SIR,—As a doctor, who for thirty years has worked 'on
the fringe,' may I congratulate you on the way you have opened up the whole subject in your issue of October 28.
Geoffrey Murray's painstaking article appears to me to be both honest and accurate, but he has omitted one point which, in my view, is a most important one. The naturopath not only prescribes immediate treatment for his patient but generally pays a good deal of attention to his way of life— eating, drinking, worry, relaxation, etc.—and seeks to help him make alterations aimed at the eradica- tion of the cause of his disorder. On the other hand, the set-up of the NHS doctor is such that it is dif- ficult for him to do more than treat immediate causes and so he misses a valuable opportunity to practise preventive medicine; nor does the medical student's curriculum lay stress on this.
Naturopathy certainly leads the way on this line , and there arc many groups of people within it who pay much attention to the gaining and maintaining of a high level of health. 1 have had much to do with their children and have seen for myself that they enjoy a level of health above the average.
Health is not just absence of disease.—Yours faithfully, CYRIL V. PINK Bardfield, School Road, Rowledge, Farnham, Surrey
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