We shall, however, deal mostly with the operative methods and functions of that agency called " vital force," as applied to the human organism in the matter of health and disease.

It is difficult at first to recognize that in the department of living nature a serious mistake has been made relative to the fundamental operative principles, that a different plan, wholly unlike what is now taught, explains better, and correctly, the situation.

In illustration of the premises to be considered, no better comparison can be made than by reference to the condition of the science of astronomy in the time of Ptolemy. At that time all were familiar with astronomical phenomena, but the mind had failed to grasp the plan making it possible to explain how such phenomena were produced. Thus they were trying to explain appearances from an imaginary basis. Medical theories are now projected from similar premises. That is, a great variety of the phenomena presented by the living human organism are alleged to be produced by an active principle, not vital, — an agency wholly imaginary. The vital force agency, as implied in the ultimate functions of operative life-processes, is a subject confessed in medical literature to be outside the realm of comprehension. Therefore, the recognition of the science of vital force must be implied in the development of new ideas of Nature's methods.

We are informed in history that the ancient scholar Pliny, who lived previous to the third century a. d., gave credit to Acron as being the first to apply philosophical reason, in explanation of medicinal relations, to the human organism. And to him this generation is indebted for that unfortunate interpretation, which has been perpetuated to our day, in the recognition of an " active medical principle." We allege, and shall demonstrate, that the doctrine of " active medical property" is a misnomer in phraseology, and an ideal delusion of serious and great magnitude in its application.

What is now alleged to be an "active medical principle" was formerly called a "medical power " — an ideal and imaginary agency, which is said to be in association with material medicine, that may operate and act on the organs of the living human system. We are also required to give credit to the same authority for the originality of the recognition of a different and undefined agency, which was presumed to find its way into the human system, and to operate disastrously to the well being of the individual ; which disturbance was called " disease."

If Acron was correct in his interpretations, there is illustrated a singular incident, worthy of eulogistic commemoration for all time, implied in that keen perception of intellect which was capable of grasping the nature and plan of such relations, which have ever remained satisfactory with all later generations ; while that less mysteriously profound problem of determining the centre of the solar system awaited the advent of Copernicus more than twelve centuries later.

This imaginary agency — " active medical principle" — has been equally as acceptable and satisfactory to cultured civilization for centuries as was the ancient ideal centre of the solar system. Thus there has seemed to be no occasion for overhauling the alleged plans and methods of Nature that are implied in such relations, which practically inflict immeasurable and serious inconvenence upon cultured and civilized nations.

Acron recognized an " active cause of disease," possessed of a riotous disposition, and also an alleged " medical power," now called " active medical property," which was presumed to put to rout the former invader, restore order, and exercise curative influence.

The reader of modern medical literature of the present day will discover but slight modification of fundamental premises, unlike those presented for consideration by the ancient mind. The ideal " active cause of disease" is still recognized as a disturbing agent, associated with some kind of material and alleged " disease germs." The principle of activity, formerly called "a medical power," is now changed to an " active medical property ; " at the same time, however, the phrase " medical power " is of common use in medical literature. Vital force is recognized as that agency which executes the constructive organic function and structural repairs ; and also as exercising in disease an influence called the " efforts of nature." And what the vital force is not alleged to do, in the name of " efforts of nature," is presumed to be done by that reserve force of alleged practical utility called the " active medical property," which is accepted as capable of temporarily operating the functional machinery of human life until the vital force rallies to the rescue.

If medical literature means anything, such is the true representation of the existing situation in the department of alleged medical science.

Notwithstanding that such ideas are supported by the doctrines of current medical literature, we shall try to illustrate the fact, through the Science of Vital Force, that the cause of disease is passive, and also that the doctrine of an " active medical property " is a delusion. The active properties are all vital, although an eminent medical writer of this generation thus states : " This generation and generations to come will have passed to their everlasting rest before a discovery of the secret of vital activity is made." This discovery is already made, to be illustrated in the Science of Vital Force ; and when understood, which is not a difficult matter, cultured civilization will recognize that the fundamental doctrines of alleged medical science are as crude and inapplicable as the ancient astronomical doctrine advanced by Ptolemy.

This whole matter is easy of comprehension when considered from a correct standpoint. No one could comprehend the Copernican system of astronomy with Ptolemaic ideas. No one can understand the nature of vital force while seeking to explain the manifestation of living phenomena as being produced by some agency, not vital, that was acting on the human organism.

In our efforts to present intelligently the nature, laws, and operative methods of vital force, we are required to begin with a recognition unlike that which prevails with the agency called "the force of gravitation," in which department it is not possible to recognize more than one method, one ultimate function ; while the science of vital force is implied in a compound primary function, and in four different, equally ultimate methods of vital action, — a fact apparently not recognized by medical writers and scientists.

In calling attention to this department of Nature, we doubtless may be laboring under disadvantages similar to those which existed when it was sought to make acceptable the idea of a different centre of the solar system. The already accepted centre was so satisfactory that it required more skill to eliminate the false doctrine than to explain the harmony, utility, and advantage of the natural plan implied in a different centre. The theory and doctrine of " active medical properties " has been accepted for more than fifteen centuries without a recognized protest considered worthy of review ; and like seeing the sun revolve around the earth, both cultured and uncultured minds have seen what this " active medical property" was doing, provided we accept this testimony. We confess that it will be difficult in this age of intelligence to eliminate long cherished ideas, and to accept the situation we allege, without the presentation of a volume of incontrovertible testimony from Nature.

At first we are confronted with this rational inference, that it does not seem credible that the analytical mind, particularly of the last half century, could have been mistaken in the nature of this problem. The same, however, was doubtless said of the ideal earth-centre of the solar system, after thirteen hundred years of acceptance, when Copernicus recorded his protest. This science is not obscured by its profundity, but it has simply been over-looked, existing in a place where the human mind has never had occasion to make research. It has remained among the hidden mysteries of Nature, largely because there has been accepted an ideal substitute for vital force, — an agency not vital, called the " active medical principle." Every department of natural science executed by the forces of Nature is presented in accordance with a pre-arranged plan ; and unless we recognize the correct plan, it is impossible to comprehend the operative proceedings of that special department. To make plain the distinction between the accepted plan as now taught, and the plan that we are to suggest for the study of this department of Nature implied in the Science of Vital Force, we would say that the present accepted, erroneous, and ideal plan is implied in three unlike divisions of alleged active principles, — the active vital principle, the principle implied in the " active cause of disease," and the " active medical property ; " whereas the plan that we shall allege and demonstrate is implied in one kind of active principle, — the active vital principle, having four distinct ultimate vital properties.

The difference of plan as an intellectual question implies an operative distinction equal to the difference between the two alleged centres of the solar system.

II

THE PLAN OF OPERATIVE VITAL FORCE. DIVI- SION OF DUTIES AND ULTIMATE FUNCTIONS.

"\ HTAL power is that active principle ^ which constructs and preserves the human organism, executing its mission in the universe with as much precision and conformity to law and method as prevails in the departments of inorganic science. The inorganic force called "gravitation" executes those changeable phenomena presented in astronomical science, while the vital force executes those phenomena of natural science implied in conditions of health and disease, and operative proceedings which succeed from medicinal relations.

The study of the human system as now taught in the schools has its beginning with physiological functions and anatomical structures; while with the plan implied in the Science of Vital Force it is required that we begin further back, — that we make research, and determine what divisions there may be of ultimate vital functions that enable such physiological functions and anatomical structures to be thus executed and arranged. In other words, we must determine what constitute the essential and primary divisions of life functions, that as a whole make possible the execution of such proceedings. To say that such are organic human life functions, undefined, is not sufficient. It is necessary to grasp in idea certain great and underlying primal principles of organic human life, that have beginning and existence even before physiological and anatomical functions can be made operative.

We are about to start on an important journey of ideal research, — a research that may reward us with a correct recognition of the nature of vital force. Therefore it is necessary to determine something that vital force does, that we can call by a name, — some isolated ultimate function that can be defined and demonstrated beyond all controversy. And whatever such function (or functions) may be, it will be that something which is done, which constitutes its nature. We are at the most critical stage of this ideal beginning; and we must begin right, and make sure that none who come after us can recognize a function and method of this agency which we fail to discover; also that what we define will be so susceptible of demonstration that no contradiction can be supported. We cannot recognize its nature in a single ultimate function that can be expressed as a unit; but we are required to interpret its nature as existing in four units, four beginnings, four different functions, — each unlike the other, and no part of the other; each an ultimate function that can be defined, verified, and demonstrated in unmistakable phenomena presented by the living human organism, constituting in its four divisions and unlike functions of vital properties the complete total and aggregate of vital methods, from which basis all the subsequent operations of life, in health and disease, are dependent. And we make use of the following names and terms as being representative of such four ultimate vital properties: Sensibility, Instinct, Sensation, and Contractility.

We shall but briefly outline the function and distinction of each vital property in this place, but later will take up each division with a more extended illustration.

Sensibility. This term is used to represent certain life abilities comprised in all the variety of brain functions and conscious intelligence. This vital property is implied in the ability to command and execute voluntary acts, having perceptive abilities that may recognize things, conditions, and relations both in contact with the organism and external and beyond contact ; that is, at all distances. It is the mind property, — that

Instinct. This is a vital property wholly unlike sensibility. It presides over the involuntary acts, superintending the construction of the organic body. Sensibility voluntarily supplies the material for constructive purpose, while instinct superintends the use and application of such material in the process of organic growth. The instinct superintends not only the disposition to be made of nutritive material, but the method of eliminating all foreign material that has been introduced into the human organism by accident or design. Instinct, as an ultimate vital property, has no other function except to superintend conditions, and to dispose of material having contact relations with the living organism. Sensibility is the commander-in-chief of the voluntary acts, while instinct is commander-in-chief of all involuntary acts manifested by the living organism. Instinct is a vital property pervading all the living tissues, while sensibility is a vital property not pervading all the tissues.

Sensation. This is a vital property whose function is wholly unlike those already mentioned. It is a vital property expressed by certain nerves, whose function is implied in conveying information of existing conditions and the presence of material contacts both to sensibility and to instinct. That is, comparatively speaking, sensation is a kind of telegraph that makes known to the other vital properties, or enables such other vital properties to hold practical relations with, existing conditions and material contact relations, — relations that may require attention from one or both of those vital properties before mentioned.

The means through which this vital property communicates such facts are implied in an experience of varied sensations called " feelings," which are produced by contacts, and which are implied in all kinds of sensations, from exquisite sensational pleasures to excruciating pain. The language of this vital property is the language of experienced sensation implied in all kinds of sensational feeling. It has no other function, it can execute no other duty. It was created for no other purpose than to experience feeling from con-' tact. And the silent language which it speaks thus communicates with sensibility and instinct, each being made aware of duties requiring the attention of both. The term "irritability" may represent either a disagreeable sensibility or a disagreeable sensation, but does not imply a different vital property. Some sensations are known and relate only to the consciousness, requiring attention solely from the function of sensibibity. Other sensations have practical relations only with the function of instinct, and are unknown by the sensibility as having existence.

In this distinction of the relations of sensation are implied important facts to be recognized later in association with the causes of disease. Sensibility executes its function at all distances, while sensation executes function only at insensible distances developed by causes existing in immediate contact. In medical literature the terms " sensibility " and " sensation " are used as synonyms in their application to the affairs of the human organism, obscuring all idea of difference between the functions of the two unlike vital properties, — the term "sensation" being frequently used for a brain function, while the term " sensibility " is made applicable to the representation of existing feelings of the lower extremities ; thus making it as impossible to solve and comprehend many of the problems of human life affairs as it would be to solve mathematical problems without distinction of idea between the application of division and multiplication.

Contractility. This is a vital property manifested by the contraction and alternate relaxation of muscular fibre.

This property may be considered as an invisible instrument of motion in the hands of both the instinct and sensibility. Sensation may have relation to certain facts that require the attention of instinct applied to the function of involuntary action. At other times, the sensation may relate to the sensibility in such way as to require that some duty shall be executed by a voluntary act. Thus contractility is a vital property to be made operative by both the instinct and the sensibility. In other words, sensibility presides over voluntary contractility, while instinct presides over involuntary contractility. Contractility is the animal strength property. Abstract thought implies the direct exercise of the vital property of sensibility. The mind does not effect voluntary muscular motion directly, but employs the vital property of contractility to execute this function. The same exercise of contractility can be made operative, and thus used by instinct to exercise muscular motion even after decapitation, by applying the galvanic current to cause irritable sensation.

We trust the reader will recognize the distinction implied between the direct and the indirect operation of a vital property. The science of vital force is implied in a great multiplicity of such distinctions.

We have thus outlined briefly the function of each of the ultimate vital properties and the unlike duties they perform, which in the aggregate are operative in producing all the visible phenomena presented by the living human organism. We trust the reader will be able to determine that one vital property is not the other, and that the problems of organic human life have their solution predicated on the nature and executive functions of the co-operative vital properties.

It is apparent that each of the ultimate vital properties executes unlike functions, while it requires the exercise of all those vital properties to execute physiological function and to construct anatomical product. Thus we trust that the premises are made clear;

that we begin with a study of life functions, which antedate physiological functions.

Reader, have you any exceptions to file relative to the number of ultimate vital properties, more or less ; and whether or not such functions as mentioned are entitled to be considered as ultimate vital properties ? Can you recognize in the human organism any vital function not entitled to be included in the four properties described ? Do you think Nature does, or does not, supply and present the existence of ultimate functions that can be verified, in order to demonstrate the correctness of the working plan as here presented ?

To understand the nature of disease, — not its appearance, but how it is produced, — and how to prevent and how to cure, and how to take advantage of fleeting opportunities ; and also to understand the relation of materia medica to the human system, in addition to the knowledge of its relational effects, it is essential to become familiar with the operative and co-operative functions of the four vital properties in all the affairs of human life. And while it was necessary to eliminate the ideal earth-centre of the solar system to enable the science of astronomy to be developed, it will be equally important and imperative to eliminate the doctrine of ideal " active medical property," — that ideal and imaginary agency which is presumed to act and exercise an influence with the involuntary department of human life affairs.

This doctrine and idea of " active medical property" has been kept alive and perpetuated by a conventional acceptance based on appearances, which is wholly in violation of the nature of things, and as unreal of correct representation as the alleged earth-centre, and having no more scientific meaning than a telegraphic cypher code.

It ic a singular fact that in the study of this subject we are confronted with a very peculiar paradox. Notwithstanding this doctrine of " active medical property " constitutes a serious obstacle in the pathway of a recognized science of vital force, it is not possible to eliminate such delusion until a comprehension and recognized demonstration can be developed of the nature and functions of the ultimate properties of vital force, and of their co-operative methods of procedure in the affairs of health and disease. A knowledge of the special function of each of the ultimate vital properties, and of their co-operative relations, contributes to a comprehension of the nature of every variety of disease, its proper treatment and the modus operandi of medicine. Such knowledge contributes an advantage equal to that which the knowledge of the first four principles of arithmetic contributes to the solution of problems in higher mathematics, and is no less indispensable.

III. Application Of Vital Principles And Significant Paragraphs

TT 7E shall call attention to the application of separate vital properties in execution of physiological functions, only sufficient to make illustration of simple problems that may lead to the elucidation of the more complex.

The vital property, sensibility, makes use of the voluntary, contractility, to introduce within the stomach the nutritive material necessary for organic constructive purposes. After this material has been thus introduced, the vital property, sensation, enables the fact of such presence to be known to the instinct, which in its turn superintends and makes useful the involuntary, contractility, in connection with physical principles, to inaugurate physiological proceedings, — that is, to transform said nutritive material into part and parcel of the tissues of the living human organism.

It is not necessary to trace such application in detail as applied to physiological functions, but sufficient only to connect the underlying principles implied in such functions, with the execution of physiological proceedings. Provided the sensibility has by accident introduced within the stomach some kind of foreign material (material not of possible use for constructive purpose ; for instance, lobelia), the vital property, sensation, in connection with instinct, discovers such fact, and employs the involuntary, contractility, to execute the act of emesis, — thus illustrating that the vital property, instinct, has the ability to correct some of the errors of sensibility; and also that instinct presides over all material that has found its way into the human organism, using nutritive and eliminating foreign.

All material of every kind, when introduced within the human organism, is subject to such disposal by the involuntary vital properties as its true relation requires.

Instinct, without the aid of sensibility or will, directs many acts of self-preservation and defence. Such proceedings are said to be something that "Nature has done," in distinction to what is presumed, in accordance with the old plan, that some other agency might do. Vital force — in other words Nature — does it all. Material does not act, and is without active principles; the vital principle does the acting. And it may act spontaneously for self-defence, or from invitation, by supplied medicinal relation. When invited by medicine, it is Nature — the active vital principle — which acts. Medicinal contact causes a sensation, to which instinct responds with an involuntary act. The vital property, instinct, superintends all the involuntary doing; and no other agency exercises operative relations with the affairs of organic life in health and disease.

The functions of sensibility and instinct may be independent of each other in certain affairs, but not in all affairs. Sensibility must furnish instinct with the material for constructive purposes; and when properly constructed, those premises are made to exist, — which make it possible to exercise the function of sensibility.

With the conditions of disease, the instinct directly superintends and directs the activities of disturbance, although in many cases sensibility can to a limited degree indirectly guide, with more or less moderation, many of those actions. The use of medicine in its practical relation affords the supply of a contact-cause for moderating and diverting the actions of the instinctive vital agency, — thus enabling us to effect the guidance of those actions which instinct superintends, and vital force operates. Vital force is the active agent that operates the functions of the vital properties, while those vital properties superintend the voluntary and involuntary complex operations of human life. We cannot, however, recognize vital force as an agency independent of those functions.

Medicine has no " active principles " of operative influence within itself ; but its presence may be a cause which may occasion the involuntary active vital principle to act differently. Thus we may indirectly cause, to a limited extent, such involuntary vital activity as is thought best to have executed under the existing circumstances. This theory may be illustrated in making use of ipecacuanha to cause a sensation of nausea, which sensation appeals to instinct, to make operative that involuntary contractility which ejects the contents of the stomach. One simple problem understood is as instructive as a thousand similar problems.

A very important practical idea to be kept in view, in guiding the active vital principle, like the guiding of an unruly horse, is to begin to guide early, before the animal becomes violent and unmanageable. Have in mind the nature and methods of the operative vital principle, and thus anticipate results, and seek to out-general those dangerous instinctive actions by an early guiding. There may be as great display of skill in preventing severe sickness as there is in curing severe sickness, and the risk for the patient is much less. Such practice, however, is not always appreciated; and of the physician employing it this may very likely be said : " I hardly know how much skill Dr. Blank has really got. He does n't seem to have so many very sick patients ; and I don't know how he would succeed with the more severe ailments. "

It is true that while instinct presides directly over all involuntary acts, sensibility may to a great degree preside indirectly over the functions of instinct.

Before proceeding further, it is important to recognize the distinction between physiological and pathological vital acts, not alone in appearance, but in principle. In other words, What constitutes physiological action ? This question seems simple enough at first, but it will be found that much confusion prevails in the department to which it applies.

We shall define physiological action to be the action of the involuntary active vital principle acting in relation to nutritive material for organic constructive purpose, and for the elimination of normal waste and worn-out tissues. We shall define pathological action to be vital action acting in relation to surplus nutritive material not of possible use at the time, and to foreign material.

Physiological action and pathological action are both made operative by the active vital property, instinct, exercised for unlike purposes. There is a dividing line of fact distinction, and there should be a dividing line in ideal distinction; and such distinction should be recognized as among the primary principles which may enable us to solve more complex problems.

In accordance with the other plan, — the accepted plan, on which theories are based, — it is recorded in current and approved medical literature that agencies not vital may execute, and " act physiologically " as well as pathologically. Thus there is a great distinction between the fundamental premises of the two alleged plans for the development of a medical education.

All readers of medical journals are frequently informed that "Dr. Blank has discovered a new isomeric compound, of which it seems that the differently placed atomic radicals may account for the creation of that new active principle which enables such chemical compound to act physiologically." This is not a stray isolated paragraph ; such paragraphs are abundant; and such "discoveries " have been more frequent of late years, as every reputable medical journal will bear witness.