Philosophy of Osteopathy

Excerpt

CHAPTER I.

Some Introductory Remarks.

Not a Work of Compilation—Authors Quoted—Method of Reasoning—The Osteopath an Artist—When I Became an Osteopath—Dr. Neal's Opinion—The Opinions of Others—What Studies Necessary—What I Mean by Anatomy—Principles—The Practicing Osteopath's Guide—The Fascia—Not a Pleasing Task—Without Accepted Theories—Truths of Nature—Body, Motion and Mind—Osteopathy to Cure Disease—The Osteopath Should Find Health.

NOT A WORK OF COMPILATION.

To readers of my book on the Philosophy of Osteopathy, I wish to say that I will not tire you with a book of compilations just to sell to the anxious reader. As I have spent thirty years of my life reading and following rules and remedies used for curing, and learned in sorrow it was useless to listen to their claims, for instead of getting good, I obtained much harm therefrom, I asked for, and obtained a mental divorce from them, and I want it to be understood that drugs and I are as far apart as the East is from the West; now, and forever. Henceforth I will follow the dictates of nature in all I say or write.

AUTHORS QUOTED.

I quote no authors but God and experience when I write, or lecture to the classes or the masses, because no book written by medical writers can be of much use to us, and it would be very foolish to look to them for advice and instruction on a science they know nothing of. They are illy able to advise for themselves, they have never been asked to advise us, and I am free to say but few persons who have been pupils of my school have tried to get wisdom from medical writers and apply it as worthy to be taught as any part of Osteopathy, philosophy or practice. Several books have been compiled, called "Principles of Osteopathy." They may sell but will fail to give the knowledge the student desires.

METHOD OF REASONING.

The student of any philosophy succeeds best by the more simple methods of reasoning. We reason for needed knowledge only, and should try and start out with as many known facts as possible. If we would reason on diseases of the organs of the head, neck, abdomen or pelvis, we must first know where these organs are, how and from what arteries the eye, ear, or tongue is fed.

THE OSTEOPATH AN ARTIST.

I believe you are taught anatomy in our school more thoroughly than any other school to date, because we want you to carry a living picture of all or any part of the body in your mind as a ready painter carries the picture of the face, scenery, beast or any thing he wishes to represent by his brush. He would only be a waster of time and paint and make a daub that would disgust any one who would employ him. We teach you anatomy in all its branches, that you may be able to have and keep a living picture before your mind all the time, so you can see all joints, ligaments, muscles, glands, arteries, veins, lymphatics, fascia superficial and deep, all organs, how they are fed, what they must do, and why they are expected to do a part, and what would follow in case that part was not done well and on time. I feel free to say to my students, keep your minds full of pictures of the normal body all the time, while treating the afflicted.

WHEN I BECAME AN OSTEOPATH.

In answer to the questions of how long have you been teaching this discovery, and what books are essential to the study? I will say I began to give reasons for my faith in the laws of life as given to men, worlds and beings by the God of nature, June, 1874, when I began to talk and propound questions to men of learning. I thought the sword and cannons of nature were pointed and trained upon our systems of drug doctoring.

DR. NEAL'S OPINION.

I asked Dr. J. M. Neal, of Edinburg, Scotland, for some information that I needed badly. He was a medical doctor of five years training, a man of much mental ability, who would give his opinions freely and to the point. I have been told by one or more Scotch M. D.'s that a Dr. John M. Neal, of Edinburg, was hung for murder. He was not hung while with me. The only thing made me doubt him being a Scotchman was he loved whiskey, and I had been told that the Scotch were a sensible people....