Johann Heinrich Lahmann (30 March 1860 – 1 June 1905) was a German physician who was a pioneer of

naturopathic medicine Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...

. He was a native of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. He earned his medical doctorate at the

University of Heidelberg Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...

, and after graduation became a

general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

. On 1 January 1888, he opened a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

called the "Physiatric Sanatorium" at Weißer Hirsch, outside of

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

. This institution would eventually become well-known internationally. Lahmann was influenced by the methods used by Vincenz Priessnitz (1799-1851) and Johann Schroth (1798-1856), both pioneers in the field of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

. He eventually turned away from traditional medicine, and was disdainful of drugs and unnatural medications. Lahmann stressed the importance of diet, exercise and fresh air, and was an ardent practitioner of

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

and

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

. Lahmann recommended a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread and

dairy products Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

, and believed in limiting one's intake of

table salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as ro ...

and liquor. He developed five separate diets for his patients, which included food for diabetics, food for the overweight, as well as a strictly

vegetarian diet Vegetarian diet may refer to: *Vegetarianism *Vegetarian cuisine *Plant-based diet (i.e., not necessarily stemming from vegetarian beliefs) *Veganism {{Disambig ...

. In his 1891 book, ''Diätetische Blutentmischung als Grundursache der Krankheiten'', he argued that diseases were ultimately caused by a poor diet, and therefore a proper diet was needed to prevent illness. He was also one of the first physicians to recognize the importance of minerals in an individual's diet, feeling that many foods were mineral deficient. Lahmann was an advocate of

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...

, refusing to use them in laboratory experiments. He also advocated loose-fitting clothing for all his patients, and recommended both

sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

and open-air bathing.

Selected written works

* ''Das Luftbad als Heil- und Abhärtungsmittel'', 1898 * ''Die Diätetische Blutentmischung als Grundursache der Krankheiten'', 1891 * ''Die Kohlensäurestauung in unserem Körper - die wichtigste allgemeine Krankheitsursache'', 1905

References

* Parts of this article are based on a translation of an equivalent article at the

German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia () is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on 16 March 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia edition (after the English Wikipedia). It has articles, ma ...

, whose sources includ
Lahmann, Heinrich biography
@ NDB/ADB Deutsche Biographie.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lahmann, Heinrich 1860 births 1905 deaths 19th-century German physicians German general practitioners German physiotherapists Physicians from Bremen (city) Diet food advocates Naturopaths People from the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen