By Denis Lawson-Wood, L.Th., Ph.D.

There are many ways of contemplating and assessing human beings and their activities. Individuals may be assessed in rela­tion to their colour, creed or cultural environment; according to physique, athletic prowess, financial or social status, education, artistic gifts, and so on, more or less endlessly.

There is one way of contemplating not only mankind as a whole but also individuals; a way which seems peculiarly appro­priate to modern times. One can focus one's attention on that aspect of man which we label the "scientific." It is a character­istic of man, distinguishing him from all other classes of life, that man has the ability to know and to communicate. This charac­teristic was called by Korzybski the "time-binding characteristic." It is in the light of this notion that I feel best able to build an adequate picture of the author of this present book and of his contribution to the cultural heritage of mankind.

It is in a special sense that I use the expression "scientist"; which special sense needs some elucidation.

In using the label "scientist" I do not refer merely to a technologist skilled in some special application, nor merely to one who is learned in one or more branches of "science," I refer to one who applies scientific method.

To a degree with which a person consistently applies scienti­fic method in his thinking and overt activities he may be called "a scientist." This method is the one whereby a person seeks to know and understand natural phenomena and the operation of natural forces so that he may use and control these forces with optimum predictability.

The scientist, then, is one who observes facts, collects data, discriminates and evaluates the results of observations and experi­ences (his own and of others), and theories concerning them; and he arrives at some tentative conclusions himself. He then seeks validational evidence for his conclusions as soon as he can. He tests the soundness of his own conclusions, prepared to accept the outcome of his tests, whatever that outcome may be: in the light of these results he then rejects, modifies, retains, or forms new conclusions, which he again brings up for test as soon as he can. So the process goes on.

In my use of the label "scientists" I include the notion "all of which is motivated by the highest ethic." A scientist shares his knowledge with others, thereby adding something to the totality of benefits available to mankind.

The author of this book, Leslie O. Korth, while still in his teens felt profoundly dissatisfied with medical treatment as he observed it being practised: for, he felt, it is not a sick individual that is being treated, but the name of an illness. Little or no attention being paid to the special way in which each person is ill; the whole focus seems to be on generalisations. If, for ex­ample, it was diagnosed "This person is suffering from influenza," symptoms a, b, c, d, e, f, g must be treated because those are the symptoms of influenza. If, by chance, he does not show symptom "e" then "because he ought (!) to have it but hasn't, the patient is wrong: and must be treated as if that symptom were present." Additional symptoms, simply because they do not come under the general label "influenza" tend to be ignored.

Mr. Korth, from earliest childhood years, had the desire to be a healer, a desire so strong that one can more fitly say "felt it as a Call." As soon as he began serious study of healing meth­ods he realised that for him the direction would eventually have to be in conventionally "unorthodox" fields. He satisfactorily completed the requisite number of years study and training in well-established and generally accepted healing methods and dis­ciplines. With this qualification alone he could have remained content to build up a prosperous practice. He was, however, not content to do so; and his whole professional life has been devoted to the search for ever better methods. He has come across and delved into a wide variety of healing systems, from all parts of the world, both ancient and modern and, whenever he has been able to form a tentative assessment that this or that method appears theoretically valid, he tested the validity of his conclusions by personal experiment, experience, and practical application.

The outcome of all this can be briefly summed up thus:— In Leslie Korth we have a versatile and experienced practitioner able to diagnose and assess the special needs of each patient, and then to select, from his extensive repertoire, the method to apply in this or that particular case likely to bring the maximum possible benefit to the patient. His aim has never been to prove the over­riding superiority of one method over all others for all ills: his aim has always been that the patient shall be healed; and every effort made and method selected has been towards that goal alone.

In conformity with the scientific norms as indicated earlier, Mr. Korth has been ever ready to share his knowledge with others; and he has contributed much by way of lectures and papers to professional colleagues or contemporary practitioners.

I first met him when he attended a series of lecture-demons­trations which I gave on the Korzybskian non-aristotelian system, General Semantics. Since that first meeting he has, on more than one occasion, furnished me with information and material that has proved of inestimable assistance in my own research work and therapeutic practice.

In his "sharing with others" he has not confined himself within relatively narrow limits of professional circles: through articles in popular journals and magazines he has been able to ex­tend his field of communication and influence to include a wide section of the general public. This present work represents a selection of such articles, gathered together and published in book form.

Though, of course, this book can only represent a relatively minute fraction of his experiences and knowledge it, nevertheless, symbolises the man himself, considered as a scientist in the noblest sense of the word.

D.L-W
Tunbridge Wells, 1959.

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