Starvation heights tacoma public library overdrive. Linda burfield hazzard december 18, 1867 june 24, 1938, nicknamed the starvation doctor was an american quack, fraud, and swindler noted for her promotion of fasting as a treatment. Although she had only a little training as an osteopathic nurse, hazzard didnt hesitate to call herself a doctor, snapping at the news reporters covering her trial. Linda hazzard, despite her selfappointed title, was actually not a doctor. This book is a faithful reproduction of the text of dr. Hazzard was author of several books including fasting for the cure of disease. Sep 21, 2019 they first saw an advertisement for hazzards book, fasting for the cure of disease, in a seattle newspaper while staying at a luxury hotel in victoria, british columbia. She administers a fasting cure and other alternative treatments in a cruel, almost sadistic way at her clinic nicknamed starvation heights in a small town on puget sound. Mar 18, 2020 the bad publicity didnt hinder people from seeking out the alternative treatment and people continued to follow the instructions of linda hazzard. This book is a tremendous mix of true crime and history.
Hazzards thoughts and provides a foundation for what happens at starvation heights. Linda burfield hazzard the locals in the nearby town of olalla called hazzard s home starvation heights, because of all the patients who starved to death there. Oct 28, 2014 the doctor who starved her patients to death linda hazzard killed as many as a dozen people in the early 20th century, and they paid willingly for it. Here is the story of one such quack whose fasting therapy resulted in many deaths, a story that is so bizarre and horrific that its hard to believe it really happened, but it did. Linda burfield hazzard december 18, 1867 june 24, 1938, nicknamed the starvation doctor was an american quack doctor noted for her promotion of fasting as a treatment. Hazzard was author of several books including fasting for the cure of. The book is wellwritten and fastpaced i finished it in 2 days. On the 100th anniversary of hazzards manslaughter conviction, olsen is leading a tour of the home and the site of hazzards former sanitarium as.
But as their jewelry disappeared and forged bank drafts began transferring their wealth to hazzard s accounts, the sisters came to learn that hazzard would stop at nothing short of murder to achieve her ambitions. When it arrived, tucked inside was a pamphlet for linda hazzards institute of natural therapeutics in olalla. The story of their decline and claires death is told in the book starvation heights by gregg olsen. Starvation heights brevard county library overdrive. In an isolated region of the pacific northwest, dr linda hazzard opens her clinic to the public.
Dora williamson, arrived at a sanitorium in the forests of the pacific northwest to undergo the revolutionary fasting treatment of dr. In february 1911, two wealthy sisters, claire and dorothea williamson arrived in seattle to undergo treatment with dr. But within a month of arriving at what the locals called starvation heights, the women were emaciated shadows of their former selves, waiting for death. Linda hazzard was stripped of her medical credentials and found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to twototwenty years hard labor. Letters were exchanged and dr hazzard declared they would be perfect for the cure. Eventuatlly, in 1938, hazzard passed away after foolishly following her own medical advice. Linda burfield hazzard was an infamous fraud and a crook. Linda hazzard catered by essences of thyme from port.
Linda hazzard was given a pardon and left prison on december 19, 1915. Hazzard purported fasting was the only cure for disease under the theory all illnesses were borne of impaired digestion. Hazzard is surreal its hard to believe that the events in this book actually occurred. Hazzard continued to be a staunch proponent of her beliefs. On september 2, 1910, claire responded to the notice. Linda hazzard therapeutic fasting practitioner and osteopath. Starvation heights fort vancouver regional library district. This volume is a text, written for other doctors, by linda burfield hazzard, a quack doctor, scam artist, and murderer. The fact that she was a doctor and medical textbook.
Olallas starvation heights still causes chills after a century gregg olsen, author of starvation heights, discusses the original fireplace in the olalla home that once belonged to linda hazzard. Linda hazzards case is an interesting one in that there is a complexity to her that doesnt present itself right away. Linda burfield hazzard, quack doctor and serial killer is featured in this book by crime writer and washington resident gregg olson. Born 1867 in carver county, minnesota, died during a fast in 1938. Without letting their relatives know, miss clare and miss williamson set off to visit dr hazzard. Hazzard said that she was being persecuted because she was a successful woman, and that a cabal of traditional doctors resented her success and opposed natural cures. Linda hazzard stole money from countless patients after starving them to death in her infamous sanitarium.
As olallabased author gregg olsen explains in his book starvation heights. Buy fasting for the cure of disease by hazzard, dr. A coroner determined that starvation was the cause of death. She died quickly of starvation at the ripe old age of 71. In fact, she fits the definition of a quack quite perfectly. Under her care, 40 patients waste away to death from starvation. In 1908, she selfpublished her book, fasting for the cure of disease, in which she wrote. Oct 23, 2019 hazzard didnt have a medical degree, but she was an osteopath and the author of a 1908 book called fasting for the cure of disease, which argued that diseases could be cured through a strange mix. History is replete with doctors who practiced quackery. Linda burfield hazzard was hungry for riches, so she starved her patients to death.
Her clinic was not yet ready, but it would soon be known by locals as starvation heights. A loophole in a licensing law grandfathered in some practitioners of alternative medicine who. Linda hazzard while staying at the empress hotel in victoria, british columbia, sisters claire and dorothea dora williamson saw a newspaper advertisement for linda hazzards book about fasting. Linda hazzard, the starvation doctor talk murder with me. The doctor who starved her patients to death history. All kinds of stories emenated from the house, including the one that dr. Earl edward erdman died of starvation under the supervision of linda hazzard in. The doctor who starved her patients to death linda hazzard killed as many as a dozen people in the early 20th century, and they paid willingly for it. Linda hazzard no nutritional value in greed the criminal code. They were not the first victims of linda hazzard, a quack doctor of extraordinary evil and greed who would stop at nothing short of murder to achieve her ambitions. While staying at the empress hotel in victoria, british columbia, sisters claire and dorothea dora williamson saw a newspaper advertisement for linda hazzards book about fasting.
Dr linda laura burfield hazzard 18671938 find a grave. Apr 01, 1997 dr linda burfield hazzard is a fasting specialist. People actually used to pay this woman to starve them to death. Linda burfield hazzard at the dawn of the 21st century, theres all kinds of medical mumbo jumbo floating around. Starvation heights digital downloads collaboration overdrive. Linda burfield hazzard december 18, 1867 june 24, 1938, nicknamed the starvation doctor was an american quack, fraud, and. The girls were attracted to alternative medicine and were interested in healing their minor ailments. Radical, revolutionary, amazing and miracle cures and treatments, which claim to do everything from help you to lose weight, grow hair, tone the skin, increase. Hazzards information proovides a window to her thoughts on the cause of disease, what is fasting, and how it affects disease. Linda burfield hazzard, the starvation doctor, is sure she will get ball today and be released. The public do not always survive in a chilling parallel to our modern world of influencers pedlling protein shakes and diet pills, fast is the true story of linda hazzard who advocated a fasting cure that gripped the press and divided a nation. Mar 06, 2016 linda hazzard, fasting for the cure of disease which you can read online linda hazzard. The setting is a forested wilderness in the northwest. Oct 26, 2006 in august 1911, linda hazzard was arrested.
Sep 24, 2019 they sought out linda hazzard in seattle and later were patients in her sanitarium. She had no medical degree and almost no real medical training, and yet was somehow licensed by the state of washington as a fasting specialist. Here is the story of one such quack whose fasting therapy resulted in many deaths, a story that is so bizarre and. Apr 08, 2014 linda divorced her husband in 1902, the same year the first patient under her care died. Linda hazzards washington state penitentiary mug shots. May 20, 2011 you will begin your experience, much as dora and claire williamson did 100 years previously, with a nice dinner prepared in the style of dr. In this true storya haunting saga of medical murder set in an era of steamships and gaslightsgregg olsen reveals one of the most unusual and disturbing criminal cases in american history. Despite her lack of a medical degree, she was licensed to practice medicine in washington.
Linda burfield hazzard was a sadistic and greedy quack who. Fasting for the cure of disease by linda hazzard 2016. Claire and dora were not the first victims of linda hazzard, a quack doctor of extraordinary evil and greed. While on their travels, the women saw a small but thoroughly intriguing newspaper advertisement in a seattle daily newspaper. Linda burfield hazzard, requesting the doctors book, fasting for the cure of disease. Discover book depositorys huge selection of linda hazzard books online. Linda burfield hazzards fasting for the cure of disease, british heiresses claire and dora williamson arrived in hazzard institute in 1911 and. She was imprisoned by the state of washington for a number of deaths resulting from this at a sanitarium she operated there in the early 20th century. Linda burfield hazzard, medical serial killer 1911. In fact she was so convinced of their merits that she ultimately perished in 1938 while conducting a fasting regimen upon herself. He outlines in great detail 419pages, her heinous crimes. The book explains in medical terms her theory that all disease states are caused by waste products caused by eating, even in very thin people. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
She had just wrote a new book, diet in disease and systemic cleansing and resumed her practice, but was arrested multiple times for malpractice before dying in june 1938. They were not the first victims of linda hazzard, a quack doctor of. Linda hazzard published a book in 1908 that started it all fasting for the cure of disease promoting fasting as a cure for virtually every ailment, including cancer. Hazzard s defense that she was an innocent health practitioner being persecuted for her unorthodox techniques, and because she was a woman did not convince the jury. Linda burfield hazzard was hungry for riches, so she. Linda hazzard and her horrific path to health in september 1910 claire williamson glanced down at a newspaper and caught a glimpse of something that would change her life. The doctor who starved her patients to death dr linda.