Ciguatera poisoning is caused by eating fish which have consumed toxic algae which colonise damaged coral reefs. Herbivorous fish graze on the algae, which is incorporated into their tissues, although it causes no damage to them. Carnivores eat the herbivores and the toxin is concentrated in their tissue. Eating large carnivorous species of tropical fish, such as Spanish mackerel, barracuda, snapper and trevally, can expose humans to ciguatera poisoning.

Within 12 hours of ingestion the sufferer may experience general weakness, aching limbs, tingling in hands, feet and lips, itching in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, reversal of hot and cold sensations, chest tightness, headache, toothache and convulsions. In severe cases, death can result. If the poisoning is recognised within six hours, vomiting should be induced. In any case medical attention should be sought urgently. In order to prevent exposure to ciguatera poisoning, fish should be eaten with caution.

A number of plankton-eating fish and bivalves (such as clams, mussels, abalone and shellfish) can accumulate high concentrations of toxins by feeding on toxic red-tide microalgae without harming themselves. Birds, fish, crabs, other animals and humans consuming such animals are affected by these toxins. Paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused by neurotoxins which can cause nausea, loss of balance, defective vision and, in severe cases, convulsions and death due to muscle paralysis. Diarrhoetic shellfish poisoning causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms develop within a few minutes to a few hours of eating contaminated fish or bivalves. Amnesic shellfish poisoning causes vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and permanent memory loss due to the loss of brain cells. Fortunately none of these forms of poisoning is common. However, increasing pollution of our coastal waters by nutrients from sewage outfalls may lead to increased outbreaks of shellfish poisoning. In countries where reported outbreaks have taken place, it is part of fisheries management practice to regularly monitor microalgae and make random checks of shellfish tissue.

A number of marine animals have venomous stings. These include jellyfish (see Bites and Stings).

The blue-ringed octopus is well-known for its venomous bite. Found in the southern coastal waters of Australia, the blue-ringed octopus is rarely seen because it has a span of only 12 cm, moves very fast and has excellent

camouflage. It also has a habit of hiding in discarded cans and bottles, dead gastropod shells or clumps of mussels.

Another animal with a poisonous bite is the cone shell, an oblong smooth dark brown shell with white markings, approximately 10-15 cm long. The following remarks apply to both animals. The initial bite is rarely felt. There may be slight bruising, but otherwise the wound is hard to see. Symptoms are numbness, nausea, visual disturbances, speech impairment, numbness of tongue and breathing difficulties. Paralysis may develop rapidly with respiratory failure, in severe cases within one hour. Medical aid should be sought urgently. Before paralysis sets in, the bite should be washed and a firm bandage placed all the way up the affected limb. The patient should be rested on her or his side. Following paralysis, EAR (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) should be applied, and in advanced cases cardio-pulmonary resuscitation may be needed.

Some fish, such as stonefish and bullrout have stinging spines which may inject poison when disturbed by humans. It is therefore advisable to wear protective footwear when walking on rocks on the shore or wading in deep water or on mud flats. Symptoms include immediate intense pain at the site of the puncture, followed by the spread of pain along the limb and swelling. The stinging spine may be present in the wound and the area sometimes turns grey or blue. Sweating, shock and irrational behaviour can also be signs. Medical aid should be sought urgently. The affected part should be placed in very warm fluids and foreign bodies should be removed if they come away easily. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may be necessary if breathing stops.

Stingrays also have stinging spines halfway along their tails which can inflict painful wounds. Since these animals often lie submerged in the sand, care should be exercised when wading. The injection of a stingray's barb will cause immediate intense burning pain, bleeding and possible difficulty in breathing. The barb should be gently extracted if visible and the wound bathed with hot water. Medical aid should be sought.

*3/69/2*

In its mobilized state, the mind becomes very alert, too alert, so that all the time it- seems to be searching for the cause of its own disquiet. There develops a pathological over-alertness, and as a result the mind reacts to very minor stimuli which would not normally produce any response at all. Thus a noise which would normally go unheeded causes the anxious person to start. Then he feels irritated and upset in the knowledge that he has overreacted to a matter of little consequence, and his inner tension is further increased.

This over-alertness shows itself in many ways. The individual is on the lookout all the time. He is fidgety and cannot let himself go off guard. He cannot rest because his mind keeps him alert even when there is no need for it. It becomes hard to sit and watch television without getting up from the chair to relieve the tension within him. To relax and sit still becomes a near impossibility because all the time he is plagued with this distressing over-alertness of the mind.

We see, then, that this over-alertness is a natural result of anxiety. Sometimes, however, another type of reaction takes place so that the anxious individual is in no way over-alert, but on the contrary appears to be dulled and apathetic. This reaction may occur when the individual is confronted with overwhelming disaster on either a national or a personal scale. He is struck dumb. He is in a daze, unable to think or to move. Even when some purposeful action on his part would minimize the disaster, he still does nothing. This is a common reaction in times of war, particularly in the civilian population. It is seen in personal calamity as when an individual suddenly sees his home burned or his family killed in a road accident. This reaction is so

completely different from the primary response to anxiety by over-alertness that it requires some explanation. It comes about by the overactivity of the self-regulatory mechanisms of the body. There is a surge of anxiety with its accompanying over-alertness, but if this were too great the body would be overwhelmed and unable to respond effectively. To prevent this, the

self-regulatory mechanisms come into play and inhibit the anxiety reaction. It is thus the overreaction of the inhibiting mechanism that causes the individual to be dulled, apathetic, and unable to take effective action.

The same reaction may occur in less dramatic form. The student when confronted with an important examination usually reacts to his, anxiety by being so keyed up from over-alertness that the mind is flooded with too many thoughts that are often not well related to the problem on hand. In such circumstances it is not uncommon for the opposite reaction to occur. His mind goes blank, and try as he will, relevant thoughts to the problem simply will not come. We can now understand this paradoxical reaction to anxiety as due to the overactivity of the inhibiting mechanism. In a mild chronic form, over-inhibited anxiety may make the individual tired, listless, dull, apathetic, and unable to get going in his ordinary daily tasks. Because of his lack of initiative in doing things, such a patient often complains of depression. Furthermore he may say that he feels guilty because of his inability to work; but this reaction of inhibited anxiety is distinguished from true depression in that there is no real moral self-accusation as when the conscience is offended.

*3/57/2*

I also suffered from a nervous squint which turned to rapid blinking when I was under stress, such as facing a fast ball at cricket or facing the teacher over some misdemeanour. I suffered from periodic attacks of anxiety that left me depressed. Because I considered this to be normal I never mentioned it to anyone.

By the time I reached high school I'd added severe acne to the rashes that came and went from my face, chest, back and arms. Antibiotics and various creams were prescribed (or the acne. The antibiotics always made me feel off colour and after some time on them I began to suffer from an anal itch, that I was more nervous than before and that I had trouble concentrating in class and remembering what I had studied. My stuffy nose was still a problem and my acne wasn't that much better.

By the age of eighteen I was fed up. My skin and nose were no better and I seemed to spend all my time studying to achieve the same marks my mates were getting with half the effort. My acne had given me an inferiority complex and I couldn't talk to girls without the nervous blinking. My doctor told me I had a periodic allergy and prescribed antihistamines to be taken whenever my skin flared up or my nose became unbearably stuffy. I was told that my allergies were something that I just had to live with.

*3/18/9*

*2/96/8*

Nearly every iris researcher has tried to evolve something special for himself, with the result that varying perceptions and interpretations are current. With goodwill, all might be reconciled.

These differences are inevitable, for one investigator had no academic training, and presented his observations in the language that was familiar to him, while others had already studied medicine and made use of scientific qualifications. Some considered the colour changes more (Liljequist), while others were chiefly concerned with the location of signs (Peczely). It should also not be forgotten that many signs may appear according to the locality, and in consequence of nutritional and climatic influences.

This article will endeavour to present the best, the most useful, and generally considered most important information from all systems. What is the most important?

If one wishes to commence something it is usual to make a plan, either on paper or at least in the head. We shall also do so. For the purpose, the iris is divided radially and circularly.

Radial division: The pupil is surrounded by a circular formation—the iris. We will begin with the radial division of this circle.

The figure shows three possibilities—division of the iris into minutes, hours and degrees. The division into degrees 1-360 is too small for the purpose. The hourly division 1-12 is indeed familiar to everyone, but is rather crude for the precise location of iris signs, whereas the radial division into minutes 1-60 is suitable for all purposes. For those who wish to keep to the degree or hourly division it will suffice, but in this book, the 1-60 division will be followed.

Circular division: Now note the second most important aspect of iris topography, namely, the circular division. From the pupil to the outer border of the iris the area is divided by concentric rings. Each of these divisions is called a Zone.

In comparing the available literature in this respect we find considerable differences. Not only are many zones specified, but their names are very different. Peczely names three zones—a stomach, an intestine and an outer zone. He speaks, however, of regions. This division, with slight differences, is also given by Felke, Hense, Anderschou, Collins, Kronen-berger, Baumhauer and Maubach. Vannier, Wirz and Kritzer specify only two regions. Schnabel mentions three zones. However, he names as the first zone the one he calls the 'Neurasthenic ring', as the second the stomach, and as the third the intestinal zone. Frau Pastor Madaus, Frau Eva Flink and Struck divide the iris into three large zones or six small regions—or as we would now say—zones. Dr. Bernard Jensen of California also names six regions, not including the pupillary margin. Thiel is a particular exception, he has specified several narrow and wide rings in his system. In connection with this, there are also various interpretations.

In this article the division of the iris according to Frau Eva Flink will be adopted, using the designation Zone. Passing to the consideration of the iris structure, we note immediately around the pupil a fine dark-to-light brown border which is quite narrow, and which we designate: Pupillary margin. The real objective of observation is the 'edge' around the pupil. The alternative term—Neurasthenic ring—was coined by Rudolph Schnabel. Colour changes and organic lesions of this ring indicate disturbances of the central nervous system.

The iris itself is divided into three major, or six minor equal zones. On examination of the iris a particularly striking change in the course of the iris fibres is noticed. This interruption in the course of the fibres, which normally includes about one-third of the iris, is called the Iris-wreath. On close examination we find this first one-third division, i.e. the first major zone, normally subdivided, and including the first and second minor zones. This part of the iris is also known as the pupillary zone. If the iris-wreath is not visible, then one has to reckon with pathological disturbances.

The further division of the outer two-thirds of the iris, also called the ciliary zone, is less striking in terms of change in the iris fibres. However, this area is arbitrarily divided into two major, i.e. four minor equal zones. That it is important to examine the iris according to this division will be seen later from the study of the positions of the organ and disease signs.

This scheme of division was first introduced by Frau Pastor Madaus in her system. Frau Eva Flink and Colleague Struck also made use of the same schema. If we bear in mind the three major and six minor zones, as seen in a normal iris, there will be less likelihood of misinterpretation. The First Major Zone contains the organs of food preparation and resorption:

First minor zone—stomach.

Second minor zone—intestines.

The Second Major Zone contains the organs of transport and utilisation, with elimination through the kidneys:

Third minor zone—blood and lymph vessels.

Fourth minor zone—muscular system.

In this zone we also have the positions for the organs: heart, kidneys, adrenals, pancreas and gall-bladder.

The Third Major Zone contains the organs for body support and ultimate utilisation, including detoxication and elimination:

Fifth minor zone—skeletal system.

Sixth minor zone—skin.

Detoxication: liver and spleen. Elimination: through nose, mouth, urethra, anus and total skin.

Sectoral division: Besides the division into zones, it is necessary to define the exact position of individual organs. For this purpose, the iris is divided into sections by drawing lines from the outer border to the pupil. Frau Madaus writes in her article on this method:

The division of the iris into one-half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth, including the

'change-over' and insertions, establishes the mathematical structure and harmonic relations of Misdiagnosis in general. Each division shows a front and back or sideview of the body. Furthermore, it establishes as lying diametrically opposite each other, that which naturally belongs and functions together.

In these words, the so-called 'change-over' is explained.

If a diagram of the iris is divided into four equal quadrants by a vertical line drawn from top to bottom, and a horizontal line drawn from right to left, the body divisions belonging together will not be under one another, but opposite each other.

Thus, in the iris, the areas for face and neck lie in the upper nasal quadrant, chest and abdomen in the lower temporal quadrant. Occiput and clavicle lie in the upper temporal, and the back in the lower nasal quadrant. In other words: by 'change-over' one understands that the front view of the body lies in the upper half of the iris nasalwards, and in the lower half of the iris temporal wards. Correspondingly, the posterior body lies in the upper half of the iris temporalwards (laterally) and in the lower half of the iris nasalwards (medially).

The above will have clarified the concept of 'change-over', so let us pass on to consider the above-mentioned dividing lines and their interpretation.

*2/78/2*

There are some women who seem to have an inbuilt intuition that is unexplainable. They simply know
that pregnancy has taken place.

They have a "feeling" or a "hunch" or whatever. "I just feel pregnant," is frequently their total explanation of the situation. "I feel different, that's all." Most physicians accept this, and go along with the feminine instinct which usually proves to be correct! After all, you can't argue convincingly with a determined female when her mind is made up, the doctor probably says to himself. But added to this is his own professional experience of dealing with hundreds of women over many years. He knows natural instinct is often correct. Maybe it is one of those interesting whims of nature, and after all, the world is full of these in various avenues of life.

However, there are quite a few other indications that pregnancy has taken place, chief among them being:

Nausea and Vomiting. This is the so-called "morning sickness" of pregnancy. Nobody is quite sure why it is called "morning" sickness, for it can occur at any time over the twenty-four-hour cycle of the day. It is common in the morning, but it is frequently at midday and towards evening.

In fact, this takes place in well over 50 per cent of women between the fourth and ninth week after the last menstrual period. Fortunately, more feel nauseated than those who actually vomit. In only a small number does it become a serious, disabling symptom. But added to other symptoms, it can often be of valuable assistance in confirming a diagnosis.

Frequency of Urination. The woman usually notices a marked increase in the desire to pass urine. The amounts passed may only be small. There is usually none of the burning or discomfort that takes place with bladder and urinary tract infections. It is due to the physiological changes occurring in the pelvic area, and is quite a normal event. But, it also helps the physician to form a diagnosis of your pregnant state accurately. It is a good indication to you too, before you make that initial visit to the doctor.

Breast Changes. Changes that occur in the breast itself constitute a fairly early sign. Very early in pregnancy, increasing amounts of chemicals called hormones are produced by the ovary and womb. These actively circulate to all parts of the system. Basically they help to prepare the womb in particular, but also the body in general for the impending event.

The breasts play a major part in pregnancy, and these are geared to become active so that a natural, normal food supply will be readily available for the new infant immediately he makes his debut into the world.

So, the hormones start acting on breast tissue right from the start. The breasts tend to become enlarged. The nipples likewise enlarge, becoming more prominent, and often quite tender. The areola, the pigmented area surrounding the nipple, darkens. In women who have never before been pregnant, the normal, natural pinkish color gradually changes to a darker shade, and finally becomes a dark brown. Once it assumes this darker color, it remains this way for the remainder of one's life.

*2/76/5*

'I am relatively happy with my current "prescription" of St John's Wort. It is working as well as, or better than, any of the anti-depressants I have tried so far. So I'll keep with it for now, and see how well it does as the days get longer. If I feel the need to try more prescriptions, I will feel free to call.'

Well, I have always encouraged my patients to express themselves freely to me - and apparently Malcolm took me at my word. But his letter captured my attention more for its substance than its style. Malcolm's depression had been very difficult to treat. It was not that his symptoms were so severe. He was correct in describing them as 'mild to moderate' and he had never felt suicidal, but it was long-standing and seemed to sap his life of all joy. His energy level was very low and he withdrew from others in order to conserve his meagre energy reserves for his job. His only pleasure came from buying things, such as compact discs. 'Music seemed to fill my emptiness,' he said. Two women he had dated over the previous 10 years had remarked that his main problem was that he wasn't happy, though he was barely aware of this unhappiness himself.

I had treated Malcolm's symptoms with a comprehensive list of anti-depressant medications, trying each one diligently for the right amount of time, calibrating dosages, using novel and unusual combinations and integrating the medications with all sorts of health-enhancing recommendations. While these interventions were quite helpful, we were always brought up short by side-effects, especially problems with his sinuses, dryness of the mouth and feelings of spaciness. Of all medications we had used, Lustral seemed best but he still felt unhappy and 'out of touch' emotionally. He decided to stop Lustral after finding out about St John's Wort on the World Wide Web and concluded that he felt he had enough information on which to base an intelligent decision.

Malcolm followed his earlier communication to me with a second letter, to reassure me that T was in no way displeased with your "psychiatric care" (I guess the term is) 'and to report on' "my current herbal concoction".' He was now on Hypericum 900 mg per day, which appeared both to reduce his anxiety and to energize him. He was 'more positive and upbeat, more apt to say things instead of sitting around and being quiet'. He was amazed to find himself more outgoing and confident, even among strangers. He felt a qualitative difference between the effects of Lustral and those of St John's Wort. While the Lustral had helped his mood, it had not allowed him to communicate that improved mood to others and to engage with them as freely as was now possible.

Over the next six months, while taking St John's Wort, Malcolm made certain changes in his life. He made sure to get enough sleep, which helped his energy level, and kept his time awake constant, even at weekends, which he believed had a marked stabilizing effect on his mood. He left the chemist's, where he had felt isolated, and took up a job in a home for mentally disabled adults, where he had more daily contact with people. He involved himself in religious activities, which added a spiritual dimension to his life. Finally, he plucked up the courage to approach a young woman whom he had met at church and whom he is now dating.

My experience with Malcolm was my first direct encounter with the new herbal anti-depressant, and to say that I was amazed would be an understatement. After treating him with so many potent anti-depressants both individually and in combination and observing his responses to them, I discounted a placebo explanation for his improvement. In his case, I was convinced that the herb had exerted a specific anti-depressant effect. His story reminded me once again, however, how important it is to add healthy activities to any anti-depressant intervention - though again I realized how little these activities help unless the disturbance in brain chemistry has been turned round. I now wonder whether the tendency for St John's Wort to make Malcolm more outgoing might have been related to its effects on the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is important in modulating social behaviour in animals, while the mood-enhancing effects that he experienced on both Lustral and St John's Wort might have been related to the effects of both of these substances on serotonin.

The lessons I learned from Malcolm encouraged me to try St John's Wort in my own practice. The first patient I treated was Adele, whose story I describe below.

*2/75/2*

The stomach wall is lined with very important glands which produce two vital chemicals. One is hydrochloric acid, and this is extremely potent. It is similar to the acid plumbers clean metal surfaces with preparatory to soldering. You have all seen the way in which it sizzles and fizzes when it touches the metal, burning away dirt and impurities, cleansing the surface so that the new solder will adhere.

Q. Are you trying to say the G.I. system is a drain pipe?

A. Not really — I am simply pointing out how strong this acid is, for it bears enormous importance to events which commonly produce major internal problems. If you ever vomit (and who hasn't at some stage), notice how hot and burning the feeling is as the acid contents come up the oesophagus and into the mouth. You can feel the discomfort all the way up, and even the mouth and tongue seem on fire. This is due to the burning effect of the powerful hydrochloric acid, or HQ, to use chemical terms.

Q. What is the acid used for?

A. The acid acts on the food, and helps to digest it further. It also kills germs, and is very important in preventing germs which may adversely affect the body from penetrating the bowel where they could cause adverse symptoms and other diseases.

Q. What happens if there is too much acid present?

A. I am glad you asked. The effect may be serious. It can happily attack the food and prepare it for digestion and absorption by the bowel later on. But if there is too much present, then it will attack itself! Imagine this. The stomach wall produces acid to help digest food, but in so doing, it may start to digest itself. It sounds crazy, but this is exactly what takes place. At first only a small part of the stomach lining may be involved, but as time progresses, this may become both more extensive and deeper.

Q. That must mean an ulcer develops.

A. That is correct. Excessive stomach acid production, a condition called hyperchlorhydria, may predispose to the formation of one or more stomach ulcers. These are commonly called peptic ulcers, or gastric ulcers.

Q. What if there is no acid present?

A. In some people, a condition called achlorhydria, is present. This means there is a marked reduction in acid production by the stomach wall glands. It may be entirely absent. These people will never, but never develop ulcers. On the other hand, however, they are more likely to develop other disorders. There is a greater risk of germs passing into the bowel. Also, a vital product called vitamin B12 is not absorbed, and a serious condition called pernicious anaemia may develop. In turn, vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to a serious nervous disorder as the years pass.

Ideally, the stomach walls produce the correct amount of acid so the digestion may proceed in a normal, orderly manner. In the average person in good health, this is generally what happens.

Q. You said another chemical was produced by the stomach walls. What is it called?

A. The other one is called pepsin, and it mixes with the acid. In fact, the acid stimulates the pepsin glands to work and, hand in hand, the two chemicals attack the food, and help to break it down into a form acceptable to the intestinal system a bit further down. Once again, pepsin plays a part in the formation of ulcers.

Q. Do these chemicals cause cancer of the stomach?

A. Cancer of the stomach is a fairly common disease, but doctors do not think it is caused by these chemicals. Certainly a cancer may be associated with a stomach ulcer, but the two are believed to be related by chance.

If a cancer is developing, it may erode the stomach lining and have the appearance of an ulcer, rather than acids chewing into the lining and causing the ulcer. We will talk more about stomach cancer later on, but I must say that it is a serious disease, is often difficult to diagnose early, produces very few early symptoms, and appears to be increasing in frequency in Australia. Fortunately, ulcer symptoms often lead to a full examination where the young cancer is picked up. This is indeed fortunate for otherwise it could be missed until too late. Treated early, there is a good chance of long term survival. If left, it is a one way ticket to doom.

Q. What happens to the food after it rolls around in the stomach for the required period of time?

A. It then proceeds via a narrow canal and valve called the pylorus into the next part of the system called the duodenum. This is simply the next part of the G.I. tract, and is much narrower than the stomach. Here digestion goes a step further, as various other chemicals called enzymes are pumped into it from other organs where they are manufactured. Certain ones are made in the pancreas. Others are made in the liver, stored in the gall bladder and, under stimulation from the duodenum, the gall bladder contracts, and collectively the chemicals come down via a little tube called the common bile duct to spurt into the duodenum and mix with food. You may have heard of the bile salts. These are present in greenish coloured fluid (called "bile"), and the main function is to help break down fats in the food to a form which is readily digested by the intestine lower down.

Q. Is that why some people say they feel liverish?

A. Correct. Some feel "bilious", or "liverish", specially after a big, fatty meal. This is because too many demands are being made on the bile system and the liver to manufacture more, or simply because the system cannot cope with all the fat.

Q. What about ulcers in the duodenum?

A. Once more this tube is affected by excessive amounts of acid and pepsin that come through from the stomach. Its walls are very sensitive to the savage attacks, and duodenal ulcers (which also go under the general name of peptic ulcers) are common in Australia. In fact, duodenal ulcers are one of the most common causes of serious recurring abdominal pain in this country. What is more, they may lead to important consequences if left untreated. But more of that later on.

*2/61/2*

Justin's story has been included at the request of his mother who is determined that no other mother should experience the heartache and anguish of the possibility of losing a child to blindness. Because Justin's story was still unfolding it was not written until the day before the 1988 edition of this book went to print.

It was after one of my many public seminars on how to cure allergies that I first met Justin. After question time, while I was packing up to leave, Robyn approached me with a little boy who was wearing dark glasses. At first glance I thought she was going to ask me about her swollen red eyes that looked allergic. As she got closer I could see she had been crying and when she spoke there was great anguish in her voice.

They say my little boy will be blind in twelve months and I can't accept that,' she said. 'After listening to your talk tonight I can see that I was right all along. You don't have to learn to live with allergies and surrender to dangerous drugs.'

Robyn took Justin's sunglasses off to reveal the worst case of conjunctivitis I'd ever seen. He looked as though he'd been beaten up. His eyes were black and blue with streaks of red where he had been scratching. They were so swollen they were almost closed. Only the narrowest of slits still remained and they were partly covered with the goo that was oozing out of his inflamed eyes.

Robyn went on to tell me that the eyes had become suddenly inflamed three years ago and that the doctor had diagnosed Justin as being severely allergic. Many drugs had been tried in a vain effort to reduce the allergic inflammation of Justin's eyes. As a last resort the doctor prescribed the cortisone drugs Maxidex and Predsol claiming they were to be administered as drops into Justin's eyes each day. The doctor was quite concerned about the side effects of the drugs (prolonged use of them causes cataracts and eventually blindness). Despite this he insisted that cortisone was the only treatment medical science had that would reduce the inflammation enough for Justin to be able to open his eyes and that he and Robyn had no choice but to accept the inevitability of Justin's eventual blindness. So concerned was the doctor over Justin's prospects that he referred him to a professor in Sydney in the hope that more could be done for him. The professor was taken aback by the severity of Justin's condition and would always have colleagues and students there to observe Justin at each visit. To use Robyn's expression, 'the professor would beat around the bush and not give me any straight answers.' He told her to continue with the cortisone drugs and was very vague when questioned about their side effects. He just didn't want to talk about them.

Justin began making regular trips down to Sydney to see the professor and each time he would chastise Robyn for taking Justin to homeopaths, herbalists and nutritionists. Robyn, for her part, refused to give in and wasted no time telling the professor she was going to try everything before she accepted the fate of Justin's blindness. Deep down she knew there was an answer.

Not long after, while sweeping out her laundry, she noticed, by chance, an advertisement for one of my free public seminars on 'Your allergies can be cured'. She saw it on the sheet of newspaper she was using to wrap up the sweepings from the laundry floor.

Grasping at straws but determined not to accept defeat she made it to the seminar to hear what she described as 'common-sense on this subject for the first time'. She told me later that on hearing of the effects dietary change could have on curing allergies she realised Justin was going to be OK and that the sense of relief was so overwhelming she had trouble containing her emotions.

Robyn brought Justin to see me within a day or two of the talk. He was tested and showed up to be allergic to barley, lamb, malt and airborne moulds, which meant he had to go off all mould- and yeast-containing foods (see 'Food tables' at the back of the book). He was also allergic to house dust, dust mites, and grasses, particularly rye grass, which meant he couldn't eat rye bread or Ryvita. Because Robyn had a history of vaginal thrush while carrying Justin and because he had oral thrush as a baby he was treated for Candida albicans yeast infection as well.

On the combined Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program and Nystatin, Lactobacillus acidophilus capsules and a complete multivitamin and mineral formula supplement containing the six essential minerals—calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and manganese—to build up his damaged eye tissue he made a remarkable recovery. Within a week of being on the program he was off the cortisone as his eyes were 50 per cent better. He is now 70-80 per cent better depending on how tired he is and whether or not there is a strong, dry westerly wind blowing the rye grass in from the grazing lands. He has not used the cortisone since being on the program and hardly ever needs to rub his eyes. Justin is a good example of how changes in diet can reduce one's sensitivity to airborne and inhalant allergies as he's able to play on newly mown grass and in the
bush without any flare-ups of his condition.

Justin is still waiting on delivery of the dust mite cover for his pillow and mattress.
This will improve his condition further as at present the dust mites that live in his pillow by day and come out to feed on his skin at night are gaining entry to his eyes and perpetuating the inflammation there.