The European Healers
Naturopathy as a discipline began in 19th century Europe. Known simply as "the nature cure", it spread to the United States and acquired its present name around the turn of the century. Some of the European fathers of Naturopathy were:Vincent Priessnitz (1799-1852) Priessnitz developed a system of water cures that he used successfully on himself and many others. Priessnitz relied on nothing except cold water, a simple diet, and physical activity to heal his patients. "Our task," he would say, "is not to treat the disease, but the patient."
Theodor Hahn (1824-1883) Largely self-taught, Hahn was a lay practitioner who advocated using the water cure along with a vegetarian diet. "Hahn held the very modern belief that the nature doctor should be an educator who brought the knowledge of healthful living and natural treatments to the people so that they would realize they were responsible for their own health."
Arnold Rikli (1823-1906) Rikli, who was well educated as an industrialist but who had no formal medical education, employed the water cure and diet as healing modalities but also added the use of air and sunlight baths. He is known for saying, "Water is good; air is better, but light is best of all."
Father Sebastian Kneipp (1824-1897) Father Kneipp provided the link between the European nature cure and American Naturopathy. Kneipp was a priest, and physical healing was as much a part of his ministry as was saving souls. His approach to healing was holistic, advocating "the balance between work and leisure, stress and relaxation and the harmony between the mental, emotional, physical, social, and ecological planes. In short, 'he asked for a different life, not for better pills; he asked for the active patient and rejected the passive one.'"
Although their methods were similar, these healers were not in exact agreement. However, they were all working to muster the healing forces within each patient and, hence, they all practiced something that is closely akin to Naturopathy.
Naturopathy in America
Benedict Lust (1872-1945) gave Naturopathy its name. Born in Germany, Lust (pronounced Loost) came to the United States in 1892 to seek his fortune. Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for us today, he contracted a severe case of tuberculosis and returned home to die. Instead he found Father Kneipp and was healed. In 1896 he returned to the United States sanctioned by Kneipp to spread the word about the water cure.Lust's ideas about natural healing were eclectic. While he was a proponent of the Kneipp Cure, he combined it with modalities he had learned from many of the other European nature doctors. By 1902, Lust had opened a Naturopathic sanatorium, established a Naturopathic college, begun a Naturopathic magazine, and opened a store that sold Kneipp products. Throughout his career, Lust spent much time and energy in fighting the American Medical Association and his local government. Naturopathy was often embroiled in controversy.
In fact, its name is controversial and the true origin of the name is unclear. It is known that the word was coined, possibly from "nature" and "homeopathy," a system of healing that Naturopaths had begun to use. Many early Naturopaths objected to the name because, in literal translation, it means natural disease. However, Lust credited it with helping to end his persecution. "The prosecution became so intense that we could not use the words cure, healing, therapy, therapist, physician, doctor, or any similar title. We were all in despair. Finally we decided to use the word 'Naturopath' as being the only safe term by which we could designate ourselves as having to do with "the nature cure" and disease (1921,479)."
Benedict Lust was a man of strongly held opinions. For example, he was: "Opposed to the processing of foods because such 'manufacture' tends to destroy their true nutritional values....Opposed to the administrations of all drugs and narcotics because they are unnatural elements which the human body is not capable of assimilating.... Opposed to the regimentation of the American people under medically controlled elements because such legislation will wipe out other methods of treatment and bring inestimable damage to the health of every man, woman,and child affected.... Opposed to any legislation which in practice would prevent a family from attending to its own ills or the choosing, by such family, of any type of treatment it might desire because such legislation restricts personal liberty and tends to take from the American people the right to use the beneficial homespun efficient remedies which have been handed down from generation to generation."
Other American Healers
As with most of the European healers, the American experience was that
"incurable" illness led to healing through natural means and then to the
desire to help others. Dr. Henry Lindlahr (1862-1924) was an industrialist
until he developed "incurable" diabetes, which was always fatal in his
day. He then sought help from Father Kneipp.
Upon recovery, at the age of 40, he embarked on medical school. In addition,
he supplemented his classroom education with private instruction in osteopathy
and an independent study of diet and nutrition. He began his practice
as a natural healer before he received his medical degree. Lindlahr relied
primarily on the most basic of natural remedies: proper diet, fresh air,
light, water, and physical activity.
As a child Otis G. Carroll (1879-1962) suffered from rheumatic fever and
severe juvenile arthritis. He found help from Alex LeDoux, a medical doctor
who had studied with Father Kneipp. After his cure, he studied herbalism,
then later studied with LeDoux. It was only after these years of informal
education that he enrolled at the Cleveland College of Chiropractic, and
while continuing his informal education with Dr. Lindlahr. The focus of
Carroll's practice was on improving his patients' abilities to digest
foods and absorb nutrients. To do this, he relied on hydrotherapy, herbs,
and diet.
A number of other American doctors were important in the development,
public interest and acceptance of natural healing and Naturopathy, including
Louisa Lust, the wife of Benedict. Having studied in Europe with Arnold
Rikli and others, she was already practicing as a natural healer before
she met Lust. Others of note were Frederick W. Collins, a drugless physician
who helped Dr. Lust spread the word about Naturopathy in America; Linda
Burfield Hazard (1850-1939), a proponent of fasting; Bernarr Macfadden,
originator of "Physcultopathy"; and many more.
Early Naturopathy: Basic
Tenets and Theories
The American Naturopathic Association
Natural Healers and Education
© Copyright 2007 Coalition for Natural Health