Rasmus Larssen Alsaker (1883 – June 14, 1960) was a Norwegian American physician and alternative health writer.
History Alsaker was born in Norway.Anonymous. (1923). Some Quasi-Medical Institutions. Prepared and Issued by the Propaganda Department of the Journal of the American Medical Association. pp. 5-8 He obtained his M.D. from Bennett Medical College of Chicago in 1910.Cramp, Arthur J. (1936). Nostrums and Quackery and Pseudo-Medicine. Press of American Medical Association. pp. 52-53 He received his licenses to practice medicine in Illinois and Colorado (1910) and in Missouri (1915).
He was Health Director at the Sun-Diet Health Foundation in East Aurora, New York; he was William Howard Hay's successor in the position.Cramp, Arthur J. (1936). Nostrums and Quackery and Pseudo-Medicine. Press of American Medical Association. p. 155 Alsaker wrote a series of books teaching the "Alsaker Way" for health. Alsaker believed that his dietary method could cure practically all diseases. Medical experts warned that Alsaker was misleading the public to self-diagnose and self-treat diseases of the heart. A review noted that his views were near quackery and consist of "5 per cent banalities of elementary science and 95 per cent pseudo-scientific buncombe."
Alsaker was the medical director for Bernarr Macfadden's Health Service Bureau and was an editor of the Health Culture magazine. Abbott, Robert Tucker.(1975). American Malacologists: A National Register of Professional and Amateur Malacologists and Private Shell Collectors. American Malacologists. p. 511 He also edited The Key to Health magazine.Todd, Jan; Roark Joe; Todd, Terry. (1991). A Briefly Annotated bibliography of English Language Serial Publications in the Field of Physical Culture. 1 (4): 25-40. Alsaker retired and moved to Florida in 1956. He was an amateur malacologist and collected volutidae shells.
Death
He died on June 14, 1960, at St. Petersburg, Florida.
Selected publications
Conquering Consumption (1917) Curing Constipation and Appendicitis (1917) Dieting, Diabetes and Bright's Disease (1917) Getting Rid of Rheumatism (1917) How to Live on 3 Meals a Day (1917) Curing Diseases of Heart and Arteries (1918) Maintaining Health (1920) Eating for Health and Efficiency (1921) Outwitting Old Age (1926)"On Staying Young: Outwitting Old Age. By R. L. Alsaker". The New York Times. Adventures in Cooking (1927) The Master Key to Health (1932) Health Via Food (William Howard Hay, edited and revised by Rasmus Alsaker, 1934) Eat Well--Live Long! (1939) Your Heart and Arteries: How to Avoid Sudden Death (1939) Victory Over Arthritis (1956) Conquering Colds and Sinus Infections (1967)
References