Osteopathy 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.
Publisher: Fred L. Rowe, Cincinnati, Ohio (USA),
Year of publication: 1899
Number of pages: 851
A volume dedicated to explain osteopathy in calm and serious terms, addressed to professionals.
The first 200 pages outline the fundamental principles of osteopathy and describe the nervous system, highlighting the importance of nerves for the functioning of all the organs.
Afterwards, the author describes both the general osteopathic treatment, defined as important and not to be neglected, and the specific treatments in the case of particular pathologies. The emphasis is always on common sense and on the objective pursued, which must be the removal of all obstructions.
It follows a part containing indications about the bed, visit, diet in case of sickness (It is important not to overload the gastrointestinal system) and about the importance of the mental aspects. In a successive chapter expressing an enthusiastic approval of “orificial surgery” by the homeopath E.H. Pratt, who affirmed the necessity of keeping all body orifices clean; some advice is given on the most appropriate clothes to wear during the manipulations.
The book continues by giving instructions for the reduction of dislocations and, starting from page 237, for the treatment of the single pathologies. These last ones are introduced with their scientific name, each with a description of symptoms, cause and treatment: fevers, acute pathologies, blood, respiratory system, otolaryngology, pulmonary, circulatory, cardiac, nervous, gastrointestinal, urinary, peritoneal, cutaneous and ocular diseases are all addressed.
The book closes with a page regarding some techniques used to soothe labor pain and reduce delivery time, and, at the very end, with a small chapter on obesity.
The volume contains an analytical index.
Strengths: An interesting work from an historical point of view, showing the principles of osteopathy acquired by the author in the first official course of the ASO, even though interpreted in his own way.
Weaknesses: Dr A.P. Davis takes possession of osteopathy, integrating it into his other medical knowledge and specializations. He also points out that, despite owing to Dr Gowers the description of the functioning of the nervous system and to Dr A.T. Still the discovery of the fundamental principle of osteopathy, it is only thanks to his own further in-depth studies that this discipline could begin to thrive. He also declares to have been a teacher in the first school of osteopathy ever (pp. X-XI, 45-46).
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Register nowHistorical osteopathy books
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