This book on the Principles of Osteopathy is intended as a manual for the use of students and practitioners.

    There has been no effort on the part of the author to do more than give a short, terse exposition of the essential facts underlying osteopathy.  Realizing fully the great effort required to keep pace with the rapid progress of medicine in general, we have tried to include in our chapters only that which will be solid food for our readers.  We have long since learned that the hurried student and busy practitioner have no time to read long dissertations on any subject.  Time is an essential factor in covering the necessary studies of an osteopathic curriculum.

    In order that the student may read these chapters intelligently he must have concluded at least ten months study of Biology, Histology, Anatomy and Physiology.  These subjects form the basis of the science of osteopathy.

    The author has kept in touch with the growth of osteopathy from year to year through perusal of its published books and periodicals.

    The contents of this book and the condensed results of the author’s study of recognized medical text books on Anatomy, Physiology, Histoloy, Pathology, Bacteriology and Diagnosis, of the works of the founder of Osteopathy, Dr. A. T. Still, Hazzard, Riggs, Henry and McConnell; of six years’ experience in the clinics of the Pacific School of Osteopathy, and the Infirmary in connection with this college, and six years of continuous teaching, two of which were devoted to Anatomy and Physiology and the remaining four to Theory and Practice of Osteopathy and Physical Diagnosis.

    To enumerate the books from whose pages facts have been gleaned for corroborative testimony concerning the Principles of Osteopathy is impossible.  Books have been read and laid aside and what is here written may be the result of something which caught the author's attention for a moment only and then became a maverick.

    The illustrations to elucidate the text have been fur-nished principally by the laboratories and clinics of the Pacific School of Osteopathy.  Without the hearty and efficient aid of my associates on the faculty of this college much of the concise detail of this book would have been impossible.  I am indebted to several osteopathic physicians for drawings of histological tissues which they had prepared during their college work.  They are given credit under their drawings.

    The large number of excellent photographs of micro-scopic structures, patients and movements is the result of the skill of J. 0. Hunt, D. O.   A few of the photographs were made by M. E. Sperry, D. O., who also took great care to see that we had the best of photographic lenses with which to work.  I am also greatly indebted to C. H. Phinney, D. O., and J. E. Stuart, D. O., for their accurate demonstration of osteopathic movements.

    My thanks are extended to Miss Louisa Burns, B. S., for reading the manuscript and suggesting corrections therein, also to Miss Gertrude Smith for preparing the manuscript for the publisher.

DAIN L. TASKER, D.O.