{"id":5513,"date":"2018-08-22T15:39:41","date_gmt":"2018-08-22T15:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthicine.org\/wordpress\/?p=5513"},"modified":"2018-08-22T15:39:41","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T15:39:41","slug":"a-definition-and-exploration-of-cure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthicine.org\/wordpress\/a-definition-and-exploration-of-cure\/","title":{"rendered":"A Definition and Exploration of Cure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Abstract:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Cure and cured are not defined medically or scientifically for most diseases. At present, medical tests for cured only exist for some communicable diseases.<\/p>\n

This paper discusses the current definitions of cure and proposes a comprehensive definition of cure all illnesses, diseases and medical conditions that can be cured.<\/p>\n

Introduction: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Cure is not well defined in current medical theory and practice.\u00a0 Many medical dictionaries do not even contain an entry for the word cure, including: Webster\u2019s New World Medical Dictionary, Third Edition, 2008; The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary, Ninth Edition, 2015; The Bantam Medical Dictionary, Sixth Edition, 2009; Barron\u2019s Dictionary of Medical Terms, Sixth Edition, 2013; Medical Terminology for Dummies, Second Edition; The Oxford Dictionary of Nursing, Edition 6, 2014, and many more. This is not a new situation.\u00a0 If we look back at The Lexicon Medicum, Seventh Edition, also known as Hooper’s Medical Dictionary, 1838, the word cure is not defined. The London Medical Dictionary, published in 1819, uses the word cure several times, but does not provide a definition of cure. Definitions do exist in non-medical dictionaries, based on historical usage, and some medical dictionaries simply copy these definitions. The word incurable is also poorly defined, if defined at all. It is not possible to prove an illness is incurable \u2013 only to give up the search.<\/p>\n

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 11th Edition, Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, and Lange’s Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment do not contain a definition of cure, rarely use the word cure, and do not use the word cure consistently. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders uses the word cure once, in the phrase \u201ceventual cures for these conditions\u201d, giving the impression that, at present, there are no cures to be found for any mental disorder.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization (WHO) does not define cure nor cured for any type of disease. The alphabetical list of health topics on the WHO website does not contain the word cure, and a search for the word cure on the site\u2019s documents reveals that the word cure is only used with regards to communicable diseases.\u00a0 Other references to cure have little substance and many are \u201cnot cure\u201d references. Non-communicable diseases and injuries might be considered incurable by omission, according to the World Health Organization\u2019s website. Cured is not defined. Cure is often used as a publicity reference by WHO and many others. In the WHO article titled \u201cPrevention is better than Cure<\/em>\u201d the word cure is not defined and does not even appear in the article and \u201cMiracle cure for an old scourge<\/em>\u201d contains \u201ccure\u201d in the title, but not in the article.<\/p>\n

Cured is defined as testable only for communicable diseases, those caused by a parasite or pathogen, where a cure is brought about by removing the parasite with an anti-parasite medicine or through surgical procedure. There are occasional exceptions, as might be expected due to the large number of contributing authors to major references. These exceptions are rarely, if ever, actual cures. Most medical references prefer words like treatment and therapy over cure, as evidenced by their titles, section, and chapter headings.<\/p>\n

Most current usage of the word cure is in fundraising and \u201chope\u201d for future cures, generally published without a definition of cured. News reports of cures are not about cures, instead we have stories of \u201chope for blindness cure<\/em>\u201d; cures for non-diseases like \u201cAmerican doctor shortage<\/em>\u201d, \u201cJapan\u2019s loneliness epidemic<\/em>\u201d, \u201curban violence<\/em>\u201d and \u201cpublic debt<\/em>\u201d; and of course \u201cride for the cure<\/em>\u201d, \u201crace for the cure<\/em>\u201d, and \u201crun for the cure<\/em>\u201d, which are about money, not about cures.<\/p>\n

What was the most important new cure discovered in the last 20 years? There are none. Millions, perhaps billions have been donated and invested, without a single disease cure with the exception of new antibiotics and antifungal medicines.<\/p>\n

Without a clear, scientific definition of cured for all diseases, we cannot expect a science of medicine to search for cures. Claims of bringing us \u201ccloser to a cure<\/em>\u201d have no scientific foundation, when cured is not defined.<\/p>\n

There is a secondary problem in defining cure scientifically. What is to be cured? Dictionary definitions of cure vary widely. Merriam-Webster\u2019s Medical Desk Dictionary offers “1. Recovery from a disease<\/em>” and “2. Remission of signs or symptoms of a disease, esp. during a prolonged period of observation.<\/em>” Blakiston\u2019s New Gould Medical Dictionary Illustrated, First Edition, 1949 offers “2. The successful treatment of an illness or a wound<\/em>” and “3.Special treatment for a disease or an invalid<\/em>“. Webster\u2019s Dictionary for English Learners \u2013 online offers “1. The act of making someone healthy again after an illness.<\/em>” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, Fourth Edition avoids disease, illness, and medical condition entirely with “2. Remedy an evil.<\/em>” as does the Funk and Wagnels Canadian College Dictionary, 1989 with “2. That which restores health or removes an evil<\/em>“.<\/p>\n

I have studied dozens of dictionary definitions of cure, but I have not seen a single definition that suggests we might cure any illness by addressing the cause.<\/p>\n

Is the disease cured? Disease is not well defined in medicine \u2013 and textbooks use the terms disease, medical condition, mental disorder, and others, without clear definitions and with little consistency. Is the patient to be cured? That makes little sense when many patients suffer from several diseases or medical conditions of varying complexity at the same time.<\/p>\n

This paper defines the word cure and cured for \u201ccurable illnesses\u201d. A curable illness being a component or group of components of illness which can be cured.\u00a0 If any component of a disease, medical condition, disorder, etc. is incurable, then it is not a curable illness and outside of the scope of this paper.\u00a0 However, remember that incurable is not medically defined either.<\/p>\n

Medical References to Cure<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are a few medical references to the word cure, in specific situations, although the usage is not consistent. Current usages of cure can be easily categorized by the ICD\/10 three types of disease: communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and injuries.<\/p>\n

Communicable diseases are cured by addressing the pathogen or parasite. \u00a0Antibiotics kill bacteria, anti-fungal medicines kill fungus infections, and poisons kill intestinal worms. These cures are clearly defined and cured can be proven by demonstrating that the cause has been addressed. Many medical references refer to this type of cure, but cured in general, is not defined.<\/p>\n

The second common usage of cure is with surgery. Historically, a surgeon cures, although in specific cases the word cure is seldom used, and there is generally no test for cured.\u00a0 A dentist cures cavities.\u00a0 A trauma surgeon cures gunshot wounds.\u00a0 Surgical curing generally requires healing to complete the job. Surgical cures often address non-communicable diseases. There is no medical test for cured for surgeries except when the surgery removes a parasite or other cause of a communicable disease.<\/p>\n

The third common use of the word cure is healing. It is generally understood that healing cures injuries. Healing occurs irrespective of the illness and regardless of the treatment \u2013 although best treatments should aid healing. The usage of the word cure for healing seldom appears in conventional medical references but is common in alternative medical references.\u00a0 However, many so called \u201chealing cures<\/em>\u201d are actually transformation cures, in the same class as surgical cures \u2013 which require healing to complete the cure.<\/p>\n

The word cure is commonly used for three types of illness: communicable, non-communicable, and injuries. At present, the only type of illness that can be cured and the cure proven scientifically is a communicable illness, where the cure is brought about by eliminating the cause. Of course, not every illness caused by a pathogen can be cured, thus the familiar phrase \u201cthere is no cure for the common cold.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Incorrect References to Cure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps a large part of the reluctance to use the word cure is simply that many references to cure are wrong. Everyone \u201cknows<\/em>\u201d that Vitamin C is the cure for scurvy, but in real cases, Vitamin C does not cure scurvy, it simply addresses the signs and symptoms of a faulty diet.\u00a0 Unless the cause, the faulty diet, is addressed the illness will persist and the patient will need to be continually medicated and advised to \u201clearn to live with<\/em>\u201d their disease.<\/p>\n

The original 1899 version of Merck contained many references to the word cure, but cure was not defined. Most, like \u201crest cure\u201d,<\/em> \u201cmilk cure<\/em>\u201d and \u201cgrape cure<\/em>\u201d are simplistic nonsense. However, \u201cIridectomy: the only cure<\/em>\u201d (for glaucoma) is still in use today, although the word cure is rarely used for specific surgeries.<\/p>\n

Curable Illness Element: <\/strong><\/p>\n

The book A Calculus of Curing introduces the concept of a curable element of illness. A single element of illness has a single cause. A curable illness element is defined there, and for the purposes of this paper, as a single element of illness having a single cause or chain of causes, which is cured by addressing the cause.<\/p>\n

Many diseases are very complex. A cancer has a cause, the condition that created the initial cancer cells \u2013 which might still be active. It also has the cancer cells, growing out of control. And it might also have injuries and other illnesses caused by that growth and by the body\u2019s attempts to fight the cancer.\u00a0 Curing a disease as complex as cancer requires several cures, several cure elements.<\/p>\n

An element of illness has three parts: the cause, which is present except in the case of an injury; the consequences, the signs and symptoms of the illness; and the intersection of cause and consequences, such that we believe the cause results in the consequences. Injuries are cured by healing \u2013 the cause no longer being present. Communicable and non-communicable illnesses persist until the cause is addressed \u2013 perhaps intentionally by medicine, or perhaps by health as in the common cold, or perhaps simply by a happy accident.<\/p>\n

The key to illness, and the key to cure can only be found in cause. Treatments for signs and symptoms might produce positive results without addressing cause but cannot produce cures. The only illnesses that can be cured, and proven to be cured, are illnesses where the cause can be addressed. Cause is the key to cure, because cause is required for the illness to exist.<\/p>\n

Fundamental Causes of Illness<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two basic or fundamental causes of an active illness.\u00a0 We will leave aside injury illnesses for the moment \u2013 injuries are not active, and are caused by excessive stress resulting from the same two fundamental causes.<\/p>\n

Non-injury curable illnesses exist and persist because the cause is present.<\/p>\n

Illnesses exist because life and health are ongoing processes.\u00a0 Dead things, rocks and sticks, do not get illnesses, but trees and tigers do.\u00a0 Only living things, participating in the ebb and flow of life, fall ill. An illness occurs when the natural healthy flows of life are disrupted or interrupted. There are two basic ways, two types of causes that can create a disruption of a natural healthy life flow:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A verb cause, a process. A negative process can disrupt the natural flows of life. Life depends on many healthy processes in cooperation and harmony. Any process that goes out of alignment can lead to illness. All illnesses caused by a pathogen or parasite are caused by a negative process, the growth of the parasite. Many other processes can also lead to illness.\u00a0 A faulty dietary process, a faulty exercise or lack of exercise process, a faulty sleep process. Each can lead to an illness that has a process cause, a verb cause.<\/li>\n
  2. A noun cause, a thing or an attribute. Sometimes an illness is caused by a thing or the state of a thing. A dental cavity is a thing. We might view it as an injury \u2013 if it can be healed. But if it cannot be healed, it can be a cause of an illness that needs to be addressed. A stroke, a blood clot, even a dislocated shoulder is also an attribute that must be addressed, not healed. A sprained ankle, on the other hand, is an injury that can be healed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Both types of active illnesses are cured by addressing the cause.<\/p>\n

    Verb, or process causes are addressed with processes. The faulty process must be addressed to produce a cure. If the diet is faulty, a healthy diet is the cure. If lack of sleep is the cause of illness, the illness can only be cured with healthy sleep processes. Illness elements with process causes are cured by healthy processes. They can occasionally be cured by things \u2013 as an infection is cured by a medicine that kills the pathogen.\u00a0 However, most infections are best cured by natural healthiness. Medicines are dangerous \u2013 that\u2019s why a doctor\u2019s prescription is required.<\/p>\n

    Noun causes are addressed by transformation. Often, healing is required. Dental cavities are cured by a dental surgeon, who fills the cavity and repairs the tooth. Cataracts are cured by cataract surgery, transforming the lens to a clear lens, and curing the vision illness. Healing is often necessary when a transformation cure is used, because transformations can cause injuries.<\/p>\n

    Every cause of illness element can be classified as a verb cause, or a noun cause. The same applies to injuries.\u00a0 Injuries can be caused by unhealthy processes; shin splints are caused by unhealthy exercise, or by unhealthy things; gunshot wounds are caused by bullets. But in the case of an injury, addressing the cause is irrelevant to the cure. Injury causes are only useful for prevention \u2013 outside of the scope of this paper.<\/p>\n

    In some cases of injuries, the cause is still present. However, these illnesses are complex, not elementary illnesses. Complex illnesses are comprised of multiple illness elements and therefore require multiple cure elements.<\/p>\n

    Causal Illnesses and Attribute Illnesses<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The phrases \u2018verb illness<\/em>\u2019 and \u2018noun illness<\/em>\u2019 are unfamiliar and awkward. I will refer to illnesses caused by verbs or processes as causal illnesses, and illnesses caused by nouns or negative attributes as attribute illnesses.\u00a0 Every causal illness has a process cause in the present.\u00a0 Negative attributes generally have causes in the past, with the negative attribute being the cause of an illness in the present.<\/p>\n

    Every causal or attribute illness is cured by addressing the cause.<\/p>\n

    How do we know if we have addressed the right cause?\u00a0 The illness is cured. A cure proves the cause. As we get better at guessing causes that cure, we get better at curing.<\/p>\n

    Causal Illness: Chains of Cause<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Every causal illness has a causal chain. Every process cause has a cause. Every cause of a cause has a cause. Whenever we find a verb cause, we can always find a cause of the cause, and a cause of the cause of the cause.\u00a0 We might also find direct consequences of the cause \u2013 that are not yet an illness.<\/p>\n

    A causal illness element has not a single cause, but a single chain or train of causes. \u00a0Each link in the chain is essential to cause the illness.<\/p>\n

    Which cause is important? Which cause leads to a cure?\u00a0 Any action that successfully breaks the chain, by successfully addressing any cause in the chain, can lead to a cure. If addressing a cause does not cure an illness element, then either:<\/p>\n