Jakley Smith and The"Evolution of Naprapathy
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Reprinted with permission from the Association for the History of Chiropractic Volume 6 • 1986 NOTI CE: 77 This l..~ ii~~ i \ «i ~~ay 3.e Prot octed B~· Ccov r~ot~~ ~- a~ ~T~ t. i~ 1 7 ~ U.S. GQcte} .t\ Profession for 'Bohemian Chiropractic': ~Jakley Smith and the"Evolution of Naprapathy MERWYN V. ZARBUCK, D.C.* The author has spent some two years researching the public library and museum archives of Illinois and Iowa to trace the career of Oakley Smith (1880-1967), an early graduate of D.D. Palmer who later attended medical school and with S.M. Langworthy and M.L. Paxson founded the American School of Chiropractic in Cedar Rapids in 1904. Later Smith would discover and formulate his own separate and distinct health practice, based upon Bohemian movements and thrusts, coining it as naprapathy. The survival of naprapaths, at least in Illinois, are discussed along with Smith's impact on early manipulative healing trends. Naprapathy is a drugless system of treating human text and author sources cited in D.D. Palmer's book, The ailments discovered in 1905. The theory underlying it is Adjustor have been partly investigated and are volumi that many of the ailments of the human body are due to a nous in size and number. Principles were also formulated tightened or shrunken condition of a ligament; that such a from biology, natural philosophy (physics) medical and condition is referred to as a ligatight, and where it takes standard dictionaries and other healing arts. D. D. Palmer place near a nerve it brings a mechanical tension on that often stated that the facts and principles were not new, nerve and induces an abnormal function. This conception but that he organized them in a logical matter to establish of human ailments is peculiar to the system of naprapathy the chiropractic science, art and philosophy. and is one of its fundamental principles. 1 Chiropractic art was defined as the act of doing or Naprapathy was founded in 1905 by Oakley Smith, "something to be done". s The "something to be done" was .C ., who g-raduated in 1899 from D.D. Palmer's School the act of osseous "------ . adjustment, the replacement of dis · ,,nd Cu re at Da\'enport. Iowa. The development of napra- placed vertebrae by using the spinous and transverse pathy was preceded by Dr. Smith's association with two processes as levers to rack subluxated vertebrae into other early graduates of D.D. Palmer; Minora C. Paxson, normal position. This was a singular manual movement, D.C. and Solon Massey Langworthy, D.C. ~ In the 1903- one move, designed to replace a displaced vertebrae by 1904 period. Drs. Smith and Paxson joined the faculty of one designed directional thrust to remove a nerve the American School of Chiropractic and Nature Cure in impingement.' Cedar Rapids, Iowa, founded by Dr. Langworthy some Chiropractic philosophy was stated to be (1) the time in 1903.'1 Langworthy's school departed from D.D. understanding of the principles and facts of the chiroprac- Palmer's chiropractic model in several areas that culmi tic science and art: (2) the understanding of anatomical nated in sharp disagreement in the chiropractic osseous displacements and their relationship to nerve profession. passageways and relationships; (3) the knowledge of the The naprapathic scenario requires an understanding cause of unexplained occurrences of body dysfunction and of D.D. Palmer's chiropractic principles, the manipulative disease in the chiropractic sense, and the reasons for such practices of the last century, and the impact of the occurrences; (4) the knowledge of the vital energies and ] personnel and departure of Langworthy's American forces of the nervous system and the life process, and (5) School. the natural philosophy {physics) of universallaws.8 The founder established chiropractic as a science. art. Manipulation was in the last century and in D.D. and ph ilosophy, and in his precise manner defined his Palmer's time commonly used by allopathic, homeopathic, terms .~ Chiropractic science was delineated as an accumu eclectic, and particularly orthopedic physicians and as the lation of biological. anatomical and physiological facts basic treatment of other healing arts. Such healing arts systematized as principles." The facts were assimilated included naturopathy, Swedish gymnastics (Ling), kell from allopathic, homeopathic, eclectic, and orthopedic grenism, physocultopathy (Mc Fadden), osteopathy, magne texts current in D.D. Palmer's lifetime. The references to tic healing, suggestive therapeutics, manual therapeutics, hygienics, neuropsychology, opthalmology, mechano ~ • In pri,·ate practice. Urbana. Illinois. therapy, and others. The following definitions reflect the Pa1w r deli\·rrt•U at the Six th Confe renre on Chi ropractic H isto r~· . June 7. 1986. manipulative concepts of that ti me. t'almt• r Cullet:e of Chiropractic. Davenport. Iuwa. Cu rn~ :-:pondencc to: 71 1 Wl'st SprinJ,!fil'ld. Urbana. Illinois 6 Hml. Manipulation was defined as: "The act of doing with © 1986 Association for the History of Chiropractic _;. KLEY SMITH'S NAPRAPATHY • ZARBUCK 18 .[,I Reprinted with permission from the Association for the History of Chiropractic . ~ ) the hands; an operation or experiment in which the hands modify deformities, dislocations, herniae, circulation, ( are particularly employed; dexterity ·in such acts. A muscles, nerves, ligaments, etc. D.D. Palmer's chiroprac Method of reducing dislocations, hernia and of treating ~ tic adjustment was corrective in nature. f, aneurysms; massage,"9 and a Manipulator was defined as German redressment consists of repetitive moYes. t "one who manipulates; a masseur or masseuse."to French redressment force was a singular corrective Massage was defined as a "method of effecting manual move, but both German and French redressment changes in the local and general nutrition, action and required and mandated subsequent casting, whereas D.D. I other functions of the body, by rubbing, kneading, and Palmer deemed it totally unnecessary. The singular ~ other manipulation of the superficial parts of the body by manual move principle was thus derived from the Fren~_h _ . r the hand or an instrument,"11 and :t<'riction Massage was redressment force, but with no casting. An investigation t; defined as "superficial rubbing."I2 of D.D. Palmer's literary sources20 shows his vast Manipulation was a series of manual repetitive knowledge of manipulation. As a magnetic healer. 1885- / ft movements; massage-like moves applied by hand. Gradu 1895, prior to his discovery of chiropractic, D.D. Palmer 'J ~ ally, manipulation was extended, especially by orthopedic did use nerve massage, at that time often labeled "nerve ~ medical physicians, to include machines. The machines vibration." The term vibration was defined by D.D. f Palmer's time as: ~ included literally hundreds of traction devices to apply r repetitive moves and fix dislocations or deformities in a A swinging, oscillation, or thrill, like that of a f set position. The therapeutic purpose of traction was to t' string of a musical instrument; fremitus. In !t reduce dislocation of bones and soft tissue and was the 'I massage, a modification of the kneading ~ primary orthopedic treatment from 1880, particularly f movement. It consists of making the alterna l being developed into worldwide eminence by the Ameri ~ tive successive pressures and relaxations with ) can practice of orthopedic surgery, which was known as very great rapidity. This may be done by the "American Traction Method."I3 I hand, but it is better performed by means of . The term applied more so in Europe was redress some form of machine.21 1 ment. defined as: "the correlation of deformity, or replace ment of a dislocated part." 1 ~ Two primary methods of D.D. Palmer distinguished the chiropractic adjust redressment were extant; The French "redressment ment from any form of manipulation and the adjustment force," in which one or two mighty efforts corrected a was held as the basis of the chiropractic art, as illustrated displacement or deformity, which was then fixed in a by this 1904 declaration: corrected position by an appliance, usually a plastocast.15 There is no rubbing, slapping, knife, drugs, The other was the German "modelling redressment" of a artificial heat, electricity, magnetism, hypno deformity or displacement, which consisted of hundreds tism, stretching or mental treatment, in fact of successive applications of measured and moderate nothing but the adjustment of the displaced force, to be continued until the displacement shows no vertebrae. The adjustment is almost instan tendency to return to its former displaced condition. The taneous. The movements are unique and correction was then fixed in the corrected position usually Chiropractic in every respect, no other system by a plastocast.ts has anything similar.22 The latter method was used by Dr. Adolph Lorenz, orthopedic surgeon from Vienna, at a demonstration of The founding of the American School of Chiropractic redressment of a congenital displacement of the hip joint and Nature Cure at Cedar Rapids, Iowa circa 1903 by of the Armour girl in Chicago on October 12, 1902.17 D.D. Solon Langworthy, D.C., was the first "mixing" of other Palmer, Minora Paxson and Oakley Smith were in manipulative methods of D.D. Palmer's singular, specific Chicago at the time and were familiar with the redress and instantaneous adjustic art. American traction ment procedure. 1s Possibly, Langworthy observed Dr. methods, some forms of German redressment,23 and Lorenz in Davenport in December of 1902. eventually "Napravit" methods were added. "Napravit" D.D. Palmer drew a sharp distinction between manipu was a peasant practice in which the Bohemians (Czechs) lation and the chiropractic adjustment.19 This was because massaged and even walked upon each other's backs.24 of his vast knowledge, rather than a deficient knowledge Dr. Langworthy, and faculty members Minora of the various forms of manual and mechanical manipula Paxson and Oakley Smith collaborated to publish a book tion.