Edgar Cayce's Everyday Health. Carol Ann Baraff

of one knowing, and not turned loose freely!

      325-29

      This leads us to the familiar sun lamp, another source of ultraviolet radiation that shares some benefits with both the mercury lamp and natural sunlight. Often referred to as the sunlight or carbon light, this was, in Cayce’s day, an arc lamp that used a carbon rod. According to Cayce, “the Sun Lamp only stimulates the superficial circulation, or causes superficial irritation.” (632-10)

      However, this kind of stimulation can sometimes have therapeutic value when treatments are kept to a couple of minutes:

      We would find it also well . . . that there is the glow from the Sun Lamp or Light on the cerebrospinal system—from the base of the brain to at least the middle of the dorsal area . . .

      917-1

      It will be found at times that the sun lamp will be beneficial. This does not mean to become merely rote, but the practical applications of heat—as the sun lamp—will be helpful.

      1710-1

      So far as this condition is concerned, it will be only when the body is tired or overstrained, overworked, that it would be of any particular benefit.

      257-172

      But the readings largely tend to view sun lamps as temporary substitutes for natural sunlight. As such, they are promptly discontinued when enough outdoor time can be had:

      If there is not the exercise in the open air or sunshine, this is well.

      257-240

      From now on, or through a period until the body will be active sufficient, it will not be necessary; for the body can keep out of doors or in sunlight sufficient.

      738-3

      . . . As we find, the sun baths would be much preferable to a sun lamp in this particular season or time. These are the better violet ray at this particular time . . .

      365-4

      And this brings us back to helios, the sun, the original life-giving light. Here again, Cayce is very conservative about exposure, advising limited durations in the summertime before ten in the morning and after three or four in the afternoon. A good rule of thumb is to avoid the sun whenever your shadow is shorter than you are. When done properly, however, “sun bathing will add to those vitamins necessary, or aids the body materially in this.” (275-27)

       Castor Oil Creativity: The Abdominal Zone

      One result of the Cayce information spreading far and wide is the emergence of a new kind of health nut, who will be known here as the castor oil convert. We probably all know at least one. When confronted with just about any of the ills that plague humankind, this person will reach for the castor oil, devise some often ingenious way of applying it, and then proceed to sing its praises. He’s definitely on to something, based on the stories that are coming in.

      The basic mechanics of castor packs are almost ridiculously simple. All that’s required is a willingness to experiment with something truly messy. Since this can be an obstacle for those who prefer oil-free sheets, many castor converts were originally pushed into it somehow, whether by prayerful prompting, an opportunistic situation, or just plain desperation. They then developed a form and style that worked for them, perhaps unaware that the readings themselves encourage practitioners to make their own decisions about many of the details.

      A prime example of this is the abdominal pack recommended in most of the seven hundred or so castor oil references. Here the choices, and sometimes also debates, start right away. To begin with, the pack itself consists of several layers of soft, absorbent fabric with some readings specifying heavy flannel and a few, wool. Users can take their choice of new material, old shirts, or pre-made packs, and even determine a pack’s size and shape. While the ideal size in most cases is probably that of a standard heating pad, some readings imply that it might be smaller when targeting areas such as the liver. On the other hand, since extra sites such as the duodenum, colon, gall duct, uterus, and appendix are so often mentioned, covering the whole abdominal zone could be a very good idea.

      With a pack selected or created, it’s time to saturate it with oil. Although the readings tend to favor dipping the flannel in a pot of heated oil and then wringing it out, it’s also quite easy to drip oil straight from the bottle onto a pack, thereby avoiding sticky kitchen messes. This also works well when replenishing pre-used packs, which is done as needed. A piece of plastic or handy oil resistant castor oil pack holder is always used as a covering to protect everything but the skin from the oil. A pack is easily warmed before and during use by an electric heating pad on a low setting. However, there are other ways to do this such as hot water bottles or hot salt packs.

      Now it’s time to decide how long at a time and how often a pack should be used. Pack durations in the readings vary from one or two hours to three or four or more, depending presumably on how urgently they are needed. A more organic method is to apply a pack at bedtime or at the start of a nap and remove it on waking, whenever that happens to be. Frequency of application in the readings ranges from once a week to at least once a day. For general toning purposes, hour-long packing three days in a row followed by a three- or four-day break is a good place to start.

      Another important matter to consider is complementary treatment measures. Here we’ll just take a look at other forms of cleansing, which are consistently advised following a series of two or more packs. One Cayce favorite is, of course, colon irrigation by means of enemas or colonics. Another is internal doses of olive oil, which range from a teaspoonful to a third of a cup, though a tablespoon or two is most typical. Other mild elimination aids, such as Castoria and Syrup of Figs, are also approved for this purpose. A rarer measure is castor oil itself, in doses that vary in size from one to four tablespoons:

      Castor oil should be taken as an eliminant {as} . . . the system needs that of the excitement to the mucus coating of the duodenum, the activity of liver, and the reduction of the forces in the spleen’s reaction with digestive forces, as well as the cleansing of the lower intestinal tract.

      195-58

      As an eliminant, very good eliminant! Necessary after taking such an eliminant that there be either Syrup of Figs or Castoria taken to tone the system without making a strain from the overacidity in the alimentary canal.

      288-39

      Evidently, this is only helpful in certain cases as other readings advised against internal dosage: