When I first read Volume XVIII by B.J. Palmer, otherwise known as The Subluxation Specific- The Adjustment Specific, one subject really stood out to me.
It was the concept of “Superior Brain Congestion-Inferior Body Starvation.”
When I read it, I was astounded. This book was published in 1934, many, many decades before the prevalence of mental disorders like ADD/ADHD, autism, and Tourette syndrome. This concept completely explained to me why mental disorders can exist in what should be healthy, productive members of society, kids and adults alike.
Sure pharmaceutical companies have created disorder after disorder in order to push their pills to millions and millions of Americans. But how do they get away with it? Why is there such a prevalence of sick people in this society so willing to buy into this practice?
Answer: Because millions and millions of people have vertebral subluxations and do not realize it.
I’ll let B.J. Palmer explain it straight out of Volume XVIII himself:
“These terms are used almost, but not quite, synonymously. A torqued subluxation of atlas, or axis, so occludes the spinal canal at various places in various ways, that it makes it impossible for a normal, full quantity of mental impulse supply to flow onward from brain to body thru the obstruction. It can readily be understood that such an obstruction located at a vital intermediate space between brain and body, such as location of atlas and axis predetermines, would at once dam back an onward flow out of the brain, thus producing “brain congestion” of forces or energies made for the body but never reaching the body to be used by the body. The question of whether Innate Intelligence would soon adapt itself to a reduced production, knowing the forces cannot get thru, or cannot be used in the body, is vital and one we cannot answer at the moment of the production of this work. More study is needed before that can be reliably or authoritatively answered.
It is obvious that brain does manufacture a quantity of force sufficient for the needs of all its body below. If there is an interference, then force is sent down to interference and does not, because it cannot, get thru. Being approximate to brain, distance considered, this force is unquestionably dammed back and brain suffers with an excess of energy which becomes clogged within itself. This produces “brain congestion” of manufacture which is manifest in many types of mental symptoms which are not directly attributable to direct brain dis-eases. How farreaching such are is also another problem we cannot answer at moment of production of this work. More study is needed before that can be reliably or authoritatively answered. If results attained by adjustment of torqued atlas or axis is a criterion of what happens, then it is easily observed that brain or mental symptoms quickly disappear upon releasure of interference permitting “congested surplus supply” to get thru to the body.
Betwixt and between brain and body is THE place of THE SPECIFIC which interferes with transmission between brain and body. Interference reduces the normal quantity flow BELOW and dams it back INTO the brain. The absence below is the surplus above. The absence below gives an absence functional disturbance. The surplus above gives a surplus adaptative functional disturbance. Every case, regardless of location, organ or type, below, has an adaptative locality, organic and type of mental disturbance; in plus or minus. The brain-mental functional abnormality is balanced in off-set by its body-organic functional abnormality. If it were possible to correctly analyze either, the other would be discerned with equal accuracy; except that it would be its opposite form; meaning, if the body is starved the brain would be congested.
A torqued subluxation of atlas, or axis, so occludes the spinal canal, at various places in various ways, that it makes it impossible for a normal, full quantity of mental impulse supply to flow onward from brain to body thru obstruction. It can readily be understood that such obstruction located at a vital intermediate space between brain and body, such as location of atlas and axis predetermines, would at once produce body starvation of forces or energies made for body but never reaching the body to be used by the body. The body dis-ease problem has been one on which we as Chiropractors have given much thought, many years, and have seen changes take place when interference IS released and normal, full quantity has been permitted to flow onward into the body. The term “body starvation” as used here is not meant to imply food elements but an absence of energy necessary to keep tissue structures up to tone or normal functioning speed to make them produce a normal functional activity.”
Do you think this little boy has Superior Brain Congestion and/or Inferior Body Starvation?
Highly unlikely.
