Autobiography of Andrew Taylor Still with a History of the Discovery and Development of the Science of Osteopathy by A. T. Still
A fundamental text to begin to know the founder of osteopathy and to understand the cultural context and the historical events during which his life unfolded.
Publisher: Kirksville, MO: Published by the author
Year of publication: 1st edition: 1897. Revised edition: 1908
Number of pages: 1st edition: 524. Revised edition: 416
The volume saw a first edition in 1897, five years after the opening of the American School of Osteopathy, and a second revised edition eleven years later, in 1908.
The first edition of Still’s Autobiography contains 33 chapters.
After the frontispiece there is a page dedicated to the main definitions: first of all the definition of osteopathy, diversified according to its context, ie, legal, historical and technical. Then the definitions of the noun “osteopath”, the adjective “osteopathic” and the adverb “osteopathically” follow. The last one defines the “Diplomate in osteopathy. The technical and official designation of a graduate and practitioner in Osteopathy, the formal title of such graduate or practitioner being D. O. – Diplomate or Doctor in Osteopathy.“.
The first eleven chapters of the Autobiography are dedicated to the events of Still’s life: the childhood in the nature, the move to the territory of Missouri, the life in the Wakarusa mission, the participation in the civil war, the death of his children and the doubts on the efficacy of medicine, the years of study of anatomy and different modalities of therapies, the mechanical inventions, the vision of osteopathy and the difficulty in spreading it, the move to Macon City and then to Kirksville, and finally the second constitutive statute of the American School of Osteopathy (ASO).
Chapter twelve introduces the philosophical foundations of osteopathy. Dr A.T.Still explains how he had studied different methods of treatment for fifty years, reading and expanding his knowledge as much as possible, without, however, finding anything relevant, until the moment he discovered that the perfect mechanisms of nature, if freed from their abnormalities, tend to self-heal. He also points out that learning osteopathy requires an excellent knowledge of anatomy and a practical training course under the guidance of a good teacher, and that it is impossible to learn it from a book.
The remaining chapters are dedicated to the explanation of osteopathy and report some of the lessons and speeches given by Still in the eighties of the nineteenth century.
The thirty third chapter contains pages of gratitude towards his wife Mary Elvira for the untiring support, advice and encouragement, his children for having followed and helped him to fight his battles, and towards his mother Martha – his biggest friend and the guide to his intelligence. The chapter closes with words of gratitude for all those who had helped him in the moments of difficulty and with the memory of his son Fred, passed away in 1894.
Streangths: A reading essential to understand the historical and philosophical roots of osteopathy. Still‘s dreamy and charming style, very current in his simplicity, although at times not easy to understand, conveys an excellent portrait of the founder’s ideas. On page 454 of the first edition, Still affirms to have written the book in his personal style, which is not as refined as a professional writer’s style and might feel harsh and raw; he apologizes for it, stating that it corresponds to his habitual way to express himself in his speaking.
Weaknesses: The volume, written like a narration mixing memories, reflections, visions, allegories and parables, contains sometimes incorrect information. Still himself declares in the preface of not having kept a precise diary of the events of his life but to have chosen to tell his memories without frills, just like they were impressed in his memory.1
- Stark, J.E. “A Degree of Difference: The Origins of Osteopathy and the First Use of the “DO” Designation” Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, vol. 114, no. 8, 2014, pp. 615-617.
Are you an osteopath?
Register and enjoy the membership benefits. Create your public profile and publish your studies. It's free!
Register nowSchool or training institution?
Register and enjoy the membership benefits. Create your public profile and publish your studies. It's free!
Register nowDo you want to become an osteopath? Are you a student?
Register and enjoy the membership benefits. Create your public profile and publish your studies. It's free!
Register nowHistorical osteopathy books
Osteopathy Research and Practice by Andrew Taylor Still
The fourth book of A.T. Still, written at the age of 82 years, enunciates the principles and the practical maneuvers of osteopathy in reference to the single pathologies, classified by body regions.
ReadHistory of Osteopathy and Twentieth-Century Medical Practice by Emmons Rutledge Booth
A milestone in the history of osteopathy. Emmons Rutledge Booth, who enrolled at the ASO in Kirksville in 1898 and graduated in 1900, met A.T. Still personally.
ReadPhilosophy of Osteopathy by Andrew Taylor Still
The second book published by A.T. Still, it collects the basic principles of osteopathy, written over several years and then gathered in one volume. Despite the insistence of his friends, Still was not sure that the time was ripe to divulge his early science.
ReadPrimitive Physick: or, an Easy and Natural Method of Curing most Diseases by John Wesley
A fundamental text for the Methodists, which Still’s father surely knew and probably owned - in addition to remedies, the book contains a preface that dispenses advice for a healthy life.
ReadThe Old Doctor by Leon Elwin Page
A small volume dedicated to the story of Andrew Taylor Still, and to the birth and development of the idea of osteopathy.
ReadThe Cure of Disease by Osteopathy, Hydropathy and Hygiene A Book for the People by Ferdinand L. Matthay
A small volume addressed to the general public, dispensing health advice and illustrating some osteopathic techniques.
ReadOsteopathy; the New Science by William Livingston Harlan
The volume collects and comments a series of relevant articles on the new science of osteopathy, highlighting legal, historical and theoretical aspects.
ReadA Manual of Osteopathy – with the Application of Physical Culture, Baths and Diet by Eduard W Goetz
Very schematic volume, with the aim of spreading the osteopathic application techniques to everybody, even to those lacking any sort of health training.
ReadOsteopathy Illustrated: a Drugless System of Healing by Andrew Paxton Davis
A substantial and in-depth volume, written by a physician who participated in the first course of the ASO and then tried to integrate osteopathy into other care systems like chiropractic and neuropathy.
Read