Jesse Mercer Gehman

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.

Jesse Mercer Gehman
Born(1901-01-17)January 17, 1901
Died1976 (aged 74–75)
OccupationNaturopath, writer

Biography

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
  • 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

References
  1. "The Jesse Mercer Gehman Photo Collection". Texas Archival Resources Online.
  2. Iacobbo, Karen; Iacobbo, Michael. (2004). Vegetarian America: A History. Praeger Publishing. p. 161. ISBN 978-0275975197
  3. "Dr. Jesse Mercer Gehman". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  4. Kirchfeld, Friedhelm; Boyle, Wade. (1994). Nature Doctors: Pioneers in Naturopathic Medicine. Medicina Biológica. p. 10. ISBN 0-9623518-5-7
  5. Whorton, James C. (2003). Benedict Lust, Naturopathy, and the Theory of Therapeutic Universalism. Iron Game History 8 (2): 22-29.
  6. "ANHS Founders". National Health Association. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. Ben Meyr, Berl. (1945). Reviewed Work: Smoke Over America by Jesse Mercer Gehman. The Sanitarian 8 (1): 26-27.
  8. 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
  9. "Cancer Causes and Cures by Ruth Sackman". Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  10. Bow, Guy Le. (1950). The Wrestling Scene. Homecrafts Sports Division. p. 31
  11. "Marvin Mercer Wrestling History". Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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