Whole Healing System

For the purpose of this essay I will be discussing naturopathy and nutritional medicine, I will discuss their history, philosophy and similarities and I will distinguish how they have changed over time, highlighting how they both define health and disease. Lastly, I will identify my own definition of health and disease and look at how it correlates to the definitions defined by naturopathy and nutritional medicine.

Benedict Lust developed nature care or naturopathy in America however it originated in Europe. Lust established the first naturopathic college in New York City as well as the first American School of Naturopathy and it succeeded in training and developing Naturopathis Doctors for forty years, he believed in a whole food, healthy lifestyle incorporating herbal medicine holding the ideology the "The human body was created to be well at all times'. Born in Germany, Lust developed his passion for nature care from his own personal experience with illness, he suffered from a severe case of tuberculosis the Doctors in America practically gave up on him. In one last attempt he sought advice from Father Kneipp in Germany who used a variety of diet, herbs and water therapy to cure him. Lust was inspired to share his miracle cure with others and naturopathy arrived in America in 1896,however he soon discovered his natural system of healing was apposed by not only the medical community but also the authorities resulting in him being arrested and fined numerous times. (Boyle 1993)

The earliest beginnings of naturopathy in Australia dates back to 1846, Tasmania, offering hydrotherapy treatments, additionally, in Melbourne Chinese herbalism was introduced into the goldfields and many Chinese herbalist shops were opened to promote wellness. Frederick Roberts and Maurice Blackmore were pivotal figures in the development of naturopathy in Australia. Roberts established the Roberts Institute of Naturopathy in Melbourne and went on to open clinics in rural towns over Australia. Similarly, Blackmore established Australia's first health food shop as well as his own clinic in 1934 in Queensland.

Hippocrates the Greek Physician was considered "The Father of Medicine" in 400 BC said "Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food" he believed in enjoying everything in moderation and discovered the importance food and diet had on a persons overall well being to assist in maintaining and preventing illness. (Natural Healers 2013) The eighteenth century was a pivotal time for nutrition. In 1747 Dr James Lind a physician in the British Navy made the discovery through scientific experiment that feeding the sailors citrus fruit when they were away at sea prevented scurvy, however, vitamin C was not discovered until the 1930's.