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HEALTH DISCOVERY
by Chris Beckett, special correspondent for The Best Years in Life
This article is dedicated to all health-truth seekers everywhere, in the hope that
the knowledge within it will inspire you as it did me; a system of health
recovery/maintenance based on natural law, which saved my life from
Leukemia 30 years ago, just y as one day……….. it may also save yours !!
Early in the 19th Century a remarkable health discovery was made that tore
away the mystery that surrounded disease, revolutionized the care of the sick,
saved countless thousands from premature death (so prevalent in that period),
and was the advent of a period of physiological enlightenment for both
medical and laymen alike. This discovery, known as Natural Hygiene, and the
pioneers who fought to bring its truths to light, constituted an incredible piece
of American history that involved Statesmen and World famous figures. This
article is just part of the absorbing story of the evolution of Natural Hygiene,
the movement which was built around it, its struggle to gain acceptance for
principles that were based on natural law and a rudimentary understanding of
the amazing but glorious health potential it holds for humanity as a whole.
Natural Hygiene is defined as being the science and fine-art of preserving and
restoring health by those substances, agencies, and influences that have a
normal relation to life, which are: pure food, pure water, sunlight, rest, sleep,
relaxation, exercise, play, warmth, family relationships, and all healthful mental
influences. Hygiene is neither a system of medicine, nor one of the healing
arts, nor a system of therapeutics. It offers the client no cures, has no cures,
denies all cures, does not pretend to cure; but, it permits nature or the body to
heal itself. Viewed this way, Hygiene is not just fasting, or
dieting, vegetarianism, food combining, or any one life- element of living, but a
combination of all of life’s agencies in such manner and degree as Nature can
use, to realize the maximum physical and mental healing potential of the body.
The human body has basic physical, physiological, emotional and spiritual
needs – about 19 have been identified - such as proper food, sunshine, rest,
sleep, exercise, water, emotional poise, gregarious social gathering etc. These
needs have to be supplied at the appropriate time in the appropriate amounts
for abundantly good health to be achieved. If this is fulfilled, the human body
can manage and take care of itself, resulting in superb robust health. If these
needs are supplied either in excess or as a deficiency, or if other alien
substances are consumed by the body, sickness eventually becomes
inevitable.
Body processes are very complex. In most cases, any medical intervention
only results in further problems and complications; so the most effective
course of action is to just leave the body "intelligently alone" to handle its own
problems. Only in certain life threatening cases, or in cases of accidents,
trauma etc, is it possible to do something (via emergency, surgery etc) to help
the body.
If we also listen to our body it gives us very clear signals as to what it needs
and what it does not need. For example, tiredness means it needs sleep,
hunger - food, thirst - water. A coughing fit after your first smoke indicates it
does not want tobacco!! We have to heed the signals of the body at all times.
Lack of, or no appetite is a clear signal from Nature that food is not required
from outside, but internal feeding or “fasting” means that you will be feeding
from your own food reserves while your body heals and cleanses. Man can live
for only minutes without air, days without water, and weeks without food. Even
the thinnest of individuals have a store of food reserves from which they can
feed from in times of deprivation, disease and/or injury.
Natural Hygiene believes that adulterated Diet and improper living habits are
the primary reason for sickness and disease, but by eating a diet high in
natural, whole, raw organic foods (at least 50%, preferably 80-85%) we can
avoid most illnesses. It is recommended that cooked food should be
minimized and processed food avoided altogether.
Origins
1844: Dr. Joel Shew introduced the European system of "Hydrotherapy" to the
United States, a "curing treatment" which used little or no drugs while
employing water as the main therapeutic agent. Hydropathists adopted the
Hygieo-Therapy (Natural Hygiene) dietary and exercise plan, as well as its
emphasis on fresh air and sunlight. American physicians who had lost faith in
drugging but lacked belief in Hygiene adopted Hydrotherapy wholesale as
both became intertwined and indistinguishable for several years.
1853: Dr. Russell Trall founded the New York College of Hygieo-Therapy to
educate competent health practitioners. This inaugurated a new era in medical
science, theory, philosophy and practice that was in variance with prevailing
allopathic doctrines of the time.
1861 - 1865: The Civil War caused Hygienic institutions everywhere to close.
The health reform movement was halted as the war impoverished the nation.
Schools and sanitariums were wrecked and the common citizen could no
longer afford Hygienic educational literature.
1881: Clara Barton, student of Hygiene founds the American Red Cross and
becomes its first president.
1900 - 1940: Dr. J. H. Tilden, after thoroughly reading 19th century Hygienic
literature, became convinced that disease need not be experienced. Tilden
conducted a private practice to teach patients how to eliminate body toxicity;
he lectured widely; wrote 25 books; and widely circulated a monthly magazine
both in this country and abroad.
1909 - 1910: The infamous Flexner Report ended health-care reform in the
States, as alternative schools of healing were shutdown nationwide, under the
influence of the Rockefeller and Carnegie Foundations.
1920: Dr. Herbert M. Shelton wrote the first of 40 books in his efforts to revive
Natural Hygiene. Over the next 50 years, many of Dr. Shelton's books were
translated into eight languages.
1928 - 1981: Dr. Shelton's Health School operated in San Antonio, Texas and
included a clinic, laboratory, and educational program. Well over 60,000 fasts
were professionally supervised. According to Shelton, "the sick get well, the
well get better, and all gain the priceless knowledge needed to stay well".
Throughout his career, Shelton was considered a threat to medicine. He is
repeatedly threatened and jailed over 30 times!!
1970: At age 44, Terrance C. Fry read Shelton's book "Superior Nutrition" and
became a hygienist overnight. Within a few years, he wrote and self-published
several easy-to-read booklets and books popularizing Natural Hygiene, some
of which were in contrast to Shelton's formidable text-books and manuals.
1982: T.C. Fry founded the Life Science Institute and published Healthful
Living magazine with a circulation of 30,000. Fry also developed a Natural
Hygiene teacher training course, a 2200 page, 111 lesson home study
curriculum. The Life Science Institute also produced audio and video
cassettes on Natural Hygiene and offered retreats and seminars to students
and to the general public.
1995 - 1997: Art Baker serving as Dean of Students of Life Science Institute
enrolled nearly 1,000 students into the Natural Hygiene correspondence
program before the company veered from its Natural Hygiene roots and
focused on digestive enzyme supplements, as it was sold off to a group in
Canada.
1996: Inspired by T. C. Fry's Healthful Living, David Klein published the first
issue of Living Nutrition Magazine, "The True Voice of Hygiene."
Natural Hygiene stands unique amongst all other therapies and healing
sciences in that it alone insists that there is no such thing as cure - only self-
healing. All other therapies try to deal with the symptoms using this therapy or
that. Herbs, Magnets, Needles, lotions, potions, light, heat, mud etc. In Natural
Hygiene there is no therapy, no treatment. Natural hygiene does not try to treat
symptoms - it is the ONLY system that insists on discovering the cause of the
disease and eliminating that cause.
In part two of this article (coming soon) discover the amazing and only system
of health recovery employed by Nature that saved my life through FASTING
and what it can also do for you too.