The following is course listings for the first school in naturopathic medicine invented by Benedict Lust in 1892. This profession later became an accredited medical profession by 1960, and retains this accreditation to this day. The more recent tendencies for this alternative medical profession has been the integration of naturopathy woith Chiropractics, the school in which this practice first became highly popular as an example of a “Drugless” form of medicine practiced during the first half of the 20th century. For political and legal reason, Naturopathy was separated from Chiropractics to ensure that Chiropractics would retain its accreditation about 1945-1949.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the only school to keep the profession of naturopathy alive and being taught by a professional college was National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. This school underwent a series of changes in administration trying to keep the profession alove throughout the 1970s. These activities enabled to the school to later become fully accredited and el;igible for student loans, and led to the opening of the second naturopathic school to become accredited during the 1970s, John Bastyr College in Seattle, Washington. Bastyr College began as a satellite school of NCNM during the 1960s.
In 1978, the success of naturopathy as a part of the naturalist’s/environmentalists movement of the 1970s led to the opening of a second school south of Portland, Oregon, in Salem, by two Kansas students who learned the basic medical sciences at NCNM’s affiliate in Kansas, and took their medical courses at NCNM. This school never became accredited and apparently never graduated any students.
Lusts’ program is just a few lines of the following three lists of topics taught at three of the schools.
COURSE LISTINGS
THE MODERN HOME STUDY COURSE IN NATUROPATHY. BENEDICT LUST, N.D., D.C., D.O., M.D., Butler and Mount Dora, NJ, and New York, NY. (Advertising Pamphlet)
(1892-?)
- Naturopathy
- Hydropathy
- Osteopathy
- Electrotherapy
- Massage
- Spinal Manipulation
- Short Wave Radiation
- Colonic Therapy
- Scientific Fasting & Dietetics
NCNM, PORTLAND, OR, 1956
FIRST YEAR
First Semester
- Introduction to Healing Arts a 54 4
- Histology a,b 90 5
- Osteology a,b 90 5
- Physiology a,b 126 5
- Inorganic Chemistry a,b 90 4
Second Semester
- Syndesmology a 36 2
- Myology a 72 4
- Organic Chemistry a 72 4
- Physiology a,b 126 5
- Bacteriology a,b 72 4
- First Aid a,c 18 1
- Body Mechanics a,c 54 3
SECOND YEAR
Third Semester HOURS
Class Semester
- Angiology & Lymphatics a 72 4
- Anatomical Neurology a 72 4
- Biochemistry a 72 4
- Embryology a,b 72 4
- General Pathology a,b 109 5
- Manipulative Technique a,c 72 4
- X-ray Technique a,c,d 72 4
___ __
(30 Class Hours per Week) 540 29
Fourth Semester
- Splanchnology a 54 3
- Neurology a 54 3
- Advanced Physiology & Correlative a 54 3
- Biochemistry a 54 3
- Public Health/Preventive Medicine a,b 72 4
- Special Pathology a,b 90 4
- Laboratory Diagnosis a,b 72 4
- Manipulative Technique a,c 90 5
___ __
(30 Class Hours per Week) 540 29
JUNIOR
Fifth Semester HOURS
Class Semester
- Prin. & Prac. of Naturopathy a 18 1
- Botanical Medicine a,b 36 2
- Dissection, Human a,b 144 5
- Physical Diagnosis a,c,d 90 5
- Ophthalmology a,c,d 36 2
- Clinical Neurology a,c,d 72 4
- Gynecology a,c,d 72 4
- Orthopedics (Minor Surgery) a,c,d 18 1
- Electrotherapy a,c,d 36 2
- Clinic (Naturae Medicina) d 144 4
___ __
(37 Class Hours per Week) 666 30
Sixth Semester
- Prin. & Prac. of Naturopathy a 36 2
- Botanical Medicine a,b 36 2
- Clinical Diagnosis a,c,d 90 5
- Otolaryngology a,c,d 36 2
- Visceral Neurology a,c,d 54 3
- Gynecology a,c,d 72 4
- Minor Surgery a,c,d 36 2
- Physiotherapy a,c,d 36 2
- Hydrotherapy a,c,d 36 2
- Clinic (Naturae Medicina) d 144 4
___ __
(32 Class Hours per Week) 576 28
SENIOR/FOURTH YEAR
Seventh Semester HOURS
Class Semester
- Trophology a 36 2
- Toxicology a 16 1
- Clinical Pathology a 36 2
- X-ray Interpretation a 36 2
- Pediatrics a,c,d 72 4
- Psychiatry a,c,d 54 3
- Minor Surgery a,c,d 36 2
- Clinic (Naturae Medicina) d 360 18
- Obstetric Internship d 40 2
___ __
(38 Class Hours per Week) 688 36
Eighth Semester
- Trophology a 18 1
- Adv. X-ray Interpretation a 18 1
- Semantics a 18 1
- Jurisprudence a 36 2
- Endocrinology a 36 2
- Geriatrics a,c,d 36 2
- Proctology a,c,d 54 3
- Urology a,c,d 18 1
- Psychiatry a,c,d 54 3
- Clinic (Naturae Medicina) d 360 18
- Obstetric Internship d 40 2
___ __
(38 Class Hours per Week) 688 36
Compare this with the contents of a school in central Oregon, that opened its doors in 1978:
SALEM, OR., AMER. SCHOOL OF NATUROP., 1978
- Acupuncture, 755
- Biochemistry, 510
- Business and Office Procedures, 837
- Clinic Externship, 540, 640, 740, 840
- Conjoint: Anatomy/Physiology, 520
- Conjoint: Clinical, 834
- Conjoint: Pathology and Diagnosis, 670
- Conjoint: Physiotherapy, 753
- Developmental Psychology, 621
- Directed Individual Study: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, 902
- Emergency Medicine, 631
- Geriatrics, 836
- Gynecology, 732
- Immunology, 682
- Introduction to the Healing Arts, 550
- Materia Medica, 551, 651, 751
- Medical Jurisprudence, 838
- Medical Terminology, 901
- Microbiology, 681
- Nutrition, 715
- Obstetrical Externship, 741
- Obstetrics, 733
- Pediatrics, 835
- Pharmacology, 652
- Psychological Counseling, 754
- Public Health: Community and Environmental Medicine, 683
- Senior Seminar, 845
- Surgery, 856
Brian Altonen, MPH, MS 