For proper treatment of varicose veins. the patient should, in the beginning, be put on a juice fast for three to five days or on fruit diet for five to seven days. A warm-water enema should be administered daily during this period to cleanse the bowels and measures should be taken to avoid constipation.

After the juice fast or the fruits diet, the patient should adopt a restricted diet plan. In this regimen, oranges or orange and lemon juices may be taken for breakfast. The midday meal may consist of raw salad of any of the vegetables in season, with olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Steamed vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, carrots, turnips, cauliflower and raisins, figs or dates may be taken in the evening. No bread or potatoes or other starchy foods should be included in this diet, or otherwise, the whole effect of the diet will be lost.

After the restricted diet, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet with the emphasis on whole grains, seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruits. About 75 per cent of the diet should consist of raw vegetables and fruits. All condiments, alcoholic drinks, coffee, strong tea, white flour products, white sugar and white sugar products should be strictly avoided. A short fast or the fruit diet for two or three days may be undertaken every month, depending on the progress.

Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot juice in combination with spinach juice, have proved highly beneficial in the treatment of varicose veins. The formula proportions considered helpful in this combination are carrot 300 ml. and spinach 200 ml to prepare 500 ml of juice.

Certain nutrients have been found effective in the treatment of varicose veins. The most important of these nutrients is Vitamin C. When Vitamin C is lacking, veins sag and become tortuous, which is the first stage of varicosity. In addition, there is often an anemic condition present, which makes for a poor and weakened blood supply. Dr. Foote says, 'many of these patients are deficient in vitamins and healing may be accelerated by attention to this point, especially if large doses of Vitamin C are added to their diet'.

The alternate hot and cold hip bath will be very valuable and should be taken daily. The affected parts should be sprayed with cold water or cold packs should be applied to them. A mud pack may be applied at night and allowed to remain until morning. The hot epsom-salt bath is also very valuable and should be taken twice a week. The legs should be exposed to sunlight for some time during the day.