Edgar Cayce Readings, 4474-1

Time and Place: Unknown. ..., Ky.

TEXT

(?): Go over her body and tell us what her trouble is, if any?
EC: Yes, we have troubles all through the whole system, more or less. There are quite a few troubles and quite a few reflex conditions. Some are localized, others purely reflex. The trouble with this body is principally in the intestinal tract, in fact, all below the stomach. We have had a choking up of the intestinal tract and a sluggish condition of the peristaltic movement into the intestine, along with the pancreas and extending clear through.
This condition has brought about all sorts of reflex troubles. This trouble was primarily caused or in the beginning caused by this sluggish condition of the liver and pancreas and glands of the intestinal tract. We have a lack of juices here to carry off the contents of the bowel tract and allowed this choking up here. As a result of which, we have this condition in the system. Then through reflex action or through the sympathetic nervous system we have inflammation kept up. The glands on the inside have been irritated as a result of this choked up condition. They do not throw off the excreta as they should or they do not work.
We have this trouble in the intestinal tract associated with pains in the bowels, in consequence of this lack of secretion. In fact, causes pains through the whole system; makes her sick and tired all over; she wants to lie down, cannot go.
These conditions produce to the nervous system this effect or unstable condition that we have in this patient, as a result of this intestinal trouble. This, of course, produced through the lower part of the intestinal tract, through nature's effort to throw off the waste, this catarrhal inflammation which was reverted to the opposite pole or to the spine, as a result of the irritation of the capillaries in the intestine; in other words, the reaction from the irritation.
We have inflammation and soreness, at times considerable pain, along with mucous as this sloughs off through the intestinal tract, that we see here. The pain in the right side, running around to the back, we find irritation at the ninth, tenth and eleventh dorsal vertebrae. These nerves are irritated in the intestinal tract as a result of this irritation and inflammation of this catarrhal character.
We have, also, through the sympathetics, pains reverted to the different nerve plexus and different parts of the body, also, reflex pains to the muscles of the legs, to the locomotory muscles; this just comes at times. Then after one of these spells the system reacts and is better off and it throws off the waste, it passes out and then we find relief.
This trouble occupies the colon, principally but is also reverted to the small intestine.
TREATMENT: Give as much water as possible for this system to take in; flush the intestinal tract, hot water, as hot as she can take. External heat until we can produce an absorption from external irritation, also, keep the intestinal tract clear; watch the food; tone up the stomach, then the pancreas will throw out its juices into the system, also, the bile from the liver, as a result of which, the system will react.
Get more water into the system then these nerves will relax. Relax externally and internally; stimulate the nerve centers along the spine, into the back, until we have nature to reassert itself. Light diet and as much exercise as the body can stand. Do not let it be dormant and take treatments both internally and externally for this catarrhal condition of the intestinal tract. We will stimulate the nerve centers in the spine by electricity or manipulation, not too much electricity or too much stimulation as the reaction would be too great. Use plenty of heat, relax this stiffened condition, get more life into it, into the tissues. They are not dead just do not work, lie in a dormant state, so to speak.
If we over stimulate the nervous system we will have severe pains in the back and it may irritate the kidneys. Be sure and cleanse the system with plenty of water inside and a mild laxative to stimulate the pancreas and liver to help to eliminate and not absorb this excreta back into the system, also, stimulate perspiration so as to help eliminate externally and internally.
[GD's note: The paragraphs below are another stenographer's version of the above reading.] [Paragraph numbering is sequential for purposes of indexing.]
(?): You are now asleep and will be able to tell us what we want to know. You have before you Miss [4474], who is in the room with you. She is before you now.
EC: Miss [4474].
(?): Yes, she is before you now, you will see her.
EC: Yes we have her here.
(?): Alright now I want you to go over her carefully, examine her thoroughly and tell me what is the matter, if anything.
EC: Yes, we have troubles all through the whole system, more or less. A good many troubles from reflex conditions and some localized troubles, through the intestinal tract, just below the stomach and close to the liver. We have had a choking up of the intestinal tract just below where the pancreas empties here that has produced the condition in the system of fever, produced from the condition of the liver not from the condition here. We have a backing of the juices here that should be carried off, allows this choking up here, that has produced the conditions we have had in the system. Then the reflex action on these conditions keep this trouble as it were until we have inflammation produced in the typhoid [thymus?] glands. Then the state where they lie dormant, do not secrete, do not throw off this condition here. Within themselves then we have they do not work. They do not assist in carrying the secretions along through the intestinal tract as we carry this secretion or this mucous along the inside coat of the intestinal tract; it should assist but we have it dormant and the reflex from this condition causes pains through the whole system, makes her sick and tired. She wants to lie down, cannot go. Conditions produced on the nervous system from the condition we have existing here. One system acting on the body from this condition produces that from the nervous system, from reflex actions, you see.
Then, of course, that produces along through the lower part of the system. We have some produced from the same effect choking up in any of the system produces inflammation on the opposite pole to the kidney, inflammation not enough to produce fever all the time. This produced from the glands leading out from the pancreas. We have the same effect produced along the capillaries as such a reaction from these forces.
(Q) Any trouble with the appendix?
(A) Inflammation produced down lower. We have inflammation and soreness through the intestinal tract, you see.
(Q) What causes the pains around the right side, running around to the back?
(A) Reduce inflammation in the system here from the typhus [thymus?] glands and we have a state of inflammation or torpidity of them and they do not throw it out and this produces a state of soreness, of pains in the system. Take at the eleventh dorsal now, we have the pains coming around from the outside and they come in, take at the ninth, tenth and eleventh dorsal, produce pains along the spine; that is reflex from the sympathetic condition of the plexus here. We have the same thing here, we have reflex pains here to the locomotory, just at times. Then we have it better because the system exercises itself, throws out something, passes it out further, then we have some relief.
(Q) What treatment would you suggest to relieve this?
(A) Keep as much water as possible into the system and heat the system just as hot as we can get it, externally, until we can produce an absorbant from the external system. Then we will have to keep the intestinal tract, the digestion good, then the pancreas will throw out the juices into the system to act on the kidney and liver at the same time. Then produce hot water, just as much as you can take until we secrete or produce perspiration on top, that will relax this condition.
Relax as much as possible externally, then something to heal it. Something for the intestinal tract, stimulate the nerve center along here and make nature supply itself back to nature. We, also need light diet and as much exercise as the body can stand but do not make it dormant. Take these treatments, external and internal, for the intestinal tract.
(Q) What kind of external treatment besides the hot water?
(A) Stimulation for the nerve centers along here, by electricity or manipulation. Not too much electricity, or we will have an over stimulation from the effect of the other. Hot water allows it to expand. Relax this stiffened condition for it is not dead; does not work, lies in a dormant state. When we relax this condition, over stimulate the nerve centers and we have pains in the back and trouble with the kidneys.
(Q) What treatment, internal, would you suggest?
(A) Cleanse the system, put plenty of water inside. Then we want something to assist these to carry out the trouble, to relax the condition, to carry it along the tract. Stimulation to the pancreas and liver to act to carry out these forces from it. Eliminate it, do not absorb it. Take it out through perspiration, from acting on it internally.

BACKGROUND

GD's note: 4474-1 contains two versions of the same reading taken by two different stenographers. See 4474-1 Par. R1 for W. H. Ketchum's version, with his background comments and report on the case.

REPORTS

10/11/11 Dr. W. H. Ketchum's report before the American Association for Clinical Research, Boston, Mass. [For complete report on all cases he used, See 3502-1, Reports.]:
Case #3 - Miss C. P. [4474] Age 40 yrs.
Had an attack of appendicitis in June 1906. She refused to have an operation. Abscess formed and burst into the bowel tract, then operation was advised again but to no avail. She was bedridden most of the time, was willing to have any treatment except operation which seemed to be the only chance for relief. She complained of pain in her spine more than any other part of her body. The following reading was given November 17th, 1910:
Go over her body carefully and tell us what the trouble is, if anything. "Yes - we have troubles throughout the whole system. There are quite a few troubles and many reflex conditions. Some are localized, others purely reflex. The trouble with this body is principally with the intestinal tract, in fact all below the stomach. We have a choking up of the intestinal tract and a sluggish condition of the peristaltic movement of the intestine, beginning here where the liver empties into the intestine, along with the pancreas, and extending clear through. This condition has brought about all sorts of reflex troubles. This trouble was primarily caused, or in the beginning caused by this sluggish condition of the liver and pancreas and glands of the intestinal tract. We have a lack of juices here to carry off the contents of the bowel tract and allowed this choking up here, as a result of which we have this condition in the system. Then through reflex action or through the sympathetic nervous system we have inflammation kept up. The glands on the inside have been irritated as a result of this choked up condition. They do not throw off the extreta as they should, or they do not work. We have this trouble in the intestinal tract associated with pains in the bowels, in consequence of this lack of secretion. In fact, causes pains through the whole system; makes her sick and tired all over; she wants to lie down all the time, cannot go. These conditions produced to the nervous system this unstable condition that we have in this patient. As a result of this intestinal trouble we have produced through this lower part of the intestinal tract, through nature's effort to throw off waste this catarrhal inflammation which has reverted to the opposite pole, or to the spine as a result of the irritation of the capillaries in the intestine. In other words the reaction from the irritation. We have the inflammation and soreness along with considerable pain, especially when this mucous sloughs off through the intestinal tract, that we see here. The pain here in the right side also is referred around to the back and we have irritation and tenderness at the ninth, tenth and eleventh dorsal vertebrae. This comes as a result of this catarrhal inflammation in the lower bowel tract. We have also through the sympathetics, pains referred to the different nerve plexuses in different parts of the body. We have also, pains extending into the locomotor muscles of the legs, especially the right one. This comes only when this irritation is aggravated, then after these spells pass away the system reacts for awhile as it has thrown off this waste. It passes out, then we find relief. This trouble occupies the colon principally, but is also reverted to the small intestine.
"Treatment - first, give as much pure water as it is possible for this body to take in. Also, flush the intestinal tract locally with water, as hot as she can take. Do this frequently and keep it up. Use external heat also, up to the point of irritation, until we can produce an absorption. Also, keep the intestinal tract clear. Watch the food carefully. Tone up the stomach. Then the liver and pancreas will act better. As a result of which the whole system will react. It is necessary to get more water into this body, then those nerves will relax. Light diet and as much exercise as this body can stand. Do not let it be dormant but take treatments both internally and externally for this catarrhal condition in the intestinal tract. We will then stimulate the nerve centers that are affected in the spine with Sinusoidal Electricity, both in the dorsal and sacral regions. Not too much electricity or the reaction would be too great. Relax this stiffened condition of the muscles, get more life into them, also into the tissues. They are not dead - just do not work and lie in a dormant state. Now, if we over stimulate the nervous system in this body, we will have severe pains in the back and it may irritate the kidneys. Be sure and cleanse the system with plenty of water, and mild laxative as needed to stimulate the secretions in the bowel tract, so as not to absorb this excreta back into the system again. Also stimulate perspiration so as to eliminate externally as well as internally."
After going over the description thoroughly I decided to follow details to the letter. The Sinusoidal treatment to the spine referred to me was entirely new to me, as to its merits or mode of application except as he dictated until January 1st, 1911 when I procured a copy of Abram's Spondylotherapy [Kellog's electrical treatment]. After referring to it I could easily see why it had merit, when Time demonstrated in this case. After eight months treatment, patient was recovered entirely and all her bodily functions are normal, the first time in years. A copy of the patients statement I shall present to you under separate cover.