Stuart Craig Wagstaff, ND * March 15, 1955 – † September 27, 2012 This year Craig celebrated 30 years of naturopathic practice. He was a rare and gifted man who positively influenced the lives of thousands of people with his knowledge, wisdom and caring. He humbly gave of his time, scholarship and mentorship to any and all he encountered. Craig was a lifelong learner who travelled the world seeking knowledge that would benefit his patients. Craig was a specialist amongst naturopaths and was a sought after lecturer and teacher [...]

Reflections on the Occidental Institute Symposium and Advanced Biological Medicine By Gary M. Verigin, DDS, CTN (Symposium Lecturer) One of the best things about attending the Occidental Institute’s 40th anniversary symposium in Vancouver, BC, this past June was re-connecting with Carolyn Winsor-Sturm. She’s the Institute’s managing director and CEO, and also an old friend and mentor. In fact, my journey in biological dental medicine began with her and her late husband, Dr. Walter Sturm. The Occidental Institute Research Foundation (OIRF) was the first organization in [...]

In previous contributions to “The Bridge” I have written mainly about EAV techniques. In this article I would like to talk about the possibilities offered by the Index scales of the VEGATEST. I am very aware that most readers probably use the VEGATEST rather than EAV. Neither test is superior to the other but they both complement each other very well and a well-rounded practitioner should be able to handle both tests with equal facility. EAV has the advantage of dealing with raw measurement data [...]

The Bürgi Principle* is promising to use and to combine Rhus Toxicodendron (Toxicodendron quercifolium) The regulation ability of our organism depends on the balance between proteolysis and protease inhibition. For examination of the actual state of tissue buildup and reduction in the dynamic equilibrium of the organism, a permanent subclinical inflammation readiness exists in the different tissues [Overview in 5, 6]. Tumors and chronic illnesses do not adhere to this: Where at first for its development and propagation the defense system has to “go blind”, [...]

POINTS OF INTEREST Unknown to most Missourians, Missouri had a close encounter with UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) and aliens near Cape Girardeau before the famous Roswell incident happened in New Mexico in 1947. The source of the information was from one of my patients who is a university librarian who recently gave me a copy of an article which I briefly scanned. I politely took the article and threw it in the trash. I thought she was one of those oddball, weird people who are attracted to not only [...]

A Long-Standing, Covert Health Threat While mycoplasma was first identified in animals in 1898 and humans in 1932, its considerable health dangers and implications have only in the last several decades become more apparent. Existing somewhere between a virus and typical bacteria, mycoplasmas are known to be the smallest, free-living organisms in the world. Unlike traditional bacteria having solid cell walls, cell-wall deficient mycoplasmas take on many different shapes, making them sometimes difficult to identify in the laboratory and also difficult to culture. Cell wall deficient microorganisms are typically [...]

At a recent conference I was delighted to join a group going out for dinner. As always the discussions going around the table of some dozen biological medicine doctors were excited, at times heated and always interesting. At one point I grumbled (I thought quietly) about a lecturer of that day telling us how he was personally responsible for bringing Biological Medicine to North America and in the process not being respectful of the long history of the field here. As I mumbled away (under my breath I thought) [...]

As the 30th anniversary of my practice approaches, I have been reviewing the different concepts of treatment and the modalities I have used over the years. While some have come and gone, others have been recognized as valid and have evolved into a sustaining part of my practice. One of the most valued and helpful concepts I have discovered is the identification of blocks to healing. In the beginning of my practice I didn’t always understand why some patients were just not responding to my [...]

Oxygen Therapies – A Scientific Comparison Traditional Oxygen Therapies Compared With The Progressive Principle of Spirovitalisation Survival time without solid food: 40 days; without liquid: 4 days; without oxygen: 4 minutes Introduction Science tells us that no higher life forms can exist without oxygen. This demonstrates the crucial significance of a continuous supply of the "elixir of life", oxygen, for all higher organisms. Adequate availability of oxygen is the prerequisite for all metabolic processes associated with the production of energy, a [...]

Congratulations to OIRF! As Occidental Institute moves into 2012 we are celebrating our Fortieth (yeah, that is our 40th) Anniversary Year. Version 1.0 of Occidental Institute opened its doors in Weston, Ontario Canada on July 2, 1972. On a personal level I just cannot imagine where all those years have gone. I guess the old saying about “time flies when you’re having fun” must apply, since there are so many exciting and wonderful memories to look back on. Dr. Walter D. Sturm *1944 - †2004 From a professional perspective [...]