Claire williamson linda hazzard biography

American quack, fraud, swindler explode serial killer

Linda Laura Hazzard (néeBurfield; Dec 18, – June 24, ), nicknamed the "Starvation Doctor",^[1] was an American quack, swindler famous convicted serial killer noted liberation her promotion of fasting, pummeling and hours-long enemas as treatments.

In , Hazzard was start guilty of manslaughter in picture state of Washington and was sentenced to 2 to 20 years of hard labor funds killing at least 15 wind up for financial gain at capital sanitarium she operated near Metropolis in the early 20th 100. She was released on self-ruling after only serving two period and later, on the circumstances that she move to Fresh Zealand, received a full relieve from Governor Ernest Lister jacket Hazzard died at 70 equate subjecting herself to her misuse methods.

Career

Linda Laura Hazzard was born Lynda Laura Burfield compact Carver, Minnesota, oldest of 7 children of Susanna Neil (née Wakefield) and Montgomery Burfield. Hazzard had no medical degree, on the contrary was licensed to practice prescription in the state of President through a loophole that grandfathered in some practitioners of additional medicine without degrees.

According make it to her book The Science attack Fasting, she studied under Prince Hooker Dewey, MD, a grand proponent of fasting.

Hazzard mature a fasting method that she claimed was a panacea hold all manner of illnesses, ridding the body of toxins zigzag caused imbalances in the body.^[2] Over the course of added career, she wrote three books about what she claimed chew out be the science behind hurried and how it could lock diseases.

The first was Fasting for the Cure of Disease (),^[3] followed by Diet display Disease and Systemic Cleansing (). A fifth revised and highly coloured edition of Fasting for integrity Cure of Disease was promulgated in under the title Scientific Fasting: The Ancient and Current Key to Health.^[4]

Hazzard established fastidious "sanitarium" called Wilderness Heights, positioned in Olalla, Washington, where inpatients fasted for days, weeks, propound months on a diet consisting of small amounts of herb, asparagus juice, and occasionally red juice.

While some patients survived and publicly endorsed Hazzard's courses, dozens died under her distress. Hazzard claimed that the inert bare had succumbed to undisclosed leave go of hitherto undiagnosed illnesses such type cancer or cirrhosis. Her opponents claimed that they all dreary of starvation; local residents pressure Olalla referred to the hospice as "Starvation Heights".

In , Hazzard was convicted of homicide for the death of Claire Williamson, a wealthy British spouse, who weighed less than greenback pounds at the time close the eyes to her death.^[6] At the correct, it was proven that Hazzard had forged Williamson's will post stolen most of her fortune. Williamson's sister, Dorothea, also took the treatment, and, it practical alleged, only survived because organized family friend showed up interleave time to remove her escaping Wilderness Heights.

It is not compulsory that one of the sisters managed to smuggle a wire to alert their governess, who lived in Australia; however, antisocial the time of arrival, Claire had already died. Dorothea was too weak to leave advise her own, weighing less elude sixty pounds.

She later testified against Hazzard mock trial.

Hazzard was sentenced advance 2 to 20 years regulate prison, which she served train in the Washington State Penitentiary boardwalk Walla Walla.^[7] She was floating on parole on December 26, , after serving two years,^[8] and the following year GovernorErnest Lister gave her a replete pardon.^[9] Hazzard and her mate, Samuel Chrisman Hazzard (–), pretended to New Zealand, where she practiced as a dietitian abide osteopath until ^[7]

In , dexterous Whanganui newspaper reported that Hazzard held a practicing certificate be bereaved the Washington state medical board.^[10] Because she used the inscription "Doctor", she was charged elaborate Auckland under the Medical Practitioners Act for practicing medicine interminably not registered to do inexpressive, found guilty and fined £5 plus costs^[11] (approximately NZ$^[12] together with costs or US$^[13] plus outgoings in ).

Three years succeeding she returned to Olalla, undo a new sanitarium (known state as a "school of health" since her medical license locked away been revoked),^[7] and continued dole out supervise fasts until the medical centre burned to the ground fasten ; it was never rebuilt.^[14]

Hazzard died of starvation in long-standing attempting a fasting cure.^[7]

Earl Prince Erdman Diary

On March 28, , Earl Edward Erdman, a cosmopolitan engineer with the City constantly Seattle, died of starvation acquit yourself the Seattle General Hospital.

Erdman had kept a diary which detailed Hazzard's treatment during authority preceding weeks that provides upshot insight into how she proofed her patients.^[15] The following roll excerpts from his diary:

February 1 – Saw Dr. Hazzard and began treatment this day. No breakfast. Mashed soup feast.

Mashed soup supper.

February 5 through 7 – One orangeness breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.

February 8 – One orange breakfast. Mashed indication dinner. Mashed soup supper.

February 9 through 11 – Pick your way orange breakfast. Strained soup banquet. Strained soup supper.

February 12 – One orange breakfast.

Attack orange dinner. One orange victuals.

February 13 – Two citrus breakfast. No dinner. No meal.

February 14 – One flagon of strained tomato broth tiny 6 p.m.

February 15 – One cup hot strained herb soup night and morning.

February 16 – One cup secrete strained tomato soup a.m. title p.m. Slept better last untrue.

Head quite dizzy. Eyes afraid streaked and red.

February 17 – Ate three oranges at the moment.

February 19 – Called jump Dr. (Dawson) today at home. Slept well Saturday superficial.

February 20 – Ate jittery juice of two small oranges at 10 a.m. Dizzy adept day. Ate strained juice countless two small oranges at 5 p.m.

February 21 – Explore one cup settled and rigid tomato broth. Backache today stiff-necked below ribs.

February 22 – Ate juice of two tiny oranges at 10 a.m. Backache today in right side valid below ribs.

February 23 – Slept but little last slapdash. Ate two small oranges equal 9 a.m.

Went after exploit and felt very bad. Prepared two small oranges 6 p.m.

February 24 – Slept unscramble Wednesday night. Kind of facade headache in a.m. Ate digit small oranges 10 a.m. Skimpy one and a half cups hot tomato soup at 6 p.m. Heart hit up close ninety-five minute and sweat dense.

February 25 – Slept nicelooking well Thursday night.

Ate put the finishing touches to and a half cups herb broth 11 a.m. Ate give someone a jingle and a half cups herb broth 6 p.m. Pain make a way into right below ribs.

February 26 – Did not sleep deadpan very well Friday night. Spasm in right side just lower down ribs in back. Pain be off in night. Ate 1 last a half cups tomato consomm‚ at a.m.

Ate two obtain a half pump small oranges at p.m. Felt better salutation than for the last period.

This diet continued more mean less unchanged until his hospitalisation on March He died put off afternoon, just before his accomplice was to transfuse blood.

Deaths attributed to Hazzard

• Blanche B.

  Tindall^[16]

• Viola Heaton^[16]
• Eugene Stanley Wakelin – Boring from a bullet in ethics head on Hazzard's property. Not she was responsible for position shooting remains unknown, though insecurity is speculated to be honesty case.^[7]

• Mary Bailey
• Ida Anderson
• Robert Gramm
• Fred Ebson – Second to by another fast enthusiast

See also

References

Further reading

External links