The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-01-08

| SCo Will pdtuy
S o Osteopathy. sketched briefly,
was launched upon the world.
Now What, Really, is Osteopathy?
Many people naturally ask: What
is Osteopathy.
Osteopathy is simply this: The
law of human life is absolute. and
believe that God has placed the rene
dy for every disease within the mat
erial house in which the spirit of life
dwells. | believe that the Maker of
man has deposited in some part or
throughout the whole system of the
human body drugs in abundance to
cure all infirmities: that all the re-
medies necessary to health are COM
pounded within the human body. They
can be administered by adjusting the
body in such manner that the rene
dies may naturally associate them
selves together. And l have never
failed to find all these remedies. At
times some seemed to be out of reach.
but by close study l have always
found them. So l hold that man
should study and use only the drugs
that are found in his own drug store
that is. in his own body.
do not believe. and | say this
only after forty years of close obser-
walton and experiments, that there
are such diseases as fever-typhoid.
typhus or Experimentation. sciatic.
govt. collie. liver disease. Group. or
any of the present so-called diseases.
They do not exist as diseases.
| hold that. separate or combined.
they are Only effects of cause. and
that. in each case. the cause can be
found and does exist in the limited or
excited action of the nerves which
control the fluids of a part or of
the entire body. My position is that
the living blood swarms with health
corpuscles which are carried to all
parts of the body.
Osteopathy is. then, science built
upon this principle: that man is a
machine. needing. when diseased. an
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expert mechanical engineer to adjust
its machinery. 1t stands for the labor.
both mental and physical. of the en-
gineer. or Osteopath. who comes to
correct the abnormal conditions of the
human body and restore them to the
normal. Of course. normal" does
not simply mean REIMBURSEMENT of
bones to normal position in order
that muscle and ligaments may with
freedom play in their allotted places.
Beyond all this lies the still greater
question to be solved: How and when
to apply the touch which sets free
the chemicals of life as Nature de-
signs? Osteopathy to me has but one
meaning, and that Is. that the plans
and specification by which man is con-
structed and designed shows absolute
perfection in all parts and principles
When competent anatomist Gas the
successful Osteopath must be.> in
treating the human body. follows this
plan and specification. the result will
be restoration of physiological
functioning from disease to health.
An Osteopath is only a human en-
gineer who should understand all the
laws governing the human engine and
thereby master disease.
Osteopathy absolutely differs from
massage. The definition of ':Mas-
sage"is masso. to knead: shampooing
of the body by special manipulations.
such kneading, tapping. stroking.
etc. The masseur rubs and knead
the muscles to increase the circuia-
ton The Osteopath never rubs. He
takes off any pressure on bloodves-
sells or nerves by the adjustment of
any displacement. whether it be of a
bone. cartilage. ligament. tendon,
muscle, or even of the fascia which
enfolds all structures: so by relaxing
any contracture of muscle or ligament
due to displacements. Of draft causing
colds, to overwork or nerve exhaus-
ton. The Osteopath knows the var
ious nerve centers and how to treat
them. in order that the vasomoter
nerves can act upon the blood-vessels.
bringing about in physiological man
ner a normal heart action and free
ing up the channel to and from the
heart. The Osteopath deals always
with causes. has no ''rules of ac
ton. as such. but applies reason to
each case according to the conditions
presented. treating no two cases quite
alike. He knows from past expert
ences that the effect seen is produced
by cause with which he must deal
in order to give relief.
The Osteopath is a physician. The
masseur does not take the RESPONSE
bllity of the full charge of diseased
condition. but works under the d..