The Embryology of Chiropractic: From Magnetic Healing to Palmer

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The Embryology of ChiropracticFrom Magnetic
Healing toPalmers Third Theory

• Joseph C. Keating, Jr., Ph.D. (Deceased)
• Past Member, Board of Directors
• National Institute of Chiropractic Research
• Past President and Member, Board of Directors
• Association for the History of Chiropractic
• Patrick Montgomery, D.C., F.A.S.A.
• Member, Board of Directors
• Association for the History of Chiropractic
• Associate Professor
• Logan College of Chiropractic

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• The authors are solely
• responsible for the content of
• this presentation

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Health care in the 19th Century was primitive.
Treatment was often more harmful than the disease
itself. A visit to the physician was often a
last resort.
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A famous quote from Benjamin Rush, M.D.The
Constitution of this Republic should make
specific provision for medical freedom as well as
for religious freedom. To restrict the practice
of the art of healing to one class of physicians
and deny to others equal privileges constitutes
the Bastille of our science. All such laws are
un-American and despotic. They are vestiges of
monarchy and have no place in a republic.
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Samuel Hahnemann, M.D. (1755-1843) introduced
homeopathy and the law of similars (similia
similibus curantur) in Germany. His ideas
offered a gentle alternative to heroic medical
practice and became popular in America in the
early 19th century
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Homeopathic Medicine

• The principle of homeopathy, the law of
  similars may be stated as like cures like
  (similia similibus curantur)
• Dr. Hahnemanns theory and practice involved
  administering infinitesimal doses of substances
  that produced symptoms like those of the
  patients disease

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Homeopathic Medicine

• A few homeopathic remedies were adopted by
  allopathic physicians (e.g., nitroglycerine for
  angina)
• 19th century American homeopaths were usually
  better educated than allopaths (the homeopaths
  took their training in European universities)
• The American Medical Association (AMA) branded
  homeopathy as quackery in the 1850s
• Homeopaths invented the term allopathy

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Franz AntonMesmer, M.D., 1734-1815 Patients
also welcomed the animal magnetism of Dr.
Mesmer. Mesmers 1776 dissertation at the
University of Vienna was entitled The influence
of the planets upon the human body by means of a
magnetic fluid. He developed thriving magnetic
practices in several European cities.
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Magnetic Healing(Animal Magnetism)

• Mesmers theories were refuted by a French
  scientific commission, which included Benjamin
  Franklin of Philadelphia - a noted physicist of
  that era
• Mesmerism was introduced to North America by
  itinerant lecturer Charles Poyen of France in the
  1830s

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Magnetic Healing(Animal Magnetism)

• Magnetic practitioners were briefly licensed in a
  few American states
• Both Andrew T. Still, founder of osteopathy, and
  D.D. Palmer, founder of chiropractic, practiced
  magnetic healing

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Dr. D.D. Palmer, Magnetic Healer1887
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The Palmer School and 40-room in-patient
infirmary were located on the fourth floor of the
Ryan Block Building at Davenport in 1900
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Dr. Palmer, Magnetic

• D.D. first practiced magnetic in Burlington, Iowa
  in 1885 or 1886, but soon relocated to the Putnam
  Building in the Ryan Block (2nd and Brady
  Streets) of Davenport, Iowa
• He may have been self-taught in magnetic, but he
  acknowledged studying a variety of alternative
  healing methods (including osteopathy and
  Christian Science)
• He sought a scientific explanation for the
  cures he believed he achieved with magnetic

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Dr. D.D. Palmer used his sensitive fingers to
locate inflammations, which he cooled off by
pouring his personal excess vital magnetic force
into them. It was a precursor to the
specificity of chiropractic diagnosis and
treatment (adjusting)
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During his years of magnetic practice, Palmer
developed his technique of tracing nerves to and
from their presumed spinal origins and
dysfunctional end-organs. Nerve tracing became
one of D.D.s two principal chiropractic
assessment methods
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D.D.s waiting room, early 1890s
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Earliest events in chiropractic history

• September 18, 1895 D.D. Palmer adjusts Harvey
  Lillard
• April 1896 D.D. Palmer coins the term
  chiropractic, meaning done-by-hand
• July 1896 D.D. incorporates the Palmer School of
  Magnetic Cure (PSMC)
• January 1897 D.D. Palmer offers to teach
  chiropractic tuition is 500 for the three-month
  course at the PSMC

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• How do Magnetic and Chiropractic treatments
  differ? If a journal heats we pour on water to
  cool it in the human machine we pour on
  magnetism to relieve inflammation. With the
  chiropractic treatment we adjust the journal and
  box so that they will not heat in the human
  machine we adjust each part to its proper place
  so that all works in harmony without friction
  (emphasis added).

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Dr. D.D. Palmers Three Theories of Chiropractic

• D.D. Palmers concept of his three theories of
  chiropractic were all about
• Inflammation!

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Characteristics of D.D. PalmersSeveral Theories
of Chiropractic - Part 1
Concept 1897- 1902 1903- 1906 1908- 1914
therapeusis? Yes No No
method of treatment? manipu-lation adjustment adjustment
Innate? absent nerves Intelligence Intelligence
circulatory obstruction? Yes No No
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Characteristics of D.D. PalmersSeveral Theories
of Chiropractic - Part 2
Concept 1897- 1902 1903- 1906 1908- 1914
machine metaphor? Yes Yes No
nerve pinching? Yes Yes No
foraminal occlusion? ? Yes No
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Characteristics of D.D. PalmersSeveral Theories
of Chiropractic - Part 3
Concept 1897- 1902 1903- 1906 1908- 1914
nerve vibration? ? ? Yes
religious plank? absent absent optional? obligatory?
tone? (vital) Absent Yes
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D.D.s Three Theories are the basis of all
present chiropractic techniques.

• 1st Theory Manipulate anything that is out of
  place, including all joints, organs, etc.
• 2nd Theory Adjust the spine only by hand only
  where the nerves are pinched, for the elimination
  of nerve interference.
• 3rd Theory Adjust where nerves are encroached
  upon to elimination of nerve interference.

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Chiropractic Techniques

• According to the American Chiropractic
  Associations website, there are 15 most commonly
  used techniques.
• They are

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Chiropractic Techniques

• 1. Diversified
• 2. Extremity manipulation/adjusting
• 3. Activator Methods
• 4. Gonstead
• 5. Cox Flexion/Distraction
• 6. Thompson
• 7. Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT)
• 8. Applied Kinesiology

• 9. NIMMO/Receptor Tonus
• 10. Cranial
• 11. Manipulative/Adjustive instruments
• 12. Palmer Upper Cervical (HIO)
• 13. Logan Basic
• 14. Meric
• 15. Pierce-Stillwagon

These are listed in descending order
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Chiropractic Techniques

• All chiropractic colleges teach diversified.
• There are 6 major types of diversified technique.
  
• Several of the other top 15 techniques are taught
  at chiro colleges as core techniques.
• Several of the other top 15 are taught as
  electives.
• Logan College boasts the most electives at 14.