Description
Book SynopsisThis text establishes historical context for the contemporary debate over the role of unconventional medicine in health care by examining the evolution of the major alternative systems in America from 1800 onwards.
Trade ReviewA significant contribution, Nature Cures provides a valuable perspective on the unconventional therapies that for many decades have, to the dismay of organized medicine, attracted large numbers of Americans engaged in the pursuit of health. * Science *
An authority on the history of medicine and health...his engaging, authoritative, and interesting book provides a valuable background to the wide range of therapies available today. * NAPRA Review *
A lively tale filled with fads and quackery, much of which was sanctioned by the medical establishment of its day, while efficacious regimes that are still practiced today were denounced. In so doing, he remains remarkably evenhanded and touches on the lives and reputations of such notables as Mary Baker Eddy, Catherine Beecher (sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe) and Daniel Webster. * New York Daily News *
A distinguished and respected writer about health and medicinal studies, Whorton gives us a thorough, deeply researched and objective history of alternative medicine. Presented in a relaxed and reliable style, this book is highly readable and surprisingly entertaining. * Statesman Journal *
Thorough, enjoyable, and rigorous, this study documents the major 'unconventional' healing movements of 19th- and 20th-century America. This book fills a large gap.... Highly recommended. * Library Journal *
A lively, entertaining, and well-documented introduction to the history of unconventional medicine in the U.S. over the past two centuries... There's much here to interest and perhaps amaze anyone who has ever been a patient. * Kirkus Reviews *
Table of ContentsPART I: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: NATURAL HEALING; PART II: THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY: DRUGLESS HEALING; PART III: THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY: HOLISTIC HEALING
