John Haddon

John Haddon (1845–1924) was a Scottish physician, dietitian and vegetarianism activist.

Biography

Haddon's father was Andrew Haddon (1818–1894), his mother was Anne White (1821–1878) and he had ten siblings. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh where he obtained his M.D. degree. He was awarded the Thesis Gold Medal in 1869. He set up his medical practice in Manchester and later Hawick. Around 1880 he published a paper on Public Health for the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association. Haddon opposed marriage and described it as an "unnatural and immoral institution". Instead, he promoted individualism. He opposed drug therapy and attributed health to diet only. He believed that a minimalist diet would cure every disease and prolong life. Haddon stated that one could go without water if a strict vegetarian diet was adhered to as plenty of fluid could be obtained in fruits and other foods. Haddon did not eat eggs or drink milk. He said that milk is only natural to the calf and disappears when it can feed itself and wild eggs only lay eggs that hatch. He ate only one meal a day and his diet was almost vegan. The only animal product that he would eat was butter.

Haddon was associated with the Vegetarian Society. In 1899, he attended the 52nd anniversary of the Vegetarian Society in Manchester. Haddon read a paper, "Experiments in dietetics" which argued that vegetarianism could cure alcoholism. In 1900, Haddon attended a branch meeting for The British Medical Journal at Newtown St Boswells. He read a paper "Elimination of Animal Products From Diet". Haddon argued from personal experience that a vegetarian diet improved digestion, ability to sleep, increased vigour, increased bodily temperature, improved the nervous system and gave a higher moral tone by giving up animal foods. The paper caused considerable discussion but few of the members present agreed with Haddon's views.

In 1911, Haddon authored a book entitled A Doctor's Discovery, which recommended fasting and a vegetarian diet. The book argued that food is the chief cause of disease but despite this doctors continue to cram foods into their patients to 'keep up their strength' which in many cases deprives them of recovery.

Alexander Haig who was a friend of Haddon disputed his "one meal a day" treatment for neurasthenia and other disorders. Haig commented that "this treatment entails underfeeding and leads eventually to defective nutrition of all the muscles, including that of the heart". Haddon advocated a vegetarian diet to treat gout and many other diseases. The subject of gout was debated in the British Medical Journal and Arthur P. Luff disagreed with Haddon's suggestion that a vegetarian diet was necessary to treat gout.

At age 73, Haddon commented in the British Medical Journal, "I am going to try to be a fruitarian, for I believe that man is a frugivorous animal, as our comparative anatomists have all along taught."

Selected publications

Acute Rheumatism in Private Practice (The Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1873) A Report on Infection (British Medical Journal, 1875) On Tetany (British Medical Journal, 1875) On Intemperance in Women (British Medical Journal, 1876) Clothing, and Its Relation to Health and Disease (1878) Health and How to Preserve It (1878) Note on the Excretion of Urea (The Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1879) Vegetarianism And Gout (British Medical Journal, 1898) Food versus Physic (The Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1900) Influenza and Pneumonia (British Medical Journal, 1900) Sir William Banks on Cancer (British Medical Journal, 1900) Therapeutic Value Of Vegetable Diet (British Medical Journal, 1902) Fasting in Therapeutics (The Lancet, 1904) Diet in Chronic Diseases (The Lancet, 1905) Physician, Heal Thyself (The Westminster Review, 1909) The Treatment Of Neurasthenia (1913) A Doctor's Discovery: Or the Elixir of Life. With Appendices on Fasting and Cooking (1911, 1918)

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