The Atlas of Life Chiropractic » History

6 Blog Posts to Help You Remember Chiropractic’s 116th Birthday

Brandon Harshe, DC — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:00:38 +0000

116 years ago today, on September 18th, 1895, Harvey Lillard told such a funny joke that D.D. Palmer playfully slapped him in the back with a heavy book and it miraculously restored his hearing.

Just kidding. No one really believes that, do they? I didn’t think so… well, maybe they do at National University of Health Sciences.

Anyhow, as I did last week on B.J. Palmer’s birthday, today I am giving link love to some D.D. Palmer-related posts, as well as some chiropractic history-related posts. Enjoy!

1.) Old Dad Chiro: D.D. Palmer’s Discovery of Chiropractic

2.) D.D. Palmer on Trial: His Address To The Grand Jury

3.) Going to Jail For the Principle: Dr. Herbert Ross Reaver

4.) Remembering An Upper Cervical Chiropractic Legend: Dr. Mary Ann Pruitt

5.) Words of Wisdom From The Great Dr. Ralph Gregory

6.) Quotes From Old School Chiropractic Big Shots

30 Links to Celebrate Dr. B.J. Palmer’s Birthday

Brandon Harshe, DC — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:00:57 +0000

On this day, September 10th, in 1882, Bartlett Joshua (B.J.) Palmer entered the world. At that time, the discovery of Chiropractic by Daniel David (D.D.) Palmer was still 13 years away. Little did anyone suspect that a great profession would soon be founded by the father, nor did anyone suspect that the son would champion that profession and its philosophy for more than half of the 20th century.

Much has been talked about in regards to B.J. Palmer, DC, PhC on this site. Below are 30 links to anything and everything B.J. Palmer… from Green Book quotes, to epigrams, to videos, to e-books written about him. Take a look and have fun learning some things about the Developer of Chiropractic!

BJ Palmer Audio on Why Chiropractic Technique Matters

Brandon Harshe, DC — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:40 +0000

I heard this audio on Dr. Joe Ierano’s website last week and thought it would be great to add the voice of the “Developer of Chiropractic” here. Click on the link below to listen. Enjoy!

BJ Palmer on Concept Therapy

Historical Doctors’ Grudge Match: B.J. Palmer vs Charles Mayo

Brandon Harshe, DC — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:00:21 +0000

By L. Ted Frigard, DC, PhC

In the early 20th century, Dr. Charles Mayo, physician, surgeon, and co-founder of the famed Mayo Brothers Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, brought his wife for treatment to the Dr. B.J. Palmer Chiropractic Research Clinic in Davenport, Iowa.

Dr. Mayo had taken his wife to other physicians, including doctors in Europe, all distinguished diagnosticians and specialists. Dr. P.L. Poulsen of the BJPCC staff informed me that those medical specialists had agreed upon a diagnosis – osteochondromatosis of the knee joint. They had tried everything medical to heal Mrs. Mayo, but all treatment had failed.

Dr. Mayo brought his wife to Dr. Palmer for his chiropractic professional services. He addressed Dr. Palmer as Mr. Palmer. To this Dr. Palmer replied: “This is a case of Greek meeting Greek; a test of steel against steel; a test of our simple chiropractic principle and practice against your complex medical theories and experiments.”

Dr. Palmer ordered spinographs taken of Mrs. Mayo’s spine.

“Mr. Palmer, why are you only taking spinal x-rays?” queried Dr. Mayo.

“Because, we are going to locate the vertebral subluxation cause of her sickness, so we can correctly adjust it.” replied Dr. Palmer.

Dr. Mayo rejoined, “There is no such thing, and if there were, you couldn’t adjust it by hand only.”

“Dr. Mayo,” Dr. Palmer said to the world-renowned clinician, “while you are here, we are going to ask you to keep your mouth shut.”

Dr. Palmer performed readings with the neurocalometer and neurocalograph, then analyzed the patient’s spinographs. Afterward, he gave her an upper cervical chiropractic adjustment to release spinal cord compression from the vertebral occlusion in her spinal canal.

After the chiropractic adjustment, Dr. Mayo asked, “Is that all you are going to do? What is wrong with my wife? Where is she sick? What is your diagnosis?”

Dr. Palmer replied, “We don’t know. What is more, we don’t care.”

“You are a very ignorant man,” retorted Dr. Mayo.

“We are ignorant of everything you think we should know,” countered B.J.

After a pause, Dr. Palmer spoke again. “You, too, are a very ignorant man. You are ignorant of everything we think you should know about the cause of disease in the backbone of sick people. We know cause; you know there is a difference or you wouldn’t be here. That’s the difference in your approach, which has done your wife no good, and our approach, which will get your wife well.”

“That remains to be seen,” Dr. Mayo replied.

Dr. Palmer continued: “I am ignorant of everything you think I should know about disease of the sick. You know all this, and what good has it done your wife? The fact that you brought her here proves your methods have failed. Because of reports of the success of our methods of vertebral subluxation and adjustment, you brought your wife here to us.”

Mrs. Mayo received chiropractic care for several months and went home well. Dr. Mayo stated it was impossible for her to get well with what Palmer did, yet he also admitted she was well.

Dr. Palmer expounded: “Medical doctors are concerned in knowing everything about effects, while chiropractors are vitally concerned in the cause in the backbone and how to correct it. What a difference between medical care and chiropractic care! A patient can come to the B.J. Palmer Chiropractic Clinic and be deaf, dumb, and blind – not telling or indicating anything – and we could and would locate the cause of whatever, wherever he had it; we adjust him and send him home well. It is as simple as that.”

I was on the staff of the B.J. Palmer Chiropractic Clinic in 1953-54. Although “Dr. Charlie” had passed away in 1939, during that time, 60 to 80 percent of our patients were referred by “someone” on the staff of the Mayo Clinic.

References:

BJ Palmer,DC,PhC. Volume XXXII.
PL Poulsen,DC,BJPCC. Personal account.

L. Ted Frigard, DC, PhC
Beverly Hills, CA

Germs Are Scavengers

Brandon Harshe, DC — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:00:45 +0000

Once again, straight out of Volume I – The Science of Chiropractic, it is the man himself, Dr. B.J. Palmer.

“All therapeutics, with very few exceptions, occupy the ridiculous position that malposition (subluxation) of the articular surfaces of the joints, more especially of the vertebral column, do not exist.”

“There is as much difference between therapeutical methods, which use remedies to treat disease, and Chiropractic, which adjusts the cause, as there is between a horse chestnut and chestnut horse.”

“Germs are scavengers. To charge them with being the cause of disease would be as unjust as it would be unfair to the street scavenger to charge him with having produced the filth which he is engaged in removing.”

“Practitioners just opening an office, and especially since they use an unknown method, get chronic cases which others have abandoned, but in time they secure their share of the acute cases, which respond more quickly.”

“The road with the deepest rut is the most used. Chiropractors have built a new highway that has no ruts. Be careful, Chiropractors, lest we get into some of the old ruts made by other schools. You find it difficult to rid yourself of habit.”

Words of Wisdom From The Great Dr. Ralph Gregory

Brandon Harshe, DC — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:00:50 +0000

(Editor’s note: I wrote this over a year ago when I was still an intern at Parker College of Chiropractic.)

Recently, I went and spoke with one of our student clinic doctors, who just happens to be an AO practitioner. We talked for a good hour and he gave me some really good material to read.

Among the information he gave me was a copy of a class presentation Dr. Ralph Gregory gave in October 1966.

Here are some excerpts from that talk:

“The one point that I am most concerned with, and I trust that you are also, is that the subluxated vertebra moves; it becomes malpositioned, it gets out of line in one or more directions. The subluxated vertebra travels due to some force that makes it travel in some direction or directions which are undesirable, and this is undesirable because, being a subluxation, it produces pathology or symptomolgy in the patient.

Therefore, the science of chiropractic is to find out the exact location and malposition of the subluxated vertebra; to find out the amount of interference; to determine the exact adjustment that will remove the misalignment factors of the subluxation, remove the interference; ascertain places of origin of function, paths of distribution, and the location of the functional effects of that interference. To put the latter statement another way: relate the subluxation to the disease process.

Thus the whole procedure rests upon the restoration principle. To restore the vertebra to its proper position; restore nerve supply; restore function and to restore health. Any so-called adjustment that does not restore to or toward normal the misalignment factors of the subluxation is not an adjustment; and therefore cannot be chiropractic science.”

Dr. Gregory went on later to make this statement:

“Any chiropractor who increases the patient’s subluxation by increasing the misalignment factors of the subluxation is liable for malpractice and I have ample legal opinion on that.”

A strong statement, no doubt, but one I agree with.

11 Links to Help You Remember B.J. Palmer’s Birthday

Brandon Harshe, DC — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:35:16 +0000

Many of us in the chiropractic profession remember the great B.J. Palmer on his birthday each year on September 10th.

B. J. Palmer revolutionized the chiropractic profession with HIO and with his volumnous writings entitled the green books. He even saved the radio industry from collapsing long ago.

Here are some B.J. Palmer-related links from The Atlas of Life.

1.) Old School Videos: B.J. Palmer Schooling the Students

2.) B.J. Palmer and the Two Evangelists

3.) Superior Brain Congestion-Inferior Body Starvation

4.) B.J. Palmer’s Ladder of Success

5.) B.J. Palmer: Small Things Are Large

6.) B.J. Palmer Epigrams to Start Out Your Day

7.) Seeking a Specific For the Cause of All Disease

8.) B.J. Palmer and His Thoughts on Health Care Reform

9.) Learning 1895 Chiropractic in 2009 Chiropractic Schools

10.) Who Destroys Chiropractic and Why?

11.) Patient Care According to B.J. Palmer

Great Footage of B.J. Palmer and a Word on The Atlas of Life Forum

Brandon Harshe, DC — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:00:37 +0000

January is still out of town this week. So in her place, I thought this video would suffice. It has some great footage of B.J. Palmer. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

On a side note, you will notice at the very top of your screen there is no longer a button labeled FORUM. That is because Ning, the website where I created The Atlas of Life Social Network, has decided to start charging to use their site. I could go with the free version, but that only allows for 100 members, whereas we had almost 200 members. Also, there was very little activity going on in the forum, so paying a monthly fee was just not worth it. I may add a forum to The Atlas of Life again in the future, but for now, I’m too busy to worry about it.

Old Dad Chiro: D.D. Palmer’s Discovery of Chiropractic

Brandon Harshe, DC — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:00:49 +0000

“There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time is come.” -Victor Hugo

This blog would not be complete without telling the story of the discovery of chiropractic, a term coined by Methodist Minister Samuel H. Weed in 1896, meaning “done by hand” in Greek.

Daniel David Palmer, otherwise known as D.D. Palmer, was a magnetic healer in the late 1800′s. He operated his magnetic healing business on the top floor of the Ryan Building in Davenport, IA.

According to Joseph Maynard, in his book Healing Hands, one day, the janitor, an African-American man by the name of Harvey Lillard, walked into the office to clean up. D.D. asked him to come closer, knowing that Lillard was deaf, and asked him about the cause of his deafness.

“Well, Doc,” Harvey Lillard began, “I guess it was about 17 years ago that I stooped over trying to do something or other when I heard a snap in my neck. Then I noticed I got a bump, see it? Haven’t been able to hear a darn thing since. I’ve been to all sorts of doctors, but what do they know? They even tried to tell me I had the bump since I was born.”

D.D. asked Lillard if he could examine the bump. His thought process was that if the bump caused his deafness, then removal of the bump should restore his hearing. He asked Lillard if he could work on him. Lillard agreed and D.D. proceeded to thrust on the bump for three consecutive days.

On the third day, Lillard jumped up and shouted “Doc! Doc! I hear!” In fact, he heard the rumble of the horse-drawn trolley cars riding over the cobblestones four stories below.

Differing Accounts

D.D. Palmer always claimed that he adjusted Lillard’s 4th dorsal (thoracic) vertebra.

B.J. Palmer, D.D.’s son, claimed that he was there at the time of the first chiropractic adjustment and that D.D. adjusted Lillard’s axis (C2).

Which account is true? I guess it depends on if you believe D.D. or B.J.

Anything is possible with Innate Intelligence controlling the body. Maybe three T4 adjustments really did unlock the Innate Intelligence’s ability to restore Lillard’s hearing.

D.D. Palmer made it very apparent to his son B.J. that he wanted to keep this new science to himself and make a fortune off of it.

B.J. had to convince D.D. that between the two of them, they would never help as many people as they would if they taught it to others.

Knowing that, and knowing that B.J. claimed his father adjusted Lillard’s axis, I can easilty understand how D.D. would tell people he adjusted T4. He wanted it to be kept secret. He wanted to keep the knowledge to himself, and maybe B.J. Sharing it with others diminished any hope he had of making a fortune. Considering axis is a part of the Upper Cervical anatomy, I can understand this logic.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter what account is true. All I know is that I am grateful for D.D. Palmer’s discovery and what that has meant in my life and my family’s life.

“It has been one of the rules of my life, that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. In Chiropractic this is especially so; particularly when laying the foundation for a coming science which is destined to be the grandest and greatest of this or any age.” -D.D. Palmer

The Positive Effects of Training Under the Late Dr. E.L. “Bud” Crowder

Brandon Harshe, DC — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:29 +0000

The following are excerpts from an interview I did with Dr. John Goodfellow. Enjoy!

Dr. Brandon Harshe: Can you tell us about your training with Dr. E.L. “Bud” Crowder?

Dr. John Goodfellow: “I first saw Dr. Crowder during my second trimester. I was taking the last Erhardt Radiology seminar and Dr. Crowder often attended. When he entered the room, I noticed something different. He was one of those men that people immediately noticed when he walked in the room. I then became acquainted with Dr. Crowder Interns through the student clinic and found myself on his Sunday Session list and his intern list. I didn’t enter his intern program until my seventh trimester. So, I had exactly one year in his office.

Dr. Crowder taught us to be an extension of him in the process of checking a patient. We learned how to record patient findings in their file. We then learned Chirometer followed by Spinal Balance Checking. After we checked out on supine leg checks, we graduated on to NCGH readings. Following NCGH readings, we were taught to set the patient up in the posture constant chair. If we were allowed to stay long enough, we had the opportunity to set patients up for an adjustment and assist with spinographs.

He did not directly teach us toggle recoil or x-ray analysis or anything clinically about upper cervical. All that we learned came from his questions and watching him. I was further educated by Dr. Crowder following his death.

In 2002, I was asked to help in his office. I had the opportunity to review hundreds and hundreds of files. I witnessed how Dr. Crowder made choices in patient care. I followed his x-ray analysis. I followed graphs and when adjustments were made and more importantly, when they were not.

Although I learned so much while Dr. Crowder was alive, my Chiropractic Mentality was such that I learned significantly more after his passing.”

“I graduated from Palmer February 1998. I assumed a small practice from another Palmer Graduate who had been out for one year in September 1998. It was an interesting experience converting people from full spine to upper cervical specific. It also gave me a great perspective about the power of upper cervical chiropractic.

I left that office space approximately one year later entering another to then leave that one about a year later to enter a third space. After a few months, I entered another space and then one year after that I took on Dr. John Whaley’s office. He retired after 45 years in practice.

One year after that, Dr. Crowder took ill and passed. I was asked to come and help in his office. That was August 2002. December 18, 2008 we closed Dr. Crowder’s office. I estimate I added 10 years of clinical experience after my first year seeing Dr. Crowder’s patients. I poured over 100’s of files. I looked at more x-rays then you can imagine. I took my knowledge and determined how Dr. Crowder did his analysis.

You may recall, he didn’t teach us anything directly. I’ve had the opportunity to care for people sixty or more years under Specific Chiropractic Care. The majority of my ongoing patients have been under care for a minimum of 15 years and many more than that. I’ve been described as the youngest Chiropractic dinosaur in practice.”

The Atlas of Life Chiropractic » History

6 Blog Posts to Help You Remember Chiropractic’s 116th Birthday

Recommended Reading

30 Links to Celebrate Dr. B.J. Palmer’s Birthday

Recommended Reading

BJ Palmer Audio on Why Chiropractic Technique Matters

Recommended Reading

Historical Doctors’ Grudge Match: B.J. Palmer vs Charles Mayo

Recommended Reading

Germs Are Scavengers

Recommended Reading

Words of Wisdom From The Great Dr. Ralph Gregory

Recommended Reading

11 Links to Help You Remember B.J. Palmer’s Birthday

Recommended Reading

Great Footage of B.J. Palmer and a Word on The Atlas of Life Forum

Recommended Reading

Old Dad Chiro: D.D. Palmer’s Discovery of Chiropractic

Recommended Reading

The Positive Effects of Training Under the Late Dr. E.L. “Bud” Crowder

Recommended Reading