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Life Science History Life Science (or Natural Hygiene) had its awakening in 1822 when Dr Isaac Jennings, who had a medical practice in Derby, Conneticut, despaired of medicines. Dr Jennings noted that his patients faired better under less drug intake. He quit prescribing drugs altogether, instead he gave his patients pills of coloured flour and vials of tinted waters. He gave strict instructions for their use just as other physicians gave detailed instructions for the ingestion of drugs. But, in Dr Jennings case, he made a prescription that was to launch a great health movement and an infant science. In 1822 at the age of 34, Dr Jennings gave his patients placebos with instructions to take them at specified hours of the day with a glass of water. His prescription was that no food could be taken, or else the pills would not work. His patients were ordered to do this for a number of days and then return for a check-up. Upon return they would be terminated from the regime or continue on it a few more days. Under Dr Jennings new modality his patients became invariably well, while other physicians lost patients by the graveyard full, his thrived. The ailing flocked to him from far & near. Dr Jennings, to his credit, saw disease not as an attack from some malevolent entity but as lowered vital energy. His new outlook ventured that disease was caused by an ebb of the body's energy supply. In essence he was right but his explanations were quite formative for it remained for successors to build upon the foundations he built. The next illustrious forefather of the science of health was Sylvester Graham. He was born 6 years after Dr Jennings in 1794. Before coming onto the health scene ( he was a very sickly boy ) he was a Presbyterian preacher. In Philadelphia he expanded his knowledge of physiology and health and became acquainted with the teachings of a vegetarian group who abstained from animal foods and products and many modern ways of preparing foods. This group was known as the Bible Christian Church and based its mode of life on Biblical commands. In the great cholera epidemic of 1832, Sylvester Graham rose to fame. He literally took on the whole medical fraternity of New York City and the interests supporting the medical system. While the medical men were advising New Yorkers to abstain from fruit and to cook their food thoroughly, Dr Graham was advocating eating more fruits in the raw state. He advocated open windows, more light and fresh air and other healthful measures which were contrary to medical teachings. It is noteworthy that those who followed Dr Graham's teachings were not affected by the cholera epidemic, whereas those who followed medical bidding died wholesale. Thanks to Dr Grahams fame as a lecturer and writer of books and magazines, the first Health food stores opened in 1832 Where Dr Jennings approached health and healing from the point of view of helping people regain health, Dr Graham was instrumental in teaching the touchstones of healthful living so that people would not get sick in the first place. In the 1870 's the medical profession adopted the Pasteurian germ theory with a passion. With the ushering of the "germ era" came about the decline of Life Science. The revival of Life Science in the 1920's owed much to its impetus to the efforts of Bernarr McFadden and Dr Herbert M. Shelton. Today the Life science movement still survives though it cannot be said that it thrives. A few well known people who followed the Life Science philosophy ( even before it was advocated ): Florence Nightingale, Ellen White ( guiding light of the 7'th day Adventists), Pythagoras, Appolonius, the Essenes, Leonardo da Vinci and many more. See you next week, same day, same place. Elise