{"corpus":"steiner","locus":"GA 312/1920-04-01/p021","lang":"en","edition":"English","edition_basis":null,"is_original":false,"is_default_edition":true,"text":"You know that certain substances operate in the human organism simply through being bound up with either *bases* or *acids*; or appear, to use the technical term, neutrally in the form of *salts*. Thus bases and acids act as complexes of antagonistic forces, which neutralise each other in salts. But this is not all. How does this triad, acids, bases and salts, operate within the human system of organic forces? We shall find that all bases have a tendency to support such human processes as begin in the mouth and continue through digestion, i.e., from front to rear; and indeed all other processes with the same line of action. And as the basic substances have to do with this direction, so the acids are equally associated with the reverse. Only in studying the opposition of “front man” to “rear man” one understands the polar opposition of bases and acids. And saline substances stand at right angles to the two opposites, pointing vertically earthwards. All processes directed from above downwards centripetally are those into which the saline element thrusts itself. Thus we must keep these three spatial directions clearly in our minds, if we seek to determine how man enters into the triad, bases, salts and acids. Here again is an instance of the manner in which the purely external chemistry of metals is linked with the physiological, through the observation of man, for here you see clearly the directive forces. Here, too, you have the whole relationship of salt nature to the earth, as well as the direction of basic and acid substances. We can summarise the whole thus. If we imagine the earth's surface, the saline substances tend downwards towards the earth, and bases and acids tend to spin around the earth in circles. And simply by learning something of the spatial directions of the organic functions, we are in a position to intrench upon them. Here an essential curative measure is the external application of remedies, through friction, by means of ointments, and so forth. One must find out what operates in a certain direction after external application. Under certain conditions, the vigorous action of mustard plasters, or of certain metallic ointments—suitably compounded of course—is as effective for the whole organism, as is internal treatment. But—as you will deduce from what has been put before you—we must be careful to choose the right method of application. For it is not at all the same whether the plaster or ointment is applied to this or that part of the body. It is essential to choose the spot of application so as to stimulate counteraction against injurious forces. It is not always the most efficacious way merely to put the remedy directly on to the seat of the pain or irritation.","text_trust":"verbatim","quote_safe":true,"title":"Atmospheric Composition, Organ Systems, and Healing Substances","date":"1920-04-01","location":null,"word_count":461,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/en/ga/312/1920-04-01/p021","alignment_confidence":"medium","alignment_reason":"off_by_one_paragraph","two_voice_volume":false,"translation_credit":{"identified_edition":"RSP1948","translator":null,"publisher":"Rudolf Steiner Press","publisher_inferred":true,"match_score":1.0,"source_url":"https://www.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA312/English/RSP1948/SpiSci_index.html","publisher_note":"The publisher is inferred from the edition code, not stated by the source page. The translator and the edition identity ARE verified (the edition's opening text was matched against this corpus; see match_score and source_url). Cite the translator and edition with confidence; attribute the publisher only as probable, or check source_url before naming it."},"edition_coverage":{"de":["original"],"en":["English"]},"available_versions":[{"lang":"en","edition":"English","edition_basis":null,"is_original":false,"is_default_edition":true,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/en/ga/312/1920-04-01/p021","paragraph_aligned":true}],"german_anchor":{"de_prefix":"1920-04-01","de_passages":[{"locus":"GA 312/1920-04-01/p020","url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/de/ga/312/1920-04-01/p020"}],"bead_confidence":"medium","length_check":{"de_words":520,"en_words":461,"ratio":0.89,"partial":false},"correspondence":"established","note":"English passage numbering is edition-relative and this passage's lecture alignment is imperfect. The German original passage(s) above are the edition-invariant anchor — fetch them (lang='de') to verify wording before quoting across editions."},"witness_completeness":{"ratio":0.91,"band":"comparable","note":null,"word_count":5089,"original_word_count":5572,"may_be_abridged":false},"witness_quality":{"translator":{"status":"unknown","warning":"No translator is recorded for this edition. An unattributed translation cannot be weighed as a witness: you cannot tell which hand made the choices in it. Cite the German for anything load-bearing.","identified_edition":"RSP1948","translator":null,"publisher":"Rudolf Steiner Press","publisher_inferred":true,"match_score":1.0,"source_url":"https://www.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA312/English/RSP1948/SpiSci_index.html","publisher_note":"The publisher is inferred from the edition code, not stated by the source page. The translator and the edition identity ARE verified (the edition's opening text was matched against this corpus; see match_score and source_url). Cite the translator and edition with confidence; attribute the publisher only as probable, or check source_url before naming it."},"entity_parity":{"status":"ok","checked_against":["GA 312/1920-04-01/p020"],"missing_from_translation":[],"present_only_in_translation":[],"bead_confidence":"medium","note":"Every load-bearing name in the German counterpart appears in this English passage. That is a check on NAMES only: a translation can keep every name and still reverse who acts on whom, change a number, or soften a claim. Read the German for anything you intend to rest an argument on."},"note":"quote_safe certifies the bytes of this text. This block is about the translation as a WITNESS: who made it, and whether it carries the same names as the original. See witness_completeness for how much of the original this witness holds."}}