that a very high proportion of the suffering we do is inflicted on us by our own defenses in the form of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and many unappealing others. Altogether about 5 percent of us suffer from some form of autoimmune disease—a very high proportion for such an uncomfortable range of afflictions—and the numbers are growing faster than our abilities to treat them effectively. “You could look at it and
