Nature cures : the history of alternative medicine in America

From reflexology and rolfing to shiatsu and dream work, we are confronted today by a welter of alternative medical therapies. But as James Whorton shows in __Nature Cures__, the recent explosion in alternative medicine actually reflects two centuries of competition and conflict between mainstream medicine and numerous unorthodox systems. This is the first comprehensive history of alternative medicine in America, examining the major systems that have emerged from 1800 to the present. Writing with wit and with fairness to all sides, Whorton offers a fascinating look at alternative health systems such as homeopathy, water cures, Mesmerism, Christian Science, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and acupuncture. He highlights the birth and growth of each system (including European roots where appropriate) and vividly describes both the theories and the therapies developed within each system, including such dubious practices as hour-long walks barefoot in snow or Samuel Thompson's "puking and steaming" regimen. In particular, Whorton illuminates the philosophy of "natural healing" that has been espoused by alternative practitioners throughout history and the distinctive interpretations of "nature cure" developed by the different systems. Though he doesn't hesitate to point out the failings of these systems, he also shows that some "cult medicines" have eventually won recognition from practitioners of mainstream medicine. Throughout, Whorton writes with a light touch and quotes from contemporary humorists such as Mark Twain. His book is an engaging yet authoritative history that highlights the course of alternative medicine in the U.S., providing valuable background to the wide range of therapies available today From reflexology and rolfing to shiatsu and dream work, we are confronted today by a welter of alternative medical therapies. But as James Whorton shows in Nature Cures, the recent explosion in alternative medicine actually reflects two centuries of competition and conflict between mainstream medicine and numerous unorthodox systems. This is the first comprehensive history of alternative medicine in America, examining the major systems that have emerged from 1800 to the present. Writing with wit and with fairness to all sides, Whorton offers a fascinating look at alternative health systems such as homeopathy, water cures, Mesmerism, Christian Science, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and acupuncture. He highlights the birth and growth of each system (including European roots where appropriate) and vividly describes both the theories and the therapies developed within each system, including such dubious practices as hour-long walks barefoot in snow or Samuel Thompson's'puking and steaming'regimen. In particular, Whorton illuminates the philosophy of'natural healing'that has been espoused by alternative practitioners throughout history and the distinctive interpretations of'nature cure'developed by the different systems. Though he doesn't hesitate to point out the failings of these systems, he also shows that some'cult medicines'have eventually won recognition from practitioners of mainstream medicine. Throughout, Whorton writes with a light touch and quotes from contemporary humorists such as Mark Twain. His book is an engaging and authoritative history that highlights the course of alternative medicine in the U.S., providing valuable background to the wide range of therapies available today. "From reflexology and rolfing to shiatsu and dream work, we are confronted today by a welter of alternative medical therapies. But as James Whorton shows in Nature Cures, the recent explosion in alternative medicine actually reflects two centuries of competition and conflict between mainstream medicine and numerous unorthodox systems." "This is a history of alternative medicine in America, examining the major systems that have emerged from 1800 to the present. Writing with wit and with fairness to all sides, Whorton offers a fascinating look at alternative health systems such as homeopathy, water cures, Mesmerism, Christian Science, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and acupuncture. He highlights the birth and growth of each system (including European roots where appropriate) and vividly describes both the theories and the therapies developed within each system, including such dubious practices as hour-long walks barefoot in snow or Samuel Thompson's "puking and steaming" regimen. In particular, Whorton illuminates the philosophy of "natural healing" that has been espoused by alternative practitioners throughout history and the distinctive interpretations of "nature cure" developed by the different systems. Though he doesn't hesitate to point out the failings of these systems, he also shows that some "cult medicines" have eventually won recognition from practitioners of mainstream medicine."--Jacket EEn......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Part 1 - The Nineteenth Century: Natural Healing......Page 18 1 - The Hippocratic Heresy: Alternative Medicine's Worldview......Page 20 2 - Every Man His Own Physician: Thomsonianism......Page 42 3 - Dilutions of Grandeur: Homeopathy......Page 66 4 - Physical Puritanism: Hygeiotherapy......Page 94 5 - Magnetism and Mind: From Mesmerism to Christian Science......Page 120 Part 2 - Early 20th Century: Drugless Healing......Page 148 6 - The Licensing Question: The Campaign for Medical Freedom......Page 150 7 - The Rule of the Artery: Osteopathy......Page 158 8 - Innate Intelligence: Chiropractic......Page 182 9 - Therapeutic Naturalism: Naturopathy......Page 208 Part 3 - The Late 20th Century: Holistic Healing......Page 236 10 - From Medical Cultism to Alternative Medicine......Page 238 11 - The Holistic Health Explosion: Acupuncture......Page 262 12 - From Alternative Medicine to Complementary Medicine......Page 288 Conclusion: The Twenty-first Centure--The Age of Curapathy?......Page 314 Abbreviations......Page 325 Notes......Page 328 Index......Page 377 The value of this book to me is the historical context of the sometime strained relationship between natural medicine and "western medicine". History indeed repeats itself. Natural, alternative medicine grew out of a disenchantment with traditional medicine. As today, people began searching for answers other than what they were receiving from their doctors. The stories are informative and illuminating and really help one understand the chasm between the two worlds. I have not completed the book so I am simply at the stage of understanding the problem. I hope the book offers some type of solution that allows these polarized sides with similar hope for outcomes to work together on what might get us out of the healthcare crisis we are currently in. Stochastic volatility is the main concept used in the fields of financial economics and mathematical finance to deal with time-varying volatility in financial markets. This book brings together some of the main papers that have influenced the field of the econometrics of stochastic volatility, and shows that the development of this subject has been highly multidisciplinary, with results drawn from financial economics, probability theory, and econometrics, blending to produce methods and models that have aided our understanding of the realistic pricing of options, efficient asset allocation, and accurate risk assessment. A lengthy introduction by the editor connects the papers with the literature.

shephard (economics, U. Of Oxford) Draws Together 16 Papers By International Contributors On The Econometrics Of Stochastic Volatility Used In Financial Economics And Mathematical Finance, Also Influenced By The Fields Of Probability Theory And Econometrics. Topics Stressed Are Model Building, Inference, Option Pricing, And Realized Variation, Including Process, Exchange Rates, Volatility Modeling, Bayesian Analysis, And Foreign Currency Options. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, Or

Stochastic volatility is the main concept used in the fields of financial economics and mathematical finance to deal with time-varying volatility in financial markets. This work brings together some of the main papers that have influenced this field, andshows that the development of this subject has been highly multidisciplinary This 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 Walter Johnson, the homeopath quoted at the close of the preface, referred to his practice as a "medical heresy" and his colleagues as "so-called heretics."