ranose
biscuits, Grape-Nuts, twice-baked standard bread, etc.) and fresh or
nut butter.

PHOSPHORUS AND THE NERVES.

W.H.H. writes:--I should be very grateful if Dr Knaggs could help
me with any information or hints regarding phosphaturia. I suffer
much from this troublesome complaint.

We have to remember that the nervous system is two-fold. The one, or
conscious portion, consists of the brain and spinal cord, from which
all the nerves or branches travel to all parts of the body and give us
dominion over them. The other, or subconscious, called the sympathetic
nervous system, lies on either side of the front of the spine as two
long chains with centres, or ganglia, at intervals. This second system
is not within our control and has to do with the regulation of our
vegetative functions, including the bulk of the digestive process.

All nerves, whether they come from the brain or from the sympathetic
system, ranging to their smallest terminals, are built alike of cells,
and these cells secrete a complex _fatty_ substance, called
_lecithin_, whose dominant element is phosphorus. This phosphorus has
to be supplied to the body with food, and as food, and it cannot be
properly utilised or assimilated by the body or used by the nerves to
build up their _lecithin_ unless it is eaten in the form of organic
compounds.

The tissues of the body are continually dying, as a result of work
done, and are continually being replaced by fresh young tissues as
needed. It is the function of the nerves to manage this work for us as
well as to similarly arrange for reproduction.

In order to control the functions of the various organs and tissues
and to regulate the rate at which they reproduce themselves, the
nerves extend their terminal branches, not only into every tissue, but
into every microscopical unit of such tissue, and the part of the cell
which represents the nerve terminal is the inner structure called the
nucleus.

Now it will be obvious that the more the two nervous systems are
worked the greater will be their depletion of _lecithin_ and the more
need there will be for fresh supplies of phosphorus in the daily food
rations.

The person who works hard, whether it be manual labour or brain work,
needs food and rest at intervals in order that the nerves may
recuperate and replenish their stocks of _lecithin_.

A goodly proportion of uncooked foods rich in phosphorus must be
supplied to make good the wear