Neurasthenia - Written about in 1912

Hello All,

This will be a bit to read, but I found it quite interesting. It's about the disease Neurasthenia, that is similar to Chronic Fatigue Sydrome, that we are more familiar with today. People began suffering with this affliction in the late 1800's and part of their problems were heart arrhythmias, which isn't what they called it at the time. They also tied it into digestion problems, as you will read. Keep in mind when reading, that part of the solution was drinking milk, of which wasn't being pastuerized at that time. That began in the 1920's and apparently what a mistake that was. I will post some links about raw dairy, as well. Another remedy was raw eggs, but from what I've read, it's better to eat eggs, at least partially cooked with the yolk still runny. That's a personal preference, however, providing you get eggs from an organic, clean and reputable source. So read on for some excerpts and then go to the link if you're interested in reading the entire story for the other symptons and suggested remedies:

The following commentary on neurasthenia is a section from a book entitled, "A Handbook of Practical Treatment" edited by John H. Musser, M.D. and O. A. Kelly, M.D. which was published in 1912.

The somatic symptoms of neurasthenia, like the other symptoms thus far detailed, present as their essential characteristics ready exhaustion. Thus we have, as the cardinal symptoms of the indigestion of neurasthenia, atony, delay, and enfeeblement. The disturbances of digestion may be intestinal as well as gastric, while constipation is almost the rule. Secondary symptoms are, of course, present here as well as elsewhere. The indigestion may become so pronounced as to lead to the production of a secondary gastric catarrh. On the other hand, the nervous weakness may manifest itself not so much by atonicity of the bowel -- that is, constipation -- as by looseness, and the patient may not infrequently present the symptoms of sudden and precipitate bowel movements, accompanied by sudden faintness and prostration.

The disturbances of the circulatory apparatus consist in modification of the force and rhythm of the heart's action, in the character and frequency of the pulse, and in more or less marked alterations of vasomotor tonus. Perhaps the most striking, if not indeed the most common, symptom of circulatory disturbance is palpitation of the heart. While frequently associated with digestive disturbances, it is by no means dependent upon the latter, and frequently comes spontaneously. We note also coldness of the hands and feet. Sometimes lividity, local flushings, and other signs of vasomotor disturbance are noted. The circulatory disturbances, like the digestive disturbances, are to be referred to diminished or defective innervation, and are as much the expression of fatigue as are the other symptoms already considered.
[www.meridianinstitute.com]

This is an excerpt from a testimonial for what raw dairy did to help this man:

I developed uncontrollable movements for several days, (tardive diskenisia), night fevers that lasted for weeks, cognitive decline, severe insomnia ( I'd go weeks with no sleep, I would just "rest" in bed all day and night), constipation, drastically reduced motility of the stomach and digestive tract, grey hair and hair loss, physical weakness, exhaustion, muscle atrophy, weight gain even though I was only eating one meal a day, body temp. of 96.7, variable blood pressure from 100/60 to 170/90, erratic heart beat at night, body rashes that would not go away, sun sensitivity, inability to sweat, and yellow stools. I was seeing numerous Doctors, but they were unable to diagnose my unusual symptoms, that all seemed to be related to the autonomic nervous system. These side effects are listed as side effects that may occur with Seroquel usage, but are supposed to go away when Seroquel is stopped. In my case, the side effects did not go away when I stopped the Seroquel, they got worse. I gradually entered a state of near catatonia, and to prevent my family from getting worried about me, I would pretend to watch TV during the day, although I could not comprehend it, and did not know what I was watching, I just saw moving colors on the screen, and heard noise coming from the TV set that my brain was unable to process or make sense of. Sometimes I could not even "pretend", I would just sit for hours at my mothers breakfast table staring at the floor all day.

[www.mcafeefarms.com]

[www.realmilk.com]

Where you can find raw dairy:

[www.realmilk.com]

www.westonaprice.org For the real story about soy, grass fed beef, and raw dairy.

Richard

Neurasthenia of yore would be probably be classified today as depression and/or somatoform disorder (pain with no identifiable medical cause). These are psychiatric disorders without demonstrable medical attributes.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is usually considered to be a medical condition often involving fatigue, mild cognitive dysfunction and sometimes low grade fever and lymphatic problems. Some think it is related to infectious mononucleosis or is otherwise immune-system related.

There are still Dr's in the UK who think this(Chronic Fatigue) is a psychiatric problem with no identifiable cause, but the patients mind. Especially in my neck of the woods.

Shame

Fran

Richard - undoubtedly the milk helped because the cows grazed on pasture grass - growing in soil not depleted of essential minerals - ie magnesium and all of the good benefits of raw milk were in place as well

Today, it's another world out there and magnesium deficiency is rampant.

I've had the CFS diagnosis and have cured it with nutritiional supplements...it went along with the Fibromyalgia diagnosis. The first thing one rheumatologist said when he diagnosed it was....."it is not all in your head....your syptoms are real." He then proceeded to prescribe a drug that didn't work....and it was only after I entered the world of holistic medicine, did I begin to eliminate the syptoms which are now gone.

Jackie