The Osteopathic Physician May 1913 Vol. 23, No. 5 Reproduced with a gift from the Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association (AAOA Special Projects Fund) and Michigan Auxiliary to the Macomb County Osteopathic Association May not be reproduced in any format without the permission of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine SM (formerly Still National Osteopathic Museum) Museum of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO .' ......... : ," ",~••••• 0' ,'-1 I " "•• V;flnne XXIII. CHICAGO, MAY, 19n Number 5 unscrupulous methods of the Palmer system in Chiropractic Unmasked-The True Character of the following language: The Journal was forced to copyright its COll­ tents in ol'der to prevent the ~tse of osteopathic Chiropractic, Disclosed by Its Own literatul'e by a lot of lmprincipled fakers. There are a number of 'FAKEO-PATHS' of various Literature, Shown to be Spurious in Its denominations who have gotten into the habit of stealing osteopathic thunder and PALMING it off upon the public as applying to their various Claims-A Fraud on Osteopathy forms of treatment. There is one fake MAG­ NETIC HEALER in Iowa who issues a paper By Geo. Burt F. Clarke, D.O., Detroit, Mich. devoted to his alleged new system, and until re­ cently made up his entire Pllblication from the "TO Live and to Let Live" is the thought on page 58 of the JOlmwl of the A. S. 0., 1897, contents of the JOURNAL OF OSTEOPATHY, and the expression of all true, patriotic as follows: changing only the name 'osteopathy' where it and liberty-loving Americans; and to "In all these contests for recognition before the occurred and sllbstitiding the name of his own IIlIIle does this truth hold good more than it law in different states, osteopathy has asked for practice." hal with the osteopathic profession. The ques­ itself no exclusive privileges. The only protec­ To substantiate the above claim, I have in my tion then is, what shall be the attitutde of Osteo­ tion it needs is that of compelling its students­ possession papers published by D. D. Palmer, pathic physicians and organizations in relation to spend the proper length of time in its regldar prior to 1900, in which appear word for word to the attitude and claims of the various men and schools, so they may become able and competent quotations from the Jourllal of Osteopathy of women who call themselves Chiropractors? practitioners of the new art, and to shut out im­ two years before without any credit being given The writer has spent considerable time in the posters. This science seeks only a fair trial and in any way, shape or manner. investigation and study into the merits and an opportunity to win its way to the front by D. D. Palmer had his following who naturally history of chiropractic-its uses and its abuses; actual merit and the favorable reslllts it may gave him the credit of being the discoverer of aad, . for the better understanding of the sub­ obtain." the new system of h~aling according to the ject, he has taken a personal course of instruction Dr. Ernest E. Tucker in the last January claims made by him in his paper, "The Chiro­ in the system. As the result of such personal (1913) number of the Journal of the A. O. A. practic." He offered to "teach the SCIENCE investigation and the evidences presented by the says, in discussing chiropractic: OF CHIROPRACTIC. The whole business for comparison of' authentic literature-authorized "Our own arguments against various forms $500." The length of time required for giving books, school announcements, personal letters of legal atld moral injustice are too recent in the course of instructions of chiropractic was frOm. the foul1der (D. D. Palmer), newspaper our OWII ears to be passed by without at least usually one to three weeks; and among the first and magazine articles and advertisements, official carefully considering them." persons to investigate the claims and system of and private explanations in printed pamphlets, Therefore a brief resume will be proper at this "Chiropraxis," as it was first called, was one of personal conversations with representative gradu­ time as to the development and relation of chiro­ the early students of osteopathy under Dr. Still, ates from the various schools of chiropractic, I practic to osteopathy. Dr. A. P. Davis, who, in 1897-1898, took a course feel justified in presenting my views and con­ Both early and latest literature on the subject of instruction from Palmer and evidently in re­ dUBions to my fellow practitioners of osteopathy. agree in fixing the date of origin of D. D. turn gave D. D. Palmer some of the adjustment time and space will not here permit me to Palmer's "discovery" of chiropractic as being methods as taught by Dr. A. T. Still. In 1899 give the detailed results of my investigations or September, 1895, fully three years or more after another student of D. D. Palmer by the name of to even present the· "Comparative History of the first osteopathic school had been established; .Oakley Smith became interested and later became Oiteopathy vs. Chiropractic," which I have pre­ and at that time Dr. Still's skill as a "bone-setter" associated with Palmer at Davenport, and later pared as a separate article to be published in and "drugless healer" was well known in Mis­ in Simta Barbara, California, where Palmer had pamphlet form.· This history of the two systems souri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and even far distant removed from Davenport during 1901-1903. -written in pqrallel-a most forceful and de­ states. Thousands of patients all through that Later Smith started a rival school at Cedar termining factor in proving the cOlmterfeit na­ part of the country profited by Dr. Still's skill Rapids, Iowa (1904) with several other chiro­ tw, of chiropracitic, was written by me in the in adjusting abnormalties .of the spine and other practors associated with him; and the question two column (parallel) form for use in legisla­ parts of the human framework to relieve dis­ of the honesty of the claims of D. D. Palmer tive and court arguments; and every statement is eases with which they were afflicted. Many of was raised by Messrs. Smith, Langworthy and backed up by the authority and the date of the these were treated in the early '70s and '80s and others. It was denied that Palmer "discovered" statement. are still alive to tell the tale. chiropractic, -as had been claimed, but that he In justice to the rank and file of the members , The early life and training of D. D. Palmer had appropriated the idea from a crude method of the osteopathic profession, it should be stated was not conducive to the "discovery" and the followed by resident Bohemians iIi. Davenport, ~t the outset of this article that the spirit of "development" of a system of healing as was the Cedar Rapids and other places-a method of re­ Justice, fairness and tolerance to other methods case of our esteemed founder of osteopathy, Dr. lieving some forms of sickness by giving a direct or systems of healing has been pre-eminent. As A. T. Still. Prior to his .becoming engaged in thrust, or skillful blow, at certain points on the early as 1906 we find Dr. Asa Willard, in calling the healing art as a magnetic healer, D. D. Palmer spine with the patient prone on the floor or a attention to the chiropractic propoganda, stating: had been engaged in the grocery business and narrow bench, credited to one Dr. Epstan of ,,"Osteopaths have never asked for special privi­ in bee-raising. About 1885 he became an itiner­ Prague, Bohemia. The terms "Zada Spravit," . "s; they have never waged war against the ent magnetic healer in the vicinity of What Cheer "Napravit" or "Napravovani" were used by the If11t rights of either practitioners of other schools and Davenport, Iowa, at which latter place he Bohemians to signify "to fix," "to repair" or "to O!' ,of ·the people. When they asked for recog­ established permanent headquarters, and for a adjust" displaced boney structures of the body, !'Ilion, the people, through their representatives period of ten years he appa.rently came in touch according to the claims of Oakley Smith and his III the legislature, said that the men and women with many people afflicted with various ailments. associates. KhNo care for our sick and afflicted CANNOT At this time it is impossible to assert with any Many incriminating statemehts were made and OW TOO MUCH, and you must show evi­ degree of certainty as to what extent his atten­ the lie passed back and forth in the official d",c, that YOlt are qualified to do so. The osteo­ tion· was directed to the work of Dr. Still; but papers of the rival schools of chiropractic. Smith 'Glhs replied that this was fair, and laws were the FACT HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED endeavored to show that Palmer was a fraud, and '1JI1ed requiring adequate school standards and that D. D. Palmer was conversant with the to clinch it (without giving in to osteopathy as ''''''inations. The osteopaths did not try to FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES OF OSTEOP­ a prior claimant) he dug up any and al1 au­ ~C'rne and evade these reglllations. They real­ ATHY, at the time of and ·since the proclaimed thorities and references to spinal cause of dis­ ,,"II that they were just to the people and con­ date of his "discovery" of chiropractic, Septem­ ease and of mechanical treatment of the same­ ~,",~d to a high standard of ability in their pro­ ber, 1895.