Man, I hope not…

Did you know that before 1830, bathing was a luxury reserved for the wealthy? Or that “alternative” doctors of that time who opposed drugs also promoted cleaning the body, mouth, and clothing as a way to prevent disease? How about that the Carnegie Foundation closed all but two alternative medical schools by 1928, the same time that the American Medical Association partnered with the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare became an industry?

The history of medicine is fascinating, but have you really ever thought about it? With all that is going on in the world right now, I think it’s important that we revisit this part of our history to truly understand what is going on.

Let’s start with naturopathy and a brief intro…

Naturopathy can be described as the belief that disease is a result of toxins and imbalances in an individual’s social, psychic, and spiritual environment (Baer, 1992). Beginning with the migration of many medical practitioners from England and Scotland to America, there became a new desire for separation between the “professionals” and the lay doctors, or the “domestic” medicine of the area (Star, 1949). In the early 1800s, if one became ill, they were typically cared for at home by friends or family members, not doctors, and the poor were sent to local hospitals (Pizzorno and Murray, 2013). As times changed, so too did medicine in America but what has appeared to remain constant is the separation between allopathic (Western) and naturopathic (alternative) medicine.

Things drastically changed with the emergence of the first medical school in America.

The College of Philadelphia, established in 1765 by Benjamin Rush, was the first medical school in America. After the War of 1812, many other medical colleges emerged and by 1850, there were 42 recognized schools in the United States. The Doctor of Medicine (MD) was created as a way to signify the completion of a standard curriculum. This was the earliest attempt at licensure for the profession, but those statutes were quickly repealed during the Jacksonian area as they were deemed “unconstitutional” (Pizzorno and Murray, 2013).

Co-currently, alternative medical practices grew, and some truly integral medical advancements took place.

Samuel Thomson published the “New Guide to Health” in 1822 which expressed his views that disease was caused by “cold” influences in the body and could be treated by “heat” (Pizzorno and Murray, 2013).  Thomason developed a strong following and the Thomsonianism college was created in Cincinnati, OH.

Another sub-section of medical doctors emerged, many from the Thomsonianism school of thought, the Eclectics (Baer, 1992; Pizzorno and Murray, 2013). The “Eclectic School” was established at New York’s Wooster Beach. Additionally, the hygienic school emerged in 1830 from the teachings of Sylvester Graham and William Alcott (Pizzorno and Murray, 2013). We have this movement to thank for things like bathing, indoor plumbing, and generally not walking around in human feces. 

Before this time, bathing and self-care were luxuries reserved for the wealthy. According to the Winterthur Museum (ND), Graham and Alcott began teaching the importance of cleaning the body, mouth, and clothing as a way to prevent the spread of disease. This idea was supported by many “alternative” doctors of the time who opposed drugs and other “standard” treatments and instead opted for prevention and self-care (Baer, 1992). I bet you never thought about how the practice of brushing your teeth came to be! Other cultures cleaned their mouths in other ways, but this was the first time we apparently gave it much thought!

In 1840, homeopathy made its way to America by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician.  Homeopathy is based on the idea that “like heals like” and diluted doses of pathogens could create effective treatments. Cleveland was home to the first homeopathic school in 1850. Other secs of non-allopathic nature also emerged during this time, however, these alternative practices remained in the minority (Pizzorno and Murray, 2013).

Scientific medicine enters the scene, the kind that most of us are most familiar.

During the mid-1800s, the American Medical Association (AMA) emerged from the allopathic professions. According to Pizzorno and Murray (2013), the AMA implemented the first code of ethics that would segregate it from other types of “alternative” doctors.  Scientific medicine began to make its way to America and schools began incorporating labs into their programs.  Significant contributions from the Carnegie and Rockefeller foundations to AMA-compliant schools began the shift of the profession to an “industry”. 

This was an important time because a lot of really great things came out of this industry, such as surgery and protocols for acute care (such as accidents). However, as more people began turning to this “shiny new” medicine, the focus slowly drifted away from preventative care, which is the basis of many alternative therapies. As I stated earlier, the AMA turned medical practices into a for-profit industry. Any business looking to make money needs return customers. If you are preventing disease, you will not have return customers. This was the emergence of our current medical model - just take a pill and go back to living your life. 

A short time later, the Carnegie Foundation elected Abraham Flexner to visit and evaluate all 162 medical schools in America, including both the scientific schools and the alternative schools. Each school received a grade. Not by coincidence, most of the alternative medical schools did not receive a passing grade, which ultimately led to the closing of all but one eclectic and one homeopathic school by 1928. At the same time, the AMA began to solidify its strong relationship with the pharmaceutical industry which would continue to develop and profit simultaneously to this day.

Why is this important to know?

Before the development of the American Medical Association, doctors helped people who were ill or injured to help them survive or work with patients to help prevent disease. It is perhaps one of the most basic of human principles. But as the AMA gained power and decided that healing was going to be done their way or no way, the act of healing was transformed into an industry. Advancements in care and life expectancy were great outcomes, but another darker outcome also occurred - the reliance on the pharmaceutical industry to create life-long patients. It is no coincidence that as the medical community developed and standardized, so too did the pharmaceutical industry. 

Have you ever thought about why ancient treatments, such as using ginger (an herb) for digestive distress, are deemed “alternative” or ineffective? It’s anything but ineffective. In fact, ginger has been used in traditional medicines of China and India for centuries because it works. The problem, according to the AMA, is that there is no money in using ginger to soothe an upset stomach. So they created pharmaceuticals that have the same chemical compounds as ginger, but that can be trademarked and therefore, profited from. 

What does this mean in America 2022? 

It’s fascinating, really. We are at a crossroads in this country. The rights that we have been given to us as U.S. citizens are under attack. One of those is the first amendment. What does freedom of speech have to do with our healthcare? 

The first amendment does a whole lot more than dictate what is or is not “acceptable” on social media. It gives those of us in the holistic healthcare field the right to discuss our practices and our philosophies. The AMA is not a fan of holistic nutritionists, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, homeopathic doctors, and many other of my colleagues. You see, many of us are what are called “drugless practitioners”. Meaning that we don’t prescribe drugs or pharmaceuticals as the main part of the practice. Many of us, myself included, are not allowed to prescribe drugs, and there are tight regulations on me for recommending supplements. The laws would make your head spin!

Anyways…if the first amendment would go away, it would give the governing bodies the ability to shut down our marketing efforts, our conversations, and ultimately, our practices. What does that remind you of? Yep, we would be regressing back to 1928 when the alternative schools were shut down by one person appointed by the Carnegie Foundation. It’s also important to note that the Rockefeller Foundation, the other significant contributor to the formation of the AMA, was an oil tycoon. The pharmaceutical industry and the oil industry go hand-in-hand. 

If alternative practices cease to exist, that would mean that your only option when you are ill is to go to an approved Western medical doctor. Now, let me be clear, I have nothing against medical doctors, but I do have an issue with the medical industry in this country. It is based on treating symptoms and making life-long customers through dependency on pharmaceuticals instead of addressing and treating the root of the problem. Oftentimes, pairing Western medicine with alternative care can have the best outcomes. Our acute care in this country is top-notch. There is no place I would rather be should I require acute care, but preventative care is another story…

Back to the first amendment….There would be no second opinions or outside-of-the-box approaches to care. We would not be permitted to use the centuries of knowledge, wisdom, and proven care from countries such as China, India, and our Native Americans. Our Western medical knowledge is still in its infancy compared to other cultures around the world. We would only be allowed to follow an approved protocol, likely which would include a lifetime of drugs and then more drugs to treat those drug side effects. Doctors would no longer be able to prescribe off-label drugs, meaning a drug used for something other than what the pharmaceutical company says it’s for. See the vicious cycle? We would lose our right to choose and our right to try other protocols.

So, when the debate over the first amendment comes up, please know that it means more than just what you can post on social media. The more we know about history, the less likely we are to repeat it.

Let’s work to keep our options open and give those who want to explore alternative care the option to do so. 

Peace, love & kale,

Lindsay

References:

Baer, H. A. (1992). The potential rejuvenation of American naturopathy as a consequence of the holistic health movement. Medical Anthropology, 13(4), 369–383. doi:10.1080/01459740.1992.9966058 

 

Pizzorno J. E. & Murray, M. T. (2013). Textbook of Natural Medicine (4th. ed.). St. Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.

 

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.  (ND).  Personal Hygiene in America.  Retrieved from: http://www.winterthur.org/collections/library/library-exhibitions/personal-hygiene-in-america/