01/09/2026
Sir William Lane is one of the most celebrated surgeons in British history. He had a particular interest in the cause and prevention of disease and published a paper titled “The Prevention of the Diseases” in 1925. In it, Lane explained how primitive people enjoyed long, healthy lives, essentially free from disease. He noted that the leading causes of death were from accidents, exposure to the elements, starvation, and old age. Sir Lane wrote that “death from old age is painless and sweet but is exceedingly rare in civilized men. If civilized men lived in the way in which they ought to live they would lead long, happy and useful lives. Their physical and mental faculties would remain practically unimpaired to the end, and they would pass away peacefully, often in their sleep. Such deaths are very exceptional among the more advanced nations”. He believed that the major causes of disease in the West were due to an improper diet and impaired channels of elimination (i.e. constipation).
This was taken from Humanely Telegram Page.
