Philosophy of Health and Illness

The root meaning of the word health is wholeness. Health comes from the same Anglo-Saxon root that gives us whole, hale & holy.

Cure and care come from the same Latin root meaning to take care of.

The word medicine comes from the Latin medicina which derives from an ancient Indo-European root also giving us the words remedy, meditate and measure.

The concept of health equating to wholeness and balance is common in many cultures and at many times in history (ref. handout on Greek Physicians). Wholeness implies completion, with all components in a harmonious arrangement or balance.

In many religions, health and holiness are connected. Native American medicine men are also religious leaders; they treat spiritual and physical ailments at one and the same time. The medicine wheel is the basis of tribal health and the circle is a universal symbol of wholeness and perfection.

At the end of his life, the great Native American medicine man Black Elk said:

‘You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles and tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation, and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living centre of the hoop and the circle of the four quarters nourished itÉ Everything the power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our tepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nations hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.’

Black Elk lamented his people’s banishment to the square US government built houses of the reservations: ‘It’s a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square’

The shaman of tribal peoples in northern Asia and the Americas are the doctors of bodies, souls and situations, dealing with matters as diverse as illness, missing objects and crop failure.

In many religions and cultures health and illness, goodness and evil are viewed as necessary aspects of the whole:

‘I am the Lord and there is no-one else. I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I am the lord that do all these things.’ The Old Testament

The idea that wholeness and perfection result from accepting the negative aspects of existence, even sickness and death, is a powerful line of thought running through many systems of practical magic and esoteric philosophy.

For example, the yin-yang symbol of Taoism graphically expresses the truth of perfection attained by integration of complementary opposites. In the Western tradition, a similar symbol is the caduceus or wand of Hermes, the winged staff with its intertwined snakes.

Hermes is the messenger of the gods, the conductor of souls through the underworld. The two snakes at the top of the wand spitting at one another represent the light and dark, good and evil dualities. They form the figure 8 which represents infinity. The wand itself intersects the midpoint of the sign of infinity – this is the point of balance, the perfect union of forces.

Medicine, religion and magic are rooted in similar ideas but we today in the West have become more disconnected from the latter of these whilst placing great value on technological science. In our culture we have narrowed our view to the physical and material aspects of illness only.

Andrew Weil MD, in his book ‘Health & Healing’, suggests 10 principles of health & illness:

1. Perfect health is not attainable
   Change is necessary in life. Periods of breakdown in equilibrium are periods of relative illness between peaks of relative health. Relative illness can be very minor – an off day. Women in particular may recognise a cyclical pattern to well-being.
2. It is alright to be sick
   Seeing sickness as a self-inflicted misfortune does not complement the idea that illness is the necessary complement to health nor does it help people deal with the practical problems of being sick. It is natural to want to reduce the suffering caused by sickness but we must not view it as any sort of statement about our worth as human beings. Anger and guilt about falling sick not only go together with impossible dreams about attaining perfect health, they also interfere with the process of reaching a new equilibrium.
3. The body has innate healing abilities
   Healing comes from inside, not outside. It is the body’s natural attempt to restore equilibrium when it is lost. Healing can be blocked or obstructed, but it cannot be obtained from anything or anyone external. Medicines and healers can sometimes catalyse a healing response or remove obstructions to it, but they cannot give you what you already have.
4. Agents of disease are not causes of disease
   Germs are agents of disease. They directly produce the immediate symptoms in certain conditions e.g. the influenza virus can inflame the lining of the bronchial tubes causing irritation and a reflex cough. But not everyone who meets up with ‘flu viruses gets flu. The individual’s general state of health is a major factor.
5. All illness is psychosomatic
   Psychosomatic simply means ‘mind-body’; it is a word that has been muddied by years of wrong usage. It does not mean that an illness is unreal or not physical. To say that all illness is psychosomatic is to say only that it has both physical and mental components. This is not to say that the physical components are directly caused by the mind – this is ‘psychogenic’. This fact must influence therapeutic strategies in managing disease.
6. Subtle manifestations of illness precede gross ones
   “Solve the small problem before it becomes big.The most involved fact in the world,could have been faced when it was simple.The biggest problem in the world,could have been solved when it was small.”

   Lao-tzu
   The earlier a medical problem is noted and treated the less stubborn it will be. Unless we learn to notice and respond to early, subtle stages of illness, we will continue to be dependent on extremely interventionist measures.

7. Everybody is different
   Variations in anatomy and physiology are as great as our different external physical appearances. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” As a generalisation, the universal treatment or the perfect system of medicine is as much a fantasy as the perfect diet.
8. Everybody has a weak point
   It is useful to know these points because they tend to register stresses and give us early warnings of impending breakdowns of health.
9. Blood is the principle carrier of healing energy
   Most injuries will heal in a healthy individual, especially in blood rich tissues e.g. scalp. A healthy circulatory system is one of the keystone’s of the body’s healing system. One of the most effective ways to promote healing is to increase the amount of blood reaching an ailing part of the body.
10. Proper breathing is the key to good health
    Many philosophers equate breath with spirit, believing that life begins with the first breath and ends with the last. Proper breathing and working with breath are simple ways to promote health and well-being.

THE ESSENTIALS OF HEALTH
At the level of the organism, health depends on the efficiency of three factors:

Nutrition
This concept should not simply be restricted to the intake of appropriate foods, but in addition, adequate nutrition of the individual cells of each tissue must be considered. There must be:

• Intake of adequate food.
• Efficient digestion of the ingested food.
• Proper absorption of the nutrients released by digestion.
• Effective carriage and distribution of nutrients to the tissues by blood and lymph.
• Efficient uptake of the nutrients by the individual cells.

Plant medicines can be used to supplement a good diet in the case of actual deficiency. Nettles for example contains many minerals, especially iron. Mullein and kelp are also highly nutritive. If foods are not being properly absorbed then slippery elm or marshmallow root will repair a damaged digestive tract. If low stomach acidity is the problem (leading to poor breakdown of foods in the stomach) then bitters such as gentian and hops are helpful.

Circulatory stimulants such as ginger and capsicum will ensure there is a good and even blood supply to all the tissues and organs.

Elimination or drainage of wastes
Efficient elimination of waste products, irritants and toxins via the kidneys, skin, lungs and large bowel is dependent on the following factors:

• Adequate supply of alkaline mineral elements necessary for the proper drainage of wastes which are usually acid in reaction.
• An efficient blood and lymph flow.
• Efficient functioning of the liver which is largely responsible for breaking down toxic substances.
• Efficient activity of the spleen and lymph glands which are responsible for the removal of foreign particles including bacteria.
• Proper functioning of the excretory organs themselves.

The herb meadowsweet is useful for reducing general acidity because it contains many alkali minerals including iron, calcium, sodium and magnesium. It is important to drink enough fluid (not tea and coffee which increase urinary output) to aid elimination via the kidneys. Herbs such as nettle will increase the excretion of certain waste products e.g. uric acid, via the kidneys.

Herbs that act on the liver are known as hepatics. Amongst other actions, they may increase the flow of bile from the gall bladder into the duodenum (cholagogues), increase the flow of bile by the liver (choleretics) or both. This not only reduces the likelihood of gallstone formation and liver congestion, but also improves bowel elimination. Dandelion root is a perfect example.

Diaphoretics bring increased perspiration and hence elimination via the skin. Some examples are yarrow and limeflowers.

Lung function can be improved where there is much catarrh by the use of expectorants e.g. white horehound and elecampane. The latter will also relieve bronchial spasm.

Lymphatic stimulants such as Echinacea and clivers (goose grass) help to improve lymphatic circulation and improve functioning of the lymph nodes.

Nervous control and co-ordination
Efficient innervation depends on:

• The proper integration of the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
• The integration of the nervous system and the endocrine (hormonal) system.
• A positive state of mind.
• Adequate nutrition of all the nervous tissue.

Herbal medicine can help to relax and uplift as required. Herbs such as valerian help to calm down the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the flight or fight response which is overstimulated in many individuals. Plants such as St. John’s Wort will lift the spirits in some cases of depression and help to nourish and rebalance the nervous system.

Maintenance of health depends on:

1. An adequate supply of oxygen. Nervous tension often leads to poor breathing creating extra problems.
2. An adequate and balanced supply of fresh, preferably organic whole foods.
3. A supply of clean water.
4. Regular and appropriate exercise which results in suppleness, strength and stamina.
5. A contented and positive state of mind.
6. Good elimination via the bowel and kidneys.

THE CAUSES OF DISEASE

Predisposing causes

• Lowered vitality due to fatigue, excess of any kind, worries and anxiety etc.
• Faulty nutrition.
• Accumulation of waste products can be due to overeating, drugs, food additives, pesticides and sprays used on food, abnormal cellular function.
• Inherited sensitivities and predispositions.
• Occupational factors e.g. inhalation of fume and dusts, poisoning with toxic metals etc.
• Radioactivity.

Exciting Causes

• Weather conditions.
• Impure water supplies.
• Trauma.
• Infections.

Acute Disease
The disease has a short, sharp course and is really the expression of a sudden self-healing reaction on the part of the individual against harmful external or internal agents. The reaction may not always be successful, e.g. if one swallows a deadly poison, which despite acute vomiting and diarrhoea, overwhelms the person. Normally, however, the problem is self-limiting and the person returns to a better state of health than before the illness.

Rest, a light diet and as little interference as possible are usually enough. Suppression of acute disease may lead to chronic disease at a later stage.

CHRONIC DISEASE
This refers to a disease of long duration and slow progress. It is usually deep-rooted and a result of either inherited susceptibility, neglect, suppression or improper treatment of a previous acute disease or long-continued unhealthy habits.

The organism attempts to restore normality by constant or spasmodic efforts at elimination e.g. cough, expectoration of catarrh, skin eruptions, diarrhoea. These eliminative efforts are usually suppressed although this can lead to even further troubles.

In such a case, profound changes may be required of the person to diet, exercise and mental attitude. Herbs to assist the body’s eliminative functions are used to help the body heal itself.

Disease is not an entity; it is not something one has. It is rather a condition in which the normal energy flow within the psycho-physical individual is blocked and functioning disrupted. Thus each disease state is unique to each individual.
It is essential to consider the individual rather than the disease.

It is necessary therefore to know as much about the individual as possible. This is where taking a case history is important. This will enable treatment to be aimed at raising the person’s vitality and eradicating the cause of disease rather than suppressing symptoms. In this way the patient can become ‘whole’ again.

The following are questions you might ask a friend or family member that you are treating with herbal medicine. This in no way is a substitute for a proper consultation with a qualified health care practitioner, but may help to shed more light on a health problem and help treatment.

• What symptoms does the person currently have?
• How long has the person had the problem?
• Did the problem start suddenly or slowly?
• What was happening in the person’s life when the problem started?
• Is there anything that helps or worsens the problem?
• Has the person any other serious or significant health problems?
• What is their diet like?
• Do they exercise, smoke, drink alcohol, take other drugs including prescribed medication, take supplements?
• Are there any major sources of stress in their lives and how do they handle this? How do they relax and unwind?