The Debate of the Seed or the Soil
By: Peter Malakoff
Published in Point Reyes Light, 6/24/10
For much of the nineteenth century, a great debate took place between two
famous Frenchmen: the debate of the seed and the soil. On one side was Louis
Pasteur, chemist and microbiologist. His opponent, who had worked with Pasteur
on the first experiments in pasteurization, was also a friend. His name was
Claude Bernard, widely recognized today as the “father of Physiology.” Pasteur
held that the cause of disease was the microbe, the germ or the “seed.” Bernard
said that the primary cause of disease was the milieu intérieur, the condition of
the environment, the body or the “soil.” Bernard held that without the proper soil,
the seed, even if present, will not grow. The debate went on for decades. Finally,
on his death bed, Pasteur recanted his point of view, admitting that, “Bernard
was right. It is the soil, not the seed.”
In spite of his recantation, much of Western thinking and medical science has
followed in the footsteps of Pasteur. The name of Bernard as well as his
argument is lost to the common man and his consideration. Today, in Marin and
throughout California we can see a dramatic re-enactment of the dynamics of this
debate in the phenomenon of Sudden Oak Death (SOD). From Big Sur to Mount
Tamalpais, if you look at the forests you will notice many grey and dying trees.
Although it mainly shows itself amongst the oak trees, SOD occurs with laurel,
maple, manzanita, douglas fir and even redwoods. According to
ForestPathology.org, “Sudden Oak Death SOD may develop into one of the most
devastating diseases to hit North American forests.”
Dr. David Rizzo, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, is heading up
the fight against SOD. Rizzo says that SOD is caused by a fungus, Phytopthera
ramorum, that kills off the trees. Rizzo and his colleagues are currently involved
in research to find a treatment to kill the fungus. So far, Rizzo and his team of
scientists have been unable to determine how the disease is transmitted. Among
other things, he has warned homeowners and hikers to be careful not to spread
the disease by washing their shoes, not transporting wood and cleaning their
hands after touching the trees. As of this date he says that no cure has been
found.
In the last decade, most of the oak trees of Hearst San Simeon showed the
symptoms of SOD. Not willing to accept the inability of mainstream Western
science to deal with this disease, they called in Dr. Lee Klinger, an ecologist and
scientist who has created a record of outstanding success with SOD all over the
state. Klinger proceeded to treat these oaks with minerals, lime, ground up
seashells and organic compost placed around the base of each tree to offer
nutrients and to kill off the moss. In one year, 80 percent of Hearst Castle’s trees
had been saved.
Klinger and his methods are not accepted by the dominant thinking and science
of today. According to him, Phytopthera ramorum is not the cause of the disease.
The oozing of sap is not the cause of the disease. The beetles that invade the
sick trees and “girdle” them are not the cause of disease. All of these are
symptoms of poor nutrition.
Klinger says that the cause of SOD is the acidification of the soil around the base
of the trees. This acidification is primarily the result of years of fire suppression
that allowed moss and lichen to grow and acidify the soil. In addition, the trees
have been affected by acid rain and pollution, which further increased the acidity
of the soil. The increased acidity reduces the capability of the tree to absorb
nutrients. When trees are deficient in nutrients, they are more susceptible to
disease.
This is a modern version of the debate of the seed (fungus) and the soil. It is not
just theoretical. It is utterly practical, critical and relevant. It makes a huge
difference. The dominant paradigm on which the western world is now based has
oriented itself to killing the germs or fungus or disease and not attending to the
soil which allows these “seeds” to grow or not. This paradigm shows itself in the
prevalent treatment methodologies for SOD as well as Western medicine. They
both wrongly identify symptoms as cause. Thus, they both seek to remove an
effect and do not approach the cause. There is an ancient parable that says that
if a tree is sick, do not treat the leaves, treat the root. It holds true in approaching
SOD and in any illness occurring in our own bodies. In my next column I will
explore this further.
By: Peter Malakoff
Published in Point Reyes Light, 6/24/10
For much of the nineteenth century, a great debate took place between two
famous Frenchmen: the debate of the seed and the soil. On one side was Louis
Pasteur, chemist and microbiologist. His opponent, who had worked with Pasteur
on the first experiments in pasteurization, was also a friend. His name was
Claude Bernard, widely recognized today as the “father of Physiology.” Pasteur
held that the cause of disease was the microbe, the germ or the “seed.” Bernard
said that the primary cause of disease was the milieu intérieur, the condition of
the environment, the body or the “soil.” Bernard held that without the proper soil,
the seed, even if present, will not grow. The debate went on for decades. Finally,
on his death bed, Pasteur recanted his point of view, admitting that, “Bernard
was right. It is the soil, not the seed.”
In spite of his recantation, much of Western thinking and medical science has
followed in the footsteps of Pasteur. The name of Bernard as well as his
argument is lost to the common man and his consideration. Today, in Marin and
throughout California we can see a dramatic re-enactment of the dynamics of this
debate in the phenomenon of Sudden Oak Death (SOD). From Big Sur to Mount
Tamalpais, if you look at the forests you will notice many grey and dying trees.
Although it mainly shows itself amongst the oak trees, SOD occurs with laurel,
maple, manzanita, douglas fir and even redwoods. According to
ForestPathology.org, “Sudden Oak Death SOD may develop into one of the most
devastating diseases to hit North American forests.”
Dr. David Rizzo, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, is heading up
the fight against SOD. Rizzo says that SOD is caused by a fungus, Phytopthera
ramorum, that kills off the trees. Rizzo and his colleagues are currently involved
in research to find a treatment to kill the fungus. So far, Rizzo and his team of
scientists have been unable to determine how the disease is transmitted. Among
other things, he has warned homeowners and hikers to be careful not to spread
the disease by washing their shoes, not transporting wood and cleaning their
hands after touching the trees. As of this date he says that no cure has been
found.
In the last decade, most of the oak trees of Hearst San Simeon showed the
symptoms of SOD. Not willing to accept the inability of mainstream Western
science to deal with this disease, they called in Dr. Lee Klinger, an ecologist and
scientist who has created a record of outstanding success with SOD all over the
state. Klinger proceeded to treat these oaks with minerals, lime, ground up
seashells and organic compost placed around the base of each tree to offer
nutrients and to kill off the moss. In one year, 80 percent of Hearst Castle’s trees
had been saved.
Klinger and his methods are not accepted by the dominant thinking and science
of today. According to him, Phytopthera ramorum is not the cause of the disease.
The oozing of sap is not the cause of the disease. The beetles that invade the
sick trees and “girdle” them are not the cause of disease. All of these are
symptoms of poor nutrition.
Klinger says that the cause of SOD is the acidification of the soil around the base
of the trees. This acidification is primarily the result of years of fire suppression
that allowed moss and lichen to grow and acidify the soil. In addition, the trees
have been affected by acid rain and pollution, which further increased the acidity
of the soil. The increased acidity reduces the capability of the tree to absorb
nutrients. When trees are deficient in nutrients, they are more susceptible to
disease.
This is a modern version of the debate of the seed (fungus) and the soil. It is not
just theoretical. It is utterly practical, critical and relevant. It makes a huge
difference. The dominant paradigm on which the western world is now based has
oriented itself to killing the germs or fungus or disease and not attending to the
soil which allows these “seeds” to grow or not. This paradigm shows itself in the
prevalent treatment methodologies for SOD as well as Western medicine. They
both wrongly identify symptoms as cause. Thus, they both seek to remove an
effect and do not approach the cause. There is an ancient parable that says that
if a tree is sick, do not treat the leaves, treat the root. It holds true in approaching
SOD and in any illness occurring in our own bodies. In my next column I will
explore this further.