History of Naturopathy

The history of naturopathy is the fascinating story of man's quest for health, longevity, and quality of life. Modern naturopathy grew out of the alternative health philosophies of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but it has its beginnings in the studies of the ancient scholars in Greece. The primary philosophy of naturopathic medicine is that the body can heal itself if it is given what it needs to do so.

Although natural medicine and conventional medicine evolved together over the centuries, they reached a point in the late 1800s where they went in totally different directions. This was largely due to a man by the name of Dr. Benedict Lust.

He had been a student of European methods of naturopathy and brought the technique of hydrotherapy to the United States from Germany. In 1902, he opened the American School of Naturopathy. It was here that the techniques and knowledge collected from many cultures and eras were brought together in a cohesive, albeit eclectic, form.

Some of the methods that were studied and utilized include:

• Diet and nutrition
• Hygiene
• Exercise
• Physical therapy
• Hydrotherapy
• Chiropractic
• Psychiatry
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy

The period from 1918 to about 1937 were important years in naturopathy. It was a time of increasing popularity and public support. There were conventions, teachings, and lectures that were attended by the leaders in many areas of American culture, including government. Studies were done, knowledge increased and the states began a system of licensing naturopaths.

Much of the information being taught to the general public involved promoting a healthy diet, hygienic environment, and plenty of exercise. Men with names that are well known today (like Post and Kellogg) spoke about the need for fiber in the diet and created foods that provided it. Naturopaths taught that a diet based on red meat as the primary protein source was unhealthy and would lead to disease and ill health. In fact, conventional medicine began saying many of the same things over seventy years later.

At the same time that naturopathy had been evolving there were those that were working in the field of conventional medicines. The drug industry was making huge strides in understanding diseases and coming up with chemicals that killed the various bacteria that caused them.

The American Medical Association took a stance against naturopathy in the 1920s, calling it quackery, while it promoted the so-called miracle drugs that were being introduced to the medical community at a rapid rate. With the help of the political power wielded by the drug companies, the AMA worked to have many naturopathic licensing laws repealed.

Public opinion turned and naturopathy was scoffed at. The court system did not protect naturopaths, insurance refused coverage for naturopathic treatment and the legislature eliminated funding for naturopathic study and education. The naturopaths themselves were restricted in what they could do and were no longer considered real doctors. Many people thought that the history of naturopathy had come to an end.

As it became more apparent that conventional medicine was being controlled by a political machine, public opinion began to turn again. In the late 1960s, people began to be disillusioned with the expense and lack of a personal touch by allopathic (the practice of conventional medicine) physicians. Gone were the days of the family doctor and house calls and people felt the loss.

As patients sought holistic treatment, accredited institutions were established. New research began and naturopathy re-entered the mainstream medical profession. New colleges were accredited and opened for research and the study of naturopathy.

It is truly the best time in the entire history of naturopathy. There are accrediting agencies and licensing systems, and naturopaths are able to practice medicine with freedom and the protection of the government. Patients can be treated by doctors that have graduated from respected naturopathic medical colleges. Both the patient and the doctor have a new level of protection and confidence.

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is federally recognized as an accrediting agency for naturopathic colleges. They approve residency programs, and oversee residencies that provide postgraduate training in various naturopathic specialties in the United States and Canada. With agencies like this, opportunities for research and more education, naturopathy with its important past also has a bright future.

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