The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-06-14

"
interested in Osteopathy. This
began with my meeting old Doctor
Still, the founder of the science,
Doctor Still is now in his eighty
fourth year. He has been sprac-
tising country physician since his
twentieth year.
There is no college degree equal
to the all around experience of q
country doctor, provided he keeps
his eyes wide open and does not
fall into a rut-which the average
man certainly does. If anybody
is a genius it is the man who is
filled with an eternal discomfort
and an undying hope. DrS Still
was the original first citizen of
Missouri. He is th9 man who
first demanded visual Gemonstra-
ton. He is the man who said,
"Show mew Also, he is the man
who went ahead and showed the
world a good many things it never
knew before. We work from the
complex to the simple; and the
Obvious IS the last thing we learn.
When Doctor Still was fifty
years of age he came to the con-
clusion that the science of medicine
was science of guesswork. Set
ting up explosions in the internal
anatomy in order to cure him of
disease seemed to him a very fool
ish proposition.
In studying up the question he
found that one of the very early
forms of treating the sick was by
incantatlons. The sick man was
supposed to 5e SessesAsls OF a
devil, and the doctor made it just
as disagreeable for Mr.. Devil as
he possibly could, Noise, smell,
beatings and poisons were resort
ed to. The giving of toxins for
the relief of disease, no doubt, had
its rise in the same impulse that
suggested the incantations. Doctor
Still also discovered that one of
the very early forms of treating
disease was by the laying on of
hands, which first meant the man
ipulation of the afflicted part.
This is the most natural thing
in the world to do. You will al
ways notice that if a ball-playtr
gets bit, as he walks to first base,
he works the afflicted part, and
usually there are three or four
helpers who volunteer to help him
do the same.
When the baby falls down and
gets bumped, the fond mother
picks it up and manipulates the
bump. This method of treatment
is the natural thing, Also. it has
its base in common sense, as all
natural things do. The hurt comes
through an interference with the
circulation and undue pressure on
nerve, tendon, artery or muscle.
To bring about an equalization of
circulation means freedom from
suffering. Yet osteopothy is not
q matter of massage or rubbing.
1t IS something far more. Doctor
Still began to diagnose every case
that came to him, with the idea of
finding out where the machinery
was wrong. To his surprise he
was able to locate, in agreat many
instances, the afflicted part. Then
the thing was TO manipulate the
bones in such way that an equal
ization of circulation would follow.
Instead Of prescribing a poison for
q patient, something to be taken
out of a bottle with a spoon, on
writing a prescription IN Latin to
b filled at the nearest drug store,
Doctor Still began to pin his faith
on right adjustment. And in order
better to succeed, he took the pa
tient into his confidence, studied
the cause, saw where the indivi-
dual lapsed in his living and think.
ing and acting, and endeavored
not only to put his anatomy in a
right relationship, one part to the