The spirit of the Jungborn (fountain of youth) born in Germany, this alternative health treatment is still used in many parts of the world. Emanuel Felke (1856-1926) was responsible for perpetuating the system that included:
o Parks of light and air
o Air shacks to be naked
o Marl baths
o Friction sitz baths
or special diets
or homeopathy
or herbal teas
o Facial and iris diagnosis
Fekle was a clergyman who reluctantly became a nature doctor. His treatment of the congregation during a diphtheria epidemic in which he gave the sick children of the congregation the homeopathic remedy Mercurius Cyanstus, as a result no children died and Felke was revered.
Felke did not believe that homeopathic remedies, herbal teas, and water applications were adequate to cure completely. His idea was a retreat where patients could come for treatment. His retreat was located on 60 acres and was state of the art at the time. They included:
o Two air parks, one for women, one for men
o 50 air cabins with curtains for privacy
o The complex was surrounded by a high fence so that people could be naked without fear
o An open wooden building for walking, loam and friction sitz baths, and straw mats for sleeping
The retreat was extremely popular with up to 400 visiting at peak periods. The medical community was up in arms over perceived moral issues and that Felke was practicing medicine without a license. He was charged but never convicted of any crime.
Felke believed that the cure lies in the treatment that creates a healing crisis, especially with chronic diseases. Each patient’s day was structured to follow a list of things to do for her particular problem.
The same thing happens today at the retreat. The regimen is less strenuous, but people who go go home healthier.