Axioms of Vitalism

The Axioms of Naturopathic Medicine Letitia Dick, ND Jared L. Zeff, ND with James Sensenig, ND and cameo appearance by Bill Mitchell, ND

NMI Vital Gathering May 14, 2022 Scottsdale, Arizona

“The Physician’s high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed.” s1, Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann, 5th ed.

“The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, ... in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.” s2, Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann, 5th ed.

What are the principles of Naturopathic Medicine?

What is unique to Naturopathic Medicine?

What are the distinctions that underly naturopathic medicine?

Vitalism The belief that life is not simply the outcome of random, material processes but that life originates as a vital principle, distinct from chemical and other forces. It is the principle that there is a vital force operating in the living organism and that this cannot be reduced or explained simply by physical or chemical factors. It is the belief in the existence of some operating principle which is not found in inorganic nature and that distinguishes a living organism from simply physical chemical reality. (paraphrased from Vitalism–A Worldview Revisited: A Critique Of Vitalism And Its Implications For Naturopathic Medicine; Ian Coulter, PhD; Pamela Snider, ND; Amy Neil, MS, MAP)

Dr. Louise Edwards, ND “The Basics” 2017 The Four Tasks of the Physician To know what disturbs health and how to restore and maintain it.

To perceive what is curable To know what is curative To understand the obstacles to cure and how to remove them.

Hahnemann

Naturopathy Treating suffering (pathos) according to the laws of nature, using natural means. Henry Lindlahr, Nature Cure Naturopathy treats suffering (pathos) according to the laws of nature, using natural means, with the understanding that the human frame is self-healing using its innate vitality or vital force. Vitalism is the cornerstone of this system of medicine.

The 3 causes of disease / Lindlahr Nature Cure 1)Lowered Vitality 2)Abnormal composition of blood and lymph 3)Accumulation of waste matter, morbid materials, and poisons.

Lindlahr’s “6 Horses” 1)Establish normal surroundings and natural habits of life in accord with nature’s law.

2)Economize the Vital Force 3)Build up the blood on a natural basis; supply the blood with its natural constituents in right proportions.

4)Promote the elimination of waste material and poisons without in anyway injuring the human body.

5)Correct mechanical lesions 6)Arouse the individual in the highest possible degree to the consciousness of personal responsibility and to the necessity of intelligent personal effort and self help.

Catechism of Nature Cure, Lindlahr

Definition of Naturopathic Medicine: Rippling River Convention, November 1, 1989, AANP

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct method of primary health care – an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness.

Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae. This is accomplished through education and the rational use of natural therapeutics.

Naturopathic Principals by which we practice 1) The Healing Power of Nature 2) Identify and Treat the Cause 3) First Do No Harm 4) Doctor as Teacher 5) Treat the Whole Person 6) Prevention Zeff, Snider: AANP adopted in 1989

Disease as Process Zeff, 1988

Normal Health Disturbing Factors

Discharge Process

Disturbance of Function Reaction (fever, inflammation, etc.)

Chronic Reaction Degeneration

Determinates of Health (paraphrased) “A determinant of health becomes a disturbance when it is absent or is present but distorted” Inborn: genetic makeup/ Intrauterine/ congenital/ Maternal exposures, nutrition, lifestyle/ constitution of metabolism Disturbances: Illnesses/ medical intervention or lack of/ physical and emotional exposures, stresses, and trauma/ toxic and harmful substances Hygienic Factors – Lifestyle Factors: Spiritual life/ exposure to nature/ air/ light/ water/ diet/exercise/ culture/ stress/ loving and being loved/ meaningful work/ community Zeff/ Snider :used by permission at the International Editors Retreat, Stevenson, WA, 2007

The Therapeutic Order 1) Address Acute concerns 2) Establish the conditions for health 3) Stimulate the healing power of nature 4) Tonify weakened systems 5) Correct structural integrity 6) Address pathology with natural substances, modalities, interventions 7) Address pathology with pharmacologic/ synthetic substances 8) Suppress or surgically remove pathology: use higher force interventions (chemotherapy/ radiation) Copyright Zeff, Snider 1997

Jim’s Dilema Many of these defining ideas Naturopaths use currently and have for more than 100 years before us.

Jim believed something was missing?

Do they fully articulate our medicine?

Can’t all forms of medicine claim this same or similar philosophical basis?

Do we need a way to present OUR medicine even more specifically; to define it yet so that we can articulate that Naturopathy IS different and this is why.

Law – An immutable rule observed acting in nature or natural systems.

Such as Newton’s Laws of Motion

Doctrine – a set of beliefs held and taught within a specific group or discipline.

Such as the legal doctrine that all are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Precept – a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.

Such as the precept that all should wear cloth masks in the presence of Covid-19.

Tenet – a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true, especially held in common by members of an organization or profession.

Such as the Christian tenet that Christ rose from the dead.

Axiom – a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.

Such as the mathematical axiom that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Jim was looking for the AXIOMS that define or underlay Naturopathic Medicine Do these exist?

Can we reveal and understand the Axioms of Nature that are the cornerstone of all of Naturopathy that we hold as true?

Hippocratic Medicine has 3 tenets or axioms, according to Jim Sensenig: 1)Physis (Nature) 2)Balance 3)Individuality

Naturopathic Medicine, based upon Nature, has perhaps 11 tenets or axioms.

Jim presented most of these to us in the first Vital Gathering.

He hoped that our philosophers would refine these and develop a definitive articulation of Naturopathic Medicine from them.

Naturopathy is based upon Nature’s Laws. These are the axioms you must know and understand; these are the action of nature that heal.

Letitia Dick,ND

Axiom #1 Vis Medicatrix Naturae (the Vitalist axiom) There is a living force, always striving to repair and correct.

(Lindlahr). It is an organizing force; it is ordered and intelligent.

It restores balance. All symptoms are a manifestation of imbalance. The symptoms reveal the method of cure. If we suppress the symptoms, we further the imbalance. Suppression negates this natural phenomenon. This organizing force is the opposite of entropy.

The Naturopath's role is to assist Nature through supporting the symptoms or creating similar symptoms, Similia Similibus Curantur.

The Vis opposes disease and restores health.

Axiom #2 Health as Balance Unity of Disease.

Health is balance. All disease symptoms are a manifestation of the imbalance.

The test of universality: “The test: does this apply elsewhere in Nature? Of course it does. Naturopathy reflects the ecosystem of the body.

Acute disease is corrective. Chronic disease is an adaptation response by a weakened system.

“Naturopathy is to the body what permaculture is to farming.”

Letitia Dick

The concept of Balance permeates our primary definitions of health.

“Health is normal and harmonious vibration of the elements and forces composing the human being on the physical, mental, and moral planes of being, in conformity with the constructive principle in nature applied to individual life.” Lindlahr, Nature Cure “Nothing of value can be added to the normal environment.” Spitler, Basic Naturopathy “In the Healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force, the dynamis that animates the material body, rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations an functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence. Hahnemann, Paragraph 9, Organon of Medicine.

Axiom #3 Suppression Treatments not in conformity with the constructive principle in Nature are inimical to the Vis Medicatrix Naturae, resulting in increased effects of disease on the organism. This is the primary impact of pharmaceuticals: suppression. Suppression reduces the symptom without reducing the cause.

Treatments which are in conformity with the constructive principle in Nature lead to restoration of balance, and by definition, elimination of symptoms.

This relates to the concept of ”Do no Harm”, and the Therapeutic Order.

Louisa Lust (1868-1925) “When there is fever of any kind, the vital force is trying to get rid of the poisons….Give the patient an enema of lukewarm water and a tea of rhubarb powder once daily. No solid food whatsoever….Give the patient and ablution of cool water every hour….Normal function of the organs will take place and the fever will stop. It is the poison and the toxins in the system and the foolish medicines which kill, not the fever.

Fever should never be suppressed.”

Henry Lindlahr (1862-1924) “Such chronic supposed-to-be-incurable diseases as tuberculosis, cancer, locomotor ataxia, paresis, paralysis agitans, infantile paralysis, secondary and tertiary syphilis, etc., yield to the natural treatment, provided there is enough vitality in the system to respond to treatment and the destruction of vital parts and organs has not too far advanced.”

Axiom #4

Individuality: Individualization “This is the doctrine of snowflakes”, Jim Sensenig, ND “All (the) perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease.” Hahnemann, Paragraph 6, Organon of Medicine.

The Manifestation of disease is different for every body.

“Things which disagree with some, are well borne by others; while on the contrary, if something were dangerous to all mankind, it would have the same effect on everybody, which is not true.” Hippocrates.

You can slice this pie many ways: constitutional types, genotypes, genetics, Nutrigenomics… the list goes on, but you know what I mean.

Jim

Axiom #5

Doctrine of Signatures: Anything physical expresses itself and its higher order of intelligence.

First Law of Hermes: As above, so below And God Said, “Let there be light; and there was light” “That which touched the plant, formed the plant. Light touched it” and this became “Adjacent evolution.”]

Bill Mitchell, ND Jim’s view: this relates to the concepts of Consciousness/ Prayer/ Intention/ Spirituality.

Letitia Dick: “I was taught that Signatures relate to how plants communicate to us about how they can be used to help us.”

“An example of a plant signature is hypericum looking like the branching nervous system.” – Letitia Dick “Indiginous people can tell the toxic form of cats claw from the medicinal supportive form, yet to a botanist they are the same plant.” – Letitia Dick “The first form of information of energy on earth is plants.

Waveform of light became mass form of chloroplast” paraphrased from Bill Mitchell, ND”

The Doctrine of Signatures suggests that there will be an indication of the disease in the medicine, that the illness will reveal the medicine.

This is Similia Similibus Curantur.

We will see the signature of the disease in the medicine. It is revealed by proving the medicine.

Axiom # 6 Minimum Dose: What is the least we can do to correct the problem? The physician strives to use the least number of medicines in the smallest possible dose as infrequently as possible to encourage the desired outcome – the restoration of health.

“Die milde Macht ist gross” Hahnemann (Less is more) This is the axiom of efficiency. We see this in every other aspect of life: ie. Gas/ milage, Profit margin…etc.

Understand what is the lowest common denominator.

Is this the axiom : Conservation of Energy?? Does it include the Tenet of Duel Effect??

The Minimum dose is that which interferes the least, has the least potential for suppression.

The minimum dose is that which provides a stimulus to the Vis without overpowering the body’s intention. It works best when causes have been identified and moderated or reduced.

Axiom #7 Duel Effect/ Axiom of Compensation For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Every agent affecting the human organism produces two effects: a first temporary effect, and a second, lasting effect. A short exposure to cold stimulates, a longer exposure suppresses or depletes. The minimum does has one effect, the larger dose has an opposite effect.

We see this in the difference between homeopathic Arsenicum and the poisoning of arsenic. Same substance, different dose, opposite effect.

There is ALWAYS a compensation by the body, as it brings itself to balance. The question is; are you bringing up the vital force or the patient to a higher level of being?

This is the hermetic principle: in many biologic systems there is a bi- or tri-phasic response to exposure in increasing doses.

Axiom # 8 Law of Conservation of Energy “Energy is never created nor destroyed. It only changes from one form to another” The body eliminates via the path of least resistance Healing reaction/ crisis: as you increase the vital force you proceed toward balance. The innate healing power will eliminate the toxin in the most efficient and energy conserving way. Why expend more energy then necessary? The Vis conserves. Nature conserves.

Fasting during a healing crisis thus conserves energy and allows the full power of the body to be used for healing and not diverted to digestion.

60% of metabolic energy is used for digestion. 30% brain power. 10% muscles. This is why we fast and convalesce to heal. Conserve the energy for the healing process.

Axiom # 9 Periodicity: Cycles of Nature All natural processes are based on cycles; from sleep cycles, circadian rhythms, menstrual cycles, life cycles, and seasons.

Hippocrates reported critical days for observation of healing or crisis day 3, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, etc.

In constitutional hydrotherapy we do water fasts in days of 3 or 4 or 7 and series of hydrotherapies in 5, 10 or 15.

Lindhlahr talks about the Law of 7 that repeats in nature. 7 years to fully renew the all the cells of the body so that every 7 years you are all new again.

With Constitutional Hydrotherapy, on the 5th to 7th day we hear the heart tone change to a softer easier beat. This is a sign of healing.

Axiom #10 Wholism “Knowledge of the soul predates intention of the soul”, Bill Mitchell, ND, and he continues…..(Letitia is paraphrasing here) “We evolve beyond what we can’t see, beyond our eyes. We evolve beyond what we can touch and what can touch us. This growth is the beginning of the soul. The choice (of the soul) is free will or intention. The rate of expansion of the universe defines the vital force. This depends upon speed.” “Knowing is faster then the speed of light”. “The universe has ‘awareness’ in the Vital force” We look at the totality of the patient, not just their body, but their mind, their spirit, and how they are in relationship to the larger universe around them. This is wholism.

Wholism is seen in the homeopathic prescription.

Wholism is seen in the use of the whole plant as opposed to the specific biochemical extract of the plant. There is a synergism in the whole, a balance of forces.

Wholism is seen when we try to understand why a person is ill, and we must look at their history, their whole body and symptom picture in all of its extent. We must look at their traumas and how they see themselves in the world. There is more to this than simply the diagnosis of their pathology.

Wholism is seen is the multifactorial approach to healing, employing the Therapeutic Order in all of its applicable extent, integrating the various therapies, and understanding how impacts to one part of the system affect others.

Axiom #11

Intention Intention is part of the therapy. It connects the physician to the Vis. It is the power, connecting the Vis to healing. It is fundamental. It is a process by which the Vis communicates.

It is the intention of the Vis to heal, to attain balance.

Bill Mitchell said, “ The intention within us wants to see beyond our eyes.”

How do we touch what we cannot touch? How can we see what we cannot see?

Jim said, “ You can’t put it in a jar, poke holes in the lid and look at it.”

We have a way in Naturopathy that has been utilized for 100 years or more now. I use the Carroll Method. It is a hidden secret of Naturopathy and specific for our healing art.

Intention is found in many places besides Naturopathy. Of course it is, because it is Truth. And a “universal” axiom.

In Chinese medicine / philosophy there is the I Ching.

In Belize, Shaman Don Elijo Panti used a stone, Sastun.

Medicine Man Rolling Thunder used a beetle. Sun Bear of the Bear Tribe connected with a form of prayer/ meditation on Vision Mountain.

There are millennia of cultures that have conversed with and used the wisdom of Intention. It is a part of the Vis that is in every one of us. It is us.

The 11 Axioms of Naturopathy 1) Vis Medicatrix Naturae 2) Health as Balance 3) Suppression 4) Individuality: Individualization 5) Doctrine of Signatures 6) Minimum Dose 7) Duel Effect/ Axiom of Compensation 8) Law of Conservation of Energy 9) Periodicity 10) Wholism 11) Intention @ NMI October 2021

You have an assignment: Consider these axioms.

Are they correct?

Do they help define us?

Are they sufficient?

Think on these things.

Correct them; refine them; or reject them with cause. Help us articulate this medicine in the most efficient and most complete way, that demonstrates our uniqueness and our value.

Thank you.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

R. Buckminster Fuller

Naturopathic Medicine Institute Vital Gathering

“The Axioms of Naturopathic Medicine” Jared L. Zeff, ND Letitia Dick, ND DrZeff@aol.com www.salmoncreekclinic.com