Remembering in the mid seventies while I was in school getting my prerequisites to attend the National College of Naturopathic medicine, I was often asked what my major was. Back then, naturopathic medicine wasn’t as well known as it is today. Few people could understand just what kind of doctor I was studying to be.
Today, the response is much more favorable. When I graduated from NCNM in 1980, my graduating class was quite small with fewer than 20 in the graduating class. At the time I entered the college, NCNM was the only accredited school of naturopathic medicine in America. That included Canada as well.
After graduation, these few doctors were spread out over all of Canada and the United States. Because of the very small number of doctors being graduated, attrition was taking it’s toll on the profession.
While attending NCNM, the Bastyr college of naturopathic medicine was born in the Seattle area. This has been followed by the creation of other naturopathic universities around the U.S. and Canada, each putting out very large classes.
After completing the basic sciences in a lower college, the schooling requirements to become a naturopathic physician are no different than that of becoming a medical doctor. Where we see major differences involves naturopathic philosophy. Vis medicatrix naturae (literally "the healing power of nature", and also known as natura medica) is the Latin rendering of the Greek ("Nature is the physician(s) of diseases"), a phrase attributed to Hippocrates.
Instead of looking to drugs to cover conditions and symptoms, the naturopathic doctor looks to nature to enhance the innate healing functions of the body. This can take the form of foods, water, sunlight, and movement. Spinal manipulation is only one small aspect of the broad scope of sciences taught in the naturopathic universities.
The use of what eventually became known as constitutional hydrotherapy began in the early 1800’s in Europe. Even back then the early nature cure doctors were getting such great success, taking patients from the medical profession, that they were highly persecuted. During a trial one patient called to be a witness, stated the medical doctor helped him get rid of his money and the nature doctor helped him get rid of his illness.
The holistic European healing methods eventually made their way to the United States, and Dr Benedict Lust, who had trained under Father Sebastian Kneipp in Germany, made his way to America in 1896. He helped bring hydrotherapy to the growing practice of naturopathic medicine.
What’s constituted naturopathic medicine to date is the diversity of the practitioners. This is what would be called an eclectic practice, bringing every part of healing, supplemented by nature. No two naturopaths practice alike. Where the doctor feels his or her gifting lies, is where the treatment will go. Some doctors focus on homeopathy, some with herbal treatments, while others may use constitutional hydrotherapy or even colon hydrotherapy as their primary modality. Regardless, all see a need to cooperate with nature in the healing process.
Through the years, the profession has been blessed by the patriarchs bringing their wisdom to seminars to pass on their wisdom. Over the years I’ve had the honor of knowing some of the greats in this profession and actually had the privilege to practice alongside some of them. One of them delivered me and later conferred my degree on me.
Some think this profession is something new, but it’s older than people realize, and regaining a greater popularity. On my wall I have a picture of the 1928 American Naturopathic Association 32nd Annual Convention. The picture displays a huge crowd of doctors, with Dr Benedict Lust is in the forefront. The convention took place in Portland, Oregon. I gave the picture to the president of the National University of Natural Medicine to have copies made for his office and for the university. I still have the original hanging in my office. This practice of assisting the innate healing potential of the human body is my passion.
Today, the response is much more favorable. When I graduated from NCNM in 1980, my graduating class was quite small with fewer than 20 in the graduating class. At the time I entered the college, NCNM was the only accredited school of naturopathic medicine in America. That included Canada as well.
After graduation, these few doctors were spread out over all of Canada and the United States. Because of the very small number of doctors being graduated, attrition was taking it’s toll on the profession.
While attending NCNM, the Bastyr college of naturopathic medicine was born in the Seattle area. This has been followed by the creation of other naturopathic universities around the U.S. and Canada, each putting out very large classes.
After completing the basic sciences in a lower college, the schooling requirements to become a naturopathic physician are no different than that of becoming a medical doctor. Where we see major differences involves naturopathic philosophy. Vis medicatrix naturae (literally "the healing power of nature", and also known as natura medica) is the Latin rendering of the Greek ("Nature is the physician(s) of diseases"), a phrase attributed to Hippocrates.
Instead of looking to drugs to cover conditions and symptoms, the naturopathic doctor looks to nature to enhance the innate healing functions of the body. This can take the form of foods, water, sunlight, and movement. Spinal manipulation is only one small aspect of the broad scope of sciences taught in the naturopathic universities.
The use of what eventually became known as constitutional hydrotherapy began in the early 1800’s in Europe. Even back then the early nature cure doctors were getting such great success, taking patients from the medical profession, that they were highly persecuted. During a trial one patient called to be a witness, stated the medical doctor helped him get rid of his money and the nature doctor helped him get rid of his illness.
The holistic European healing methods eventually made their way to the United States, and Dr Benedict Lust, who had trained under Father Sebastian Kneipp in Germany, made his way to America in 1896. He helped bring hydrotherapy to the growing practice of naturopathic medicine.
What’s constituted naturopathic medicine to date is the diversity of the practitioners. This is what would be called an eclectic practice, bringing every part of healing, supplemented by nature. No two naturopaths practice alike. Where the doctor feels his or her gifting lies, is where the treatment will go. Some doctors focus on homeopathy, some with herbal treatments, while others may use constitutional hydrotherapy or even colon hydrotherapy as their primary modality. Regardless, all see a need to cooperate with nature in the healing process.
Through the years, the profession has been blessed by the patriarchs bringing their wisdom to seminars to pass on their wisdom. Over the years I’ve had the honor of knowing some of the greats in this profession and actually had the privilege to practice alongside some of them. One of them delivered me and later conferred my degree on me.
Some think this profession is something new, but it’s older than people realize, and regaining a greater popularity. On my wall I have a picture of the 1928 American Naturopathic Association 32nd Annual Convention. The picture displays a huge crowd of doctors, with Dr Benedict Lust is in the forefront. The convention took place in Portland, Oregon. I gave the picture to the president of the National University of Natural Medicine to have copies made for his office and for the university. I still have the original hanging in my office. This practice of assisting the innate healing potential of the human body is my passion.
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