Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1895-09-27
As the osteopnth, ure

all cases where they have been ar
rested they secured acquittals.
A visit to the college and infirm-
ary will convince one that they are
conducted on business and scientific
principles. The infirmary is situat-
ed in the western part of the town,
with broad-paved avenue leading
up to it. There is large, open
court in front, with trees in the
rear. A great porch runs almost
entirely around the building, and on
every day in the week, except
Thursday and Sunday, one may see
in the porch or in the waiting-rOoms
a great crowd of people of all ages,
from the babe in its mothers arms
to white-headed men and women on
the verge of the grave. Such col
lection of cripples and afflicted l
have never seen. Almost all the
ills flesh is heir to, seem to have rep
resentatives here. The patients, l
learned, are from nearly every state
in the Union, and represent many
nationalities.
On entering the institution each
patient buys ticket which entities
the purchaser to one months treat
ment.
The janitor in the hall calls each
ticket-number in it's turn and the
patient is sent or carried to the
operating-room. Occasionally an
operator or doctor steps into the
hall for a breath of air. If it is a
man, he will be in his shirt-sleeves,
his face reeking with perspiration,
and looking as if he had been en-
gagged in some very hard physical
labor. That is what he has been.
1t is no easy work pulling together
dislocated joints, Strengthening curv-
ed spines, removing Instructions to
veins and arteries, and securing a
a healthy blood-supply. The woman
operators say it is as hard work as
washing or ironing. No mechanical
appliances or invention is permissi-
ble-the work must be done with
the hands and arms.
You may see operators and en-
plOyees about the building, but you
will be fortunate if you see DR..
Still, Sr., the founder of the system
and institution. He spends a great
part of his time in his private office,
studying and further developing his
science. Nevertheless, he manages
to examine and diagnose every case,
and if it is a difficult one watches its
progress and instructs the operator.
He may even occasionally take
hand at it himself. 1t is useless to
ask him to take any single case and
treat it wholly himself; he will not
do it.
MY operators are all graduates
under my training, and know their
business he says. ''If 1 could
not trust them they would not hold
their positions. Bring your best
professor of anatomy and let him
examine them as thoroughly as he
wishes, and they'll make a gaade of
ninety-five every time
During my visit to the institution
l managed to have few moments
conversation with the Secretary, DR..
Patterson, who is not only doctor,
but thorough business man, and
reputable citizen of Kirksville since
boyhood. From him L gained many
facts concerning osteopathy.
"We give no medicine under any
circumstances, he declared.
"What do you do in cases of
acute pain?"
"Desensitize the nerves by ma
nipulation, find the cause of the pain
and remove it. -
l was informed that the number
of patients treated annually at this
infirmary had been about ten thous-
and, but during the present year
they would reach fifteen thousand.
From my own observation l should
think a majority of the patients were
afflicted with nervous troubles and
paralysis, but successful treatment
is by no means confined to the two
diseases mentioned. Asthma, con-
sumption, bronchitis, cancer, female
diseases, goitre, hip and spinal dis
eases, diseases of the eye, epilepsy,