The Science and Fine Art of Fasting

by Herbert M. Shelton

Science stubbornly clings to its errors and resists all effort to correct these. Once an alleged fact has been well established, no matter how erroneous it is. all the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Nowhere in this fact so well illustrated as in the history of the efforts to break down the stubborn resistance of science to the idea that the human organism, like the organisms of the lower animals, can safely abstain from food for prolonged periods. Long after thousands of men and women had fasted for periods ranging from a few days to several weeks and were benefitted by the experience, science persisted in repeating, as though it were a fully demonstrated fact, its stupid notion that man cannot fast for more than a few days without dying. Indeed, after some of these long fasts had received much world-wide publicity and some of them had been studied by men of science, the devotees of the modern infallible god. science, continued to repeat the old fallacy that if a man should abstain from food for six days his heart would collapse and he would die.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Reference, Philosophy, Science

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Herbert M. Shelton was an American naturopath, alternative medicine advocate, and prolific author best known for promoting natural hygiene, fasting, and raw veganism. Born in Texas in 1895, Shelton was deeply influenced by observing animal behavior during illness and early pioneers like Isaac Jennings and Sylvester Graham. He studied at several institutions devoted to chiropractic and naturopathy, eventually graduating from the American School of Naturopathy. Shelton believed that cooked food was harmful and that the human body could heal itself without medical intervention, primarily through fasting and a raw, plant-based diet.
In 1922, he self-published Fundamentals of Nature Cure, later retitled An Introduction to Natural Hygiene. He went on to write the influential seven-volume The Hygienic System and published The Hygienic Review for forty years. In 1948, he founded the American Natural Hygiene Society, which became the National Health Association. Despite facing frequent legal challenges for practicing medicine without a license, Shelton maintained a loyal following and left a lasting legacy on the raw food and fasting movements.
A pacifist, Shelton was jailed during World War I for opposing the draft. His career was marred by controversy, including patient deaths and lawsuits, one of which led to his financial ruin and the closure of his health school. Afflicted by a degenerative disease in later life, he remained active in his work until his death in 1985. His legacy remains polarizing, viewed by some as visionary and by others as dangerously unscientific.

Reviews

[Student · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough and comprehensive book on fasting.

Modern medicine doesn't recognize fasting as a method to treat patients.

Herbert Shelton says in this book that he has cured thousands of patients of various diseases and conditions by fasting. He says fasting the natural way of letting our body do some repairs. When we don't eat, we give our body a break from constantly having to digest food and that enables the body to focus on healing. Not very scientific I know, but it makes sense from an evolutionary point of view. He gives many examples of animals fasting to heal themselves.

He describes in detail how to perform a fast, the do's and dont's, how to break a fast etc..very thorough book

"A fast is more effective than any form of diet; not because fasting
cures for it does nothing of the kind, but because it affords the body full
opportunity for house-cleaning."

[Audrey Lévesque · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf,
Lot of repetition for nothing

[Lerxst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff!