Reflection on the healing powers of nature - 125 years of the Bilz book
A naturopathic life companion, a textbook and reference work, a worldwide success
Last month, the flu epidemic peaked in the Elbe region and the number of colds was also high for the time of year. But how can we better arm ourselves against the next attack of viruses and bacteria? Friedrich Eduard Bilz (1842-1922) had a clear answer to this question: naturopathy! Whether water cures, homeopathy or clay, light and air therapy - these rediscovered treatment options, some of which were tried and tested from ancient times to combat all kinds of illnesses, provided a whole new outlook on life. Many insecure patients were already looking for alternative healing methods, far removed from bloodletting, opiates or arsenical preparations.
Who could have guessed that the scion of a gardener would one day become the father of popular naturopathy. But that was not yet the case. F.E. Bilz first eked out a living as an apprentice weaver. The cramped, overcrowded and draughty weaving rooms were just as hard on him as the assembly line-like working hours, the twinkling light and the unhealthy air he breathed. At first, his ailing vitality did not improve in Meerane, where he went to work. It was only when he married Marie Auguste Kreil, the daughter of a master weaver, that fortune smiled on Bilz again. A flourishing colonial goods shop in their home also finally gave him the independence he needed to devote himself to the natural sciences, but above all to social and philosophical issues, as Bilz was an ambitious autodidact. The step to becoming a member of the "Verein für Gesundheitspflege und Naturheilkunde" was therefore only a small one. Here he was able to collect ideas and instructions on a holistic way of life, social justice and natural health teaching over many years, bundle them together and put them down on paper.
In the spring of 1888, he finally brought "Bilz, das neue Heilverfahren", a naturopathic textbook onto the market that was as thick as the Bible, with similarly brisk sales. Thousands of clinical pictures and their cures were described in an easy-to-understand way, and dozens of colour plates made it easier to understand. Both the affordable price and the favourable requirements regarding the purchase and implementation of the recovery recommendations made the handbook an indispensable companion for every household. The industrious Bilz, who was always endeavouring to improve and complete the book, constantly had new editions of his compendium printed, enriched with real case studies of the course of illnesses, advice on how to prevent them (using naturopathic practice, of course!) and advice on natural health topics such as nutrition, light, air, exercise and warmth - even recipes for cooking were included.
Naturally, the Radebeul sanatorium was mentioned on a regular basis. The number of illustrations also increased; a special feature was a fold-out, coloured folding plate of the human body with overviews of the skeleton, blood vessels, muscles and organs. Last but not least, the magnificent covers made the work a real gem. The resourceful businessman Bilz knew how to market his work excellently. At times, around 500 copies left the family publishing house every day; hundreds of representatives rang doorbells or gave health lectures followed by a sales session. Poorer people could pay in instalments. Sophisticated advertising strategies and a variety of adverts did the rest. It's no wonder that this sensational success caused a furore among medical students - which, according to today's medical knowledge, was probably partly justified. They fought against the supposed "curing" with envy and mistrust, but they did not know how to counter the triumphant advance of the Bilz book. In 1894, 200,000 copies were sold, just three years later almost half a million and in 1902 the book almost broke the million record. Finally, the translation of the work into no less than 12 languages overcame all borders.
Even though the social upheavals in Europe had their own laws and the Bilz book was published for the last time in 1954, it has lost none of its fundamental importance of paying as much attention as possible to nature and its effectiveness.
Maren Gündel, City Archive
Sources: Bilz book (available in the city archives); Helfricht, Jürgen: Friedrich Eduard Bilz. Natural healer, philosopher, entrepreneur, Radebeul 2012.
Published in: Amtsblatt Radebeul, March 2013, p.1.