The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-28


especially its methods
when and why and Just
'ow treatments are given. a Tribune
reporter called on DR.. Downing, one
its leading practitioners. i'm the
Board of Trade building. The doctor
Is graduate Of Princeton university
and one of the Western schools of Os-
teopa thy, and impresses one as being
wholly sincere and honest in his con-
victons.
He told the scribe that DR. 4. T.
still, the founder of Osteopathy. dates
It's birth In 1874 when he (StilD. who
was a medical practitioner of the old
school. discarded the use of drugs,
and has since practiCed along the
lines of mechanical rather than chemi-
cal agencies.
The first school of Osteopathy, how
ever, was not founded till 1892. and
since that time-less than ten years
the Osteopaths tell you with great
deal Of pride, that sixteen states have
passed legislative enactmcnts placing
Osteopathy on an equal footing with
medicine in those states. and that
practically all the states Of the union
through the judiciary-have declared
its practice legitimate.
The Tribune man remarked that he
had often heard the practice spoken
Of as rubbing" and similar to mas
sage, and also heard some contend
that II was a form of faith or mind
cure.
The doctor smiled n wcaried smile.
and said, Yes we hear that on all
hands. principally, | presume, be-
cause people hear that we don't use
drugs, and naturally conclude then
that II must he either massage or
mind cure and those who know
little about it say it is rubbing" and
those who know nothing, say mind
cure. Christian Science and the like.
But I'm my four years experience with
Osteopathy, I have never seen any
part Of any treatment that could be
properly called rubbing" and never
anything like mind treatment. We
do not treat the mind for mortal
error" as being the cause Of distress
and disease-as do the Christian
Scientists-for we recognize mankind
to be intensely corporeal and that
the physical error" is the principal
cause of pathological conditions.
though not denying or negecting to
utilize the psychic influence to insure
the proper mental attitude of the pa
tient. But this is not absolutely
necessary, for we have effected cures
where the patient was a violent disbe-
lever In our philosophy"
We'll, what then, is your method,
doctor; and for what and now do you
give treatment"
The philosophy of Osteopathy." was
the reply, lis a difficult thing to ex-
In In t,,n t...
that its cardinal principle is simply
this: The human body has within it.
self. or can elaborate with proper diet
end hygienic surroundings. everything
necessary for its reCupcration and re-
covcry in case of disease When ma
ture, unassisted. does not readily do
this, il is because of some obstruction
to the blood supply, or mpingement
upon the nerve force, or interference
with some of the other vitalizing fluids
or forces Of the body, which impedi-
mcnt nature cannot overcome alone.
This is where the osteopathic physi-
'ian comes to tho rescue. With his
trained sense of touch and technique
based upon an exhaustive study of the
structure and functions of the normal
human body, the osteopath locates and
then removes by purely mechanical
'manuaD means, the lesion or abnorm-
al condition that exists which inter-
feres with natures progress The best
that any physician of any school OF
practice can do is to assist nature and
nature makes the cure. 1t isn't the
medicine or the treatment that effects
the cure but nature. and we think we
can best assist nature by mechanical
rather than chemical means, because
we believe that physical LESSONS are
the cause of disease and should be re-
moved by physical agencies"
The doctor then looked at his sched-
ule of appointment for the day, and
said; II see my next patient is the
case Of boy, and | believe ne will not
object to your watching his treatment,
so if you'll wait a few minutes I'll
show you exactly what the Osteopathic
treatment consists of in his case and
explain its purpose. In the meantime
let me refresh your memory on some
or the fundamentals of physiology that
you learned at school"
He then took me in his private Of
nee, or treating room" as he calls It,
In the center of this room was a long,
narrow, leather-covered and padded
affair, whiCh he calls a treating table.
This was about six feet long and two
feet wide and about two feet high.
Upon this table most of the treatments
are given, About the walls of the
room were numerous charts illustrat-
ing the anatomical structure, and
physiological functions of all parts Of
the body; one chart showing muscles,
one nerves, one blood vessels. another
organs. One chart was devoted en-
trely to the illustration of the spinal
nerve centers, showing the part of the
spinal column from which the nerves
80 to all the various organs and parts
of the body The doctor brought in a
human backbone or spinal column and
upon this started 10 illustrate his the
ory of mechanical causation of disease
Or how misplaced bone or cartilage
or muscle could cause most all of the
Ills that human flesh is heir to. He
began with a perfect shower of scien-
life nomenclature and phraseology
hat almost staggered me, so that 7
had to request him 10 talk United
States" IL he wished to De understood.
He modified it somewhat, but even
then | felt that / must be sadly de,
icient as to our anatomical make-up
II these werc the fundamentals OF
physiology that | learned at school"
So that if I'm not scientifically accur-
ate i'm my report Of the interview, you
must blame not the doctor, but my
self and the inability of my shorthand
To catch all of the Greek and Latin
names in his polysyllabic terminology.
IN simply give you his ideas as nearly
rs ! could get them.
The spinal column" the doc'or be-