The Royal Road to Health; or, the Secret of Health Without Drugs

The author presents a hygienic medical program asserting that most illness stems from retained bodily wastes and impaired elimination. He outlines digestive anatomy and describes how sluggish intestinal clearance, fecal accumulation and fermentative gases can produce mechanical pressure, irritation and reabsorption of toxins, disrupting organs and provoking diverse symptoms. The text attributes disease to mechanical, gaseous and absorptive processes and emphasizes the roles of lungs, skin and especially the colon in elimination. It advocates nonpharmaceutical measures—diet, cleansing, exercise and hygienic practices—to restore and preserve health through improved natural elimination.