Newsletter v1n24

"In the end, doctors will have more lives to answer for than even we generals." Napoleon Bonaparte

The DOCTOR YOURSELF (SM) NEWSLETTER Vol 1, No 24 October 10, 2001 "Free of charge, free of advertising, and free of the A.M.A." Written by Andrew Saul, PhD. of http://www.doctoryourself.com , a free online library of more than 250 natural healing articles with nearly 4,000 scientific references.

TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DOCTOR INTO A NATUROPATH 1. Pick a workable doctor. How do you know if a doctor is workable? Interview them. I screen any physician I am thinking of consulting with. Since there may be a charge for this "initial consultation," I carry this out by asking the office manager, nurse or assistant to please relay these three questions to the doctor:

First: "I take vitamin supplements. How do you feel about that?"

Second: "I feel that my doctor should work with me, but that I am in charge of my health. Is this compatible with your philosophy of care?"

Third: "I choose to decline immunizations. Are you willing to accept this viewpoint?"

If the doctor agrees to all three position statements, you are in business. If not, keep looking. Be prepared to spend some time on this process. It pays off.

2. Not all doctors that openly promote themselves as "holistic," "alternative" or "complimentary" will be as advertised. Lip-service to a natural philosophy is not the same as actually prescribing a fast for obesity or treating bronchitis with vitamin C. Hiring a doctor requires an in-depth evaluation which only personal experience can provide. Word of mouth is a way to capitalize on others' experience with this doctor. Ask around.

3. Make it easy for your doctor: Stay healthy. Eat right. Do not smoke. Avoid alcohol. No illegal drugs. Diet if you need to. Keep fit. Show that you take care of yourself. As you brush your teeth before visiting the dentist, present as healthy a body as possible when you visit the doctor.

4. Do your homework. Prepare your case before you go in for an office visit. Look up your ailment in the Merck Manual. You will there learn what the conventional medical approach to such an illness is. Then read up on the alternatives. I have reviewed 50 of the best natural health books at http://www.doctoryourself.com There is no substitute for being well informed.

5. If you need a diagnosis, get one. Be responsible. Use technology. Listen to what your doctor has to say, but do not DO it until you complete step 4, above.

6. Use the "suggestive selling" technique. Suggest a natural alternative to any medical treatment you may be offered. Or, instead of an either-or choice, suggest "both." Know what you want and see that you get it.

7. Look at your situation from the doctor's perspective. If you were legally bound and professionally constrained to the extent that most physicians are, how would you react to a know-it-all upstart patient that marched in to your office and began to dictate terms? To avoid a defensive physician, avoid backing your doctor into any corners. Instead, bring along materials written by other physicians who treat naturally. These may be in the form of journal papers, published treatment plans (protocols), excerpts from books, and highlighted articles. If such-and-such a doctor already does it successfully, it takes the pressure off your doctor in trying it with you. Ask for a "therapeutic trial."

8. Try the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" approach: Offer to sign a paper stating that you will not sue the doctor if the natural treatment you request is not successful. At the same time, subtly point out that a patient could sue if the doctor refused a patient's natural treatment request.

9. Half a pie is always better than none. Your doctor does not have to meet you 100% on every issue. It is generally sufficient to hear any of the following phrases, which commonly indicate an open-minded physician:

"Vitamins aren't likely to do you any harm." "I've heard of more and more people doing this." "I attended a seminar on this recently." "Let's try it." "Let me know how this works out for you." "I told my other patients about it."

10. Doctors love to be told that "their" therapy is successful. Provide your doctor with maximum positive feedback and, whenever appropriate, tell him/her that you are feeling great. You are likely to be rewarded with, "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it." That is the sweet sound of self-reliant success.

A TRIBUTE TO EMANUEL CHERASKIN, M.D., D.M.D. (1916-2001) Emanuel Cheraskin, M.D., D.M.D., devoted more than 50 years of his life to natural health practice, research, and education. In doing so, he has greatly elevated all the healing professions. He has been my inspiration for nearly 20 years now. I am most grateful for his enormous contribution to nutritional science, and also for his great kindness to me personally. I have found tremendous practical value in his writings, as have countless hundreds of thousands of his readers.

Dr Cheraskin received his M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1943. For two years, he served as a Captain in the Medical Corps of the United States Army. After the war, Dr Cheraskin attended the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, receiving his D.M.D. in 1952. He was Professor and Chairman, Department of Oral Medicine, University of Alabama School of Dentistry, until his "retirement" in 1979. I put quotes around "retirement" because of the large number of books and papers Dr Cheraskin authored since that date. He received honorary doctorates and appointments too numerous to mention, including those from England, Bolivia, Guatamala, Paraguay, China, Brazil, and Italy. Dr Cheraskin was board certified in Oral Medicine, a member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Oral Medicine, and at the same time a key member in holistic health organizations nationwide.

Many of his papers, and reviews of some of his books, have been posted for public access.

Vitamin C: Who Needs It? is reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v1n17.txt The Vitamin C Connection and Psychodietetics are reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/bestbooks.html Full-text articles by Dr. Cheraskin are posted at http://www.doctoryourself.com/antioxidants.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/cheraskin_fatigue.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/toothbrush.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/cheraskin_alternative.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/cheraskin_naturopath.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/pollution.html

I think the best remembrance we can offer Dr. Cheraskin is to personally read his work and then redouble our efforts to share his knowledge with a public that so sorely needs it. The complete bibliography of his many books and hundreds of scientific articles is posted at http://doctoryourself.com/biblio_cheraskin.html and at http://doctoryourself.com/books_cheraskin.html

It is because of Dr Cheraskin's work that so many, many people have been encouraged to learn about and take vitamins, improve their diet, and thereby improve their lives. We will always be indebted to this great man.

MOTION SICKNESS? Try some in-flight KALI. PHOS. (Kali Phosphoricum). This homeopathic mineral preparation, also known as a Schuessler Cell Salt, is the greatest anti-nausea remedy on or off the Earth. When I learned to fly, I "decorated" many an aircraft. To non-pilots, that means I puked during practically every flight lesson. When you vomit in a two-place trainer with a cabin about 36 inches wide (mostly occupied by a 260-pound instructor and a pile of charts), there is no room for decorum. So you push open the window, lean out, and let it go. Not to worry the folks below: Even in summer the outside air temperature at altitude is quite cold, and the slipstream over an airplane's aluminum sides makes it colder still. Consequently, the propwash throws your lost lunch right onto the fuselage, where it immediately freezes. Upon landing, you can be sure that all the idlers at the airport will mosey over to admire the nauseating mural you have created. No two are quite alike.

Ever since I've taken Kali Phos before (and perhaps during) a flight, I have not repeated the spectacle.

Kali Phos is great for kids, cheap, non-prescription, and without side effects. It is available at most health food stores and many homeopathic internet sites. Try a 6X potency and see how it well it works next time you take off.

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING Chronic, itchy, slow-to-heal scaly sores under your scalp can be surprisingly stubborn. I had this problem myself, and asked a general practitioner about it. He prescribed not one but two antibiotics (one topical, one oral) to kill bacteria or fungus that he felt were the cause. I said, no, that would be antibiotic overkill comparable to using nuclear weapons to kill flies at a picnic. So he suggested selenium shampoos of the "Selsun Blue" variety. That I tried, and the response was minimal at best. Then I decided to think it over, like a natural health nut should, and I came up with my own therapeutic trial: do nothing. No antibiotics, no fancy shampoos... in fact, NO SHAMPOOING. I changed my routine from a daily shampoo to a once-a-week shampooing. No, I did not look like Robinson Crusoe. But the scalp problem resolved itself and has not returned. I have since discussed this with others and they concur: we Yankees overdo the shampoo. So try giving your scalp a rest.

TWO GALLONS OF DIGESTIVE JUICES?? You betcha. Your body secretes well over 2 GALLONS (about 8.2 liters) EVERY DAY. Considering that your total blood volume is only about 5 liters (10 pints or so), that is a lot of fluid for one body. We may fear bleeding to death, but it is our water-recycling large intestine that keeps us from SECRETING to death.

Reference: Volume of Digestive Secretions (Williams, Nutrition and Diet Therapy, 6th edition, p 329, table 11-3.)

THIS WEEK'S REASON TO BECOME (MORE OF) A VEGETARIAN: Whenever I mention in a lecture that folks drink cow breast milk, they wig out. Then, for an encore, we talk about eating the muscles of dead animals. I delight in telling them the anatomical names of the specific muscles they munch from their pig, chicken or cow. It's a lot of fun. Try it at your next family gathering or class reunion. You will not be invited to many more, but what a way to go.

MAKE YOUR OWN NATURAL HOME FIRST AID KIT Have you wondered what the DoctorYourself guy doctors himself with? Here's a peek inside my "medicine" cabinet.

(Brand names are included for recognition purposes only; substitute generic products wherever possible. It is assumed that you will also intelligently stock the usual, conventional first-aid items, and they therefore are not listed here. For information on why and how to use each of the items below, please do a search at http://www.doctoryourself.com , from the box right at the top of the main page.)

"Butterfly"- style bandages, package of 10 ("Band-Aid"/Johnson and Johnson) . For deeper cuts and lacerations.

Black drawing salve ("Ichthamol") For slivers and simple pus-forming lesions.

Tincture of iodine (Caution: this is rarely sold with child-proof caps, so keep it up high and out of sight of children.) Antiseptic for deeper cuts, and as a topical skin fungicide.

Topical lidocaine 4% or stronger ("Skeeter Stik") Anesthetic and insect bite treatment.

Calcium ascorbate (buffered vitamin C) powder, one pound. For topical use on inflammation of skin and gums.

16% salicylic acid/lactic acid topical wart treatment ("DuoFilm") Use with caution and keep out of the reach of children.

Hydrogen peroxide. For topical use as an antiseptic, and for gums.

Vitamin E capsules (plus one large, brightly-colored safety pin as an "opener") For topical use on scrapes, burns and cuts.

Niacin, 100 mg scored tablets. 25 to 50 mg as a sleep aid.

Camphor-menthol-eucalyptus rub ("Vicks Vapo-Rub") For congestion.

Allantoin skin cream ("Udderly Smooth Udder Cream") For contact dermatitis and simple skin itching, dryness, and rashes.

HARDWARE: High-quality eyebrow tweezers

Three-inch hard rubber ball

Ayurvedic solid copper cup

Dental mirror (cheap plastic is OK)

HOMEOPATHICS: Buy a standard homeopathic first aid kit, containing about 20 of the most common remedies. Such a set is available without prescription from any homeopathic pharmacist or internet source. In my opinion, you should be sure it includes aconite, apis mel, arnica, belladonna, chammomilla, nux vom, and sepia.

Also have on hand one bottle each of the twelve individual Dr. Schuessler Cell Salts in 6X potency (available as above, and at most health food stores) You will probably use Kali Phos, Calc Phos, Mag Phos, Kali Mur, Ferrum Phos and Silicea the most.

(The best instructions for effective use of the cell salts may be found in The Biochemic Handbook by JB Chapman MD and Edward L Perry MD. A reader tells me the latest version is 1994 and available from both www.amazon.com and from http://www.consumerhealthbooks.com/ctlg/1993.html )

HERBS: Purchase: dried coltsfoot herb, quarter pound. For coughs.

Grow in your living room window: Aloe vera. For burns, rashes and scrapes.

Grow these in your garden: Echinacea (purple cone flower) roots. For colds, flu, infection and inflammation. Comfrey root. As a decoction (boiled and cooled tea); used on gums. Hypericum (St. John's Wort) flowers, stems. For liniment. Calendula flowers. For liniment.

If you would like me to address any particular item or topic mentioned above in more depth, please let me know at doctoryourself.com/contact.html

READERS SAY: After I had my third heart attack, I was told by my cardiologist that two of my four bypassed arteries were completely blocked and a third was 70% blocked. He also told me that the two blocked grafts were inoperable. I am 55 years old. I was about to resign to the fact that I would soon be dead when I started reading about Linus Pauling's studies. I started taking mega doses of Vitamin C and L-lysine and my health improved within days. I have been on your site almost daily for the past three months reading and learning about vitamins.

I am now very active and have had no angina since the very start. When I started taking the vitamins I was on several heart medications including nitro pills. I am now only on the vitamins and feeling great. I want every body to know that this really works. Jeff Fenlason

(A fine presentation on why vitamin C works against heart disease is posted at http://internetwks.com/pauling/mortality.html Thank you, Jeff.)

COMING NEXT ISSUE: STREP THROAT JUICING HINTS: Comical but Practical Ideas for Health Nuts Jennifer Daniels, M.D., talks about ARTHRITIS Are Your Getting too much PHOSPHOROUS? And MORE, OF COURSE!

Newsletter Ideas? To submit a question or suggest a topic for the newsletter, email me at doctoryourself.com/contact.html

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This newsletter is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision.

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Copyright c 2001 and prior years Andrew W. Saul Permission to reproduce single copies of this newsletter FOR NON-COMMERCIAL, PERSONAL USE ONLY is hereby granted providing no alteration of content is made and authorship credit is given.