Jesse Mercer Gehman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 17, 1901 |
| Died | 1976 (aged 74–75) |
| Occupation(s) | Naturopath, writer |
Jesse Mercer Gehman (January 17, 1901 – 1976) was an American naturopath, vegetarianism activist and amateur wrestler associated with the natural hygiene and physical culture movement.
Biography[edit]
Gehman graduated from the American College of Naturopathy and Chiropractic in 1925.[1] He obtained a doctorate in natural philosophy in 1931. He was a vegetarian and wrote articles for the American Vegetarian-Hygienist and the Health and Strength magazine.[1]
Gehman was Chairman of the First American Vegetarian Convention held at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1949.[2] He was Vice-President of the International Vegetarian Union (1960–1977), he was also President of the American Naturopathic Association.[3] Gehman was Benedict Lust's successor. He wrote an authorized biography of Lust, but the work was never published.[4] Gehman worked as an associate editor for Bernarr Macfadden's Physical Culture magazine. He founded his own naturopathic resort near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[5] Gehman was a founding member of the American Natural Hygiene Society.[6]
Gehman was an anti-vaccinationist. He commented that naturopaths do not believe in "vaccination, inoculation, contagion, infection or drugs of any kind."[2] His best known work Smoke Over America, examined the dangers of tobacco smoke. It was negatively reviewed in The Sanitarian journal as "poorly organized, unscientific, over-written."[7] He was secretary of the Citizens Medical Reference Bureau from the 1930s–1950s, which had connections to the Anti-Vaccination League of America.[8] He recommended clean living, exercise, fasting and a vegetarian diet to treat cancer, he commented that "the cure of cancer is in simple natural physical culture living".[9]
Gehman was an amateur wrestler, under the name Jim Mercer.[1] His brother was "Atomic" Marvin Mercer, a heavyweight wrestling champion.[10][11]
Publications[edit]
- Smoke Over America (1943)
- A Commemorative and Descriptive Book on the Light of Naturopathy (1947)
- Living Today for Tomorrow (1947)
- Is Smoking Harmful? (1950)
- Why?: Use Suncooked Juice Foods Daily (1959)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "The Jesse Mercer Gehman Photo Collection". Texas Archival Resources Online.
- ^ a b Iacobbo, Karen; Iacobbo, Michael. (2004). Vegetarian America: A History. Praeger Publishing. p. 161. ISBN 978-0275975197
- ^ "Dr. Jesse Mercer Gehman". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ Kirchfeld, Friedhelm; Boyle, Wade. (1994). Nature Doctors: Pioneers in Naturopathic Medicine. Medicina Biológica. p. 10. ISBN 0-9623518-5-7
- ^ Whorton, James C. (2003). Benedict Lust, Naturopathy, and the Theory of Therapeutic Universalism. Iron Game History 8 (2): 22–29.
- ^ "ANHS Founders" Archived 2019-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. National Health Association. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ Ben Meyr, Berl. (1945). Reviewed Work: Smoke Over America by Jesse Mercer Gehman. The Sanitarian 8 (1): 26–27.
- ^ Colgrove, James. (2006). State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America. University of California Press. p. 55, p. 267. ISBN 0-520-24749-3
- ^ "Cancer Causes and Cures by Ruth Sackman". Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ Bow, Guy Le. (1950). The Wrestling Scene. Homecrafts Sports Division. p. 31
- ^ "Marvin Mercer Wrestling History". Retrieved 26 April 2019.
External links[edit]
- The Jesse Mercer Gehman Photo Collection Archived 2019-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
