History
"Even though Naturopathic Principles are as old as history, they are as new as tomorrow because nature and truth never change. Any system that cured people years ago will help people today, and we can now scientifically validate and explain the clinical success of these approaches."
~ Dr. Arno Rudolph Koegler
American School of Naturopathy
On March 1, 1901, Benedict Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy. Located at 124 East 59th Street in New York City, it was the first institution in America to offer personal instruction in naturopathy. The school taught every branch of Nature Cure in a two-year general course. Advanced and Post Graduate courses were also offered along with special summer instruction at the Yungborn sanatorium in New Jersey. When the school acquired a New York charter in 1905, it conferred the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy on students, including Dr. Lust himself. In 1926, the New York charter was removed by governor at the time, just another obstacle the profession faced in the early days.
In the beginning, Dr. Lust used only texts by Bavarian water-cure priest, Sebastian Kneipp. Dr. Lust had great respect for the water-cure treatments (hydrotherapy), as they saved his life. They would became the core modality in naturopathy treatment. Later the school's program would be expanded to four years. Its curriculum was modernized to include basic sciences, physiotherapy, phytotherapy, geotherapy, electrotherapy, mechanotherapy. Diplomas in naturopathy and chiropractic were granted. At it's height the American School of naturopathy had eleven satellite schools around the United States. In 1942 Dr. Lust established the New York School of Massage and Training School for Physiotherapy, which he operated until his death in 1945.
Dr. Benedict Lust
"Father of Naturopathy"
Benedict Lust was born in 1872, and immigrated from Germany to America in 1892 seeking fortune. His body was weakened by operations and "six vaccinations forced upon me in different parts of the world.," and developed a severe case of tuberculosis. Both homeopathic and allopathic doctors tried to help him, but to no avail. He began to waste away and American doctors gave up on him. It's said that they even started to write out his death certificate. Alone in America, he decided to return to his native Germany to die. He went to see the Bavarian water-cure priest, Sebastian Kneipp. Upon starting the program his health began to improve, with complete restoration in eight months. Having witnessed the healing power of nature's balm, Lust was determined to share nature cure with the world.
In 1896, Lust returned to America, commissioned and blessed by the priest to carry the "Kneipp methods" to the United States. Though there were Kneipp societies in America at the time, Lust was the first to be commissioned by Kneipp. Young Lust used what savings he had to establish a school, clinic and magazine.
Dr. Lousia Lust
"Matriarch of Naturopathy"
Dr. Lousia was born in Germany as Aloyia Stroebele in the year of 1868. Before immigrating to America in the 1880's, Lousia studied in London the healing methods of the great european nature doctors, Rikli and Kuhne. In London, Lousia served as the personal assistant to the American Ms. Tennessee Claflin during three world tours. The Claflin sisters learned trading and finance from tycoon Cornelius Vanderbuilt. With Vanderbuilt financially assisting the Claflin sisters, they were the first females to open a Wall Street brokerage firm. Respected they became very successful. Dr. Lousia modeled her business acumen and investment suaveness after the sisters. She learned much about finance, and in 1892, Lousia used her funds from investments to open the Bellevue Health Resort Sanatorium in Butler, NJ. Dr. Lousia met Benedict Lust when he came back to America from Germany in 1896. They married in 1901. She was the financial backbone for the profession. The pioneering naturopaths were frequently challenged with lawsuits in the early 1900's. When naturopaths were taken to court by the medical society for "practicing medicine without a license" it was Dr. Lousia Lust that paid for their legal defense. She died in 1925, without a will, which complicated things. Dr. Benedict Lust considered giving up on naturopathy altogether. He wrote a memorial issue of the Naturopath dedicated to Dr. Lousia Lust after her death, and a wonderful tribute (below) to his wife years later in 1937 in the Naturopath and Herald of Health magazine. Naturopathy owes much to this great woman.
The following is from "Dr. Lust Speaking" Naturopath and Herald of Health magazine, June, 1937
" For forty years Dr. Lousia had financed this movement with her life work and her efforts. She was a great doctor who worked unselfishly and produced the money with which the school was founded and supported. She was the greatest woman doctor in the whole history of the naturopathic movement in the United States. Unfortunately in 1925 Mrs. Lust had to leave her sojourn of eternity's part on earth for the everlasting eternity. She was spent and laid down her life for Naturopathy without a question just to make it possible that the school could exist, train students, that we could defend naturopathy in 17 lawsuits of which three were against the school, to overcome prosecution and persecution. She contributed the money which should have been contributed by the profession that we had created, by the alumni and the members of the national and state societies. However, we were too much imbued with the broad spirit and the disposition to give our all for this movement and so we never asked anybody to contribute. The dues that were paid into the A.N.A. covered only part of the expenses for supplying a magazine and the major expenses of the movement were covered by us and Dr. Lousia."
Naturopathy: Nature Cure
Naturopathy is a healing art with roots firmly planted in the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae). Practitioners believe that there is a vital force governing all nature to heal itself. Sometimes assistance is needed by the practitioners in the form of coaching, diet, or physical manipulation of tissues. Naturopathy encompasses every branch of the holistic healing arts. A naturopathic physician looks to the laws that govern nature, the body in its totality (mind, body, spirit). Modalities included in naturopathy are physical medicine: such as massage, manual manipulation, hydrotherapy (cold and hot water treatments), clinical nutrition: botanical (plant), aromatherapy, cell salts, dietary nutrition, holistic counseling: lifestyle, stress management, nutrition and natural medicine: homeopathy, vitamin and mineral supplements, and nutraceuticals.
“the natural system for curing disease is based on a return to nature and regulating the diet, breathing, exercising, bathing, and the employment of various forces to eliminate the poisonous products in the system and so raise the vitality of the patient to a proper standard of health.” ~ Dr. Benedict Lust
Dr. Joe Shelby Riley
Notable Alumni
One of the more well known graduates of the American School of Naturopathy is Dr. J. S. Riley. He also served as one of the incorporators of the American Naturopathic Association, established in 1919. Today he is known as advancing the science of reflexology, or zone therapy. He established two schools of natural health, the first being the National University of Therapeutics, and the second was the Riley University of Spinal Medicine and Surgery. Both schools were located in the District of Columbia. He also served on the faculty of Dr. Collins Naturopathic school in New Jersey.
Dr. Frederick W. Collins
Notable Alumni
Born in 1873, Dr. Collins graduated from the American School of Naturopathy in June, 1907. He went on to be one of the leading pioneers of naturopathy. He established the First National University of Naturopathy (FNUN) in New Jersey. The college stood strong during the many attacks on Naturopathy. Dr. Collins hired two of the most prominent lawyers in New Jersey to protect the school full time. Dr. Collins was one of the last protégés of Dr. Nils Liljequist "Swedish Father of Iridology".
Dr. Herbert M. Shelton
Notable Alumni
Dr. Shelton was born in Texas in the year of 1895. He was a graduate of the American School of Naturopathy in 1922. Dr. Herbert Shelton is considered to be the father of the modern day Natural Hygiene Movement, and was also considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on fasting. Dr. Shelton ran his health school and clinic for over 53 years, treating over 40,000 patients.
Dr. Jesse 'Mercer' Gehman
Notable Alumni
Dr. Jesse Gehman was an amateur wrestler 'Jimmy Mercer' and prominent American Naturopathic Physician. He graduated from the American School of Naturopathy in 1925. He served as the President of the 'eastern/ traditional' American Naturopathic Association for many years after the death of Dr. Benedict Lust in 1945. He took over the Dr. T. M. Schippell Naturopathic Foundation after the death of Dr. Schippell. Dr. Gehman ran a Naturopathic health resort in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Bernard Jensen
Notable Alumni
Dr. Jensen was born in Stockholm, California in 1908. He was a Chiropractic and Naturopathic Physician. He studied Naturopathy at the American School of Naturopathy in 1929. Dr. Jensen studied the science of Iris diagnosis under Dr. Frederick W. Collins the last protégé of Dr. Nils Liljequist "Swedish Father of Iridology". Dr. Jensen greatly advanced the science of Iridology throughout his career. He authored over 60 books on topics of colon hydrology, fasting, reflexology , chromotechnics, polarity technique, glandular balance, homeopathy, herbology, acupuncture, craniosacral and personology.
Dr. Theresa Marie Schippell
"Guardian of Naturopathic Philosophy"
Notable Alumni
"The situation covering the correct definition of Naturopathy comes down to this: there is in the archives of the United States, in the Congressional Record, a complete description of just what this healing art embraces. This definition was not thrown together for expediency—it was not conceived as a cloak to permit Naturopaths to be under-cover medical men and surgeons. It was carefully and painstakingly worked out by the Naturopathic pioneers (Drs. Lust, Collins, Schippell) of this country who had but one desire—to set forth the limits of Naturopath, based on its true principles and philosophy. These Naturopathic pioneers worked many weeks to bring the wording down to simple and understandable language, before the manuscript was finally turned over to the Honorable Katherine G. Langley, a member of the House of Representatives, to be presented to the people of the United States as a finished and complete pronouncement of the scope and limits of this centuries old healing art. That definition has never been improved— and it never will be." ~ Dr. Schippell
The Hon. Katherine G. Langley
Congresswoman Langley of Kentucky was a patient of Dr. Teresa Schippell in the District of Columbia, as many lawmakers trusted her health counsel. Congresswoman Langley is notable to the naturopathic history for working on and proclaiming the definition of naturopathy to the people of the United States. This definition was the first and only complete proclamation and description of naturopathy published by the pioneers of the profession. After the success of the legalization of naturopathic scope, she accompanied Dr. Lust on a tour throughout his native Germany. Honorable Langley was an attendee at the "Light of Naturopathy" memorial of Dr. Lust in Butler, NJ a year after his death.
Naturopathy Defined 1931
This was the benchmark of naturopathy, written by the founders of the naturopathic movement. So monumental to the traditional naturopaths, the Congressional definition of naturopathy was placed in the cornerstone of the unfinished "Light of Naturopathy" Monument in Dr. Lusts memory. This definition continues to guide traditional naturopaths today.
"The practice of naturopathy in the District of Columbia was provided for in the act of Congress entitled "An act to regulate the practice of the healing art; to protect the public health of the District of Columbia," approved February 27, 1929. Under this act it was left to the District Commissioners to set the metes and bounds of the practice of naturopathy, and when it defined naturopathy too narrowly, the House of Representatives in 1931 passed a resolution giving naturopathy its full scope of practice, to which the District Commissioners acceded."
Dr. Theresa M. Schippell, June 24, 1946
"Through the strenuous efforts of Dr. T.M. Schippell, Hon. Congresswoman Katherine G. Langley of Kentucky, and eight years of hard work financed and sustained by Dr. Schippell and her powerful friends in Congress Naturopathy was fully legalized as a healing art in the District of Columbia, and the definition was placed on record and the law affirmed and amended by another act which has been fully published over and over again in the official journal of the A.N.A., "Naturopath"."
~ Dr. Lust Speaking, 1937
A Century of Naturopathy
by Dr. C. P. Negri
The entire history of organized natural medicine in the United States, from its primitive beginnings in Europe through its development into a distinct health care specialty, and up to its present status as it joins hands with conventional medicine. Every major event, chronicled year by year, and authored by a naturopathic doctor and historian. Profusely illustrated with many historic photos never before seen.
"The human body possess an inherent ability to heal itself through the mechanisms of homeostasis - restoring balance in structure and function and adapting to environmental change."
~ Dr. Benedict Lust
