REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY THROUGH ENERGY

ABSTRACT
This paper views the human being as a complex organization of energy. Good health is a result of the harmonious balance of energy within the human vehicle, while ill health occurs as a result of energy imbalance in the body system. It describes the etheric body of man and its seven centers and explains their role in the maintenance of health. It describes the Electro-magnetic therapeutic kit (ETK) and explains how it can be used to achieve good health through the right balancing of the energy systems.

INTRODUCTION
In the 1990s, the recurring theme of "Health for All' by the year 2000 A. D showed that we were approaching a period of universal harmony. Associated with this theme of health for all was the emphasis on food, shelter and education for all by the same period; three things whose deficiency influence the harmonious condition of man. Food deficiency distorts the chemical equilibrium, lack of shelter affects the thermal equilibrium, while ignorance blocks the mind thus leaving the individual in a state of dangerous and unverifiable superstition. The introduction of the primary health care (P.H.C) is a plausible innovation in health care delivery aimed at fulfilling the goal of health for all. This approach utilizes both curative and preventive techniques, primary among which is the education of the people towards more hygienic condition of living. Prior to the introduction of the P.H.C. two forms of health care delivery were available to the people; viz: therapeutic western medicine and African traditional medicine. While orthodox western approach provided palliative measures through chemotherapy and surgery. African traditional medicine provided remediation through homeopathy and innovation. The bed-rock of orthodox medical practice is the assumption that the human being is merely a physical body. African traditional medicine recognizes the substantial nature of the human bogy but also believes in its less tangible counter-part to which has been given the name "spirit" in many local dialects. The claims of western medicine have been proved beyond all reasonable doubts, but the second claim of African traditional medicine remains largely unsubstantiated. It is not the purpose of this paper to encourage the raging feud between these two systems of health delivery. Rather, in the search for 'health sufficiency' all forms of innovations in health delivery should be encouraged and investigated. One of such innovations in health delivery is the rayolgical view point of regulating the human energy system to produce that condition of harmonious balance of energy known as health.
To draw attention to this innovation, the paper will therefore present the basic postulates of rayological therapy. It will also describe the electro-magnetic therapeutic kit designed by the author as an off-shoot of his rayological researches.
Basic postulates of rayological Therapy:
Many view-points can be obtained about the concept of disease or ill-health. Orthodox medical practice views as disease as a result of infection of the body systems or organs by microbes. Such invasion usually leads to the secretion of anti-bodies to destroy the invading agents. if the auto-combating mechanism of the body is efficient, then the invaders are destroyed and health is restored. If the degree of invasion is large, the struggle becomes sustained, tension is developed (illness) and external aid is solicited. This is usually given in the form of chemotherapy or in cases of secondary complications by surgery.
Another viewpoint of illness is the biochemical viewpoint. Biochemical principles define disease from the composite words; dis-ease which means absence of or lack of ease. Ease s further defined as harmony or equilibrium, hence disease is perceived as a condition of lack of harmony. Elaborating on the definition, the biochemist explains that the body is maintained by osmotic principles due to the presence of twelve basic tissue salts in specified proportions. Any condition which leads to a deficiency or excess of any of the tissues salts can give rise to disease or lack of harmony
Both perspectives agree with the rayological viewpoint of disease except that much of the work done has been limited to the outer visible reality (or illusion), the physical body. From the rayological viewpoint, Bailey (1953) explains that 'all disease is caused by lack of harmony - a disharmony to be found existing between the form aspect and the life aspect'. While supporting the biochemical viewpoint of disease as a disharmony, Bailey introduces a distinction between form and life, a distinction which complicates discourse in the present era of scientific empiricism, for form refers to matter while life refers to spirit, and the existence of sprit at the present stage of human evolution remains largely unsubstantiated.
However, for the purpose of this work let us borrow one of the contributions of science which confirms that all manifestations in nature is energy. Thus three categories of energy become distinguishable; that which is built into forms, which which constitutes the medium are those in the process of animating both the forms and their environing substantial media. This differentiation of energy into 3 aspects gives rise to the triplicate of matter physical (Body), consciousness (Soul) and life (or Spirit). The difference between these three categories of energy lies in the rate of vibration of the constituent atoms. It has become necessary to mention this differentiation of energies because herein lies the foundation for the three basic postulates of the rayological view point which can be surmised as follows:
I. Man is made up of bodies which are visible and non-visible. These bodies include the dense physical, etheric, astral or emotional, and mental body or mind.
II. The physical body is an automaton which receives energy, for its functioning, from the soul through the etheric body, hence it is a result of the conditions existing in the more subtle bodies of man, specifically, the etheric body.
III. Human health therefore depends upon the relationship between the soul, the etheric body and the physical body.
Since the soul is intangible and may not be responsive to present-day scientific investigations and manipulations it is therefore necessary to carry out investigation on the ethretic body if it can bring more abundant health to man. Let us, therefore describe the ethretic body, its mechanism and its role in the maintenance of human health.
The Etheric Body
The etheric body has been describe as an energy form, subtle and intangible yet substantial, which controls, governs, and conditions the Jouter physical body. Thus human and non -human beings; animals, plants, animate and inanimate objects, big and small, possess the etheric body which merges into that of the earth and of the solar system. Bailey (1953) describes it as a web of energy streams or lines of force and of light which constitute part of the vast network of energies which underlies all forms, whether great or small. Along these lines of energy the cosmic forces flow, as blood flows throw the veins and arteries.
Anderson (1979) explains that the operations of the physical organism depends upon the efficiency and that human health is conditioned by the cells of the etheric body. Remember that the etheric body is subtle, intangible, yet substantial; manifesting itself as radiatory lines of light and force. To the clairvoyant, the etheric body is visible as a luminous outline of pale golden colour radiating outwards in every direction. (Anderson,1979). To non-clairvoyant vision, the etheric body is similarly visible when viewed through a glass prism. You will notice the definite outline of the human form and how it is submerged into the etheric web of the earth, maintaining contact and continuity with all other energy forms.
Another method of seeing the etheric body is through the use of the Kilner screen, a screen comprising two pieces of glass between which is poured a solution of dicyanin. Anderson (1979) mentions that when the radiation of the etheric body are strong and healthy, they can get rid of germs and infections through their strength and vitality, but in ill-health, the etheric strength is depleted, unable to absorb the correct amount of energy, and the radiations appear to the diagnostician as drooping lines. Herein lies the keys to heath through rayological therapy. Firstly, that the radiations get rid of infections when they are strong, may be due to what Sir Clifford Allbut, President of the British Medical Association described in the Literary digest of February 26, 1921 as the ability of the body cells to "educate themselves to vibrate in harmony with a microbe before dissonant" or due to “mutual inter-change and co-adaptation".
The second key is that the etheric body may lose its power to absorb the correct amount of energy, suggest that a person has to contain and maintain a certain energy level. This assertion is supported by the works of Dr. Albert Abrams, an Amercian physician who devised instruments with calibrated dials to enable him measure disease reactions and intesities in terms of energy (Czernek, 1989). Anderson (1979) explained that diseased organs show a dullness or patchiness of colour, a dullness which could be due to lack of energy or vitality, thus confirming the work of Adams. If the physical body receives strength and vitally from the etheric body, how is the energy transported from the etheric to the physical body? This question introduces the concept of the nerve centers.

The Centers and the Glands
Rayological view point explains that there are seven major centers on the etheric body whose presence results in the development of the glands on the physical body. Thus energy passes into the physical body through these points of contact known as the glands. The functions of the glands in maintaining body health such as In growth, follicular development, regulation of blood water level, calcium level, blood sugar level and blood water pressure, as well as the procedures would have almost been abherent without the glands. However, rayology maintains that the glands are physical plane correspondences of the etheric centers. The description of the centers and their positions are given in table 1 below:

Table 1: Showing the Names of etheric Centers, Corresponding
Glands Position on the Body and Approximate position
on the Spine.

Table 1: Showing the Names of etheric Centers, Corresponding
Glands Position on the Body and Approximate position
on the Spine.
Name of Center
Gland
Position on the body
Position on the spine
1. Head
2. Brow
3. Heart
4. Throat
5. Solar plexus
6. Sacral
7. Root
Pineal
Pituitary
Thymus
Thyroid
Pancreas
Gonads
Adrenals
Upper brain
Between the eyes.
Over the Heart
At the throat
Over the navel
Over the spleen
Base of spine
-
-
8th cervical
3rd cervical
8th Thoracic
1stLumber
4th Sacral

Table 1 - Adapted from C.W. Leadbeater (1927): The Chakras, pg.4

Thus vitality enters the body through the etheric centres. However, each of the centers is specialized to absorb energy only of a particular frequency which conforms to the seven colours of the spectrum. Each of these colours carries with it a particular quality and potency and is described as a ray. These rays have been painstakingly discussed by Bailey (1936. 1942, 1951, and 1960). Sometimes, a particular energy center may lie dormant in he individual and so cannot absorb its wave-length of energy, thus depriving the individual in that ray. When this happens, physiological disorder resulting in an illness may occur. About this Bailey (1953) explains that primarily all physical disease result from:
1. Wrong stimulation, or over stimulation or wrongfully placed stimulation and of inner tensions in some part of the mechanism.
2. Inhibitions, psychical starvation, and those accumulated subjective forces which dam the flow of the life forces.
Diseases associated with each of the centers are tabulated below:
Table 2: The Centers and Associated Diseases
Center
Associated Disease
Head
Heart
Brow
Throat

Solar Plexus

Root
Cancer
Cardiac and Stomach troubles
Insanities
Metabolic disorders and certain
cancers.
Nervous disorders, Gastritis and
liver trouble
Heart diseases and tumours

The social disease like syphillis, ghonorrhea, and perhaps AIDS, occurred in Lemurian days due to the over-stimulation of the center through the wrongful use of the sex impulse. Cancer is described as a disease of inhibition which occurred in the Atlantean days from the attempt to withhold the sex energy and thus preserve self from the Lemurian scourge. It is towards the removal of such inhibition of the centers and the regulation of excessive stimulation that rayological therapy based on electro-magnetic therapeutic kit which promises to be a cure all instrument has been designed.


________________________
Adapted from A. A. Bailey (1953): Esoteric Healing, pg. 51.


The Electro-magnetic Therapeutic Kit (ETK):
Prior to contact with rayological literature, the author had already witnessed cases of health remediation due to contact. In practicing contact therapy, it has been found that much of its applications conform with the principles of rayology in many of its forms. Individual practice spans a period of about 10 years and has proved remarkably successful in minor and major cases as well as acute and chronic illnesses. Some of the successes recorded include migraine, fever, and loss of consciousness, gastric disorders and infective colitis. Cases of referral for orthodox treatment have also proved the efficacy of the contact theapy. However, this system of health management is energy-dissipating, requires personal attention and promotes chances of transfer of the illness from the patient to the therapist. Consequently the ETK has been designed to reduce the chances of transfer and simplify the treatment procedure after diagnosis.
The ETK is a simple on-off circuit made by connecting each pole of an electric cell to a bar around which an induction coil has been wound. The positive pole is connected to the solar plexus of the patient while the negative is connected to the diseased organ. Thus immersed in the energy field of the patient, an electromagnetic circuit is completed. Current flowing through the solar plexus to the other centers vivifies the energy center simultaneously, a wave of current flows from the inhibited center into the native pole of the circuit thus causing a diffusion pressure gradient which directs in-coming currents to that particular center. The magnitude of current coming to the center re-vitalizes and vivifies it, leading to the distribution of vital life force to the diseased tissue. Sustained application helps the organ or tissue to regain its strength and to eradicate or vibrate in harmony with the diseased organism.
Parallel validity for the ETK:
It is pertinent to note that the Etk has not been produced, and therefore, not tried. It has only been created, mentally. Its design conforms to the known principles of electro-magnetic therapy; hence its efficacy is not in doubt. Bailey (1953) hints that:

Electricity in relation to human ills,Is as yet an infant science, but it has the gems of the new techniques and methods of healing.…. Medicine is entering slowly into a new usefulness. Once the cause of disease is shifted out of an organ or bodily system into a more subtle and vital realm, we shall see radical and needed changes, leading to simplification and not a greater complexity and difficulty.
Much work is being done today in the application of electricity to health management. Some of these include the Electroencephalograph EEG), the Electrocution therapy (ECT) and the Galvanometer. The EEG is used in measuring brain waves as transmitted through the cranial nerves; the ECT is used in the treatment of schizophrenics while the galvanometer is used in measuring skin conductance as a manifestation of anxiety. None of these is used in relation to the centers since their main focus is on the physical body.
A parallel study of the centers has been described by Artley (1989) which shows that the centers can be electrically conducted. Artley and his group have recorded tremendous success through the use of the 'Rare Gas Cylinders' According to Arltey, when a bar magnet is placed upon a cylinder containing a particular rare gas, the gas emits an electro-magnetic radiation corresponding to the wave-length of a particular etheric center. When this gas-magnet combination is placed near the corresponding etheric center, it clears away the blocks in the center and thus increases its activity. Artley (1989) however reports that in some cases, rudiments of the blocks are left at the spine of the individual while the center on the body surface open up. This may be due to the low penetration power of the electro-magnetic radiation used in their study. When a medium electro-magnetic radiation having higher penetrating power is used, the possibility of clearing away the blocks at the surface and at the spinal center can be envisaged.
Psychological Applications;
Sigmund Freud posited that man is animalistic, instinctive, irrational and unable to control his affairs because of the demands of the id, He suffers undue anxiety because of the conflict between the demands of the pleasure seeking, id and the censorship of the moralistic super-ego. To curb his anxiety, man resorts to one or more of his many forms of defense mechanisms. These result in many cases of socio-personal adjustment problems witnessed among growing children, adolescents and adults.
Rayological studies categorize the centers into two groups; viz: those above the diaphragm – head, brow, throat and heart; and those below the diaphragm - solar plexus, sacral and root. Since each center has its particular quality and attribute, the condition of the centers tend to influence human behaviour. For instance, a person whose heart center is active is charactised by impersonal group love, while the right activity of the solar plexus expresses as aspiration and right direction. There seems to exist a relationship between Freudian psychology and the functioning of the centers. For instance, individuals whose dominating centers are those below the diaphragm tend to be impulsive, instinctive and animalistic, thus expressing behaviours which charactise the id. Individuals whose dominating centers are above the diaghram tend to be moralistic and characterized by the qualities of the super-ego. Appropriate regulation of the centers through the right application of rayological principles can therefore help to control the impulse and eliminate much of the social and psychological adjustment problems which children, adolescents and adults encounter in the world today. The precipitation of the id-superego conflict into curable and incurable insanities can also be prevented thus helping our society from man-power wastage.
Conclusion:
This paper has attempted to explore the basis of diseases from the rayological point of view. It supports the medical and biomedical viewpoints of disease and extends the frontier of medical practice to the etheric body. It shares in the opinion that a right understanding of the basic causes of diseases will lead to a simplification of health management. It describes the ETK (Electromagnetic Therapeutic Kit) which has been designed to certify the postulations of rayological therapy. Rightly handled, the ETK will be efficacious in the management of a wide array of somatic and psychosomatic disorders, including psychological maladjustment behaiour. It should be noted that this paper does not pretend to explore all the causes of illnesses on our planet since certain illnesses are manifestations of group effect.


References
Anderson, M. (1979): Colour Healing, Northampshire, The Aquarian Press.
Artley, m. (1989): 'Some Unforeseen factors in chemistry and physics' Journal
of estoteric Psychology, Seven Ray Institute, USA, Vol. 5, No. 2,
pp. 28-40.
Bardon, J. (1976): initiation into Hermotics, western Germany Dieter
Ruggeberg.
Bailey. A. (1922): The Consciousness of the Atom, London, Lucis press ltd.
Bailey. A. (1950): Telepathy, and the Etheric Vehicle, London, lucis Press ltd.
Bailey, A (1953): Esoteric Healing, london, lucis Press ltd.
Czerneck, J. (1989): “21st Century Medicine - Radionics: An Introduction”
Journal of Esoteric Psychology, Seven Ray Institute, USA, Vol.
5, No.2, pp. 41-44.
Leadbeater, C.W. (1927)The Chakras, illinois, The Theosophical Publishing
House

*This paper was first presented at the National Association for Health Education Teachers in Benin, Nigeria in 1992. The authour wishes to invites useful comment and contributions from knowledgeable researchers which can stimulate further studies in this area.The authour is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Benin, Nigeria.

HOW TO MANAGE ANOREXIA NERVOSA:Compulsive Weight Loss

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder centered around an obsessive fear of weight gain. It is a form of self-starvation characterized by deliberate, excessive weight loss induced and/or sustained by the patient’s low body weight. It is a mental disorders but the physical consequences are serious and sometimes life threatening. It usually begins as innocent dieting behaviour but gradually progresses to extreme and unhealthy weight loss. Anorexia Nervosa is also referred to as Anorexia.
TYPES
There are two sub-groups of anorexic behaviour aimed to reducing caloric intake. These are:-
1. Restrictor Type:- This involves severely limiting the intake of food especially carbohydrates and fat containing foods.
2. Bulimia Type:- Also called binge-eating/purging type. This involves eating in binges and then inducing vomiting and/or taking large amounts of laxative or other cathartics i.e. medications which through their chemical effects serve to increase the clearing of the intestinal contents.


INCIDENCE
Anorexia Nervous occurs most commonly in females and usually begins in adolescent. It is difficult to estimate how common it is but surveys suggest that up to 1 – 2 percent of school girls and female University students develop anorexia nervosa.
The occurrence of Anorexia Nervosa has increased over the past 20 years among adolescent. It is estimated to occur in one out of every 100 females between the ages 16-18 years old. 5-10 percent of teens diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are models.
The disorder is more common in industrialized countries or western world where thinness is a positive cultural trait as in certain professions such as models and ballet dancers.
Initially Anorexia Nervosa was identified in upper and middle class families but it is now known to be found in all socio economic groups and a variety of ethnic and racial groups. 90-95 percent of those with Anorexia Nervosa are girls and young women while less than 1 percent of males develop it.
CAUSES
The fundamental causes of Anorexia Nervosa remain elusive but there is growing evidence that interacting socio cultural and biological factors contribute to its causation as well as specific psychological mechanism and a vulnerability of personality.
The causes will be discussed thus:-
1. SOCIAL CAUSES:
The cultural or social environment may cause or reinforce a propensity towards Anorexia such as:
(a) Particular professions (fashion, model, horse jockey) and sports (ballet, gymnastics) emphasize thinness and low body weight. Female athletes are particularly prone to being anorexia as coaches may encourage them to lose weight and they may notice improved performance with some weight loss. However the anorexia does not know when to stop losing weight and ultimately hinders performance by not consuming enough calories or nutrients to fuel the body.
(b) Some culture value thinness as a key element of attractiveness especially for women thus social pressure is a cause of anorexia.
(c) Families that are overprotective or emphasize over achievement or physical fitness often produce anorexia family members.
(d) There may be peer pressure to lose weight, nasty comments from others about weight that triggers dieting or an unrealistic expectation of what a normal body weight should be.
2. BIOLOGICAL CAUSES:
(a) Some research indicates that higher levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin (a brain chemical) make the individual withdraw socially and have less desire for food. However, the higher level of serotonin may be as a result of the anorexia rather than the cause.
(b) Anorexia Nervosa disorder is associated with under nutrition of varying severity with resulting secondary endocrine and metabolic changes and disturbance of body function.
(c) Individuals may have a genetic predisposition for anorexia as individuals with anorexia often have family members with the disorder.
3. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL CAUSE:
(a) Some major life events may trigger anorexia such as life transition (puberty), emotional upsets like death in the family, sexual or physical abuse and other life stresses.
(b) Some personality traits are associated with anorexia e.g. perfectionism, obsessiveness, approval seeking, low self esteem, withdrawal irritability and black-or-white (all or nothing) thinking.
(c) Teens who are dependent, immature in their emotional development and are likely to isolate themselves from others may develop anorexia.
(d) Adolescents who develop anorexia are more likely to come from families with history of weight problems, physical illness and other mental health problems such as depression or substance abuse.
(e) Mental health experts think that the feeling of being overwhelmed and powerless in adolescence can bring about a desire to maintain control in some realm of life such as control of body weight. So being in control of what enters the mouth can give the adolescent a feeling of powerfulness. Thus the period of adolescence may cause anorexia to manifest itself.
4. OTHER (COMBINATION) CAUSES
Relational or early life trauma (sometimes called developmental trauma) affects the brain, which in turn can impact both biology and psychology resulting in symptoms like obsessive, compulsive eating disorder like anorexia.
BEHAVIOURAL WARNING SIGNS
Behavioural warning signs of Anorexia Nervosa can manifest in the following ways.
1. Avoidance of Eating:
(a) Denies feeling of hunger
(b) Avoids social gathering where food is involved
(c) Develops food rituals that allows for eating very little such as eats in secrecy, eats foods in certain orders, excessive chewing of food, rearranges food on the plate, eats unnaturally small amount of food.
2. Dramatic Weight Loss:
(a) Refuses to maintain the minimal normal body weight for age or height.
(b) Denies the serious consequences of low body weight.
3. Obsession with dieting and weight loss:
(a) Weighs self several times a day and focuses on the smallest fluctuation in weight.
(b) Terrified of gaining weight or being fat.
(c) Even when thin, sees self as overweight.
(d) Bases self worth on body weight and body image.
4. Excessive focus on exercise regime.
GENERAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Low body weight (less than 85 percent of normal weight for height and age) or body weight is maintained at least 15 percent below that expected for person’s height.
2. Refusal to maintain minimum normal body weight done by self induced weight loss. Methods used include fasting, low food intake, avoidance of fattening food, use of diet pills, taking part in excessive exercise, use of laxatives or diuretics, self induced vomiting and making themselves sick.
3. There is intense constant fear of gaining weight, feeling of being fat (obese) even when their weight are less than expected i.e. the individual is losing weight.
4. There is distorted view of body weight, size of shape, sees self as too fat even when very underweight, expresses feeling fat even when very thin.
5. Rules are invented regarding how much food is allowed and how much exercise is needed after eating certain amounts of food.
6. Sufferers pursue a very low “ideal” weight by refusing to maintain minimum normal body weight.
7. Delayed development in puberty.
8. Amenorrhea (absence of at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycle without another cause in women.
9. Sufferers may feel bloated even after a small meal.
10. They lose interest in socializing with friends and family members.
11. Get involved in excessive physical activities in order to promote weight loss.
12. Denies feeling of hunger.
13. Preoccupation with food preparation.
14. Have bizarre eating habit or behaviour.
15. Bulimia (bingeing on food and then purging).
16. Emotional regression to a child-like state.
17. Irritability
18. Moody
19. Feeling of guilt or depression
20. Emaciation
However, each child may experience symptoms differently.
Essential features of Anorexia Nervosa are that the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight and exhibits a significant disturbance in the perception of the shape or size of his or her body. The individual maintains a body weight that is below a minimally normal level for age and height.
Anorexia Nervosa constitute an independent syndrome in the following sense:
1. The Clinical features of the syndrome are easily recognized so that diagnosis is reliable with a high level of agreement between clinicians.
2. Follow-up studies have shown that among patients who do not recover a considerable number continue to show the same main features of Anorexia Nervosa in a chronic form.
DIAGNOSTIC GUIDELINES
For a definite diagnosis of the problem all the following are required.
1. Body weight is maintained at least 15 percent below that expected (either lost or never achieved) or Quetelet’s body-mass index is 17.5 or less. Pre puberty patients may show failure to make the expected weight gain during the period of growth.
2. The weight loss is self-induced by avoidance of “fattening foods” and one or more of the following:- Self induced vomiting, self induced purging, excessive exercise, use of appetites suppressants and/or diuretics.
3. There is body-image distortion in the form of a specific psychopathology whereby a dread for fatness persists as an intrusive, overvalued idea and the patient imposes a low weight threshold on himself or herself.
4. A widespread endocrine disorder involving hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is manifested in women and amenorrhea and in men as a loss of sexual interest and potency.
5. If onset of prepubertal, the sequence of pubertal events is delayed or even arrested (growth ceases: in girls the breast do not develop and there is a primary amenorrhea, in boys the genital remain juvenile).
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
There may be associated depressive or obsessional symptoms as well as features of a personality disorder which may make differentiation difficult and/or require the use of more than one diagnostic code.
Somatic causes of weight loss in young patients that must be distinguished include debilitating disease, brain tumors and intestinal disorders such as crohn’s disease or a mal-absorption syndrome.
The symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa may resemble other medical problems or psychiatric conditions hence there is need to always consult the child’s physician for a diagnosis.
TREATMENT
Anorexia Nervosa and the malnutrition that results can adversely affect nearly every organ/system in the body increasing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Because the disorder can result in death and so many sufferers deny that they have a problem, it is incumbent upon others to take action. The sooner that someone takes action the better because the length of time that a person continues with the disorder is related to the chance of death as the body slowly quit functioning hence early treatment is essential.
Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa involves both the body and the mind. Early treatment involves behavioural techniques, psychotherapy for improved self-esteem and a variety of approaches including nutritional therapy, massage and relaxation exercises. It also involved combination of individual therapy, family therapy, behavioural modification and nutritional rehabilitation. This should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of the adolescent and family.
Treatment will vary depending on the individual’s circumstances. There is no single treatment that has proven to be effective in all cases. Treatment aims to:-
§ Restore the person to a healthy weight.
§ Restore healthy eating pattern.
§ Treat any physical complication or associated mental health problems.
§ Address, thought, feelings and beliefs concerning food and body image.
§ Enlist family support.
Treatment of Anorexics is especially difficult because these individuals are resistant to getting help. More than 95 percent of anorexics deny that they have a problem and view treatment as an attempt to “make them fat”. They behave that their low body weight is the solution and not the problem. This means that those who are close to the anorexic individuals must take an active role in getting help. They may need to accompany the anorexic to appointments to make sure that the anorexic’s behaviour is adequately described.
Early treatment is essential. The effects of anorexia nervosa on the mind and body are severe. Not only does the anorexic look and feel awful but also the disorder can be life threatening. Treatment work best before too much weight is lost as weight held at a low level for a long time gives poor prognosis for recovery.
A. EARLY RECOGNITION OF PROBLEM:
Parents, teachers, coaches and instructors may be able to identify the child or adolescent with Anorexia Nervosa although many persons with the disorder initially keep their illness very private and hidden. However, a child’s psychiatrist or a qualified mental health professional usually diagnose Anorexia Nervosa in children and adolescents.
In this a detailed history of the suspected child’s behaviour taken from parents, teachers, coaches or instructors, clinical observations of child’s behaviour and sometimes psychological testing contribute to the diagnosis.
Parents who note symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa in their child or teen can help by seeking an evaluation and treatment early as this can often prevent future problems.
B. DETERMINANTS OF TREATMENT
Specific treatments for Anorexia Nervosa will be determined by the child’s physician based on:-
§ Child’s age overall health and medical history.
§ Extent of the child’s symptoms.
§ The child’s tolerance for specific medication or therapies.
§ Expectation for the cause of the condition.
§ Parents opinion or preference.
C. RESTORATION OF BODY WEIGHT AND EATING PATTERN:
The first order of treatment is to restore normal body weight and eating pattern as along with weight gain comes and improved body functioning.
After the body weight is stabilized, treatment can progress to dealing with the psychological and physical problems that are as a result of not eating.
A dietician can be instrumental in guiding the anorexic individual to better eating habits for sound nutrition can repair the weakened body.
Normal body weight can be restored by the use of:-
§ Supplementary feeding
§ Electrolyte imbalance treatment
§ Nutritional Counseling.
D. PSYCHOTHERAPY
By the use of :-
§ Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
§ Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
§ Support groups.
Therapy can address the need for increased self-esteem, which helps the individual to see that they are not really overweight.
Use of support groups are helpful but because anorexics deny their problems they may be unwilling to attend support group hence sometimes family therapy is used. Support groups play a role in treating anorexia, as patients are encouraged to often meet in-groups to discuss their fears and help each other recover.
Family therapy is the best approach as the most important thing that family and friends can do to help a person with anorexia is to unconditionally love them. They can talk to physicians and/or counselor for help in determining the best way to approach and deal with the situation as people with anorexia will beg and lie to avoid eating and gaining weight which means giving up the illness and giving up the control. Family and friends should not give in to the pleading of an anorexic patient but should not nag them incessantly.
Anorexia is an illness that can be controlled by simple willpower but rather needs professional guidance. Most importantly is to support the individual without supporting their actions.
E. MEDICATION AS TREATMENT
Medications do not cure anorexia but antidepressant drugs may be prescribed for the depression and anxiety that often accompany anorexia. Medication is usually used only after normal body weight has been re-established e.g.
§ Antidepressants
§ Selective serotonin re-update inhibitors (SSRIs)
ROLE OF THE HEALTH TEAM
If the weight loss becomes serious (more than 20-25 percent less than total normal body weight) admission into hospital may be required for medical complications related to weight loss and malnutrition.
Anorexia Nervosa which is a mental problem manifest in a physical form hence treatment should include both the mental health professionals as well as the primary health care physicians.
Physicians help monitor bone density loss and hear heart rhythm disturbances. Psychologist help identify the important issues and replace destructive thought and behaviour with more positive ones as help is sorted for from a psychiatrist or psychologist experienced in eating disorders.
When a person with suspected anorexia consults a doctor for diagnosis and treatment, the doctor first make sure that endocrine metabolic and central nervous system disorders do not explain the apparent weight loss. They do a physical examination and take physical history so as to be able to institute adequate and prompt treatment.
Left untreated, anorexia can cause irreversible physical damage. In addition, anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental disorder: 5-20 percent of those with anorexia nervosa will die. The period of time of self-starvation is the critical factor for survival. Anorexia is a life long illness and relapses are common. 40 percent of anorexics recover, 30 percent improve and 30 percent have significant problems with anorexia throughout their lives.

COMPLICATIONS
Anorexia Nervosa can have severe medical consequences. Because the anorexic individual does not consume enough calorine or nutrients to support the maintenance and growth of the body, all body process slow down to conserve energy. This slowing down has serious physical, emotional and behavioural effects on the body as a whole.
Physical effects:-
§ Dry brittle nails and hair or hair loss.
§ Lowered resistance to illness
§ Bruises easily
§ Appears to need less sleep than normal eaters.
§ Digestive problems such as bloating or constipation.
§ Muscle loss and weakness
§ Fainting fatigue and overall weakness
§ Severe dehydration which can result in kidney failure
Emotional and Behavioural effect:
§ Difficulty in concentrating at anything else except weight.
§ Feeling of guilt and depression.
§ Dependency upon alcohol or drug to handle the negative outlook.
Other possible complications of anorexia nervosa are as follows:
1. Cardiovascular (Heart)
While it is difficult to predict which anorexic patient might have life threatening heart problem that result from their illness, majority of hospitalized anorexic patients have been found to have low heart rate. Myocardial (heart muscles) damage that can occur as a result of malnutrition or repeated vomiting may be life threatening. Common cardiac complications that may occur include the following:-
§ Arrhythmias (irregular heart beat)
§ Bradycerdia (slow heart beat)
§ Hypotension (Low blood pressure)
2. Heamatological (blood)
An estimated one-third of anorexic patients have mild aneamia (low red blood cell count). Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) occurs in up to 50 percent of anorexic patients. There is also evidence of poor blood circulation in anorexic patients.
3. Gastrointestinal (Stomach and Intestines):
Normal movement in intestinal track often slows down with very restricted eating and severe weight loss explaining the reason behind the feeling of bloating and constipation.

4. Renal (Kidney)
Dehydration often associated with anorexia results in highly concentrated urine, which may result in kidney stones. Polyuria (increased production of urine) may also develop in anorexic patients when the kidney’s ability to concentrate urine decreases. Renal changes usually return to normal with the restoration of normal weight.
5. Endocrine (Hormones)
In females, amenorrhea (cessation of the menstrual cycle for at least three consecutive months when otherwise expected) is one of the hallmark symptoms of anorexia. Amenorrhea often proceeds severe weight loss and continues after normal weight is restored. Reduced levels of growth hormones are sometimes found on anorexic patients and may explain retardation (stunt growth) sometimes seen in anorexic patients. It also explains delayed or arrest of development in puberty (growth caesure - in girls the breast do not develop and in boys the genital remains juvenile). Normal nutrition usually restores normal growth.
6. Skeletal (Bones)
Persons with anorexia are at an increased risk for skeletal fracture (broken bones). When the onset of anorexic symptoms occur before peak bone formation has been attained (usually mid to late teens), a greater risk of osteopenia (decreased bone tissue) or osteoporosis (bone loss) exist. Bone density is often found to be low in females with anorexia and low calcium intake and absorption is common.
PREVENTION OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA
Prevention measures to reduce the incidence of anorexia are not known at this time. However early detection and intervention can reduce the severity of symptoms, enhance the child’s normal growth and development and improve the quality of life experienced by children or adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Encouraging health eating habits and realistic attitudes towards weight and diet may also be helpful.
CONCLUSION
Anorexia Nervosa is a potentially life threatening illness and should be treated as soon as possible. Sufferers should seek help or be encouraged to do so. People with personal experiences of eating disorders usually run self-help orgnisations for anorexia nervosa. There are also self-help books available. Most importantly early recognition of symptoms and seeking help early can reduce to a certain extent the damage done by the disorder to the individual and family.

INCIDENCE OF ENURESIS IN AN ENURETIC

INTRODUCTION
Enuresis has been conventional defined as the involuntary discharge of urine after the age of 3-4 years in the absence of demonstrable organic pathology. For instance, Crosby (1950; 534) defined essential enuresis as ;
"the involuntary and unconscious passing
of urine after an arbitrary age limit of
three year s in the absence of significant
congenital or acquired defect or disease of
the nervous and uro-genital system, and
in the absence of significant physiological
defects"
Michael (1955:7) defined it as:
"uncontrolled, unintentional voiding of
urine at one expulsion usually occurring
during sleep; it may be considered to
be present if bed-wetting occurs past
the age of three, a liberal time for
control of urination to have been
established in so-called normal
individuals".
Tracing the etiology of enuresis, the behaviouristic approach holds that:
I. In the new born child, the voiding reflex is an extremely powerful natural reflex and that this is essential if the infant is to survive.
II. The problem faced by the growing child is to develop the higher nervous centers by both maturation and learning, to the extent that inhibitory factors are strong enough to hold in check the natural reflex until voluntary voiding can be achieved.
III. This achievement represents a high level skill of considerable complexity and that it is not, therefore, surprising that some children have difficulty in achieving such control.
- Yates (1970:81)
Inspite of the difficulty in achieving such control, it has been observed that:
I. The incidence of bed-wetting in the general population declines almost exponentially from the first year to reach an apparent asymptote in adulthood;
II. The pattern of bed-wetting is highly variable, some children wetting the bed regularly several times a night, and others wetting only infrequently or in sporadic outbursts.
III. The age at which children are expected to become dry at night shows considerable variation between communities and between social classes within communities.
- Lovibond and Coote ( )
Enuresis is a serious social problem because of the implication which it may have on the child's adjustment to home, school and community. This study was, therefore, carried out primarily to determine the incidence of enuresis among a sample of Nigerian school girls. Specifically, the study sought to find out:
I. The proportion of Nigerian school girls who bed-wet at school age.
II. The modal age for bed-wetting among school girls in Nigerian.
III. The approximate age of continence among the sampled group; and
IV. The factors which probably induce bed-wetting among female secondary school students in Nigeria.
Sample:
To meet the above objectives, the researcher carried out a survey of an enutretic population in the Federal Government Girls' College, Benin City. The enuretic population comprised students in JSS 2 and 3 Classes. This group was chosen because the JSS 1 students had not stayed in school long enough to permit adequate observation to be made about them. The SS1 class had a mixture of new students and old students, hence any observation among this group would have been unreliable. Finally, cases of bed wetting among the SS2 and SS3 students were infrequent. Also, only students who stayed in the boarding house could be used as sample since they provided ample opportunity for the house-mistresses to observe and report on them. the total number of JSS 2 and 3 students in the boarding house therefore was 250 (two hundred and fifty).
Data Collection Procedure:
Information about the number and identity of enuretic students was supplied by the school counselor. All the students were invited to the counseling room by the counselor where the researcher gave them a brief talk on:
"Bed-wetting: A normal phenomenon of childhood and adolescence". The purpose of the above talk was to desensitize them to the researchers' presence and create the needed rapport for interview. Afterwards, the labeled students were interviewed individually for the instances and genesis of their nocturnal emission.
Results:
From the available cumulative records of the school, 10 students in JSS 2 and 11 students in JSS3 were labeled as entretic. Data concerning their age and percentage are presented in table 1(a) (b) below. Graphic presentations of the data showing modal age of enuresis and age of continence are also provided in figure I and II respectively.

Table 1(a): Table Showing Level of Incidence Within the Enuretic
Population
No. of Students in the Population
No. of Enuretic
Students
Level of Incidence of Enuresis
250
21
o.84 x 100 = 8.4%






Table 1 (b): Table Showind Mean Age and Distribution of Incedence
Level by Age Within the Enuretic Group
Age
Frequency
X
Mean
SD
Standard Deviation
Level of Incidence in %-age
11 years
12 ''
13 ''
14 ''
15 ''
2
7
8
3
1


12.71


1.007
9.52
33.33
38.09
14.29
4.76

Information collected from the students revealed that about 90% of he students were secondary enuretic. Further probe into the instances revealed that some of then only bed-wet in school and attain temporary continence at home during the holidays. Some bed-wet when they over-eat or take in too much fluid, while others bed-wet when the toilet is dirty and sticking. A few said that they bed-wet when they cannot have escort to the urinary at night. Others admitted that they find it difficult to descend from the double bunker at night to visit the urinary. One particular case reported that she wets her pants involuntarily when she sees or hears the sound of running water or slip splashing tap.
Discussion;
From the above result, it can be observed that a enuretic constitutes a serious social problem among early adolescents in Nigeria secondary schools. The 8.45 level of incidence is significantly higher than the 2-3% level of incidence observed by livibond and Coote ( ). however, the observed incidence of 11 years and the dramatic increase to 33.33% and 38.09% at the ages of 12 and 13 years suggest that majority of the subjects are secondary enuretic. It tends to support the work of Jones (1960) that primary enuresis approaches zero at the age of 10. The study also shows tat at the age of 15 many of the children approach continence.
Attempt to explain the incidence of enuresis have been made by the psychodynamic and behaviouristic school respectively. In psychodynamic view, infantile enuresis is a sexual discharge which represents a substitute and equivalent of suppressed masturbation (Jenichel, 1946) Brezin (1954) pointed out that enuresis may represent a prototypical sexual experience which acts as a determinants in masturbation and cvoiltal fantasies later in life. Robertiello (1956) agreed that enuresis represents gratification of a mastubatory wish via the urinary system. The results of this study seem to support the psychodynamic formulation that enuresis is a masturbatory wish. This can be justified if it is argued that the mastubatory wish or coital fantasties tends to rise by the age of 12-13 when the early adolescent girl is beginning to observe maturational changes in her physical features. By the age of 14 many of them are already engaged in experimental sexual relations and at 15 almost all adolescent girls have already acquired some sexual experience, thus decreasing the coital fantasy which probably stimulates enuresis. This may accounts for secondary continence at the age of 15.
Behaviouristic formulation about enuresis view it in maturational and learning perspective. In maturational perspective, as the child matures he gains greater nervous system control over the muscles of the bladder. In the learning approach, the child must acquire the skill of inducing voluntary urination when the act is required to be performed. Both maturational and learning perspective seem to account for primary continence which occurs at the age of 10. The low level of incidence (9.52%) at the age of 11 compare to the high level of incidence (33.33%) at the age of 12 suggests that this study supports previous observations that primary continence occures at age 10. Since the age of continence varies between cultures and class groups within the same culture, it may be aruged that the 9.52% of the 11 years olds represents the remnant of those enuretic childern who are probably approaching primary continence.
Summary and Conclusion:
This study surveyed the incidence of enuresis among JSS 2 and 3 students in a Federal Secondary school in Nigeria. Those who took part in the study were "Labeled" students in the halls of residence of the school. It was not possible to use Day-students as there were no adequate records on such students.
The study showed that enuresis is a serious social problem female adolescent students in Nigerian secondary schools. The high incidence of enuresis can be associated with the conflicting of values between the sexually repressive traditional society and the availability of phonographic literature to the early adolescent during her secondary school years. These conditions increases the emotional conflict between the super-ego and id, thus leading to a high incidence of enuresis in the pre-adolescent population.
Since the age at which boys reach maturation is different from the age of sexual maturation for girls, the levels of incidence may differ significantly for both sexes at the same age. A comparative study involving both sexes and using a larger population is, therefore, recommended.

















Reference
Brezin, M. A. : "Enurwsis and bisexual identification" J. of American
Psychoanalytic Association, 1954, Vol.2, 509-513.
Crossby, D.; "essential enuresis: Successful treatment based on
Physiological concepts"
Fenichel, o.: The psychoanalytic theory of neurosis
London: Routlege aand Kegan paul, 1946.
Jones, H.G.: "The behavioural treatment of enuresis nocturna"
In Eysenck, H.J. (Ed.) Behaviour therapy and the neuroses:
Oxford: Pergamon, 1960, pp.377-403.
Lovibond, S.H. & Coote, M.a.; "Enuresis"
In Eysenck, H.J. (Ed.) Disorders of Behaviour, 1973, pp.373-395.
Micheals, J.; Disorders of Character
Sprinfield; C.C. Thomas, 1955.
Robertiello, R.C.: "Some Psychic interrelations between urinang and
Sexual system with special reference to enuresis.'
Psychiatric quarterly, 1956, 30, 61-62.
Yates, A.J.: Behaviour Therapy
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1970।s

UTIBE .ATAHA (२००८
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN
BENIN CITY.