A TEXT-BOOK ON Chiropractic Symptomatology OR THE Manifestations of Incoordmation Considered From a Chiropractic Standpoint JAMES N. FIRTH, D. C.. Ph. C. Professor of Symptomatology in the Palmer School of Chiropractic, (Chiropractic'i Fountain Head) Davenport, Iowa COPYRIGHT. 1914, BY JAMES N. FIRTH. D. C., Ph. C. 1914 DRIFFILL PRINTING CO. ROCK ISLAND. ILL PREFACE Upon accepting the chair of Symptomatology in Tin Palmer School of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa, I found it difficult for students and others seeking Chiropractic in- formation on diseased conditions to obtain a comprehensive idea of such when they sought their information in medical text-books. That is, they were able to find an accurate de- scription of the pathology and its accompanying symptoms, but were unable to apply the Chiropractic idea or philosophy to such conditions. The aim of this volume, as indicated by its title, is that the student, practitioner and layman may obtain a concise, yet comprehensive, explanation of incoordinations from a Chiropractic standpoint. This volume is exclusively de- voted to the subject of Symptomatology and should not be considered as an authority on philosophy. Many of the theories advanced here have been derived or suggested from Dr. Palmer's works on philosophy, which are the only works published on that subject. It is very essential that the introductory chapter and the chapter on preliminary considerations be read and studied first, as therein are contained the fundamental principles upon which subsequent deductions are based. It is hoped that this volume may be useful to the student, practitioner and layman. JAMES N. FIRTH, D. C., Ph. C. CONTENTS Introduction Sec. I. Preliminary Considerations Sec. II. The Acute Febrile Diseases Sec. III. Diseases of the Digestive System Sec. IV. Diseases of the Respiratory System Sec. V. Diseases of the Circulatory System Sec. VI. Diseases of the Blood and Ductless Glands. .Sec. VII. Diseases of the Kidney Sec. VIII. Diseases of the Nervous System Sec. IX. Constitutional Diseases Sec. X. The Intoxications and Sunstroke. .Sec. XI. List of Abbreviations Used. At. Atlas. Ax. Axis. C. Cervical. M. C. P. Middle Cervical Place L. C. P. Lower Cervical Place. c A. P. Arm Place. -- *T-&-7 / H. P. Heart Place. - - 3 & Lu. P. Lung Place. Li. P. Liver Place. - C. P. Center Place. jp 7- ^ -- S. P. Stomach Place. --- L. S. P. Lower Stomach Place. 7 f . Spl. P. Spleen Place. _ ?-<? / o -//-/ -.//- /^ K. P. Kidney Place. P. P. Private Place. 3 _ ^ X Symptomatology From a Chiropractic Standpoint. SECTION I. INTRODUCTION. "You do not know enough the moment you believe your education is over. You cannot teach after you stop learning. No allegiance is paid to inefficiency. No matter who you are or what you do doctor, lawyer or merchant your guidance will be deserted, your counsel avoided and your wares rejected in the face of better brains or brands." THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. In the consideration of the nervous system it might be well to begin at the beginning, its development in the em- bryo. An ovum is a single animal cell about l-125th of an inch in diameter, and is secreted by the ovary, an organ of the female. It is surrounded by a membrane and contains a nucleus called the germinal vesicle, within which is the nucleolus or germinal spot. The spermatazoon is an elon- gated animal cell which is secreted by the testicle, an organ of the male, and consists of a head and a tail. Fertilization occurs when the spermatazoon meets the ovum and works its way through the viteline membrane, whereupon the cellular elements of the two cells become thoroughly fused, the product of this fusion being called the blastoderm. This blastoderm begins enlarging and its cells multiplying or increasing in number until shortly it is found that these cells are arranged into three layers. These are known as the embryonic layers, primary membranes or layers of the embryo. The outer layer is called the epiblast, and from it is developed the skin and nervous system. The inner layer is called the hypoblast, and from it is developed the mucous 8 CHIROPRACTIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY membrane of the alimentary tract, while the middle layer is called the mesoblast, and from it are developed the bones, muscles and main bulk of the body. If all of these various tissues derived from the three embryonic layers are closely examined and classified it is found that they belong to four different groups, because they are composed of four different kinds of structures. They are known as the elementary tissues and are called epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscular tissue and nervous tissue. This nervous tissue is the most delicate, most sensitive and most highly developed tissue in the human body. The greater portion of this nervous tissue is located in the cranium, and is called the brain. This brain is composed of two kinds of matter gray and white matter. The white matter is arranged on the inside, or forms the center of the brain, while the gray matter is arranged on the outside, forming the convolutions. There are millions of nerve fibres arising from this mass of nervous tissue, called the brain, most of which converge toward the base of the skull and form the spinal cord, which is, in fact, but a prolonga- tion of the brain. In the spinal cord, however, the arrange- ment of the gray and white matter is the opposite to that of the brain. In the spinal cord the gray matter is ar- ranged in the inside, forming the anterior and posterior horns or cornu, and the white matter is arranged on the outside in the form of tracts, as different parts of it are called. The spinal cord passes down through the neural or spinal canal, and on its way down gives off the spinal nerves. These spinal nerves are given off ip pairs and are 31 in number. The^ cord proper ends at a point opposite the first lumbar vertebra. It then becomes flattened and spreads out into what is called the Cauda Equina (horse's tail). After having passed through the sacrum there are only two small filaments or fibres of the spinal cord left, each of which is attached to the cornu of the coccyx and forms the filem terminale. CHIROPRACTIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY 9 The spinal nerves make their exit from the neural canal between the vertebrae, through small openings called inter- vertebral foramen. After passing through the interverte- bral foramen they divide into an internal and an external division, which again divide and sub-divide until small nerves are distributed to all parts of the body, there being no part that you can prick with a needle without producing pain, showing the density of nerve distribution. The next question that arises is, what is the use or func- tion of all these nerves, spinal cord and brain ? The answer of which we all know in a more or less vague way. But before answering this question let us look at man in a different way. A real live man does not consist of only matter that is, bone, flesh and blood. There is something more that makes this man alive, that actuates his every action, that causes his heart to beat, his lungs to breathe, his stomach to digest, his bowels to function, his kidneys to excrete, his to etc. is called glands secrete, ; this something force, mind, instinct, intuition or Innate Intelligence. It is something not tangible, something that you cannot see, taste, hear, smell or feel; nevertheless, we must all admit its presence or existence the existence of mind (Innate Intelligence). The seat of the mind is the brain, and it is there that all impulses are generated. The impulses are transmitted over the spinal cord and nerves to all parts of the body, where they are expressed as life. Therefore the mental im- pulse is essential to life. This mind is of different kinds, or is considered in differ- ent ways. There are mental faculties over which we have control educationally, and in a general way may be spoken of in it is as the educated mind ; but my estimation only the expression of the Innate mind in certain portions of the brain which gives rise to the mental faculties, such as per- ception, memory, reasoning, etc. 10 CHIROPRACTIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY There is also what you may call brain force, mental force or instinct, but throughout the following pages we will speak of it as Innate or Innate Intelligence, and it is this force that has to do with the development and growth of the body. This is abundantly proven both by experi- ment and by accidents that have occurred. We know that when the spinal cord is severed in the cervical region that instant death is produced, while severing the cord in the lower part of the spine produces death to the body below that point. On the other hand, when we place our fingers in contact with any substance, we have a sensation by which we tell whether the object is smooth or rough, hard or soft, hot or cold, round, square or oblong. In this instance we get an impression from the object by touch, getting the impression on the tactile corpuscles in the fingers. These impressions are carried by the spinal nerves and spinal cord to the brain, where they are interpreted. The interpretation is referred back to the ends of the fingers, so that it appears to us that we are feeling with the tips of the fingers; however, the sensation really takes place in the brain.