A word to the osteopaths, Journal of Osteopathy, August 1898

I started a collection of texts from old osteopathic journals that could be of interest to osteopaths and people curious about osteopathy.

You can fin the full list here
Some were translated into French here



A word to the osteopaths

When you are summoned to the bedside in cases of sickness of all kinds you must remember that you are there to report as an engineer, for the purpose of inspecting the machinery of the physical body, and your duty as an explorer must begin to first find the abnormal conditions, which are the results of derangement of either bone, ligament, muscle, nerve or blood vessel, to such a degree as to obstruct the natural workings of the laboratory of life when in action to produce normal fluids for the use of all parts of the body, you are not called there for the purpose of giving written opinions of so-called eminent authors, nine-tenths of which have long since had an undisturbed rest in the waste basket that was prepared before the foundation of the world to receive and retain that class of literature, as one-tenth is enough to feed the superficial writer which has become a tint adjunct of the some grandpaps of all stupidity. You are not supposed to enter the sick room armed and equipped with books on symptomatology that contain no symptoms of guess work and judgements whatever except the symptoms of ignorance, which have been dead so long in the hand and mind of the speaker that he has not been able for more than twenty years to shed one tear over their dark demise. But you are called there to show your good sense as a skilled workman who is proud to know that Osteopathy is a science complete in and of itself. A science that is proud to know that it can lend but a hand, can neither borrow, nor buy one assisting thought from any medical school or from their writings.

As this school is young and has a chair devoted to Osteopathy we promise you that oral lectures with demonstrations will be given you as fast as possible. We say oral because we do not want compilations from medical authors palmed off on Osteopathy, and when such chairs are filled they will be filled by men and women who will know what to say from an intimate acquaintance with the subject on which they talk. You can only receive knowledge from him who has knowledge, and that knowledge must come from his head and mouth which will have an easy delivery if he knows what he is talking about. The Osteopath that depends upon notes for information is poorly armed for the combats of the sick room.

A.T. Still
Journal of Osteopathy, August 1898


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