Abstract
Inflammation is universally agreed to represent the body's mechanism for removing germs and toxins from the tissues and the beginning of cleansing and repair. Healing would be impossible without inflammation. We argue herein that the same is true of allergic inflammation, that the lung inflammation that leads to asthma is an exaggerated form of a healthy physiological process and should not be suppressed by drugs. We argue that nutritional manoeuvres and desensitisation are not subject to the same criticism and should be the treatments of choice.