Reminder that we will be closed September 7 for Labor Day!

Volume 9. Issue 7 September 2020

THE SPINAL TIMES

Lancaster Chiropractic Life Center

The History of Chiropractic

The Classical World

There is some evidence that the practice of chiropractic can be traced back to ancient Egypt (4000 B.C.), China (2700 B.C.) and Greece (1500 B.C.). Moreover, the famed “Father of Medicine,” Hippocrates (500 B.C.), who was renowned for ridding medicine of superstition and quackery, may have practiced chiropractic. Historians have used Hippocratic
quotes like “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases” as evidence of his involvement with chiropractic.

D. D. Palmer — The Founder (March 7, 1845 – October 20, 1913)

At the end of the 19th century, when D.D. Palmer came on the health care scene, medicine was leaving an era of proclaimed cure-alls to pursue more scientific investigation into the treatment of disease. D.D. reasoned that the body had an ample supply of natural healing power transmitted through the nervous system. If a single organ was sick, it must not be receiving its normal nerve supply. That led to the premise of spinal misalignment, or subluxation, and from there to a procedure for adjusting the vertebrae. D.D. performed his first adjustments in 1895, relieving one man of deafness and another person of heart trouble. Arrangements were made to train others in the application of the chiropractic principle. The Palmer School and Cure was founded in 1897 and was later incorporated under the laws of Iowa. The school later became the Palmer School of Chiropractic.

B. J. Palmer — The Developer (September 14, 1882 – May 27, 1961)

Dr. B.J. Palmer launched his colorful career by assuming the responsibility of the Palmer
School of Chiropractic in
1906. His contributions included extensive research, improved methods of spinal adjusting and analysis, higher standards for chiropractic education, and increased appreciation for chiropractic worldwide. B.J. battled on many fronts — legal and
legislative obstacles to the licensing of chiropractors and financial challenges to the school. He was often the center of controversy, but well before his death in 1961, chiropractic had secured a place among the health sciences.

Mabel Heath Palmer — The First Lady of Chiropractic

(1881-1949)

A guiding influence in B.J. Palmer’s life was his wife, Mabel Heath Palmer, who became a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1905. A recognized authority on anatomy and an instructor at the school for more than 30 years, Mabel Palmer was a close and valued adviser to her husband in all phases of the chiropractic profession.

David Palmer, the grandson of chiropractic’s founder, assumed the presidency of Palmer in 1961. An initial step toward accreditation was to change the corporate name of the Palmer School of Chiropractic to Palmer College of Chiropractic. Then the campus was modernized, with classrooms renovated and modern teaching aids installed. Two other key contributions were the establishment of non-profit status for Palmer College and the organization of the Palmer College of Chiropractic International Alumni Association. After Dr. Dave’s death in 1978, the College received accreditation from the Council on Chiropractic Education and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Happy Birthday Chiropractic!

This month we celebrate the birth of the Chiropractic profession! On September 18, 1895, Dr. Daniel David (DD) Palmer delivered the first adjustment to Harvey Lillard, a janitor in Dr. Palmer’s building in Davenport, Iowa. Approximately 17 years earlier, Mr. Lillard lost his hearing as a result of a workplace accident. Dr. Palmer, a magnetic healer at the time, was a brilliant and inquisitive man. He asked Mr. Lillard if he could examine him to determine precisely why he could no longer hear. Mr. Lillard consented and allowed Dr. Palmer to examine and care for him. After extensive examination, Dr. Palmer found that Mr. Lillard was not in any pain due to his accident. He posited that the root cause of Mr. Lillard’s hearing loss was a nerve that was not functioning well because a spinal vertebra was out of alignment, pressing on it. Dr. Palmer adjusted that bone—and after only two adjustments, the result was miraculous! Mr. Lillard’s hearing returned!! This marked the beginning of the Chiropractic Profession.

Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” stated, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” Mr. Lillard provided the first chiropractic testimony that caring for the spine and the nervous system is not about pain. It is about maintaining optimal health and preventing the onset of unnecessary dis-ease. Had DD Palmer not given Mr. Lillard a specific chiropractic adjustment, he would have spent his life unable to hear the world around him. Instead, Mr. Lillard became the first “maintenance” chiropractic patient, remaining in care until his death in 1925.

This month, we remember what health is about. In honor of the very first chiropractic adjustment, we will offer $18 First Visit to New Patients during the week of September 14th-17th. Cheers to another 125 years of healing!

Chiropractic B-day Special

1st Visit for New Patients just $18 - September 14th-17th

Thank You For Your Referrals!

• Michelle F.

• Scott G.

• Shannon B.

• MeaganA.

• Madeline M.

• JamesW.

• Maria R.

• Jim M.

• Angie M.

• Wilfredo M.

• Valerie D.

• Lisza B.

• Corey B.

• Juliana K.

3