The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-17
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Kansas has been held responsible for
all sorts Of queer ideas and strange
things generally, and now it confesses
to giving the West a new style Of
healer, like the late Schlatter but a
system of healing which may be ac-
quired, and therefore which does not
die out when the chief apostle Is locked
up or disappears. "Osteopathy" is the
name given to the new healing sys-
TEN. 1t is a word which you will not
find in the dictionary but Kansas peo-
pie are not trammeled by photographic
limitations.
The osteopathists of the West, for
they have gone forth from Kansas to
several other states, are locally and
commonly known as bone settlers or
bone doctors They are heard of from
time to time in various localities and
always as doing a rushing business.
They are not as yet numerous enough
to be generally known, but the time
is not far distant when they will be-
for there is an institution in a little
Missouri town which is turning out
osteopathists at the rate of half a
hundred a year.
The originator of this new medical
fad is DR.. Andrew T. Still, formerly
of Kansas, but now Of Kirksville, Mo-
DR.. Still is unique and interesting
character. He is a Virginiain by birth
and a physician by the same token
that is, his father was a doctor. So
were his three uncles, so are his three
brothers, and so are his three sons, as
we'll as his wife and one daughter. The
back. DR.. Still served during the war
as an army surgeon, and afterWard set
tied down to the practice of his pro-
fession in Lawrence, Kan. At that
time he was an allopath Of the old
school.
In 1874, so the story of the birth of
osteopathy runs, four Of Dr. Stills
children were simultaneously stricken
with spinal meningitis, and in spite
Of all skill and medicine Of the good
old allopathic kind they died. Then
and there DR.. Still decided that there
was something radically wrong with
allopathy. So he gave up his practice,
moved over to Kirksville, Mo-, and
began to study along new lines. All
other interests were dropped in order
that he might pursue his investiga
tions. His family was supported by
his eldest son, who worked in gro
Gerry store.
Little by little he worked out the
theory Of osteopathy and gradually put
it into practice. His first success was
the curing Of a bad case of asthma
and for two years he Travelled about
hunting up asthma patients to practice
on. At last he reduced his theories to
what he thinks is a science and since
then he has been busy and prosperous.
His theory is that the body, to be In
state of perfect health, must be in
such a condition that the blood will
circulate freely through the veins and
arteries. Disease arises simply from
the fact that something has stopped
the free circulation of the blood
through some of these channels. To
know how to find the location of these
blocked channels and how to remove
the obstruction is to know how to cure
the ILL., His method of renewing the
free circulation of the life fluid is by
manipulating the flesh and bones III
such a manner that the blood is forced
through it's natural passages. He uses
an arm or leg as he would the handle
of a pump and the diseased, clogged
channels are flushed clean.
This he calls the natural method.
Physicians of the old school, DR.. Still
SAYS, attempt to produce the same ef-
fects by the use of drugs which not
only have a reactionary effect, but
often entirely fail to act. DR.. Still uses
no drugs at all. His two skilled hands
are his only instruments.
Having elaborated his science and
built up a bigger practice than he could
handle alone, DR.. Sill began to call up
on the different members of his family
to help him. By this time his name
had spread through Missouri, and in
1892 he began to think of starting
school for the teaching of osteopathy.
After much opposition he secured
charter from the Missouri state leg1Sla-
ture to found school of osteopathy.
In 1895 a three story brick building
was put up at an expense of $3OOOU,
which in itself is an evidence that sci
entific bone setting must be profitable,
if nothing more. Dr.. Still is man or
many peculiarities. He has the stern
manners of a doctor of the old school,
but is said to have most benevolent
nature. He refuses to do any kind OF
advertising, and his maximum charges
are said to be $25 month for treat
ment. Hundreds Of his patients pay
nothing at all, and his sons conduct
their business on the same principles.
But for all this osteopathy has a
hard row to hoe. The medical profess
sion is most jealous of its rights and
prerogatives, and it's orthodox men,
bers do not look kindly on innovations
of any sort They have been particu-
larly active in making 1t unpleasant
for the bone doctors. In several in
stances they have caused the arrest Of
of the osteopathists on the charge of
practicing without a license. The de-
tense of the osteopathists has always
been that they do not practice medi-
cine but merely manipulative healing.
After q long and hard fight in each
state they have finally secured the
passage of laws allowing them to prao-