116 OCCULT PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH & HEALING
great amount of earthy matter carried away by urine,
enough remains in many cases to form gravel and
stone in the bladder, causing untold agony and often
death.
Let no one be deceived into thinking that water
contains less stone because it has been boiled. The
stone that forms on the bottom of the teakettle has
been left there by the evaporated water which escaped
from the kettle as steam. If the steam were condensed,
we should have distilled water, which is an important
adjunct in keeping the body young.
There is absolutely no earthy matter in distilled
water, nor in rain water, snow or hail (except what may
be gathered in contact with house-tops, etc.), but
coffee, tea, or soup made with ordinary water, no
matter how long boiled, is not purified of the earthy
particles; on the contrary, the longer they are boiled,
the more heavily charged with ash they become. Those
suffering from urinary diseases should never drink any
but distilled water.
It may be said generally of the solid foods we take
into our systems that fresh vegetables and ripe fruits
contain the greatest proportion of nutritious matter and
the least of earthy substances.
Proper food given at the right time and under the
right conditions will not only cure but prevent disease.
It is popularly supposed that sugar or any
saccharine substance is injurious to the general health,
and particularly to the teeth, causing their decay and
the resulting toothache. Only under certain
circumstances is this true. It is harmful in certain