What Is Naturopathy?.
The basic precepts of naturopathy are similar to those in ancient medical systems
throughout the world. Naturopathy can trace its philosophical roots to the
Hippocratic school of medicine around 400 BC. Hippocrates had a holistic approach
to clients and instructed his students only to prescribe wholesome treatments and
avoid causing harm or hurt. Furthermore, Hippocrates thought that the entire uni-
verse followed natural laws and the role of the physician was to understand and
support nature’s own cures.
Naturopathic medicine grew out of the 19th-century medical systems of America
and Europe. The term itself was coined by Dr. John Scheel of New York City in 1895,
although it was Benedict Lust who formalized naturopathy in 1902 as both a system
of medicine and a way of life. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic
schools of medicine were operating in the United States. In the 1920s and 1930s,
naturopathic journals encouraged a diet high in fiber and low in red meat, the same
type of diet promoted by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer
Institute in the 1990s. With the development of antibiotics and vaccines in the 1940s
and 1950s, the popularity of naturopathy began to decline as people began to rely
on these medical breakthroughs. The 1970s saw a renewal in the importance of
nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and environmental cleanup programs. This interest con-
tinued to grow into what is now the American interest in alternative medicine.
In order for naturopathic medicine to establish itself as a legitimate health care sys-
tem, it needed to establish accredited schools and conduct credible research.
Currently five schools exist in the United States and Canada: Bastyr University in
Seattle, Washington; National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland,
Oregon; the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Science in
Scottsdale, Arizona; University of Bridgeport in Connecticut; and the Canadian
College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Ontario. The Council on Naturopathic
Medical Education is the accrediting agency for programs in the United States and
Canada.
The scope of a naturopathy practice is determined by individual state laws.
Currently, 11 states and 5 Canadian provinces issue licenses for naturopathic physi-
cians (NDs). The laws typically allow standard diagnostic procedures, a range of
therapies, vaccinations, and limited prescriptive rights. Some states allow the prac-
tice of natural childbirth. In states that do not license NDs, anyone can call
herself/himself a naturopathic doctor after completing some correspondence courses.
These individuals may give seminars and advise people on healthy lifestyles, but
they are not permitted to diagnose illness or to prescribe treatment. When seeking a
ND as a primary care physician, people you should always ask for verification of
graduation from an accredited naturopathic medical school.100 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE