The word naturopathy is derived from the root words naturo and pathy from Greek and Latin, which, when combined, mean “natural disease.” The philosophy of naturopathy originated in Germany in the late 19th to early 20th century, although some have argued it originated in Greece with Hippocrates as the first proponent of its use. Naturopathy is practiced in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Naturopathy is an alternative to conventional medicine.

[Page 955]The naturopathic approach to medicine focuses on vitalism through holistic means. Vitalism is the doctrine that living organisms are different from nonliving things because they contain some nonphysical element often referred to as the “vital force” or “energy,” which may be equated with the concept ...