History of Naturopathic Medicine

The term "naturopathy" was coined in 1892 to describe a rapidly growing system of natural therapeutics, originally organized in response to the increasing disillusionment of physicians and patients with the toxic and ineffective methods of the so-called heroic age of medicine.

The philosophy and the therapies, which have their origins in Hippocrates and the traditional and indigenous medicines of the world, first became a distinct profession in Germany in the mid-1800s. In 1896, Dr. Benedict Lust (MD) brought naturopathy to America and established the first naturopathic college, the Yungborn Health Institute in New Jersey.

The resurgence of naturopathic medicine today is yet another chapter in the millennia-old division between two different views of medicine, well-symbolized by the Grecian myths of Hygieia and Asclepius. Rene Dubois speaks of these symbols in The Mirage of Health:

"The myths of Hygieia and Asclepius symbolize the never-ending oscillation between two different points of view in medicine. For the worshippers of Hygieia, health is the natural order of things, a positive attribute to which men are entitled if they govern their lives wisely. According to them, the most important function of medicine is to discover and teach the natural laws which will ensure a man a healthy mind in a healthy body.

"More skeptical, or wiser in the ways of the world, the followers of Asclepius believe that the chief role of the physician is to treat disease, to restore health by correcting any imperfections caused by the accidents of birth or life."

Today's naturopathic physician easily blends modern, state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and research with ancient and traditional methods, uniting Hygieia and Asclepius. We represent a thoroughly rational, evenhanded balance of tradition, science and respect for nature, mind, body and spirit.

Naturopathic medicine's rebirth in the last quarter of the twentieth century has also resulted from a growing consumer movement to solve the health care puzzle using prevention, wellness and respect for nature's inherent healing ability. These fundamental, unifying principles of naturopathic medicine can be identified in disciplines as diverse as constitutional hydrotherapy and homeopathy, as well as those more traditional in the Western view of health care, such as nutrition and botanical medicine.