Great Construction

“Fat”
Medical Science Fragments Twelve

     Members of the general public often use the word “fat,” but this use is mistaken. If human beings became obese by the increase of fat, meat eaters would be obese and vegetarians would not be, but in actual fact, the opposite is more often the case. What then causes flabbiness and obesity? The person who is truly healthy rarely becomes obese. In most cases obesity is due to constriction of the kidneys and medicinal toxins. Individuals with constricted kidneys and large amounts of medicinal toxins feel lethargic and cannot work to their best. Among the persons addicted to Chinese herbal remedies are many who are chubby, and what is known as dropsical swelling is basically this condition. Those with constricted kidneys have poor urine flow, so they often present with dropsy or edema. The reason female students seem to be chubby these days is that they find it annoying to have to use the restrooms during classes as often as males do, and so the urine overflows the kidneys around which it solidifies, thus constricting the kidneys. Excess urine also circulates throughout the body, gradually causing it to become obese, a condition that should not be called “fat flabby” but “urine flabby.” Although individuals in such a condition may appear to be very robust, in fact surprisingly they are weak and prone to illness. Users of Chinese herbal remedies who are chubby can be easily identified because as the toxins gradually dissolve, they move around and accumulate in irregular patterns throughout the body.

Eikô, Issue 160, June 11, 1952
 translated by cynndd