The discovery of chiropractic principles was inevitable. It’s easy to see that now, more than one hundred years after the fact especially in light of the medical context of the late nineteenth century.
In those days, patent medicines were rampant and largely ineffective. The medical profession was attempting to organize itself, establish standards of competency and eliminate quackery within its own ranks, striving to become scientific. Here, in the health field, there was an enormous need to be filled and it was Daniel David Palmer’s fate to fill it.
THE AMAZING DISCOVERY
Working alone like so many successful “backyard” scientists of the time, Palmer discovered the principles of chiropractic through his own research and genius. Here’s the story of how it all began:
It was September 18, 1895, and Dr. Palmer was in his office in Davenport, Iowa, carrying on a shouted conversation with the nearly deaf janitor of the building, Harvey Lillard.
Lillard was explaining in shouts to Palmer, that about 17 years before, while working in a cramped, stooped position, something had “popped” in his back. Since that time, his hearing had become progressively worse.
Dr. Palmer, a curious, intelligent man, examined Lillard’s back and found a painful, misaligned vertebra at the spot where something had “popped” 17 years before. He suspected a connection between the misaligned vertebra and Lillard’s impaired hearing, and reasoned that if something had gone wrong in the man’s back to cause deafness, the correction of the misaligned vertebra should bring back Lillard’s hearing.
Using his hands, Palmer repositioned the vertebra with a gentle thrust, and Lillard’s hearing improved immediately. In that moment Palmer made the breakthrough that had eluded the greatest medical minds down through the ages; he discovered a major cause of human suffering and disease. Shortly thereafter, Palmer named the new science “chiropractic” after two Greek words cheir and praktikis, which translate into “done by hand.”
Dr. Palmer’s fame spread quickly as he continued to prove his hand treatments were effective in many different diseases and conditions.
Soon, ailing people were traveling from near and far to receive the treatments from Dr. Palmer.
FOUNDING THE PALMER SCHOOL
Realizing he alone would be unable to give chiropractic broad outlet, he founded the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport.
MEDICAL CRITICISM BEGAN
The medical establishment soon repudiated chiropractic and its philosophy and theories, dubbing them “unscientific quackery.” They maintained there was no known nerve connection between the treated vertebra and the nerves involved in hearing.
Though neurologists are still unable to trace the direct nerve circuits involved, they readily admit the complexity of the nervous system with its plexuses, ganglions, and billions of intern uncial connections could easily accommodate several explanations of how Lillard’s hearing was restored through chiropractic.
MODERN CHIROPRACTIC THRIVES
Today, from that humble beginning so long ago of just one doctor and just one patient, many fine chiropractic colleges flourish throughout the United States, Canada, and other countries. They are filled with enthusiastic, dedicated students proud to be taking the six-year course leading to the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree.
Dr. Palmer’s premise is accepted and legally recognized in all 50 states, the Canadian provinces and many other countries. Today, chiropractic is the largest of the non-medical healing professions, and Palmer’s science, the product of a man who refused to be beaten down by prejudice, superstition or ignorance, is practiced throughout the world, because it gets sick people well.
Copyright © 2010 Health Star, Inc