The Science and Fine Art of Natural Hygiene

by Herbert M. Shelton

The Hygienic System is one by which both the well and the sick are cared for solely by the employment of material or influences conducive to the promotion of health. A Hygienic material or influence is one that is normally employed by living organisms in their development,, growth and function. It is that upon which life depends. Hygiene thus becomes the employment of materials, agents and influences that have a normal relationship to life, in the preservation and restoration of health according to well-defined laws and demonstrated principles of nature.

Genres: Health

420 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Herbert M. Shelton was an American naturopath, alternative medicine advocate, and prolific author best known for promoting natural hygiene, fasting, and raw veganism. Born in Texas in 1895, Shelton was deeply influenced by observing animal behavior during illness and early pioneers like Isaac Jennings and Sylvester Graham. He studied at several institutions devoted to chiropractic and naturopathy, eventually graduating from the American School of Naturopathy. Shelton believed that cooked food was harmful and that the human body could heal itself without medical intervention, primarily through fasting and a raw, plant-based diet.
In 1922, he self-published Fundamentals of Nature Cure, later retitled An Introduction to Natural Hygiene. He went on to write the influential seven-volume The Hygienic System and published The Hygienic Review for forty years. In 1948, he founded the American Natural Hygiene Society, which became the National Health Association. Despite facing frequent legal challenges for practicing medicine without a license, Shelton maintained a loyal following and left a lasting legacy on the raw food and fasting movements.
A pacifist, Shelton was jailed during World War I for opposing the draft. His career was marred by controversy, including patient deaths and lawsuits, one of which led to his financial ruin and the closure of his health school. Afflicted by a degenerative disease in later life, he remained active in his work until his death in 1985. His legacy remains polarizing, viewed by some as visionary and by others as dangerously unscientific.

Reviews

[Priscilla Thorp]

This book is worth its weight in gold. We must know that the advertisign world has given us the opportunity to support their habit over the years at the expense of our health. Please follow what this man has put into words. It will lengthen and save your life!