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Eugene Christian
Eugene Christian (1860–1930) was an American naturopath,
nutritionist and raw foodism writer.
Eugene Christian School of Applied Chemistry
Christian was born in McMinnville, Tennessee. He worked in
manufacturing and sales until 1900. Similar to George J. Drews, Christian was
one of the pioneers of the raw foodism movement in America. Christian authored
the raw food book Uncooked Foods and How to Use Them, in 1904. The book was
popular and went through five editions in 1904. It went through ten editions
through 1924 and was printed up until the late 20th century. It was widely reviewed in health journals. Medical experts accused Christian of promoting
a fad diet and called him the "dean of American food faddists".
Christian had no medical qualifications, advertised himself
as a "food scientist" and practiced diet therapy. In 1905, he was
arrested and prosecuted by the New York County Medical Society for practicing
medicine without a license. In 1907
after an appeal, the New York Supreme Court concluded that no crime was
committed and that Christian was improperly convicted. Christian did not prescribe medicine. The Supreme Court decided that a "food
scientist" does have the right to diagnose or treat illness by prescribing
diet. Christian then advertised himself
as a "hero" and "vindicated by the supreme court". Christian believed that cooking food destroyed
nutrients. During World War I, he appealed to the Surgeon General to change the
army's rations to a raw food diet.
Christian was the owner of the "Christian Natural Food
Company", he also operated a mail-order school, the Eugene Christian
School of Applied Food Chemistry. He
charged $100 for a diploma course in which an F. S. D. degree (Doctor of Food
Science) was awarded. The school faded and he formed the Christian Dietetic
Society and School of Scientific Eating. He sold a "Course in Scientific
Eating" for $10. The organization merged into the Corrective Eating
Society. The Society offered a course for $3 which promised to teach people how
to cure disease through a dietetic system. The Society sold quack products such
as the "Vaco Reducing Cup", that was alleged to remove fat. His
products were described as "pseudo-scientific buncombe" by the Bureau
of Investigation of the American Medical Association.
Christian recommended raw egg as a good source of protein.
He commented that "an egg should never be cooked". He promoted a raw vegetarian diet. However, in
volume eleven of Eugene Christian's Course in Scientific Eating, he wrote that
"eggs and, once a week, a small service of fish or fowl, may be eaten to
maintain the balance as to protein." Christian promised his followers that
they could live a hundred years on his recommended diet but died at the age of
69. He died of pneumonia in San Diego,
California.