The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-11-04
OSTEOpATHY AND ANATOMY
Views OF DR.. Carr, Editor OF
Medical Journal

The osteopathist is obliged to be a
good anatomist. He can not prac-
| tice osteopathy unless he is. He is
| the fellow who, when patient pre-
sents himself, goes to work to find
out exactly what the trouble is. He
| looks upon a man as an anatomical
structure consisting of a framework
| of bones, a network of nerves, a
web of lymphatIc ducts, complica-
/ ton of ligaments, blood vessels and
viscera. To untaugle and locate all
the multifarious organs and tissues
| is his business.
| He goes to work to heal a sick
man much the same as an engineer
| would fix his locomotive. he finds
| a nerve crossed or stretched. He
| finds muscles tense or strained. He
| finds bones dislocated, or partly dis
| located. He finds cartilages mis-
placed. He finds a thousand things
| that the average physician would
never discover, never dream OF.
| Her &c it Is that the osteopathist
must necessarily be a good anato-
mist.
As rule, these doctors carry the
study Of anatomy much further than
the allopath, the electic or the
homeopath. Even the most eX-
perienced surgeon knows nothing of
anatomy in comparison with the
educated osteopath. 1t may be that
many Of the cures of the osteopath
are imagip airy, II may be that much
! they do in the treatment OF patient
is needless or ridiculous, but the
fact remains that in the study Of
anatomy they are close students,
and in the diagnosis OF disease they
exceed all other schools of practice.
When Garfield was shot by the
assassin Guiteau, some peculiar
symptoms presented themselves.
Several noted surgeons were in at
tendance, but they gave no heed to
these symptoms. The symptoms
We're peculiar numbness on the
inside Of the thighs and a part Of
the scrotum, together with "A curious
feeling in the bottom Of the feet
which the President himself de-
scribed as tiger claws. The Presi-
dent recited these symptoms and
they were reported In the news
papers. The doctors in attendance
knew nothing Of their significance
and probably did not take them into
account at all.
The professor OF anatomy IN the
University of Peunsy lvania, who
happened TO be close student OF
anatomy, read in the newspapers the
account of the Presidents symp-
toms. By reading the account this
auatomist was able TO locate the
/ injury which the bullet made. 1t
will be remembered that the doctors
/ In attendance had great difficulty Ia
/ locating the bullet; in fact, they
never did locate IL. 1t was never
revealed during the life Of the Pres
| ident where the bullet was lodged.
/ The doctors supposed IL TO be In the
1 right groin, but as a matter OF fact
1 the bullet had crushed the fourth
/ lumbar vertebra and lay close 10 the
| backbone on the left side OF the
! body.
/ But this anatomist, who never
/ saw the President al all, aided by
/ the newspaper account alone, locat-
ed the bullet exactly, The second
/ dav after the President was wounded
| he drew a chart, sho wing the course
of the bullet, the injury 1t had done
/ and its lodging place. He presented
| this chart to- numerous other pro-
| fessors who made aiiidavtts To the
/ fact. After the post norton re-
/ veaIed that this anatomist was
right, the whole account was pub
| lished In the medical journals.
| Had the doctors known whore the
bullet was located, their treatment
| of the President would have been
| considerably different. Had they
known where the bullet was, IA
drainage might have been estab-
lished preventing the accumulation
of pus. The doctors were trying to
drain it from the groin below the
| entrance of the bullet. Conse'
auentIy, everything they did 10 Sc
cure drainage from below was
adverse to the Presidents recovery.
AS Is well known, President Gar
field died of septicemia; that is to
say, he died from the effects OF the
reabsorption of pus which was To-
Gated In the pus cavity whore the
bullet lodged. Had they known
where the bullet was, they would
either have established drainage by
cutting in upon the bullet through
| the back, or else have established
the drainage through the track Of
the bullet. In other words, had
these doctors who attended Presi.
dent Garfield been good anatomists,
they would have done much more
toward saving the Presidents. life
1t is possible, of course, that his life
could not have been saved even II
they had known where the bullet
was, but IL is also certain that they
could have treated the case much
more intelligently.
We venture the assertion thai
were such an accident to occur to
day and a good osteopathic physi
clan be- called, he would be able from
the symptoms alone TO locate thu
bullet Emerging near the fourth
lumbar vertebrae there are soms
nerves when supply the portion O
the body where the President located
his symptoms. 1t was the disturb
anee of these nerve roots thai
caused the symptoms In parts o
the body so distant from the wound
An osteopath would have known
this at once because he makes |
study of anatomy. He Ia thorough
student of the machinery of th'
human body.