Ralstonism
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Ralstonism was a minor social movement in 19th century USA. It claimed about 800,000 followers.
Ralstonism was a brainchild of Webster Edgerly (1852-1926). The letters for the world RALSTON came from Regime, Activity, Light, Strength, Temperation, Oxygen and Nature. In Edgerly's own words, "Ralstonism is the grandest movement that man is capable of establishing".
Ralstonism begun as Ralston Health Club which published Edgerly's writings. It was a hierarchical organization where members were ranked according to number of "degrees" from 0 to 100. Members advanced five ranks at the time. Each Ralston book member purchased counted as five degrees.
Edgerly saw his followers as the founding members of a new race free from impurities - based on Caucasians. He advocated the castration of all "anti-racial" (non-Caucasian) males at birth.
Edgerly wrote 82 of what would today be called self-help books using a pseudonyme Edmund Shaftesbury. They covered subjects like diet, exercise, punctuation, sexual magnetism, artistic deep breathing, facial expressions and ventriloquism. Although Edgerly publicly claimed that Ralston Company had no goods for sale, he sold his books through mail order. Many of these books are still available through the old books dealers.
In addition to advice like brushing your teeth, the books recommend things like every young man should engage with a form of probationary marriage with a woman old enough to be his grandmother. Edgerly also created his own language, Adam-Man-tongue with 33-letter alphabet.
Magnetism Club of America, another Ralstonite organization was to give its members control over the minds of others.
Ralstonites were to follow strict dietary guidelines. For example, watermelons were supposed to be poisonous to Caucasians. Correct diet and proper physical exercise would help reader attain "personal magnetism", which would give them control over the thoughts of others. Much of the physical regime demanded moving in graceful curves and arcs and walking exclusively on the balls of one's feet. Because sudden starts and stops and sharp angular movements caused a "leakage of vital force", Ralstonites were to even pick marbles in continuous circles. There was a proper way to bathe (dry bath), gesture, sit, stand, sleep, talk and have sex. Edgerly claimed scientific basis for all this.
1900 Edgerly he joined forces with the founder of Purina Food Company, which took a name Ralston Purina (now Nestle Purina). It made whole-wheat cereal Ralstonites were to consume.
Between 1894-1895 Edgerly bought large are of farmland along the northern slope of Hopewell Valley, New Jersey. There Edgerly founded Ralston Heights in 1905, a house built to his own design to contain a community of Ralstonites he meant to be a core of a future City of Ralston. The contours of the estate followed Edgerly's conviction that sudden stops and walking in straight lines would cause leakage of vital force.
Edgerly planned to expand to hundred lots, sixteen small farms, seven palaces and a Temple of Ralston. This community did not materialize at least in the form Edgerly intended. Much of the estate still stands in ruined condition.