Wilmer Ingalls Gordon (February 14, 1860 – March 7, 1943) was an American
osteopathic physician
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become licens ...
and
vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetarianism may ...
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
from the Union University in Albany in 1887. He studied at the Chicago School of Osteopathy and practiced medicine in New York City. He became a member of the New York State Medical Society in 1900 and was Vice-President of the Columbia County, New York, Medical Society.
He moved to Cleveland in 1900 and became President of the Progressive Osteopathic and Suggestive Therapeutic Society in Ohio. He also practiced as a physician and surgeon at Copake Iron Works. When he was forty, Gordon suffered a nervous breakdown, travelled widely and lost faith in medicine. Gordon founded the National School of Manual, Physical and Suggestive Therapeutics, which practiced
naturopathy
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturop ...
. He was President of the School for more than thirty-two years and taught thousands of students. He founded the Electine Food Remedy Company in Ontario. Gordon advocated natural health practices without medication.Coyle, William. (1962) ''Ohio Authors and Their Books'' The World Publishing Company. pp. 249-250 He authored books on
new thought
The New Thought movement (also Higher Thought) is a spiritual movement that coalesced in the United States in the early 19th century. New Thought was seen by its adherents as succeeding "ancient thought", accumulated wisdom and philosophy from ...
and vegetarianism.
At the age of seventy-two, Gordon suffered severe internal injuries from a street car accident. Doctors gave him only thirty days to live but he survived another eleven years, whilst his wife cared for him. He authored the book ''How to Live 100 Years'', and was convinced he would make this age until his injuries from the accident.
Gordon was an
anti-vaccinationist
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
. He was President of the Cleveland Physical Culture Society, which attempted to force the Cleveland Health Board to abandon vaccination. His book ''Suggestion and Osteopathy'' (1901), was negatively reviewed by medical experts. His views on osteopathic treatment for certain diseases were described in a review as non-scientific and "do not commend themselves to us as rational or well proven".''Suggestion and Osteopathy by W. I. Gordon'' (1901). ''Annals of Medical Practice''. Volume 14, p. 1027 He died on March 7, 1943 in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
.
Vegetarianism
Gordon was a vegetarian and believed that "alcohol, tobacco, and flesh food was the trinity of all existing evil for mankind". He founded the vegetarian organization, Food Reform Society of America. The ''
Encyclopedia of American Biography
the ''Encyclopedia of American Biography'', a biographical encyclopedia, by John A. Garraty (ed.) and Jerome L. Sternstein (assoc. ed.) This encyclopedia, published by Harper & Row in 1974, "is more than a storehouse of information. It is als ...
'' noted that Gordon is "one of the pioneer vegetarian advocates of the United States".