Philosophy of Osteopathy;

BY

ANDREW T. STILL,

Discoverer of the Science of Osteopathy and
President of the American School
of Osteopathy.

PUBLISHED BY
A. T. STILL, Kirksville, Mo
1899.

Copyrighted, 1899, by
A. T. STILL.

Lithoprinted by
Edward Brothers, Inc.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

Preface.

Many of my friends have been anxious ever since Osteopathy became anestablished fact, that I should write a treatise on the science. But Iwas never convinced that the time was ripe for such a production, nor amI even now convinced that this is not a little premature. Osteopathy isonly in its infancy, it is a great unknown sea just discovered, and asyet we are only acquainted with its shore-tide.

When I saw others who had not more than skimmed the surface of thescience, taking up the pen to write books on Osteopathy, and afterhaving carefully examined their productions, found they were drinkingfrom the fountains of old schools of drugs, dragging back the science tothe very systems from which I divorced myself so many years ago, andrealized that hungry students were ready to swallow such mental poison,dangerous as it was, I became fully awakened to the necessity of somesort of Osteopathic literature for those wishing to be informed.

This book is free from quotations from medical authors, and differsfrom them in opinion on almost every important question. I do not expectit to meet their approval; such a thing would be unnatural andimpossible.

It is my object in this work to teach principles as I understand them,and not rules. I do not instruct the student to punch or pull a certainbone, nerve or muscle for a certain disease, but by a knowledge of thenormal and abnormal, I hope to give a specific knowledge for alldiseases.

This work has been written a little at a time for several years, just asI could snatch a moment from other cares to devote to it. I havecarefully compiled these thoughts into a treatise. Every principleherein laid down has been fairly well tested by myself, and proven true.

The book has been written by myself in my own way, without any ambitionto fine writing, but to give to the world a start in a philosophy thatmay be a guide in the future.

Owing to the great haste with which the book has been rushed through thepress to meet the urgent demand, we will ask the indulgence of thepublic for any imperfection that may appear. Hoping the world may profitby these thoughts, I am,

Respectfully,
A. T. Still.
Kirksville, Mo., Sept. 1, 1899.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.