Sutherland's Signature

Sutherland’s Signature Jane Stark, domp (Canada) Andrew Taylor Still and William Garner Sutherland osteopathic medicine, unless they are recognized, retrieved (WGS) are two of osteopathic medicine’s most significant and preserved. Certainly, there are unpublished photos, figures. However, the volume of catalogued material letters, speeches and memorabilia belonging to WGS that relating to the life and life’s work of Still exceeds that of are held by private collectors who may never relinquish Sutherland. This discrepancy in Still’s favor came about them to institutional archives. More importantly, however, when a handwriting comparison study was completed, there may be memorabilia and writings, which neither on papers suspected of being written by Still, to assist their current owners, nor their heirs, would recognize as in the attribution of some of those documents to Still’s being historically valuable. For those who may come upon hand. Documents which did not bear any substantiating such historical treasures, a list of repositories is offered markers, such as Still’s letterhead, name or signature, were where such papers can be safely stored, catalogued, and compared to known samples of his penmanship. Since the with adequate funding, be made accessible to the entire creation this handwriting key, over a thousand pages of profession. Still’s unpublished papers have been identified, and funding Although WGS penned many writings related to provided that has allowed them to be transcribed, digitized osteopathy, his name or signature is not always present as and made available online. a means to identify his work.2 Furthermore, his signature To date, osteopathic archivists, as well as other does not appear in a consistent form on documents members of the osteopathic profession, lack a similar tool presumed to be written by him. He also utilized aliases. for identifying Sutherland’s handwriting and typewriting. As late as 1931, WGS published under the pen name To remedy this problem, a list of key style characteristics “Blunt Bone Bill.” Personal letters were signed with of his writing and typewriting, which can be used to help odd nicknames, such as “William Gee-Horse A-Fat”3 identify material that does not bear his name or signature, or “William Dolittle Much.”4 Some of his unpublished is offered later in this article. This key should not only typewritten speeches do not display is name,5,6 among assist, but, more importantly, allow private collectors of them Philosophy of Osteopathy: And its Application by the osteopathic material to more readily recognize Sutherland’s Cranial Concept - draft: An Introduction to To-Day’s Talk.7 work. These unpublished speeches were attributed to Unfortunately, recognizing documents such as rough WGS on the basis of being in physical proximity to notes, letters, or speeches penned by influential osteopaths, similar looking material,8 including numerous documents does not ensure that these documents will be preserved. In which did bear his name. Among this material were some the foreword to the 1992 edition of A.T. Still’s last book, handwritten and typewritten letters from WGS addressed to Osteopathy Research and Practice, Harold Goodman, Anne Wales, DO (and to her husband, Chester Handy, DO), DO, lamented the lost opportunity to salvage “very rare who saved them.9 Following his death, WGS’s personal osteopathic materials”1 belonging to one of A.T. Still’s papers were left with his wife Adah (Strand) Sutherland, students. The material was described by Goodman as being who later entrusted them to Anne Wales, DO. Together, “lovingly collected” for almost a century and included a WGS’s personal papers, and those collected by Wales, “large number of osteopathic writings.”1 Following the were passed to John H. Harakal, DO,FAAO,10 in the 1980s, death of this unidentified osteopath, her relatives made who accepted them on behalf of the Texas College of efforts to donate the collection to various osteopathic Osteopathic Medicine, where they were originally stored.11 groups. Sadly, none expressed interest in preserving the Presently, the collection is archived as the Sutherland collection, and all but a small fraction of the material was Collection and housed within the Gibson D. Lewis Health lost. Science Library Archives at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, TX. Should these It would be extremely unfortunate if the writings papers, which bear no identifying markers, ever become of William Garner Sutherland experienced a fate similar separated from the main collection, or should additional to those of A.T. Still. Important historical documents copies or similar types of documents be found elsewhere, may be permanently disregarded, discarded or destroyed, they may never be attributed to WGS. adversely affecting both the history and future of Volume 21, Issue 3, September 2011 The AAO Journal Page 25 Identifying, retrieving and preserving the memorabilia and personal writings of WGS may seem inconsequential. However, these seemingly trivial details may one day prove to be invaluable aids in understanding Sutherland’s life and work—the tiniest piece of information could lead to the clarification of an ambiguous term or idea. In fact, there are several major topics that need elucidating. For instance, it is widely assumed that WGS was the founder of the cranial concept, but can that assumption be substantiated by documentation? The profession of chiropractic actually claims that one of its members, Nephi Cottam, DC, was the first modern-day practitioner to present a cranial concept. He Figure 1. Left and right matters of The Cranial Bowl, called it Craniopathy. Authors Calvin Cottam and Erin 1939, with the accompanying signature of William Garner MacGillivary provide compelling evidence that the concept Sutherland. Sutherland Collection, Gibson D. Lewis Health of cranial manipulation was first put forward by Nephi Science Library Archives, University of North Texas Health Cottam four years before WGS.12 Their 1981 peer-reviewed Science Center, Fort Worth, TX. (With permission). article, The Roots of Cranial Manipulation: Nephi Cottam and ‘Craniopathy,’ is so convincing that a reader could easily be persuaded that Nephi Cottom conceived a form of cranial work prior to Sutherland. Although the title of originator of cranial articular mobility and of the cranial concept is not a topic of controversy at this time, it may become a contentious issue in the future. Nephi Cottam’s son, Calvin, collected data on the histories of cranial techniques—both osteopathic and chiropractic. He amassed over five linear feet of material.13 Based upon his review of that material, he concluded that Cottam announced the idea before WGS. Calvin Cottam wrote, “[Nephi] Cottam’s first professional presentation was January 27, 1929. Sutherland’s Osteopathic Techniques, SOT, was first presented eight months later, Figure 2. Close up of Sutherland’s signature and inscription on September 27, 1929.”13 It could, therefore, benefit from the right matter of the first copy ofThe Cranial Bowl. the osteopathic profession to pay close attention to any unpublished documents that might have issued from the pen or typewriter of WGS. Fortunately, WGS was a collector.11 He kept personal material dating as far back as 1895.14 Wales explained that, by saving his own biographical information and work, WGS “preserved the record of his thinking and work.”10 Judging by the volume of letters in the Sutherland Collection written by WGS to Wales (and her husband, Chester Handy, DO) there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of similar letters written to other colleagues currently held in private hands. When WGS’s daughter, Alice Paschal, his only direct descendant, passed away in 2001,15 she was not in possession of any of her father’s writing.15 One Figure 3. Letter (page 2) to William Garner Sutherland’s grandnephew, Roy Ulrich (now deceased), did have a few brother, Guy Roy Sutherland. January 14, 1904. letters written to his grandfather, Guy Sutherland, who was Page 26 The AAO Journal Volume 21, Issue 3, September 2011 Figure 4. The first page of a letter written to Anne L. Figure 5. Sutherland[?] WG. Philosophy of Osteopathy: Wales. Ground Hog Day, 1947. Sutherland Collection, And its Application by the Cranial Concept - draft: A Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library Archives, Thought Here and There. n.d.:15-28. Located at Sutherland University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Collection, Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library Worth, Texas. (With permission). Archives, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas. The actual size of this page is 8.5” x 11.” WGS’s brother. WGS’s surviving niece, Alberta, along with overlining of the letter “n(overline).” three of WGS’s grandnephews, Max, Dennis, and Glenn, Two other examples of Sutherland’s handwriting, all living descendants of WGS’s siblings, do not possess taken from his personal correspondence, provide more any of WGS’s letters. Presumably, if more of WGS’s features of his distinctive style. Figure 3 shows page 2 unpublished work exists, it is most likely in the possession of a letter, dated 1904 (25years prior to the inscription of osteopathic physicians, or is contained within the estate on The Cranial Bowl), written by Sutherland to his holdings of individuals outside the osteopathic profession younger brother, Guy =Sutherland. It was composed on with whom he had personal or business relationships. Sutherland’s personal letterhead and bears his signature. While the latter section of correspondence may be difficult Here, he also uses the letter “x” as the period at the end to obtain, material residing with osteopathic physicians of the sentence, to dot the letter “i” and following his should be identified, lest it be discarded. For historical signature. However, the letters “u” and “n” are not lined. completeness, and in honor of William Garner Sutherland’s memory, it behooves the profession to ensure that all of his The second sample (Figure 4) is written in 1947, work, no matter how trivial, is found and preserved for the eight years after the signing of The Cranial Bowl.

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