Excerpt from A Friend in Need: A Household Guide in Health and in DiseaseThat much of the suffering of mankind is but the penalty imposed for violations of organic law, is a truth with which all intelligent students of nature are familiar, and even the careless observer must, in many of his af¿ictions, recognize the relation between cause and effect. The problem of life is insoluble, and many of the mysterious in¿uences which shape the end of man must ever remain past understanding. With the progress of science, however, many truths have been revealed, and numberless fancies and prejudices, born of'ignorance and superstition, 'have been dissipated. Scientific research and'analogical reasoning have Shown many ancient theories to be untenable, and opened avenues which, when explored, must lead to a clearer understanding of the inner workings of life) The diffusion of knowledge, of late years, has been rapid and widespread, few indeed can now be found 'to Sustain' the once popular theorv that disease is a special dispensation, or the expressron' of an offended Deity. A better understanding of N at'ure's manifestations, and of man's inherent powers and responsibilities, has taught us that to avert epidemics we must depend upon our own efforts and sanitary precautions, rather than upon fasting and prayer. To the human constitution a natural period of existence has been given, man from the begrnning of his being is subject to the ordinary laws of Nature. He is endowed with those qualities essential to the sustenance of self, in the usual experiences of life, and, while'ever subordinate to the 'divine Will, be yet exists independently as it were, under the domain of his own intellect. He is, in a measure, physically as well as mentally, the arbiter of his destiny. As his. Mind expands, so may his body grow in strength, perfecting development and acquiring a higher degreeof vitality, Which makes it more powerful to resist those accidental infirmities to Which all are liable. The physical structure of man may, not improperly.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.