Greetings! Today we shall start a new section entitled, Degenerative Diseases!
The widespread prevalence and rapid increase of degenerative diseases such as those which affect the heart, arteries, kidneys, liver, 
pancreas, glands, and nerves are utterly baffling to the workers for public health. All present efforts are unavailing in lessening their incidence. Mental diseases and cancer may well be added to the list. It is claimed that one person in six over forty years of age will die of heart disease, one in six of kidney trouble, and one in five and a half of cancer.
Great advance has been made in the control of contagious and infectious diseases since scientists have discovered micro-organisms and have learned how to control them. Great strides have been made in lessening deaths at maternity, and in bringing more babies and children safely past their early hazards, so that a much larger percent of persons born grow to maturity; but after age forty, degeneracy of vital organs appears so that with the passing of each decade fewer people reach vigorous old age.
Degeneracy is usually caused by human habits, while contagious diseases are caused by germs. Germs are more easily controlled than habits because it is easy for a man to impose his will on a germ, but for a man to yield his will to the Author of his life and obey the rules of life, is more than he is usually willing to do.
The Bible says: “The curse causeless shall not come.” But too many scientists today refuse to acknowledge their Creator. They have put 
so many millions of years of the operation of the theory of evolution between Him and them that He is now so remote from them that He has no more jurisdiction over their lives, and they no longer recognize any fundamental obligation to Him. Therefore each person is a law unto himself, and if he wishes to live to unnaturally indulge his physical senses and take the consequences thereof, he feels that no one is concerned but himself, and that no one will call him to an account. This session will seek to strike at the root causes of the degenerative diseases.
The Human Body
The human body is the most marvelous thing in the world. It consists of myriads of cells which are assembled into tissue, muscle, nerves, 
glands, organs, bones, teeth, skin, and hair. Every cell has to be fed with oxygen, water and food. These supplies must be of the right kinds, in balance, and unfailing. If there be failure, the cells must suffer and then the organs suffer. As each cell carries on its work, the foods are used, and their use produces by-products which must be carried away from the cells without delay or they will suffer or die from these wastes, which are poison. Each cell is continually wearing out and being rebuild. These cell wastes are toxic and must be carried away as well as the by-products.
Two Systems
To supply all of these necessities there are two systems in the body. One system takes in oxygen, water, and food, and prepares them for use and delivers them to the cells. The other begins at the cells and takes their wastes and by-products by the lymph and blood to the elimination outlets-lungs, pores, and kidneys. If these toxic wastes are not efficiently removed, the cells suffer and then the organs must suffer.
As the blood passes through the liver one of its functions is to convert certain toxic elements into non-toxic ones and to discharge some of these elements into the bile for elimination through the colon.
A very fine balance has to be maintained between the operation of these two systems. They both are operated by the heart which is the principal means of causing the blood and lymph to circulate, carrying the supplies in and wastes out.
This circulatory system which keeps the body clean within, is very efficient. It is said that if the cells were bathed in two hundred thousand quarts of water, the water would have to be changed every few days to avoid the cells being poisoned by their own wastes; but the blood does this work with about seven quarts of fluid in conjunction with co-ordinated facilities.
Suppose an automobile could earn and secure its own supplies, feed itself with gas, oil, water, and oxygen, and drive itself; and suppose the supplies it gives to itself would prepare all of its losses so that no part would wear out in
less than one hundred years; and if a fender were broken or tire injured, these supplies would mend the injuries; and that it could gradually renew its coat of paint as it goes over the highways so it always looks new—what a wonder it would be! That is a crude illustration of the human body. Degenerative diseases are caused by putting in wrong “fuel” and a failure to keep the cells and blood stream of the body clean.
There Is No Argument
In order to go deeper into our subject we must understand the effects of poisons on cells and consequently on organs. There is no argument over the fact that cells must be nourished. Likewise there is no argument over the fact that poisons injure them. Let us see what happens in next weeks study!
Let’s Recap
1. What are degenerative diseases usually caused by?
2. What are contagious diseases caused by?
3. What are three things that every cell feds on?
4. What are three elimination outlets?
5. What is the principle organ that causes the blood and lymph to circulate?
6. Where does the Bible say, “The curse causeless shall not come”?
7. What system in the body helps keep the body clean?
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