Fundamentals of Therapy
GA 27
IX. The Function of Protein in the Human Body, and Albuminuria
[ 1 ] Protein is that substance of the living body which best lends itself to the various transformations brought about by the body's formative forces, so that what results from the transformed protein substance appears in the structures of the organs and of the whole organism. To be suitable for such use, protein must have the inherent capacity to lose whatever form may result from the nature of its material constituents the moment it is called upon, within the organism, to be of service to a form the organism needs.
[ 2 ] We thus perceive that in protein the forces proceeding from the natures and mutual relationships of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, disintegrate. The inorganic chemical bonding ceases and in the disintegration of the protein, organic formative forces begin to work.
[ 3 ] Now these formative forces are dependent on the etheric body. Protein is constantly on the point of being taken up in the activity of the etheric body or of being precipitated out. Removed from the organism to which it once belonged, it assumes the tendency to become a compound, subject to the chemical forces of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. Protein that remains a constituent of the living organism suppresses this tendency in itself and aligns itself to the formative forces of the etheric body.
[ 4 ] Man consumes protein as a constituent of the food he takes. The Pepsin of the stomach transforms the protein which is taken in from outside, to peptides, these, to begin with, are soluble protein substances. This transformation is continued by the pancreatic juice.
[ 5 ] The protein ingested as a constituent of food is, to begin with, a foreign body in the human organism. It still contains residual activities from the etheric processes of the living being whence it was derived. These must be entirely removed from it. It now has to be absorbed into the etheric activities of the human organism.
[ 6 ] Hence, as the human process of digestion takes its course, we are dealing with two kinds of protein substances. At the beginning of this process the protein is foreign to the human organism. At the end it belongs to the organism. Between these two conditions there is an intermediate one, where the protein received as food has not yet entirely discarded its previous etheric actions, not yet entirely assumed the new. At this stage it is virtually completely inorganic. It is then subject to the influences of the human physical body alone. This physical body of man, in its form a product of the ego organization, is the bearer of inorganically active forces. It thus has a lethal effect on anything that is alive. Everything that enters the realm of the ego-organization dies. Hence, in the physical body the ego-organization incorporates purely inorganic substances. In the human physical organism these do not work in the same way as in lifeless nature outside man; but they work inorganically, that is to say, causing death. This deadening effect upon the albumen takes place in that part of the digestive tract where trypsin, a constituent of the pancreatic juice, is active. That inorganic forces are concerned in the action of trypsin, may be gathered also from the fact that it unfolds its activity with the help of alkali.
[ 7 ] Until it meets the trypsin in the pancreatic fluid, the albuminous nourishment continues to live in a manner foreign to the human organism, namely, according to the organism from which it is derived. Meeting the trypsin, it becomes lifeless. [ 8 ] But it is only for a moment, as it were, that the protein is lifeless in the human organism. Then it is absorbed into the physical body in accordance with the organization of the ego. The latter must have the force to carry over what the albumen has now become, into the domain of the human etheric body. In this way the protein constituents of food become formative material for the human organism. The foreign etheric influences, pertaining to them originally, leave the human being.
[ 9 ] For the healthy digestion of the protein constituent of food, man must possess a sufficiently strong ego-organization to enable all the protein, which the human organism needs, to pass into the domain of the human etheric body. If this is not the case, the result is an excessive activity of this etheric body. The quantity of protein prepared by the ego organization, which the etheric body receives, is insufficient for its activity. The consequence is that the activity orientated towards enlivening that protein absorbed by the ego-organization overwhelms that protein still containing foreign etheric effects. The human being receives in his own etheric body a multitude of influences that do not belong to it. These must now be excreted in an abnormal manner. This results in a pathological process of excretion.
This pathological excretion appears in albuminuria. The albumen which should be received into the domain of the etheric body is excreted. It is albumen, which, owing to the weakness of the ego-organization, has not been able to assume the well-nigh lifeless intermediate stage.
[ 10 ] Now the forces in man which bring about excretion are bound up with the domain of the astral body. In albuminuria, the astral body is forced to carry out an activity for which it is not properly adapted, its activity becomes atrophied in those regions of the organism where it ought properly to unfold. This is in the renal epithelia. The degeneration of the epithelia in the kidneys is a symptom showing that the activity of the astral body which is intended for these organs has been diverted.
[ 11 ] It is clear from all this where the healing process for albuminuria must intervene. The power of the ego-organization in the gland of the pancreas, which is weak, needs to be strengthened.
XI. Die Rolle des Eiweißes im Menschenkörper und die Albuminurie
[ 1 ] Das Eiweiß ist diejenige Substanz des lebenden Körpers, die von seinen Bildekräften in der mannigfaltigsten Art umgewandelt werden kann, so daß, was sich aus der umgeformten Eiweißsubstanz ergibt, in den Formen der Organe und des ganzen Organismus erscheint. Um in solcher Art verwendet werden zu können, muß das Eiweiß die Fähigkeit haben, jede Form, die sich aus der Natur seiner materiellen Teile ergibt, in dem Augenblicke zu verlieren, in dem es im Organismus aufgerufen wird, einer von ihm geforderten Form zu dienen.
[ 2 ] Man erkennt daraus, daß im Eiweiß die Kräfte, die aus der Natur des Wasserstoffes, Sauerstoffes, Stickstoffes und Kohlenstoffes und deren gegenseitigen Beziehungen folgen, in sich zerfallen. Die unorganischen Stoffbindungen hören auf, und die organischen Bildekräfte beginnen im Eiweißzerfall zu wirken.
[ 3 ] Diese Bildekräfte sind an den ätherischen Leib gebunden. Das Eiweiß ist immer auf dem Sprung, entweder in die Tätigkeit des ätherischen Leibes aufgenommen zu werden, oder aus diesem herauszufallen. Eiweiß, das aus dem Organismus, dem es angehört hat, herausgenommen ist, nimmt in sich die Neigung auf, eine zusammengesetzte Substanz zu werden, die sich den unorganischen Kräften des Wasserstoffes, Sauerstoffes, Stickstoffes und Kohlenstoffes fügt. Eiweiß, das ein Bestandteil des lebenden Organismus bleibt, verdrängt in sich diese Neigung, und fügt sich den Bildekräften des ätherischen Leibes ein.
[ 4 ] Mit den Nahrungsmitteln nimmt der Mensch das Eiweiß auf. Von dem Pepsin des Magens wird das von außen aufgenommene Eiweiß bis zu den Peptonen, die zunächst lösliche Eiweißsubstanzen sind, verwandelt. Diese Verwandlung wird durch den Pankreassaft fortgesetzt.
[ 5 ] Das aufgenommene Eiweiß ist zunächst, wenn es als Nahrungsmittel aufgenommen wird, ein Fremdkörper des menschlichen Organismus. Es enthält die Nachwirkungen der Äthervorgänge desjenigen Lebewesens, aus dem es entnommen wird. Diese müssen ganz von ihm entfernt werden. Es muß in die Ätherwirkungen des menschlichen Organismus aufgenommen werden.
[ 6 ] Man hat es daher im Verlaufe des menschlichen Verdauungsvorganges mit zweierlei Eiweißsubstanzen zu tun. Im Beginne dieses Vorganges ist das Eiweiß etwas dem menschlichen Organismus Fremdes. Am Ende ist es dem Organismus Eigenes. Dazwischen liegt ein Zustand, in dem das aufgenommene Nahrungseiweiß die vorigen Ätherwirkungen noch nicht ganz abgegeben, die neuen noch nicht ganz aufgenommen hat. Da ist es fast ganz unorganisch geworden. Es ist da allein unter der Einwirkung des menschlichen physischen Leibes. Dieser, der in seiner Form ein Ergebnis der menschlichen Ich-Organisation ist, trägt in sich unorganische Wirkungskräfte. Er wirkt dadurch auf das Lebendige ertötend. Alles, was in den Bereich der Ich-Organisation kommt, erstirbt. Daher gliedert sich die Ich-Organisation im physischen Leib rein unorganische Substanzen ein. Diese wirken im menschlichen physischen Organismus nicht so wie in der leblosen Natur außerhalb des Menschen; aber sie wirken doch eben unorganisch, d.h. ertötend. Diese ertötende Wirkung wird auf das Eiweiß da ausgeübt, wo in der Verdauungsregion das Trypsin tätig ist, ein Bestandteil des Pankreassaftes. -
[ 7 ] Daß in der Wirkungsart des Trypsins Unorganisches im Spiele ist, kann auch daraus entnommen werden, daß diese Substanz unter Beihilfe von Alkalischem seine Tätigkeit entfaltet.
[ 8 ] Bis zur Begegnung mit dem Trypsin des Bauchspeichels lebt die Eiweiß-Nahrung auf fremde Art; auf die Art des Organismus, aus dem sie genommen ist. Bei der Begegnung mit dem Trypsin wird das Eiweiß leblos. Man möchte sagen, es wird nur für einen Augenblick im menschlichen Organismus leblos. Da wird es aufgenommen in den physischen Leib gemäß der Ich-Organisation. Diese muß nun die Kraft haben, das, was aus der Eiweißsubstanz geworden ist, in den Bereich des menschlichen Ätherleibes überzuführen. Das Nahrungs-Eiweiß wird damit Bildestoff für den menschlichen Organismus. Die ätherischen Fremdwirkungen, die ihm vorher anhafteten, treten aus dem Menschen aus.
[ 9 ] Es ist nun notwendig, daß der Mensch, um das Nahrungs-Eiweiß gesund zu verdauen, eine so starke Ich-Organisation habe, daß alles für den menschlichen Organismus notwendige Eiweiß in den Bereich des menschlichen Ätherleibes übergehen kann. Ist das nicht der Fall, so entsteht eine überschüssige Tätigkeit dieses Ätherleibes. Der erhält nicht genug von der Ich-Organisation vorbereitete Eiweißsubstanz für seine Tätigkeit. Die Folge davon ist, daß die auf die Belebung des von der Ich-Organisation aufgenommenen Eiweißes orientierte Tätigkeit sich des Eiweißes bemächtigt, das noch fremde Ätherwirkungen enthält. Der Mensch erhält in seinem eigenen Ätherleibe eine Summe von Wirkungen, die nicht hineingehören. Diese müssen auf unregelmäßige Art ausgeschieden werden. Es entsteht eine krankhafte Ausscheidung. Diese krankhafte Ausscheidung tritt in der Albuminurie zu Tage. Es wird da Eiweiß ausgeschieden, das in den Bereich des Ätherleibes aufgenommen werden sollte. Es ist solches Eiweiß, das durch die Schwäche der Ich-Organisation nicht den Durchgangszustand des fast Leblosen hat annehmen können.
[ 10 ] Nun sind die Kräfte, die im Menschen die Ausscheidung bewirken, an den Bereich des astralischen Leibes gebunden. Indem dieser bei der Albuminurie gezwungen ist, eine Tätigkeit auszuführen, auf die hin er nicht orientiert ist, verkümmert seine Tätigkeit für diejenigen Stellen des menschlichen Organismus, an denen sie sich entfalten sollte. Das ist in den Nierenepithelien. In der Schädigung der Nierenepithelien ist ein Symptom vorhanden für die Ablenkung der für sie bestimmten Tätigkeit des astralischen Leibes.
[ 11 ] Man sieht aus diesem Zusammenhange, wo die Heilung bei der Albuminurie einsetzen muß. Es ist die Kraft der Ich-Organisation in der Pankreasdrüse, die zu schwach ist, zu verstärken.
XI. The role of protein in the human body and albuminuria
[ 1 ] The protein is that substance of the living body which can be transformed by its formative powers in the most varied manner, so that what results from the transformed protein substance appears in the forms of the organs and of the whole organism. In order to be used in such a way, the protein must have the ability to lose any form resulting from the nature of its material parts at the moment it is called upon in the organism to serve a form required by it.
[ 2 ] It can be seen from this that in the protein the forces resulting from the nature of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon and their mutual relationships disintegrate. The inorganic material bonds cease and the organic formative forces begin to take effect in the protein decomposition.
[ 3 ] These formative forces are bound to the etheric body. The protein is always on the verge of either being absorbed into the activity of the etheric body or falling out of it. Protein that has been taken out of the organism to which it belonged tends to become a compound substance that submits to the inorganic forces of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. Protein, which remains a component of the living organism, displaces this tendency and assimilates itself to the formative forces of the etheric body.
[ 4 ] Man absorbs protein with food. The pepsin in the stomach transforms the protein ingested from the outside into peptones, which are initially soluble protein substances. This transformation is continued by the pancreatic juice.
[ 5 ] The ingested protein, when ingested as food, is initially a foreign body to the human organism. It contains the after-effects of the ether processes of the living organism from which it is taken. These must be completely removed from it. It must be absorbed into the etheric effects of the human organism.
[ 6 ] There are therefore two kinds of protein substances involved in the course of the human digestive process. At the beginning of this process, the protein is something foreign to the human organism. At the end, it is something that belongs to the organism. In between lies a state in which the ingested food protein has not yet completely released the previous etheric effects and has not yet completely absorbed the new ones. It has become almost completely inorganic. It is there solely under the influence of the human physical body. This, which in its form is a result of the human ego-organization, carries within itself inorganic active forces. It thus has a killing effect on the living. Everything that enters the realm of the ego organization dies. This is why the ego organization incorporates purely inorganic substances into the physical body. These do not have the same effect in the human physical organism as they do in lifeless nature outside the human being; but they do have an inorganic effect, i.e. a killing effect. This killing effect is exerted on the protein where trypsin, a component of pancreatic juice, is active in the digestive region. -
[ 7 ] The fact that inorganic substances are involved in the mode of action of trypsin can also be inferred from the fact that this substance develops its activity with the aid of alkaline substances.
[ 8 ] Until the encounter with the trypsin of the pancreas, the protein food lives in a foreign way; in the way of the organism from which it is taken. When it meets the trypsin, the protein becomes lifeless. One might say that it only becomes lifeless for a moment in the human organism. Then it is absorbed into the physical body according to the ego organization. This must now have the power to transfer what has become of the protein substance into the realm of the human etheric body. The food protein thus becomes a material for the human organism. The etheric foreign effects that were previously attached to it leave the human being.
[ 9 ] It is now necessary for the human being to have such a strong ego organization in order to digest the food protein healthily that all the protein necessary for the human organism can pass into the realm of the human etheric body. If this is not the case, there is an excess of activity in this etheric body. It does not receive enough protein substance prepared by the ego organization for its activity. The consequence of this is that the activity oriented towards the vitalization of the protein absorbed by the ego-organization takes possession of the protein that still contains foreign etheric effects. The human being receives in his own etheric body a sum of effects that do not belong in it. These must be excreted in an irregular manner. The result is a pathological excretion. This pathological excretion comes to light in albuminuria. Protein is excreted that should be absorbed into the etheric body. It is such protein that, due to the weakness of the ego organization, has not been able to assume the transit state of the almost lifeless.
[ 10 ] Now the forces that bring about excretion in the human being are bound to the realm of the astral body. In albuminuria, the astral body is forced to carry out an activity to which it is not oriented, so its activity atrophies in those parts of the human organism where it should develop. This is in the renal epithelia. The damage to the renal epithelia is a symptom of the distraction of the activity of the astral body intended for them.
[ 11 ] You can see from this context where the healing of albuminuria must begin. It is the power of the ego organization in the pancreas gland, which is too weak, that must be strengthened.