and
perfect condition of the blood. Next in importance are the chemical
changes which take place in this life-giving fluid as it passes through
the lungs. Following this, the purity of the life stream depends upon
the various organs that have to do with elimination; that is to say, the
throwing off from the blood of the various accumulated wastes and
poisons that are inimical to life. Now you might call this the blood-
purifying process. The removal of these various waste elements from the
blood depends entirely upon the proper activity of the depurating
organs.

I have already referred to the great importance of an active alimentary
canal. You might say that the lower part of the alimentary canal is the
sewer of the body. It removes a large amount of the impurities. In some
cases of fasting that I have personally supervised, there has been a
daily action of the bowels merely from the waste matter that has
accumulated. The debris that is removed from the body in this way does
not by any means consist entirely of the remains of food that is not
absorbed by the circulatory system. The blood is purified to a large
extent by the various waste elements that seek the alimentary canal for
an outlet. If these waste products were allowed to remain in the
circulation they would produce seriously injurious results. Therefore,
in the general scheme of blood purification an active alimentary
canal is of first importance.

I may say that proper breathing, together with the facilitation of this
function through active exercise, is the next feature of importance in
blood purification. Following this we can without doubt reasonably
maintain that a certain amount of activity of the kidneys is desired.
This will nearly always be accomplished if one drinks the amount of
water which is essential to satisfy a natural thirst. Remember,
however, that modern habits are often inclined partially to eliminate
or entirely to destroy what one might call a natural thirst. For
instance, there are various sedentary occupations in which one becomes
so absorbed in his work that the desire for water will be ignored, and
where this mistake is made for a long period, one acquires the habit of
going without water, and consequently the natural desire is to a large
extent lost. In such cases, it is even important to bring back the
appetite for water. Have a glass of water at hand and take a few
swallows now and then. Or,