The idea of naturopathic doctors had always formed an image in my mind of old, bearded, tree-huggers who boiled roots and made poultices out of gross things to treat weird people who believed in that "natural" stuff.

She'd heard the term from American soldiers about these 'free love' people. 'Tree huggers' who reveled in sex, drink and drugs.

Until fairly recently, even the idea of a MBS connection was dismissed by Western medicine as the province of New Age tree huggers, so it had very little mainstream credibility.

Tree hugger

Meaning

Noun