Nature Cures : The History of Alternative Medicine in America

The recent explosion of interest in alternative and complementary approaches to healing is the surprising culmination of a full two centuries of competition and conflict between mainstream medicine and numerous unorthodox systems of treatment. Nature Cures establishes the historical context for contemporary debate over the role of unconventional medicine in health care by examining the evolution of the major alternative systems in America from 1800 to the present. These include botanical medicine, homeopathy, hypnotism and mental healing, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and acupuncture, as well as a discussion of the European roots of systems not native to the United States. Attention is given to both the theories and therapies developed by each system and the interactions of each with the medical profession and with society at large. Particular emphasis is placed on the philosophy of "natural healing" that has been espoused by alternative practitioners throughout history and the distinctive interpretations of "nature cures" developed by the different systems.