George Julius Drews (January 20, 1873 - October 17, 1945) was a German American naturopath and writer associated with the

natural hygiene Orthopathy (from the Ancient Greek, Greek ὀρθός ''orthos'' 'right' and πάθος ''pathos'' 'suffering') or natural hygiene (NH) is a set of alternative medicine, alternative medical beliefs and practices originating from the ''Nature Cure ...

and raw food movements.

Biography

Drews was one of the pioneers of the raw foodism movement in America.Berry, Rynn. (2007). "Raw Foodism". In Andrew F. Smith. ''The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink''. Oxford University Press. pp. 493-494. Drews authored the vegetarian raw food book ''Unfired Food and Tropho-Therapy'' in 1912. The book was reprinted ten times by 1927. Drews argued that mans natural diet should consist of uncooked fruits,

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s, nuts and roots. A negative review in the ''Medical Advance'' journal commented that "we are unable to find any proofs of the position taken, no experiments are offered by which conclusions may be reached, and arguments upon a logical basis are not present." Drews invented a Greek-based nomenclature for his raw foodism and founded the Apyrtropher Society in Chicago. He utilized the term "Apyrtrophy" for his raw food philosophy.''Apostle of Raw Food Explains Belief of Sect''
''Bismarck Daily Tribune''. (October 9, 1913). He hosted lectures and meetings about Apyrtrophy. His agenda was to convert people to eating only uncooked food, spread the practice of eating vegetables in their natural state and oppose the use of the gas stove. It was described as a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

by critics. Drews opposed the consumption of eggs and

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

, but was not a vegan. In his book ''Unfired Food and Tropho-Therapy'' he wrote that "milk is only naturally beneficial and wholesome for emaciated adults when it has become curdled. A cup of churned thick milk or buttermilk along with a dish of green salad may be served to convalescents with good results." Drews influenced John and Vera Richter to open America's first raw food restaurant "The Eutropheon" in 1917. He was the owner of ''Apyrtropher Magazine''.

Personal life

Drews married Elizabeth Bristle in September, 1911.''Love and Raw Potatoes''
''The Ogden Standard''. (August 7, 1915). She originally weighed 119 pounds which was a fair weight for her stature. Influenced by Drews, she embraced a strict raw food diet and a daily menu plan that he had created. The diet consisted of fruit juice, water, vegetable salads, nuts, fruit, herbs,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and raw potatoes. Her weight decreased to only 105 pounds. Bristle complained that she was losing too much weight and she was feeling ill. Bristle described Drews as a "crank on the matter of food", he also tried to convert her to "back to nature" ideas, including

nudism Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...

. Bristle went back to live with her mother Katharina who was concerned about her health. She weighed 135 pounds on her mother's cooking, ate the occasional piece of steak and enjoyed wholesome cooked vegetables. Drews denied that his daily menu of raw food made his wife ill. They divorced in June, 1915.''Fireless Food Costs Him Wife''. ''Chicago Examiner'' (June 11, 1915).

Selected publications

''Unfired Foods and Hygienic Dietetics''
(1909)
''Unfired Food and Tropho-Therapy''
(1912) *''The Improved Mono-Diet'' (1921)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drews, George J. 1873 births 1945 deaths American health and wellness writers American naturists American nutritionists American vegetarianism activists Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States Naturopaths Orthopaths Pseudoscientific diet advocates Raw foodists