Nature Doctors Notes + Lecture Notes

Benedict Lust (1872-1945) – The Father of Naturopathy

 Nature cure, consisting of hydrotherapy, air and light baths, a vegetarian diet, and
herbal remedies, originated in Europe with the work of Preissnitz, Rikli, Kneipp and
others
 Benedict Lust combined nature cure with homeopathy, massage, spinal
manipulation, and therapeutic electricity in America  Naturopathy
 Born in southern Germany, came to Canada when he was 20 for fame and fortune
 Got 6 vaccinations, operations and almost died of TB – Kneipp cured him in 8 months
(went back to Germany to be healed and came back to America in 1896 to be
Kneipp’s official representative)
 He was not the first to bring Kneipp’s methods to America – he was the first to sense
the need to Americanize Kneippism and make it acceptable to the population at large
– combine Kneippism with other nature cure practices
 Mrs. Frances Benzecry made a career of bringing charges against naturopaths
(responsible for 800 arrests in 12 years). Lust was arrested for practicing without a
license, found not guilty but paid $800 in fines and fees – called Mrs. Benzecry “a
disgrace to America womanhood and to the free soil of America on which she treads”
 Had a very successful magazine – changed name from Kneipp Water Cure Monthly to
The Naturopath, also chaned Kneipp society to Naturopathy Society in 1897
 Before the prosecutions ended, Lust had been arrested 16 times by New York
authorities and 3 times by federal authorities – not one Naturopath ever pleaded
guilty
 Naturopathy coined by the Drs. Scheel who combined the terms “nature cure” and
“homeopathy” (hybrid word both Greek and Latin roots – criticized often because of
this and also because it means “natural disease” than “natural healing”) – term
coined in 1892, used by Lust in 1896
 Prosecution became so intense we could not use the words cure, healing, therapy,
therapist, physician, doctor, or any other similar title. ‘Naturopath’ was a magic word
that set us free!
 Lust was a chief spokesman for naturopathy – his exuberant enthusiasm for a new
healing method of fad sometimes interfered with his ability to evaluate something
critically and to sift the wheat from the chaff
 Cured his bro from typhoid fever in 2 weeks – water cure
 It was not as a practitioner, however, but as an educator, promoter and
organizer of naturopathy that Lust had his greatest impact
 He believed naturopathy’s purpose was “to reach and transform and transfigure
everyday lives”
 “Naturopathy is the mother, all-inclusive, of natural therapy. It is the basic platform
for all methods of healing; without it any healing art will be a failure”
 Founded a natural health retreat near Butler, New Jersey called Yungborn (also
opened a sanatorium in Florida) jointly owned with his wife Louisa
 Guests lived in air cottages of tent colonies – would rise at 5am for a day of walks,
sports, lectures, mud baths, vegetarian meals, health naps, stream plunges and sun
bathing, garbed in nature’s apparel only. Retired at 9pm, men and women separate,
no meat, tobacco, or contagious diseases were allowed
 $2.50 per day, $16 per week, $60 per month
 Lust was licensed to practice in Florida in 1914 and opened a Yungborn at Tangerine,
Florida called Qui-si-sana. Fire destroyed it in 1943, marking the beginning of the
end of Lust’s career and life.
  Natural Life Colony at Palm City in Cuba as well
 Morris Fishbein of the Journal of the American Medical Association attacked Lust –
said Lust and Lindlahr were gold digging frauds
 Separated family doctors (friends) from political doctors (Devilish)
 Lust was quick to admit not all naturopaths were legit – called them
“pseudonaturopaths”
 Lust rarely lost a debate and advocated patient rights, NOT “doctor knows all”
 He believed in prevention as the future of medicine
 Although Lust remained a lifelong enemy of what he regarded as the medical trust,
he never took it personally (even though it cost him tens of thousands of dollars)
 Besides establishing and popularizing naturopathy in the US, Lust:
o Founded the American School of Naturopathy in 1901 (New York) – 1st to
teach the degree and chiropractic. First 2 years, then 4 (John Hopkins was the
1st med school to offer 4 year program, naturopathy followed). Closed in
1942. Established New York School of Massage and Training School for Physio.
Also offered naturopathic home study and post-grad courses through his
journal
o Founded the American Naturopathic Association (ANA) – 1902 – split up
and united again in 1980
o Without Lust’s efforts there would be no licensure of naturopathy (1925) and
without licensure there would be no naturopathic medicine as we know it
today
o Dreamed of a national examining board and naturopathic hospital
 Lust we a widely known figure of his day. The impact of his work and fame was
confined neither to America nor naturopathy
 Tireless traveler - train and plane
 Was in the fire at Yungborn in Florida and given sulfa drugs. His health declined for 2
years and his friends felt the sulfa drugs led to his decline. Official cause of death
was coronary thrombosis in 1945 (he was 73)
 He believed his greatest honor, besides being commissioned by Kneipp to bring his
methods to America, was in being considered the worst enemy of orthodox medicine
 Still – founder of osteopathy
 DD Palmer – founder of chiropractic

Louisa Lust (1868-1925) The Matriarch of Naturopathy

 Daughter of the mayor of Sigmaringen, Germany, immigrated to America and
became an accomplished naturopathic physician specializing in women’s tx.
 Moved to New York because there was a large German Population
 During the 1890’s she was the dr-in-charge of Bellevue Sanitarium in Butler, NJ
 Trained in the tradition of Rikli, most of her studies were in London
 Headed the women’s department at the Yungborn retreats and employed
hydrotherapy, vegetarian diet, air-and-light baths, and moderation
 Born Aloysia Stroebele
 Louisa and Benedict met in 1896 because he took pilgrimages to Butler with her
brother Albert, a priest
 The three of them established Butler Yungborn – Louisa was the leading financial
partner
 Their marriage in 1901 was a cause for celebration in the naturopathic community
 Great practitioner and great preparer of healthful foods – she wrote a simple,
wholesome vegetarian cookery book – Practical Naturopathic Vegetarian Cook
Book
  “If mothers would learn how to live…to prepare simple healthy foods and by example
teach their children the all-important lessons of how and what to feed the body,
sickness would be out-grown and forgotten in one generation”
 She advocated the “nut and fruit diet”, NO sugar, butter, or white flour
 No better treatment than the steam bath, for prevention a daily cool natural bath
 She was said to have “brought out the captainship of Dr. Benedict Lust.” She was a
powerful presence behind the scene. Kept a low profile.
 She died in 1925 at the age of 57 from “chronic endocarditis” (inflammation of the
heart)
 She died without a will, thus depriving him of financial resources which he and the
profession had relied upon for decades. He seriously considered abandoning
naturopathy after this
 “naturopathy is freedom from fear” – empowering, making your own decisions
 “mastery of hygiene” – cleanliness and vegetarianism
 “Treat the individual” – even the diet
 With the 1st sign of a fever = enema with warm water (heats the body and removes
toxins, followed by rhubarb tea). No solid foods, water every hour (so patient doesn’t
dehydrate). Never kill a fever.
 Life was difficult as a naturopath – all $ went back into keeping the clinic running,
supporting Benedict and naturopathy

Henry Lindlahr (1862-1924) Founder of Scientific Naturopathy

 In 1893 Henry Lindlahr was a prosperous business man, banker, mayor, and leading
citizen of Kalispell, Montana. Made his fortune off railroad real estate – land
speculator and successful businessman
 Lived in Germany until he was 20 – trained as a brewing and baking chemist
 5’6’’ and 250 pounds, diagnosed with sugar diabetes (type II)
 Read Louis Kuhne’s The New Science of Healing, practiced it and found the results
“most gratifying”
 Visitied Kneipp in Bacaira and he said “you have a sugar disease. You are a pig. You
will take sitz baths, live on fruits and greens and vegetables alone. You shall have no
breads, no cereals, no meats” – by spring he lost 43 pounds and regained his health –
this revolutionized his outlook on life (used to think life, death, & disease were
chance)
 Felt betrayed by official medicine. Believed they should have warned him and his
family about the consequences of eating and living which could lead to disease
 Returned to Texas in 1898 and money making lost its charm
 Went to medical school and took osteopathy on top of it. Passed the Illinois Drugless
Practitioner Exam in 1902 and started nutritional practice. Graduated med school in
1904.
 Started a sanitarium because he realized the need for patient supervision - South
Ashland Blvd called the Mike McDonald homestead
 Believed chronic disease was “due to accumulation of waste matter and poisons” and
that “every so-called acute disease is the result of a cleansing and healing effort of
Nature”
 Chronic disease was the result of suppression of acute disease “if acute diseases are
treated in a natural way, there are no chronic diseases to cure”
 In his Catechism of Nature Cure, Lindlahr recognized 5 categories of natural therapy:
return to nature – biggest role – meant to return to a more natural diet. His wife
Anna wrote The Vegetarian Kitchen which described the relationship between diet
 and health. Proponent of rest and relaxation. She was very knowledgeable of his
work – his able and tireless supporter.
elementary remedies: water, air, light, electricity. Used hot and cold water.
Believed air was important for the lungs and skin (took 3 air baths a day!)
chemical remedies – herbs and homeopathic remedies.
mechanical remedies – osteopathy, chiropractic, naprapathy, neuropathy,
Swedish mocement and massage – combined them in his system of Neurotherapy
mental/spiritual remedies – “positive affirmations” to establish healthy
conditions in the mind. No aspect of mental and emotional health was more
important than self-control.
 Orderliness of the sanitarium taught discipline – “strengthening of will power and self-
control, the learning of obedience”
 Lindlahr was the first ND to distinguish himself as a scientific diagnostician. He was
obsessed with inding the causes of his patients’ conditions. Hated the idea of
“idiopathic” conditions.
 Three MD’s at the sanitarium who had no other duties but diagnosis – allopathic,
chripractic, and osteopathic methods. X-rays used and an expert dentist checked the
teeth of every patient
 Iridologist
 Claimed to never have lost a case of typhoid, diphtheria, smallpox, or scarlet fever
 Believed in prevention “the successful doctor of the future, will have to fall in line with
this plan to do more teaching than prescribing”
 Saw 50,000 patients in 25 years. Sanitarium was generally full with 200 beds. Rose at
5:30, lectured, and supervised all departments of the sanitarium.
 Had absolute faith in nature cure methods. Cured his son Otto from a deadly car
accident with nature cure. He was unconscious, delirious, and had spinal meningitis.
 Also had the Lindlahr Health Resort in Elmhurst, Illinois (aquired from the Lathrop
family homestead in 1914)
 Started his own college – Lindlahr Sanitarium and college on Ashland Blvd in Chicago –
school originally called Lindlahr College of Nature Cure and Osteopathy and later become
Lindlahr College of Natural Therapeutics. Finally changed to Progressive College of
Chiropractic.
 Wrote The Nature Cure Magazine and a number of noted texts
 Liquidated his practice and devoted all efforts to teaching preventive health
methods through lectures, books and publications in 1923
 Died of a “fatal bit of carelessness” – stubbed his toe and got blood poisoning – died
of “post-operative pneumonia and shock”
 Had a rich family life. Son Victor was an orthodox doctor and took over his practice
 Lust referred to Lindlahr as “our true friend and hearty co-worker”
 Lindlahr never used the term naturopathy in his writings but preferred “nature cure” or
“natural therapeutics”
 Nature Cure – went through 20 editions by 1922 and “the best work ever published in
Nature Cure literature”
 Lindlahr’s emphasis on mental and emotional aspects of health made naturopathy one of
the most complete approaches to health
 He regarded life and matter as vibratory, defining disease as “disturbed polarity” and
health as “satisfied polarity” – the validity of these concepts remains undisputed
 During his lifetime 50% of the US population went to drugless practitioners
 The principles he espoused were up to date at that time and still credible

Otis G Carrol (1879-1962) The Inventor of Constitutional Hydrotherapy

 Close personal link with Father Kneipp, born in Illinois in 1879 (never met Kneipp but
found help from Alex LeDoux who studied with Kneipp and founded LeDoux Institute of
Natural Therapy
 Suffered from rheumatic fever and juvenile arthritis so sever that the nails on his crippled
fingers lacerated his palms
 Studied at the Cleveland College of Chiropractic with Lindlahr and set up a practice in
Washington in 1908 (at the request of LeDoux)
 Dr. Carroll is remembered for originating constitutional hydrotherapy and
developing one of the first means for discerning food sensitivities. Fearless
practitioner.
 Constitutional hydrotherapy: a series of hot and cold compresses to the chest, abdomen
and back which the patient is wrapped snugly in wool blankets – modernization and
intensification of Priessnitz’ wet sheet pack – administerd 80 1hr treatments a day
 This treatment gently stimulates the function of the digestive tract, immune system,
spinal column, respiratory system and other vital areas under the treated areas –
improved digestion and released toxins
 “if the water treatment fails you, you are doing something wrong”
 Adapted Abrams’ machine for food sensitivity (believed everyone had a “food enemy.” 7
main food intolerances: dairy, fruit, meat, eggs, sugar, potatoes and grain.
 Carroll believed that diseases were caused by overload of toxins in the body
 Carroll was an accomplished herbalist – famous “42” – four parts wormwood and 2 parts
cape aloes (improved digestion and elimination)
 Used iris diagnosis on every patient – studied with Lahn and Lindlahr
 Was a master of healing crisis management, fasting his “crisis” patients according to the
“law of sevens” – before the war it took 20 treatments, after it took 100 due to
decreased vitality
 Carroll and Lust knew and liked each other
 Lust nominated Carroll to the Board of Directors of the ANA as a rep for Washington state
 Robert V Carroll (OG’s brother) was a prominent naturopath in Seattle who made the
Washington Naturopathic Association a viable organixation. Leader of the group that split
Lust’s organization. – him and OG had a tormented relationship because they had
opposite views (OG did not want him to destroy the unity of the organization)
 Bobbie, Rober’s son, was a naturopath and was instrumental in founding the National
College of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle and since has moved to Portland, Oregon
 Carroll wouldn’t have been pleased with modern naturopathic curriculum – he preferred
intensive training in nature cure methods and in nothing else
 Accepted many naturopathic interns in his clinic
 His clinic was in the downstairs of a large mansion, his family lived upstairs. No
appointments – first-come, first-served. Had to lock the doors it was so busy! 1 ½ hours
of phone consultation every morning
 Worked day and night with no breaks, not even to go to the bathroom
 Had a reputation for helping hopeless cases, attracting patients away from surgery
 Had two daughters and a son, one daughter and son were connected to the practice. The
other, Virginia, lived in a wing of the mansion and died at 50 – this sapped his will to live
 Carroll died in 1962 of dropsy
 Carroll was a poor teacher but a good demonstrator – he was known for talking at
length around a topic without ever quite coming to the heart of the matter – “pure
practitioner”
 Helped transplant naturopathy from the east coast to the northwest
 Criticized for not using standardized tests, also liked arguments with the medical
profession (one of the most controversial and most legal battles – patients came to his
defense)
 Used diagnostic machine – insecure place in naturopathic medicine
 Harder to treat people now – food is more processed, pollution, stress
 Criticized by Bastyr for not using diagnostic technology
 Worked so hard he didn’t write scientific logs or books

James C Thomson (1887-1960) The Scottish Nature Cure Pioneer

 p.193

Stanley Lief (1892-1963) England’s Foremost Naturopath

 p.200

Arno R. Koegler (1898-1991) Canada’s International Ambassador for Naturopathy

 prominent and colorful Canadian nature doctor of German origin
 Like Lindlahr and Lust, he was converted by one of the great German nature doctors, not
Kneipp but Pastor Emanuel Felke
 President of the International Society of Naturopathic Physicians (ISNP) –
international spokesman – wanted to unite different competing organizations
 Cook and food critic, superb gardener
 Entered WWI as an x-ray and lab tech
 Involved in a train wreck and healed, then became a famous doctor (foresaw by psychic)
 Special interest in homeopathy and iridology – roots with Felke
 In 1923, left for Canada with “his wife, two children and $5” Immigrated to Kitchener
area where he set up a practice in 1926 while taking courses at American naturopathic
schools
 53 years of practice and involved in naturopathy at ever level possible: licensing board,
board member and president of CAN and responsible for naturopathic law in Canada
 Taught at CMCC, created Kitchener Naturopathic College, which became CCNM
 President of the International Council on Homeopathy – considered it his main task to
encourage his fellow naturopathic physicians in the use of homeopathic medicine – wrote
a series of articles “Homeopathy for the Naturopathic physicians”
 Challenged the profession to come forward with its own research
 Had a record of 250,000 patients, worked 7 days a week, night calls, 50-200 patients a
day! No time to write books because he worked 16 hour days!
 Had a practical, no nonsense approach and was always looking for better ways to solve
problems
 Great passion for traveling, and as president of the ISNP was able to do so
 Went to Hawaii 41 times! On his last trip he fractured his hip and this was the beginning
of the end. Last 6 months were difficult – suffered a stroke during a prostate operation
that he didn’t want and didn’t know he was getting. He couldn’t communicate. He was a
proud man, in charge all his life. All of a sudden, he was helpless.
 Had 5 children – none of them went into naturopathy, one son famous pediatrician
 Kept the flame of naturopathy alive during dark years when it was declining
 Role model for new generations starting in the 70s
 Positive man, a contemporary
 Tried to demystify naturopathy, encouraged the scientific approach, increased
accessibility

Joseph A Boucher (1916-1987) An Inspiring Teacher of Naturopathy from Canada

 Born in Edmonton, Alberta, the eldest of 8 children
 Married his wife Pat Curry in 1941 and had 5 children, including 2 foster children
 Served in the Navy in WWII – discharged due to severe ulcerative colitis, told surgery
was a must but searched other healing methods and was cured by a naturopath
 Began reading and moved his family to Portland, Oregon to attend Western States
College of Chiropractic where he would earn doctorates in naturopathy and chiropractic –
had a full time job, president of the school, and also received a degree in psychology at
the time
 Opened his practice in Vancouver in 1954
 On Board of Governors for the ANA of BC – held various offices for the next 32 years
 Naturopathic idealist and purist – believed true cure resulted only when the cause of
disease was removed – only one cause (like Priessnitz and Kneipp) was accumulation of
waste matter
 Emphasized the vis medicatrix naturae in every aspect of his teaching and practice – felt
it was what made naturopathy work and distinguished it from all other healing disciplines
 Believed orthodox medicine was DIFFERENT and could not be blended
 In 1956, joined John Bastyr and others in founding the National College of
Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle, then the school moved to Portland. Boucher
traveled from Vancouver to Portland every Friday to teach for 27 years
 Formed Northwest Association of Naturopathic Physicians (American-Canadian
association)
 The function of the Naturopathic Physician becomes on of “DOCTOR” in the fullest sense
of the word – meaning to TEACH
 Sought-after speaker who taught public speaking at UBC and Vancouver CC
 Natural athlete, robust outdoorsman, mountain climber, cinema producer
 An altruist in the tradition of Lindlahr – helping people was what life is all about
 Not remembered for new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques or revolutionizing
naturopathic practice – remembered because his “Strong shoulders and gentle heart
helped carry Naturopathy through some of its hardest years”
 Believed in detox
 Contributor of the Naturopath Magazine 1963-1980

John Bastyr (1912-present) Father of Modern Naturopathic Medicine

 Most important link between the old-fashioned nature doctor (diagnosing by close
observation and collecting his own plant medicines), and the modern naturopathic
physician (who uses lab techniques and employs standardized extracts of “phyto-
medicines”)
 Born in New Prague, Minnesota, a Czech immigrant community – moved with his family
to North Dakota where his father worked as a pharmacist. Mom was an able gardener
and knowledgeable herbalist who learned her skills from her mother.
 Considered entering a seminary but pursued by his mom to enroll at the Seattle College
of Chiropractic
 Interned at Grace Hospital, a rare, 30 bed “open door” hospital. Many healing professions
could admit patients and treat them within their realm of practice
 Bastyr studied homeopathy there with Bryant – which made him 5th line from Samuel
Hahnemann – sold after he cured a woman with bladder trouble in 1 treatment
 One of the reasons that naturopathic physicians are in the forefront of the current
homeopathic revival
 Relied heavily on manipulation because he was also a chiropractor
 Studied with OG Carroll
 His first unassisted delivery was TRIPLETS! Became premier naturopathic
obstetrician – was so successful because he educated women through the birth process
(relaxation, hydrotherapeutics, manipulation, nutrition, promoted breast feeding…)
 He would go a week without horizontal sleep
 Utter lack of a sense of time
 Famous for his house calls
 Bastyr found time to gather and prepare many of his own herbal remedies
 When asked to distinguish between naturopathy and conventional medicine, he said “the
basic different is that in naturopathy it’s not the doctor that does the curing, it’s the
patient”
 Didn’t preach, gave the patient the confidence they could actually take care of their own
health
 Had a rich family life, married in 1937 to Aletha Peris Laroude, an English instructor at
the University of Washington
 No children, two of their passions were music and gardening (had a mini-farm in Kent,
Washington)
 Although he claimed not to have “a particularly great voice” he was occasionally invited
to sing at weddings
 Very close marriage of 52 years. She died in 1989 at 95 and they would still dance
around their house
 Role in the development, even the survival, of naturopathic medical education
is inestimable
 Many chiropractic schools stopped granting naturopathic degrees in 1955 when the
National Chiropractic Association stated that it would only give accreditation to schools
that only granted chiropractic degrees
 In 1978 the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine, now Basty University, was
founded in Seattle by Bastyr’s former students: Pizzorno and Mitchell
 President of the National College
 Bastyr still practices but takes no new patients
 Felt strongly that naturopathy’s empirical successes should be documented
and proven by scientific methods – tried to put naturopathic medicine in realm
of modern science, give it credibility
 Greatly admired OG Carroll
 Bastyr met Lust on two occations

Rikli (1823-1906) Discoverer of the Atmospheric Cure

 First to combine hot and cold
 Showed negative side effects of vegetarian lifestyle
 ‘airbaths’