About

Christopher Gian-Cursio was born on February 4, 1910, in Rochester, New York, to Antonio Gian-Cursio and Maria Bianchi. Rochester is a city steeped in the history of early natural hygienists. This was a time when organized medicine was gaining prominence, and the pioneering efforts of hygienists such as Reverend Dr. Sylvester Graham, Dr. Russell Thacker Trall, Dr. Isaac Jennings, Dr. James C. Jackson, and many others were being overshadowed and forgotten. Their groundbreaking work, which had once inspired many, was primarily submerged, yet it was also an era that invited reflection on the enduring relevance of their contributions.

Like so many others, Christopher Gian-Cursio was drawn to natural hygiene through the illness of his family and his own. After undergoing numerous surgeries and medical treatments, his mother’s health was ultimately restored through natural methods. Throughout his youth, Gian-Cursio suffered from periodic bilious headaches and, later, heart disease—conditions that persisted despite prescribed medications. It wasn’t until the same natural treatments that had helped his mother were applied to him that his ailments finally vanished.

From a young age, his passion for books and reading set him apart. Three books that greatly influenced him were Rational Diet, by Otto Carque (1923), The Art of Living Long, by Luigi Cornaro (1560), and Nutritive Cure (Robert Walter, M.D., 1841-1921).  By his mid-teens, he had amassed a library that surpassed any adult of his acquaintance. Countless hours were dedicated each week to exploring the medical and health section of the public library, fueling his curiosity and commitment to knowledge.

With his remarkable talent in mathematics and architecture, demonstrated during his time at Edison Technical High School, where he graduated with honors, it was clear that he had the potential to excel in these fields. Although he went on to pursue studies at Clarkson College of Technology, his academic journey was interrupted by illness, a stark reminder of how fragile opportunities can be in the face of adversity.

He could also have gone far in the field of athletics, in which he acquired local fame as a wrestler. In 1928, he became City High School Champion.

His early health struggles, coupled with his mother’s challenges, ignited a deep commitment to helping others lead healthier lives. Seeking professional credibility, he enrolled at  Dr. Benadict Lust’s American School of Naturopathy. However, his passion for Natural Hygiene quickly clashed with the misleading teachings he encountered there. Frustrated by what he saw as distortions of the truth, he challenged the principles contradicting the wisdom he had gained through personal experience. Refusing to participate in classes that undermined his beliefs, he engaged in passionate debates with the Dean, tirelessly advocating for the principles of authentic health. Over time, the Dean came to respect his unwavering dedication to the true tenets of Natural Hygiene.

As a teenager, the bibliography in Otto Carque’s “Rational Diet” and, a few years later, the one in Hereward Carrington’s “Fasting, Vitality, and Nutrition” opened the door to many early writers whose works validated the beliefs he was beginning to form. From that moment on, his thirst for knowledge multiplied. His zeal soon spread to fellow student William L. Esser, and together, they scoured the cobwebbed shelves of Manhattan’s bookstores in search of the forgotten yet timeless truths of health pioneers. They spent every spare penny on these dusty treasures, often forced to fast because the intellectual feast proved far more tempting than any meal. After graduating from the American School of Naturopathy, Dr. Gian-Cursio’s search for books became a global endeavor. His library boasted over 30,000 volumes, a collection rivaled by few private individuals. His collection highlights an evolution in American medicine during the twentieth century, the tensions between orthodox and alternative treatments, and the multifaceted ways in which individuals trained, dieted, and treated their bodies.  His library also includes lithography, paintings, and private correspondence of many early natural hygienists.

In 1934, he launched his practice in Rochester, quickly earning a reputation for excellence. By 1935, he expanded strategically, opening offices in Batavia and Buffalo, and later took a bold step by establishing a presence in New York City, broadening his influence and accessibility. His practice took him, for more than fifty years, to Beverly Hills, Chicago, Buffalo, Rochester, New York City, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Miami, and numerous other towns and cities in the United States and Canada. 

In 1935, he married Vingenzia “Jenne” Gugino from Batavia, New York, who became an invaluable partner in every sense. Together, they raised a family of healthy children (three sons and two daughters) who embodied the principles of natural living. Jenne managed their home and served as his secretary, nurse, and steadfast right hand, proving to be the bedrock of their success.

In 1936, Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio took a significant step in health and wellness by founding the first modern Natural Hygiene Society in Rochester, New York. This initiative, initially called the Rochester Physiological Society, was deeply rooted in the proud traditions of the past, replicating the constitution of the original Boston group. Dr. Gian-Cursio’s vision didn’t stop there; in 1950, he was pivotal in establishing the Buffalo Natural Hygiene Society and the Washington Natural Hygiene Society. 

As with all dedicated hygienists, his journey has been fraught with challenges stemming from ongoing medical persecution since he started his practice.  Throughout the 1940s, Gian-Cursio was arrested repeatedly for practicing medicine without a license. While he was acquitted on several occasions, he ultimately faced imprisonment. These setbacks only fueled his passion, and he became a prominent advocate for medical liberty—the fundamental right of Americans to select their treatments based on personal beliefs about healing. His journey highlights the importance of choice in healthcare, emphasizing that individuals should be free to pursue the healing methods that resonate with them. Navigating these turbulent waters required remarkable courage and resilience, especially when the obstacles seemed insurmountable.

In 1944, he acquired Warner Castle, a 22-room private residence built on a corner of Highland Park in Rochester, and transformed it into a convalescent home. The following fall, the New York State Department of Education had Dr. Gian-Cursio arrested and prosecuted on a charge of practicing medicine without a license after one of his patients died upon returning home following six weeks of treatment. Although he was acquitted of the charge in May 1946, it would be only the first of at least eight trials Dr. Gian-Cursio would face throughout his career. The first acquittal in 1946 also marks the beginning of his long-time activism on behalf of “medical liberty”: the right of Americans to choose treatment according to their beliefs about healing.

In 1946, the League for Public Discussion sponsored a debate, “Is Meat Essential to Health?”  It featured John Maxwell, an 84-year-old Chicago naturopathic physician, Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio, a natural hygienist and raw food vegetarian on the vegetarian side, and Thomas Gaines, a health journalist, and Professor Frank Sauchelli, a chiropractor and former vegetarian.

In 1948, a remarkable coalition formed when Dr. Gian-Cursio joined forces with attorney Irving Davidson and distinguished doctors Herbert Shelton, William Esser, Gerald Benesh, and Jesse Mercer Gehman, along with film producer Jack Dunn Trop and publicist Symon Gould, to establish the American Natural Hygiene Society. Ironically, the ANHS was launched on the same day Gian-Cursio was released from prison for practicing medicine without a license.

Dr. Herbert Shelton was unanimously elected as the first president, driving a powerful movement with Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio elected as vice president. Through dedicated educational initiatives, the Society successfully reignited the Hygienic revolution, empowering thousands to embrace and apply the transformative principles of Natural Hygiene. This organization evolved into the National Health Association in 1999 and continues its mission to promote health and well-being for all.

In 1952, Dr. Gian-Cursio relocated from Rochester to New York City while dutifully returning to Buffalo, Rochester, and Batavia each month to provide dedicated care for his remaining patients. During this transformative time, he took on the influential role of editor for the Journal of Natural Hygiene, further establishing himself as a prolific author and sought-after speaker at prominent conferences and events nationwide.

Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio served as president of the American Natural Hygiene Society from 1956 to 1957 and was a highly respected lecturer and prolific writer on Natural Hygiene. Known for his deep study, sharp thinking, and unwavering dedication, he committed his life to promoting health and helping humanity through Natural Hygiene. His efforts to recover and preserve the fading literature of early Hygienists stand as a lasting contribution to the movement, earning him the gratitude of Hygienists everywhere and a place of honor in its history.

Roger “King” Mozian was an American trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in 1951. The illness was treated medically and remained dormant until 1962, when it re-emerged. Rather than opting for traditional medical treatment, Mozian chose to seek care from Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio, who treated him with a vegetarian diet and fasting. Mozian continued this regimen at a clinic in Florida run by Dr. Bernard Epstein. In May of 1963, he was hospitalized, where, through other doctors, he was given drugs and other approved treatment for the disease, but within a matter of days, he died on May 16, 1963, at the age of 35.

Gian-Cursio and Epstein were charged with manslaughter through criminal negligence, and Mozian’s illness could have been treated more effectively through approved “conventional methods.” Gian-Cursio was sentenced to five years in prison, and Epstein received a suspended sentence. Gian-Cursio appealed to the Florida District Court of Appeal and lost.

When asked how he would like to be remembered, he expressed a desire to be seen as someone who worked tirelessly to unify humanity with itself. He aimed to bring together all forms of consciousness across every level of existence with what we call the mind. His vision was to foster unity among humans with the forces that gave rise to us—Nature, all other life forms, and above all, the profound wisdom or intelligence that created us. Ultimately, he sought to help us align with the laws of our being, guiding us to become true citizens of the universe.

Christopher Gian-Cursio’s unwavering stand against organized medicine, which sought to push him out of a profession where the community deeply valued his services, exemplifies his remarkable determination and courage. His tales of perseverance will be a beacon of inspiration for future generations. Dr. Cursio passed away on July 26, 1985.

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What is Natural Hygiene?

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The compound term “natural hygiene” originated because the word “hygiene “does not denote or even imply the art, and science of living in conformity with the laws of nature. After much thought on what would be a suitable name for the modern phase of the hygienic movement, it was decided to add the word “natural “to “hygiene “and thereby differentiate from various kinds of hygiene that in principle and practice are in opposition to those subscribed by natural hygienists.

The word “hygiene “means preserving health and preventing disease. However, it does not follow that the label of “hygiene “is evidence that disease prevention or health prevention occurs. Nor is the naming of one’s work, natural hygiene, positive proof that natural hygiene is truly practiced, for we have today pseudo–natural hygienists.

The various systems of hygiene are merely interested in the preservation of health; they are attempts to attain it through methods that are usually unnatural. There is no certainty that the objective sought can be obtained. If health is preserved, there is no assurance that it was the consequence of what was done. The systems of hygiene differ from natural hygiene in many respects, an important one is that they are not interested in the recovery of health. The term “natural hygiene “, defective as all titles are, nevertheless indicates that it is a natural approach to maintaining health. It is against artificial and anti-physiological practices. It is concerned with supplying the body with the normal conditions, upon which health depends.

The uncompromising attitude of the natural hygienist stems from his complete embracing of physiological principles, and applying them in everyday living, and in the restoration of health, regardless of the kind or amount of disease. To those not versed in natural hygiene, or who have only accepted it in part, the position that the natural hygienist take regarding the basic tenants of life may appear arbitrary. Yet nothing could be further from the truth, for it is not the human mind that dictates the laws of life, but Life itself. In the preservation of human life, the natural hygienist does nothing to hurt the body, and Kahn constantly endeavors to conserve those organismal forces that give it motion. The organismal intelligence, and health or disease, operates constantly to preserve the living structure, is consistently used to the fullest advantage by not placing impediments in its way.

The natural hygienist, therefore, is one who, without compromise, uses the organism to guide in determining what needs to be done. The definition of the art and science of natural hygiene must distinguish it clearly from drugless systems of living and healing that have within them a few agents or methods in common with natural hygiene.

Natural hygiene is the systematic use of substances, methods, and conditions generally related to the human body. They are the essentials of life, quantitatively altered during disease or unusual conditions, such as strains, stresses and trauma, so that the organism is not hampered and its work of maintaining a state of stability or returning to one of normality.

The essentials of health are natural foods, fasting, water, sunlight, exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep, emotional and passional control, the use of heat when cold and facilitating its loss when hot. These essentials, plus the moral precepts of living man and working in his behalf, will increase the effectiveness of natural hygiene in each individual who makes these moral precepts part of his life.

One cannot be mathematically exact in the definition of natural hygiene because the intrinsic components of life cannot be precisely measured as one would measure a rod or weigh a nugget of gold. Yet the fact that we can never be exact in the mathematical sense is no reason for not accepting natural hygiene, or to see striving or searching to become more efficient in preserving life. Since it began, life has continued to exist amid quantitative and qualitative variations because of the organism’s ability to adjust to an insufficiency or an overabundance of the essentials of life. The ability of the organism to reject or accumulate makes possible its survival, despite the presence of variation. Therefore, the practice of natural hygiene is the use of health essentials within a normal range of quantitative fluctuation. This is right living.

Disease begins to develop on the body when it is not able to adjust itself normally, because the amount of one or more of the essentials of health is too small or too significant. Disease also begins when the substances essential to health are adulterated or perverted through an alteration of their composition.

Finally, natural hygiene is the place of refuge for those who desire to tap the roots of their being. It offers an unusual opportunity for those wishing to grow morally through helping their fellow man.

What is Natural Hygiene? by Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio
From the Magazine Journal of Natural Hygiene, V1 N2, Oct 1954

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THOUGHTS ON NATURAL HYGIENE:

PHYSIOLOGY 

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In Natural Hygiene, Physiology is the Science of the normal functions of the body in which all parts are integrated, and work for the whole. Natural Hygiene accepts as a cardinal principle that the organism is dominated by a preservative intelligence, that is helped or hindered by one’s conduct. In Natural Hygiene Physiological observations are correlated with man’s behaviour and his environment. Natural Hygiene rejects most books on Physiology because they are a jargon of observations of no practical value. Modern Physiology, because it is disjointed from the human being and his habits, and does not consider an organismal intelligence, has produced a mechanistic and erroneous interpretation of life, that has led to anti-vital, and destructive practices in the name of health and healing.
From the 1952 Conference Program

NATURAL HYGIENE AS A VOCATION

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Natural Hygiene as a vocation is one highly remunerative to one’s soul. Yet those who have entered this work have had to withstand hardships and persecution of an extreme nature. Because of this they were slowed down in their course, but they never stopped. Their great depth of feeling for Natural Hygiene and their fellowmen urged them on. One cannot separate humanity from Natural Hygiene – they are one. Therefore, those who call themselves Natural Hygienists but who only have an academic and personal interest in it are not true Natural Hygienists. From this type comes the commercializer and unscrupulous. The love of man must co-exist with the love of Natural Hygiene, otherwise man and Natural Hygiene suffer. From the past one gleans much that indicates how strongly rooted was the urge to spread the true gospel of Health. No suffering was too great, and nothing that the opposition placed before the pioneers in Natural Hygiene was able to deter them from the path they had chosen. Natural Hygiene was and is a vocation until death.
From the 1952 Conference Program

AN ADMONITION 

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When Natural Hygiene was first promulgated it was filled with truths; whereas Medical science was replete with falsities. Natural Hygiene has always been in a high state of refinement. We, today, must see that this high state is maintained. We must keep it free of pollution from false principles which will only weaken the potency of the Natural Hygiene concepts. Foreign ideas can so contaminate Natural Hygiene that it would lose its identity and become sterile. We must be constantly vigilant so that Natural Hygiene is kept free of things alien to it. Our conduct must be such that it never impoverishes Natural Hygiene. Never allow selfishness or acquisitiveness to cause the work to suffer. We can do much to maintain the purity of Natural Hygiene by living it; by benefiting ourselves with the practice of its principles we assist the Movement, and in turn Natural Hygiene as a Movement will help us.
From the 1952 Conference Program

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Christopher Gian-Cursio – Remembered

From the Health Science Magazine – Jan/Feb 1986

Dr. William Esser, Lake Worth, FL

The news of Dr. Christopher Gian-Cursio’s death was received with great regret and sadness.

Perhaps my feelings were intensified because of our close relationship as students and fraternity brothers in those formative years at the American Naturopathy School in New York City. Our rooms adjoined one another, and times not spent in the classroom were passed in illuminating discussions and sometimes noisy debates on the many subjects of interest to our questioning young minds, which related inevitably mostly to natural hygiene, the true significance of which was eagerly grasped and clung to, as the philosophical foundation of our professional lives.

Despite the many difficulties that he had encountered in his life, Dr. Cursio never compromised his beliefs. His followers, who numbered in the thousands, vouched for the benefits to their health and longevity, which resulted from his advice and recommendations.

In his pursuit of knowledge, he collected many of the early works on natural hygiene, thereby rescuing from oblivion the great writings of mid-19th century health reformers, who formed the foundation of our present knowledge of natural hygiene.

Dr. Cursio, whose passing leaves a great void in our hearts, will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to the figure of the present-day health movement and the greater awareness of society of a genuine philosophy of health.

Dr. Gerald Benesh, Escondido, CA

I first learned of Dr. Cursio by reading an appeal for funds to defend him against medical tyranny. I saw this appeal in Dr. Shelton’s hygienic review, which a patient of mine showed to me. This was the turning point in my life. I sent in my contribution and received an acknowledgment and an invitation to visit Dr. Cursio’s “Castle of Health” in Rochester, New York.

Both my wife and I fasted with Chris. I fasted for 22 days for a chronic eczema condition, which cleared up. This was my introduction to Natural Hygienic methods of dealing with chronic toxemia. I owe my well-being to the teachings and guidance Chris offered me when I was most desperate and confused. As a result of these teachings, I have set many thousands of people on the path of recovery.

I will never be able to thank Chris enough for this, as he was a great influence in my life and on others who came to me for help.

From that time on, we were friends and had many book-hunting trips. Three of us, Chris, Carl Baharka, and I, took a six-week trip through Canada, down the West Coast, and then onto Texas to Dr. Shelton’s Health School, and back through the central states to New York. I spent many days and weekends surveying his library, sitting in on consultations, and even taking over when Chris had to be out of town.

I have many deep and fond memories that connected my days with Chris, which I will cherish until we next meet again in other realms of existence.

Jack Dunn Trop, Miami Beach, FL

The highest tribute I can pay Chris is to say that he was a good doctor.

Following closely on the heels of Dr. Herbert Shelton, he played an important role in helping to advance natural hygiene into the 20th century.

He was one of the founders and served as the president of the American Natural Hygiene Society.

I first met Chris about 45 years ago when I spent some time at his beautiful Castle of Health in Rochester, New York.

From the very beginning of his practice, he was peripatetic, visiting patients up and down the Atlantic seaboard. I recall traveling with him from Florida to upper New York State in his car. It took us about a week, and he stopped to call upon patients in every state along the way.

As the years passed, it was not unusual for him to visit patients, even as far away as California.

All of us at the ANHS wish to express belated condolences to Dr. Cursio’s wife, Jan, to their children, Maria, Christie, Christopher, Bruce and to their eight grandchildren.

Dale Figtree, Costa Mesa, CA

I was  Dr. Cursio’s patient for five years – five years that that only changed my life, but saved it. I was living in New York City at the time and was 27 years old. The previous six months before I met, the doctors were filled with the horror of finding out that I had lymphatic cancer in my chest cavity, which was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. After five months of treatment, there were what looked like traces of the tumor still visible on my x-ray. According to the doctors, there is nothing more they could do for me. It was at this point that I suddenly awakened to the fact that it was I who needed to heal myself if I was going to survive.

I began looking for answers. How could my body heal itself? A friend introduced me to Dr. Cursio. At our first meeting, he put me on his program, with exact proportions of what I needed to eat at each meal. I followed it exactly. Almost immediately, my body began to detoxify. I developed a. “cold,” diarrhea, and weakness. I lost weight the first few months only to regain it back, and more – on the same amount of food. Dr. Curcio explained this was due to my ass simulation of nutrients in increasing and my body having emptied itself of waste materials and disease tissue that it had been storing.

During the following year, I had the great pleasure of hearing Dr. Cursio lecture at New York University. It wasn’t until then that I realized this man was so gifted a healer and inspired intelligent force – shedding light and deep common sense on the workings and care of the body. After that, I began to pay more attention to the reasons behind his instructions and asked many more questions. He had opened in me an interest, a thirst to know more about not only what would heal me and why but how his ideas related to all people. Through his insight, I came to understand a connection between all living things and the wonderful processes that heal, create, and sustain health in perfect balance.

After three years on his program, I experienced what Dr. Cursio called my major healing crisis. I had a fever, an elevated heart rate of 140 bpm, diarrhea, sweats, and intense pain – all for about three months. Of course, I was worried that I might be dying of cancer. But Dr. Curcio kept encouraging me to trust my body – insisting that this was a healing crisis – and so I did. After the third month – having lost 30 pounds and somehow managed to get through my problems without traditional treatment – I began to break out in several varied symptoms, which were exactly the same that I had when I was getting radiation and chemotherapy. Dr. Cursio explained how perfectly the body was releasing and cleaning out the toxins that had been stored in my tissues.

Needless to say, I recovered – and literally grew back a new body. It is eight years later and I’m well and healed, and still learning, and still feeding off the inspiration that Dr. Cursio imported to me.

Many people I know have also had their lives changed in their bodies, transformed by Dr. Cursio’s natural hygiene work. It is a work that lives on through the people who healed – a truly guiding light in a world in desperate need of healing.

The NHA wishes to remind the readers that nothing in this or other publications is intended to constitute medical treatment or advice. Readers should be aware that some previous publications do not reflect the NHA’s current health teachings or approach to health in several areas.

Our Mission

The mission of the National Health Association is to educate and empower individuals to understand that health results from healthy living. We recognize the integration of all aspects of health: personal, environmental, and social.

We communicate the benefits of a plant-based diet, exercise and rest, a healthy environment, psychological well-being, and when indicated, the use of fasting.