Vitalism, the recognition that the physical body is animated by a vital
life force, is the foundation of most natural healing therapies. The
forefathers of alternative medicine discovered methods of healing the
body by stimulating this life force. In Vitalism: The History of
Herbalism, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences, Matthew Wood describes the
theories, lives, and work of nine great physicians who laid the
groundwork for natural medicine.