Dr. Walter B. Guy is most famous for his development of hydrochloric acid and mineral therapy. While he was one of many doctors using hydrochloric acid in medicine in the 1920s and 1930s, he is one of the two most well known, the other being Dr. Burr Ferguson of Alabama. Dr. Guy wrote the most articles and books on the subjects of HCL therapy. He and Dr. Ferguson had different theories of why hydrochloric acid worked as medicine, but they had respect for each other, and were part of a network of doctors who did research on the subject.
Dr. Guy felt that giving hydrochloric acid changed the pH of the lymph, interstitial fluid, and plasma, all body fluids that cells are nourished in. Part of this mechanism was raising the stomach acid to improve digestion; another was altering pH of the tissues and fluids which had become too alkaline. This state of high pH is called Alkalosis. Dr. Ferguson felt the process worked in similar fashion, but the primary healing effect of hydrochloric were to improve immune function, particularly as it is expressed as phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is the process of white blood cells surrounding and eliminating bacteria, and other pathogens. Thus phagocytosis is often called “cell eating,” as it is integral to removing debris and disease from the body.
The application of hydrochloric acid was, and is, done by oral administration of a few drops of 10% hydrochloric acid solution in water and sipped. The other way it was traditionally used was as intravenous injection (IV). It has also been used as an intramuscular injection. Today, a common use of HCL in therapy is as Betaine HCL (hydrochloric acid capsules) to improve digestion. While in Dr. Guy’s time HCL was primarily used by medical doctors, today it is often recommended by diverse practitioners such as naturopaths, chiropractors, nutritionists, and herbalists.
The first book written by Dr Guy on this topic was Hydrochloric Acid and Mineral Therapy (1934). This book explains the basic theories of how hydrochloric acid works to help the heal the body. The sequel, Chemistry in Therapeutics (1935), is a deeper exploration of HCL treatments with case studies, dosages, and methods. Both books are full of holistic philosophy, and indirectly refer to his spiritual beliefs. We explore more of how Dr. Guy’s spiritual life informed his medicine in the biography we are writing. Suffice to say, his understanding of life was an overarching cosmology derived from a Sufi, Baha’i, and hermetic world view of the universe. He believed that all the kingdoms of nature were integrated, had intelligence, and were part of a grand design. This is one of the reasons that minerals played a part in his treatments. Hydrochloric acid, the cornerstone of his clinical experimentation he said “is the only naturally occurring acid in the body.” All other acids, such as lactic acid, are metabolic byproducts due to the incomplete processes of physiology, or toxins which were meant to be eliminated. (1934)