George Stephen Weger (September 2, 1874 – January 16, 1935) was an American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and natural hygiene proponent.

Biography

Weger was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

.Carr, Michael W. (1903)
''A History of Catholicity in Northern Ohio and in the Diocese of Cleveland''
Cleveland. pp. 438-439 In 1895, he attended

Baltimore Medical College University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus (formerly Maryland General Hospital) is a hospital in the downtown area of Baltimore, Maryland. The hospital was founded for teaching purposes in 1881 by a group of local doctors. The hospital h ...

and obtained his medical degree in 1898.''Bulletin of the University of Maryland School of Medicine 1935-1936''
University of Maryland School of Medicine, 1936. p 48 From 1898, Weger worked as a physician in

Delphos, Ohio Delphos is a city in Allen and Van Wert counties in the U.S. state of Ohio approximately 14 mi (23 km) northwest of Lima and 13 mi (21 km) east of Van Wert. The population was 7,101 at the 2010 census. The Allen County po ...

. He was a devout

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He married Katie C. Trame on October 1, 1900. Weger practiced medicine in Delphos until 1912. He was general manager of Mueller Implement and Auto Company in Delphos. He was a member of the California State and San Bernardino County Medical Associations, Delphos Commercial Club and Vice President of the Society for the Prevention of Tuberculosis. After 1912, Weger rejected conventional medicine and was associated with the natural hygiene movement. In his book ''Dietetic Disappointments and Failures'', he recommended

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

, a

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

and

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Co ...

diet and for people to avoid

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

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 ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

, all

processed food Convenience food, also called tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimise ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily por ...

s and sexual excitement. In 1920, the ''California State Journal of Medicine'' noted that "Weger, with an inchoate grouch against the medical profession, of which, we surmise, he is a misrepresentative member." Weger was director and owner of Weger Health School in

Redlands, California Redlands ( ) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 73,168, up from 68,747 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately west of Palm Springs and east of Lo ...

(1923–1935). He died at his school on January 16, 1935, from a heart attack. A chair was established at the Medical School of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in memory of Weger.''Bequest Honors Late Dr. George S. Weger''. ''Delphos Daily Herald'' (April 20, 1965). p. 2

Publications

*''Health Lessons'' (1925) *''The Genesis and Control of Disease'' (1931) *''Dietetic Disappointments and Failures'' (1994 reprint)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weger, George S. 1874 births 1935 deaths 20th-century American physicians American health and wellness writers American nutritionists American Roman Catholics American temperance activists American vegetarianism activists Fasting advocates Orthopaths Physicians from Baltimore Pseudoscientific diet advocates Opponents of tea drinking University of Maryland School of Medicine alumni