cerning as it does the arteries and
the heart, that life is impossible with-
out it.
How do the kidneys work? No
one seems cuite to know. Many the
ories have been advanced. but there
is nol vet a clear presentation that
1s final. We do. however, know only
too well what they do, and only too
consciously become aware that all is
not well in the inner man when they
are nol functioning properly.
The lunes. skin, and kidney: all
function as expellers of liquids, but
it is the prerogative of the kidneys
alone to rezulate the amount ol
liquid that hall remain in the hody.
While the skin is pre-eminently the
heat regulator, the kidneys are the
safety valve controlling fluids,
The waste from food that the in-
testines handle has never in the true
sense of the word entered the body
system at all. The incombustible
waste from fowl can be compared
in a clumsy sense to the ash that is
thrown oul of the furnace. but the
kidneys handle matter that is from
within the body. that is from the
blood stream. This matter is largely
nitrorenous, and results from the
breaking down of the worn parts of
the body which have been replaced
by the nitrogenous foods that come
[vom the proteins of our diet. All
the time the blond is circulating it
comes under the “searching scru-
tiny” of the cells of the kidneys.
How the organ i= able to retain albu-
min and expel these nitrogenous
wastes is a mystery, but the fact is
that the Kidneys are able to du this
and a lot more.
For instance, if the blood, or any
other of the hody liquids, contains
too much of the necessary salts, then
the kidneys are the channel through
which these elements are removed
from the body. Every time bodily
movement is made, muscles are
brought into play. and material—
largely glucose—is burned up to
provide the energy. Tissue likewise
breaks down from wear. and needs
to be renewed-—largely from a pro-
tein base. These operations which
are so essential if the living organ.
ism is to remain healthy, provide the
kidnevs with constant wark.
It is the work of the kidneys to
carry these wastes—which are al-
most all soluble in wiuter—and any
excess water, from the blood stream,
and so assist in maintaining that bal-
ance within the body which is es.
sential to complete health.
Now for the causes that lead to
kidney breakdown.
Put into the simplest possikle
language, they are two-fold. First,
overwork: and secondly the con-
tinual presence of irritants,
Over-work can be due to over
eating, a very prevalent sin, even in
Excessive drinking, even of pure water, is injurious to the kidneys.
THE Umipyran WarcuMan, SepteMper 1951
these davs of austerity! The con-
tinnal intake of water without the
necessary thirst is another contribut-
ing factor. A= we have said already.
all the organs benefit from rest, and
this applies equally to the kidneys.
Why not take the necessary liquids
in the food eaten” Why do we mostly
prefer fonds that ereate thirst rather
than salads and other naturally
“wel” foods that dispel thirst, add-
ing salts and vitamins at the same
time. Among the wet foods that
could well be taken more freely are
all the salads in season, fruits—espe-
cially those that are native to our
land—and vegetables—these latter
cooked so that little if any of the
vital salts are disposed of via the
sink. Pulses and porridges are not
wet foods, in fact they actually
create thirst, needing more water
during digestion to make them
usable.
Contrary to popular belief, meat
is not essential to the human being;
in (act we are definitely better with-
out it. The toxic matter and poisons
left in the animal's body when life
was taken, add a considerable bur-
den to the kidneys when introduced
into the svstem. Tea is another ir
ritant to the kidneys as also is ex-
cess salt, and sugar and milk in
strong combination, Drugs are an-
other danger. For instance. carbo-
nate of soda and aspiring, while
they bring a certain amount of re-
lief. remain to be handled by the
kidneys. much to their detriment. It
is this slow, insidions damage in-
flicted over many vears without com-
plaint. that constitutes the real dan-
wer. The “fifth column™ is a menace
not only hecause of the nltimate dis
comfort that it brings, but more so
because it catches up on us at a time
when we can least afford it. and by
that we mean usually in later life.
When the results of vears of disre-
gard for health come to take their
toll. the help that science can give us
—-lo ze a popular phrase—is often
“Too little and too late.”
Ilatterers are the worst kind of
enemies, — Tacitus.
a LZ : 2
Ascend above the vestrictinn: and
conventions of the world, but not so
high as te lose sizht of them.—-
Richard Garnett.
11