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Autobiography of A. T. Still
CHAPTER XI
Like Paul, I tried all things, good and bad, till a few months passed by, when Dr. William Smith, of Edinburgh, Scotland, came to my house to talk with me and learn something of the laws of cures, by which I had and was curing diseases on which medicine in all ages had failed. The conversation was as follows: "I presume you are the famous Dr. Still I have heard so much about all over the State of Missouri. I am a graduate of medicine of seven years in Edinburgh, Scotland. I am now selling surgical and scientific instruments for Aloe & Co., of St. Louis. I have visited about seven hundred doctors in Missouri, and I hear of you and Osteopathy everywhere I go, and since I landed in this town it is all the talk. I tried to learn something of it from the doctors here, but they could not tell me a word about it. I thought very strange of the doctors not knowing anything of a system of remedies that was being used in their own town for five or six years, with reports all over the State of its wonderful cures in fevers, flux, measles, mumps, fits, childbirth without pain, taking off goitres, pneumonia, sore eyes, asthma; and, in fact, I have been told you can cure by this system any of the fevers or diseases of the climate. As I have supplied all the doctors of this town with surgical cutlery, they requested me to come to you and investigate your method. I thought it but honorable to tell you I was a doctor of medicine of seven years' drill in Edinburgh, Scotland. The ones who sent me told me not to tell you that I was a doctor or you would not talk to me." I had met Dr. Smith in my dooryard close to a pole, that had two wires running from it to other poles with connecting wires switching off to my house, and others in the neighborhood. I began to try to answer the doctor's questions of how and why I could cure diseases by this method. Looking at the pole that supported the two wires just spoken of, I said, as he was so frank as to tell me of the many years be had spent in the University of Edinburgh, and that be had seen the Queen of England, the ocean, and many things I had not, I felt that I too must be frank and tell him that I was but an ignorant man who had spent all my life in the West. I did not wish to take any advantage of him and tell him I was a philosopher and my father was a preacher, and I was going to run for Congress, and lots more that my brothers and I would do; but determined to just be honest with him, and tell him I was ignorant, and trying to study what use those two wires were in electricity. He let out and told me he could tell me all about it, having had a practical knowledge of electricity. He explained if I would just take the trouble to follow those wires I would find the other ends in separate jars or vats, in which I would find two kinds of chemicals containing different elements, the positive and negative forces in electricity. As soon as the engine was fired up and put in motion the opposing qualities came together with such great rapidity that endless explosion was the result as long as the engine kept up its action; concluding with: "Thus you have the electric lights. You will find powerful fluids, acids, and all the ingredients necessary to generate electricity in the vats." At this point of his kind explanations I asked him how many kinds of nerves were in man, to which question he kindly told me two, the motor and sensory. "Where is man's powers of action, and where is the power generated?" He said the brain had two lobes, and was the dynamo. "Well, where is the engine?" "The heart is the most perfect of all engines known." "What runs the heart, doctor?" "I suppose the spirit of life runs it." "Is it voluntary in its action, doctor?" "It is involuntary and runs by life's forces." "Perhaps some electricity helps to run the heart, don't it?" "Well, I must say," said the doctor, "the actions and whys of animal life are not fully understood yet. There is much to be learned about life's action." Then I asked my new friend late from Scotland and St. Louis, and much later from a doctor's office, where he had filled up with beer before he started to see the greatest humbug of all centuries, what effect a cake of soap would have on an electric battery if one should be put in the jars of fluids? The doctor snapped his black eyes and said: "It would play h--l with it." "Well, doctor, I have another question I would like to ask you." He kindly said: "Certainly, I will answer any and all questions you may wish to ask if I can." As I had learned that a cake of soap would play the dickens with an electric battery, I proceeded to ask him what effect two quarts of beer would have on the sensory and motor nerves of a man if you poured it into his stomach or electric jar? The doctor hesitated for a minute, and said: "It would make a d--d fool of him," and then added: "Darn your ignorance of electricity." I asked him what fever was? He said that depended on what kind of fever I wanted to know about. I asked him if there was more than one kind of fever, as I knew nothing of but one kind of heat. He went on and told me of typhoid-bilious, scarlet fever, and had a plenty of fevers, but my ignorance had been so dense as to not let me see but one kind of heat in all nature, which was the result of electricity in motion, its intensity only marking the degrees of its actions. I gave it as my view that all kinds of nerves had centres from which all necessary nerves branched off and supplied all forces for blood vessels, muscles, and other parts of the body, and plainly told him to get out of the old ruts of ignorance with nothing but pills and stupidity behind it. I asked him to think what effect we would get if we should cut the vasomotor nerves in two. "Could the blood vessels act to force blood through
the body and keep life in motion, or should we cut a motor nerve of a limb,
could it move? If not, what would you expect if you ligate a limb,
so tightly as to cut off nerve supply? Would you expect that limb
to be able to move? If not, would you not get a similar effect on
the heart or lungs by interfering with the sensory ganglion at any point
between the brain and heart? If so, why not suspend sensation and
stop excitement of heart and slacken the velocity of blood that way simply
obeying the mandates of electricity that had charge of the motor nerves,
causing by its too
I gave the doctor a few hows and whys by placing my fingers on the nerves that govern the blood of the bowels and brain. At this time he said: "You have discovered that which all philosophers have sought and failed to find for two thousand years," adding: "I am no fool, and as a doctor of medicine I have read all history and know such was never known before. Your town has a lot of medical doctors who are as dumb as asses, to be within ten blocks of you for five years and not know the truths of the science you have unfolded here under their noses." As I now remember, the doctor's visit to me was in June or July, and after spending nearly all the afternoon in friendly discussion on the science, he asked to come back that evening. In the evening conversation, we talked of teaching a small school that winter in anatomy, as I wanted my sons to get a good knowledge of the science. I realized that the doctor was fully qualified to teach them, and as he wanted to study Osteopathy, we soon struck up a trade, and in two months he opened a four-months' school in anatomy with a class of about ten, in a small house sixteen by twenty-two feet, which I erected for that purpose. The class advanced as far as all of the bones and muscles of the arm and leg. A few of that class did not return to finish the study; others did, and are skilled reasoners, while those who failed to complete the study are failures. I have learned that if a student is allowed to go into the clinics and operating rooms before be masters anatomy, he gets cures mixed with an imperfect knowledge of the machine he tries to adjust. I know this to be true, because I took the class after Dr. Smith had stopped, with the study of the bones of the body and muscles of the arm and leg only. I could get a few ideas in their heads when I talked about a leg or arm, but could advance them no further. This imperfect knowledge created a desire, to go into the world as cure-alls and know-alls, who want to say and write all and much more than is in Osteopathy. I had never taught nor had I intended to teach the science, but I wanted my sons and daughter to study anatomy and receive a drill from a competent instructor, as I believed Dr. William Smith to be at that time. Since then be has satisfied me that be is the best living anatomist on earth, his head and scalpel prove that be is as good as the best of any medical college of Europe or America. Since leaving Edinburgh, he has studied and dissected to the extent of the demands of Osteopathy for four years, which makes at least two years further in its qualification for the purpose of remedies. Thus I feel safe in saying that Dr. Smith is today the wisest living anatomist on the globe, and will await the successful refutation of the assertion. [graphic 154: "WILLIAM SMITH, M.D., D.O."] It took much cut and try to start without a dollar or friend who had any knowledge of the science I was trying to unfold, and mountains of prejudice to overcome. But I rather liked that, for the fun there was in it. I have often put my foot on the tail of my sleeping cat or pup, and pressed just hard enough to make them growl; they did the growling and I got the fun, so the growling of my opponents has been food for enjoyment. I have left the lady portion of my classes for the last of this narrative, as there were no sloths among them, and all could speak for themselves if necessary. As justice should never forget merit, I will say that all the ladies who have been students in the classes of my school, from its infancy to a large and well-finished college of eighty finely furnished rooms, to the perfection that is up to date and is prepared to teach all branches to a first-class collegiate Osteopathic education, with a thorough knowledge of all that is taught in medical colleges to date, have fully vindicated their gender as instructors, in the classes of the clinics, and general instruction. They have shown their skill and ability in sick-rooms, and in successfully treating and curing the diseases peculiar to the seasons of the year. They have proven their ability in obstetrics by their successes. They have universally, safely, delivered child and mother without laceration to the mother, or the use of forceps on the child; which is the cause of so many fools and idiots among children of today. It is natural to suppose that the ladies will go deeper into the laws of parturition than man ever goes. They know it falls to their lot to bear all the suffering and lacerations; therefore it is reasonable to suppose, for the sake of their sex, they will continue the study of the laws of parturition to a comprehensive and practical knowledge of all the principles belonging to this branch of Osteopathy. To me they have proven that if man is the head of the family, his claim to superiority must be in the strength of his muscles and not the brain. The women have done well in the classes, clinics, and practice, and are as well worthy diplomas as any gentleman who ever entered the portals of the American School of Osteopathy. I will try and give the reader some history of the luck and successes or ability of nature to repair itself when prostrated by heat, cold, fatigue, jars, strains, and many causes that add to the chances to be overcome by the extremes of each of the four seasons of the year, and illustrate the thought by the following allegory. I am at some loss to know where to start, but as we must start somewhere, will begin with winter, which follows the fall season, the time of some of the hardest labors of the year. Men and women receive some of the worst strains of the whole year to their systems while building barns, cribs, and housing fruit, which is usually very straining on the spine and limbs. Owing to the bracing weather of the fall season, with all nerves, muscles, and parts of the body, many of those hurts and strains do not get us down at the time we receive them. So we go on, and on, and still keep on foot, up and around till winter throws her chilling blasts on our partially disabled bodies from strains received in the preceding season. These hurts and strains have disabled our resisting forces so much that we are unable to withstand the winter storms. First there is a complaint of feeling tired, aching of bones, back and head, till we have a chill. "Pleurisy and pneumonia." Then we are off for the doctor and preacher. War on life is declared, and as a chaplain is necessary when pills, whisky, and blisters fail, we just bring the Reverend along at first, for we know that pneumonia will kill just as many or more with the doctor's help as without. With all this knowledge of forty years' observation, I with some misgivings turned my boy, the Joshua of Osteopathy, loose, and told him to go into the fight and help that feeble woman out of misery, and restore her to her loved ones from that monster, pleuro-pneumonia. "You, like Joshua of old, must command the sun and moon of death to stand, and they will stand, if you know bow to command the army of victories." Joshua answered: "Well, pa, I will try, and report tomorrow how Osteopathy succeeds with pneumonia." So this little fellow ran to the lady's bedside and got Pneumonia by the arm, and said: "Why are you torturing this poor little woman?" Pneumonia grinned at Joshua, and answered: "I will torture her as much as I please, and you can't save her from a single pain, you saucy little pup." Josh put his finger on the sensory nerves and told him to go on with his pain, if he could. He said: "How can I give her misery if you don't let me have the nerves to do it with?" and left in disgust at Joshua's actions. Joshua said to Pneumonia: "All things are fair in war; you had to stop and I saved the little woman." The thankful invalid said she would bake Joshua a pie when she was well enough. Just as she made this promise a woman ran to the door and called for Dr. Josbua, saying she had four children and her father all in bed with side pleurisy. Josbua ran over with hat and coat left behind, and boxed right and left and punched until old Pleurisy fled, leaving all in the boy's bands as trophies to the flag he fought under, for winter diseases. Oh, how be made measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and all those things emigrate and quit playing the she-bear among the children! Josh said to Diphtheria: "I want you to stop annoying those little children, for they must go to school, so no more of your meddling with them." Old Dip said: "I will give him a dose that will tame his courage," and by ten o'clock Joshua was called twenty times to the sick. Old Dip had got the babies down, held them, and was choking them until their tongues lolled out, and said, "Let that boy put them back if he can." By this time Joshua got his promised pie and was eating slowly, but as soon as he heard that old Dip was choking the babies he was in a moment on his bicycle, and ringing his bell at all crossings, until the battlefield was reached, where he soon had all tongues back in their mouths, and told their mas to bake them pies just like the one he swallowed, in chunks half as big as Hawaii. Next three great big giants met Joshua, and he asked them where they were going. They said they were going to kill three little boys and two girls. Josbua said: "Give me your names, please, for I will have to report you to the authorities." The meanest one said, "My name is Scarlet Fever; I live on little blue-eyed, fair-skinned children. Another savage, red-faced old veteran of thousands of successful fights said: "My name is Measles. I am a cannibal, and eat human flesh and much of it; but eat only in the spring and fall seasons. I will begin to eat young and old, negroes and all, in about two weeks." The third said: "My Dame is Mumps, and I eat all ages and sexes, white and black; and we three have come to have some fun with Joshua." Four little boys and girls with their grandpa walked in sight, each one having a nice pie, and grandpa had some boiled ham, bread, coffee, and onions for Josbua. He thanked the dear little people who had been so nearly choked to death by old "Dip," and before you could say scat! all four of the happy little creatures had their arms around Josbua's neck, and hugged and kissed him till he could hardly eat the pie and onions. [graphic 160: "MY NAME IS SCARLET FEVER; I LIVE ON LITTLE BLUE-EYED, FAIR-SKINNED CHILDREN."] A pretty little girl said: "Dr. Joshua, do you love to eat pie?" "Yes, dear, and if you little fellows will stand aside I will show you how quick I can eat two pies, a ham of meat, two onions, and drink four cups of coffee." Joshua began and ate four pies, six onions, a ham of meat, and drank sixteen more cups of coffee, at which a timid little girl said: "Oh, my! didn't he eat them awful quick?" To which grandpap said: "He did, but not as quick as he poked your tongue back by Osteopathy." A little girl was suggesting more embraces and pies, when a man pushed open the door and said: "Old Mumps is getting in some mighty bad work on Dr. Neil's son." Dr. Neil was an M.D. of great skill, and Mumps had decided to have some fun out of the Scotch doctor by seeing him poultice and dose the child. The messenger asked if Dr. Joshua was present. "Yes," the four little girls answered at the same time, and grandpa added, "This is Joshua, D.O." "Dr. Neil wants your assistance, and sent for you to come with me to see his son." Joshua told his guests he would be back in thirty minutes. Mounting his whizzing bicycle, he was off like a dart for a trip of a mile, saw the boy, and threw out a peck of poultices and slops, piled all over and around him, and said: "Doctor, please stand aside until I loosen the breaks which have stopped the lymphatics of the parotid glands"; and before the old Mumps knew what Joshua was doing, he had full possession of all the nerves, glands, and blood supply, and left the boy safe and the mumps subdued. Old Mumps gave Joshua thirty cases, believing some of them would put him to flight, but all to no avail. He captured their flags in every fight. After a little while Measles and Scarlet Fever said: "We will join forces and make a combined attack on
the little boys and girls, and their mothers too. Then he won't brag
and eat pies. We will wait until Sunday, and seize six or eight at
once. These cases will be in rich families, where they believe in
medicine, and when Dr. Josh comes the invalids will be stuffed
Sunday morning came, and Joshua shaved, slicked up, and dressed to go to church, as he had promised the little fellows. All were seated, and Mumps and Measles prepared for the attack. About 9 A.M. they began to swell eyes and throats badly, scoring three cases of measles and five of scarlet fever. An Irishman named Pat, who was on the outside of a half-pint of poor whisky, was sent to the church with orders to go up to the pulpit and request the minister to call for Dr. Joshua, and to allow nothing to hinder him from getting that doctor. Pat rushed in, pushed the sexton over two or three seats, and when he reached the pulpit the minister was at prayer. Pat whispered: "Mr. Preacher, could you ax for Dr. Joshua for me?" The minister made no answer, which enraged Pat, who felt that it was a case of life and death, and he must have Dr. Joshua. Then Pat boxed his ears, and said: " Ye old blatherskite, did ye hear me? I want ye t' stop yere blatherin' and ax for Dr. Joshua." Joshua was pointed out to Pat, and he took him and hurried back to where Measles and Scarlet Fever were getting in their work. He had all cases sound and well long before the minister's ears quit ringing from Pat's boxings. Measles and Scarlet Fever lost their flags again, and did not get the laugh on Joshua for his ignorance and failures, even when Measles and Scarlet Fever combined with systems full of drugs made the attack. By this time spring diseases had failed to baffle Joshua, and he was ready to play with the little girls and enjoy the flowers of summer. The flux began to sicken a few babies and others, and Josbua said to the mothers, do this, and that, and flux cannot kill your little ones. Having followed my son Joshua through all four seasons of the year, and never known his flag lowered in defeat, I will end the allegory at this point. He believes and fights under the flag that nature wove for man when be was placed on earth. It is the law of God given to man to heal the sick. Basic principles must at all time precede each philosophical conclusion. Thus you have a center, and with a string you can draw a circle, inside of which all evidences of the truth you wish to establish may be found. A truth is like a machine made for a purpose. All parts must be in place, and power applied to suit or that machine fails to perform the service for which it is designed, and the object is lost, if this is not done; your work proves your stand-point of reason is cloudy, and so far is a failure. In this area of reason, you have a circle that contains only supposable facts. They are still in some doubt, and wait to be tested as suitable evidences to be taken and placed on record. You must remember you are now before the supreme court of reason, and no pettifogging will be allowed. You had better get your truth at once, or drop the hope of being a Philosopher you had as well hope to be an eagle as to try to get truth established and not select all evidences belonging to the case. Put them together, steam up, apply the power of test to all parts, and leave out any part not found up to the standard sought. Never allow your eye for a moment to be taken from the "platinum cup" which contains acids that eat out all substances that do not stand on the everlasting rocks of truth. If this be your rock of reason, your success is assured forever, otherwise you will never fail in getting disappointed every day of your life, because of your sieve not being a good separator. You find all men are successes or failures. Success is the stamp of truth. I will say all men who fail to place their feet on the dome of facts do so by not sieving all truth and throwing the faulty to one side. Do one thing well and let the rest alone. Did you ever see a coon climb two trees at one time? If he did he would be like a man who had his head in many kinds of business at the same time, and fails because he cannot climb but one tree at a time. He is not the man to put at the head of your business. He has too many ideas, and may do for you as he has for himself, prove he has failed, fall, and pull you down too. [graphic 166: "DID YOU EVER SEE A COON CLIMB TWO TREES AT ONE TIME?"] Another kind of danger stands in the background, a too-much-talk man; he talks continually and thinks but little. "Wind" and wisdom never blend. Let him alone at the start or you will repent in the end. He talks for his own self, and to you the lie will appear sooner or later. Look out for gab, my sons and neighbors. [graphic 168: "A. T. STILL'S INFIRMARY AND SCHOOL BUILDING."] I will conclude this chapter with the present charter of the American School of Osteopathy, and the records of the institution on file at Jefferson City, Mo., and with the circuit clerk of Kirksville, Adair County, Mo. STATE OF MISSOURI.
I, Alexander A. Lesueur, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, hereby certify that the annexed pages contain a full, true, and complete copy of the articles of association or agreement, in writing, of "THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHY," with the several certificates thereon filed October 30th, 1894, as the same appears on file, as the law directs, in this office. In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand and
affix the Great Seal of the State of Missouri. Done at office, in
the City of Jefferson, this 30th day of October, A.D. 1894.
CONSTITUTION. Article I. -- The name and style of this corporation shall be "The American School of Osteopathy," and shall be located in the City of Kirksville, in the County of Adair, and State of Missouri. Article II. -- The officers of this corporation shall be a president and such other officers as the trustees shall from time to time deem necessary and appoint. Article III. -- The object of this corporation is to establish a College of Osteopathy, the design of which is to improve our present system of surgery, obstetrics, and treatment of diseases generally, and place the same on a more rational and scientific basis, and to impart information to the medical profession, and to grant and confer such honors and degrees as are usually granted and conferred by reputable medical colleges; to issue diplomas in testimony of the same to all students graduating from said school under the seal of the corporation, with the signature of each member of the faculty and of the president of the College. Article IV. -- That the corporate powers of said College shall be vested in a Board of Trustees, to consist of a number not less than five nor more than thirteen, and that the president of the board shall be ex-officio president of the College; which board shall have perpetual succession, with powers from time to time to fill all vacancies in their body, and that A. T. Still, Harry M. Still, Charles E. Still, Herman T. Still, Thomas A. Still, and Blanche Still shall be the first members of said board, and shall have power to increase their number as hereinbefore specified. Article V. -- That the said board of trustees and their successors, for a period of fifty years, shall have full power and authority to appoint a faculty to teach such sciences and arts as are usually taught in medical colleges, and in addition thereto, the science of Osteopathy; to fill vacancies in the faculty; to remove the same; to declare the tenures and duties of all officers and teachers, and fix their compensation therefor; to provide a suitable building and furnish the same, and to fix the amount of tuition to be charged students, the number and length of terms students shall attend such College before graduating, the qualifications necessary to admit students into said College; to grant diplomas to all graduates who shall attain an average grade of 90 per cent. on a scale of 100 per cent. in each and every branch required to be taught and studied in the curriculum of said College. All diplomas granted shall show the grade made in each branch taught; and to make all by-laws necessary for carrying into effect the objects of this corporation not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Missouri and the constitution thereof. A. T. STILL.
STATE OF MISSOURI.
On the 22d day of October, 1894, before me personally appeared A. T. Still, Harry M. Still, Blanche Still, and Thomas A. Still, to me known to be the same persons described in, and who executed the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged that they executed the same as their free act and deed. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal at my office in Kirksville, Mo., the day and year first above written. My term expires May 2d, 1895. [SEAL] H. E. PATTERSON,
Filed October 22d, 1894. A. P. HIBBS,
Be it remembered that at a term of the Circuit Court of Adair County, Mo., begun and held at the courthouse in the City of Kirksville, in said County, on the fourth Monday in October, 1894, being the 22d day of October, there were present Hon. Andrew Ellison, Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit of Missouri; George R. Rupe, Sheriff; A. P. Hibbs, Clerk; and James B. Dodson, Prosecuting Attorney for Adair County; and on the 4tb day of said term, being the 25tb day of October, 1894, the following proceedings herein were had, to wit: A. T. Still, President, et al. Petition for pro forma decree of incorporation of the American School of Osteopathy. Now at this day the petition of A. T. Still, President, and Harry M. Still, Charles E. Still, Herman T. Still, and Blanche Still, trustees, coming on to be heard, which petition has been on file more than three days in his court, the matters and facts all and singular are submitted to the court; and after fully examining into the matter, and hearing all the evidence adduced by the petitioners, and an examination as well of the articles of agreements and purposes of the association, the court finds and is of the opinion that such articles of agreement and the purposes of the association come properly within the purview of Article Ten, Chapter Forty-two, Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri of 1889, entitled Benevolent, Religious, Scientific, Fraternal, Beneficial, Educational, and Miscellaneous Associations, and are not inconsistent with the constitution of laws of the United States or of this State. Wherefore this court orders, adjudges, and decrees that the foregoing findings and judgments be entered on record by the clerk of this court, and that the petitioners be adjudged entitled to the decree as prayed in their petition incorporating them under the corporate Dame of the American School of Osteopathy as a college with all the powers, rights, and privileges granted to such associations by virtue of Article Ten, Chapter Forty-two, Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, 1889. STATE OF MISSOURI
I, A. P. Hibbs, clerk of the Circuit Court in and for said County, hereby certify that the above and foregoing to be a true copy of the proceedings of our said Circuit Court on the day and year above written, as the same appears of record in my office. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court at my office in Kirksville, this the 26th day of October, 1894. [SEAL.] A. P. HIBBS, Clerk.
Filed and copy issued, October 30tb, 1894. A. A. LESUEUR,
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