Herbert M. Shelton

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Herbert Macgolfin Shelton (6 October 1895–1985) was a prominent American health educator, pacifist, vegetarian, and advocate of raw foodism and fasting cures. Shelton was nominated by the American Vegetarian Party to run as its candidate for President of the United States in 1956. He saw himself as the champion of original Natural Hygiene ideas from the 1830s.

He was born in Wylie, Texas. A pacifist, Herbert Shelton was jailed in 1917 for making an anti-draft statement in public.

Herbert Shelton attended Bernarr Macfadden's College of Physcultopathy in Chicago and interned at Crane's Sanitarium in Elmhurst, Illinois. He also attended Lindlahr College of Natural Therapeutics for post-graduate work and served at Dr. Lindlahr's and Sahler's Sanitariums. Dr. Shelton later continued post-graduate work at Peerless College of Chiropractic in Illinois and served an internship at Crandall Health School in Pennsylvania.

In 1921, he married Ida Pape, studied at the American School of Chiropractic, and graduated from the American School of Naturopathy with a Doctor of Naturopathy (N.D.) and a Doctor of Naturopathic Literature (N.D. Litt.).

In 1922, Dr. Shelton self-published his first book, Fundamentals of Nature Cure. After recognizing the importance of the Hygienic Movement (launched in 1832 by Dr. Issac Jennings and Sylvester Graham), he changed the title of this first book to An Introduction to Natural Hygiene.

In 1927, he was arrested three times for practicing medicine without a license. These arrests continued periodically through the next three decades while he relentlessly lectured and campaigned for his ideas.[1]

In 1928, Dr. Shelton published Human Life: Its Philosophy & Laws.

In 1931, Dr. Shelton's ninth book was published: The Hygienic Care of Children.

In 1942, a patient died during a long fast, and charges of homicide-by-starvation were made.[2] However, the case was dropped in the end.

Shelton had many admirers, including a substantial following of devotees who saw in him both a great inspirational leader and a natural healer. Mahatma Gandhi is said to have relied on Dr. Shelton's writing on fasting and before the outbreak of World War II had invited Dr. Shelton to visit him in India.

By 1972, at the age of 77, he was completely bedridden from a degenerative neuro-muscular disease believed to be Parkinson's Disease.[3] He died thirteen years later, unable to improve his own health despite many attempts. His contemporaries were shocked to see him unable to walk, speak normally, or write. Most of his subsequent books were dictated in a whisper. His mind remained sharp, however, and he continued his involvement in Dr Shelton's Health School (now the seventh organization under that name).

In 1978, another patient died at one of his schools, this time apparently of a heart attack. After a two-year-long court battle, Shelton lost the lawsuit for negligence and was bankrupted by the judgment.[4] The school closed as a result.

[edit] Sources

The following is a bibliography, listing the date the book was first published, or the date of a reprint if that data was not available. Where possible a number of these books are linked to a public domain source.

Shelton, Herbert M. [1926]. Living Life to Live it Longer: A Study in Orthobionomics, Orthopathy and Healthful Living. Oklahoma City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 0766185680. OCLC 7487100.
Shelton, Herbert M. [1934]. The Hygienic System: Fasting and Sun Bathing, Vol. III: Fasting and Sun Bathing for Healing Disease. (HTML), San Antonio, Texas: self-published. OCLC 8413951.
Shelton, Herbert M. [1935]. The Hygienic System, Vol. II: Food and Diet. (HTML), San Antonio, Texas: Library of New Atlantis. ISBN 1-57179-415-8. OCLC 32372334.
Shelton, Herbert M. Natural Hygiene: Man's Pristine Way of Life. Library of New Atlantis, Incorporated UPC/ ISBN 1-57179-407-7 (Feb. 2003).
Shelton, Herbert M. Food and Feeding. Kessinger Publishing Company ISBN 0766145905 (Jan. 2003).
Shelton, Herbert M. Natural Hygiene: Man's Pristine Way of Life. Library of New Atlantis, Incorporated. UPC ISBN 1-57179-408-5. (Feb 2002).
Shelton, Herbert M. et al. The Virgin Birth: The Famous Debate Between Herbert M. Shelton and George R. Clements. Health Research. UPC/ ISBN 0-7873-1173-1 (Jan. 1998).
Hygienic Review. (Sep 1996).
Human Life: Its Philosophy and Laws. (Sep. 1996).
Colds (Acute Coryza) and Related Subjects. (Sep. 1996).
Orthobionomics: Hygienic System. (Sep. 1996).
Vaccine and Serum Evils. (Sep. 1996).
Living Life to Live It Longer. (Sep. 1996).
The Liver and Its Complaints. (Sep. 1996).
An Introduction to Natural Hygiene. (Sep. 1996).
History of Natural Hygiene: The (Plus) Principles of Natural Hygiene. (Sep. 1996).
Fasting Can Save Your Life (Sep. 1996 ).
Syphilis: Werewolf of Medicine. (Sep. 1996).
Getting Well. (Jan. 1996).
History of Natural Hygiene and Principles of Natural Hygiene - Teachings of Doctors Jennings, Graham, Trall and Tilden. (Jan. 1996).
Human Life Its Philosophy and Laws: An Exposition of the Principles and Practices of Orthopathy. (Jan 1996). ISBN 1564597148
Health for All. (Jan. 1996).
Science and Fine Art of Food and Nutrition. (1996).
Health for the Millions. (1996).
Fasting for Renewal of Life. (1995)
The Science and Fine Art of Natural Hygiene. (1994).
Natural Hygiene: The Pristine Way of Life. (1994).
Health for All. Health Research. (July 1993).
Shelton, Herbert M. et al., Getting Well. Health Research. UPC/ ISBN 0-7873-0778-5 (June 1993).
Shelton, Herbert M. et al., The Virgin Birth. Life Science Institute UPC/ ISBN 0-88697-234-5 (1991).
Shelton, Herbert M. et al., La Voie Hygieniste. Editions du Roseau. UPC ISBN 2-920083-12-0 (Nov. 1985).