Philosophy of Osteopathy, Andrew Taylor Still [best book club books for discussion TXT] 📗

this point of our inquiry we are left in an open sea of mystery and conjecture as to cause. One says, "malaria," and goes no farther, gives a name and stops. If you ask for the cause of such torturous pain in head and back, with fever and vomiting, he will tell you that the very best authorities agree that the cause is malaria, with its peculiar diagnostic tendency to affect the brain, spine and stomach, and administers quinine and leaves, thinking he has said and done all.

Reason would lead seekers for cause of the pain above located to remember that all blood passes first as chyme up to heart and lungs, directly through the diaphragm, conducted through the thoracic duct, first to heart, thence to lungs, at the same time rivers of blood are pouring into the heart from all of the system. Much of it very impure, from diseased or stale blood. Much of the chyle is dead before it enters the great thoracic duct and goes to the lungs without enough pure blood to sustain life. Then disease appears.

As a cut-off the diaphragm, when dropped front and down, and across the aorta and vena cava by a lowering of the ribs, on both sides of the spine; it would be a complete pressure over cœlic axis, with liver supply, renal, pelvic, to a complete abdominal stoppage. Then we have over-due blood for other parts to send off dead corpuscles by asphyxia, with no hope that it can sustain life and health of the parts for which it was designed. Thus we know that nature would not be true to its own laws, if it would do good work with bad material.

A DEMAND ON THE NERVES.

Why not reason on the broad scale of known fact, and give the "why" he or she has complete prostration when all systems are wholly cut off from a chance to move and execute such duties as nature has allotted to them. Motor nerves must drive all substances to, and sensation must judge the supply and demand. Nutrition must be in action all the time and keep all parts well supplied or a failure is sure to appear. We must ever remember the demands of nature on the lymphatics, liver and kidneys, that nerves work all the time or a confusion for lack in their duties will mark a cripple in some function of life over which they preside.

DANGER OF COMPRESSION.

At this time we see by all systems of reason that no delay in passage of food or blood, can be tolerated at the diaphragm, because any irritation is bound to cause muscular contraction and impede the natural flow of blood, first through the abdominal aorta, and even to a temporary, partial or complete stoppage of arterial supply to the abdomen. Or the vena cava may be so pressed as to completely stop the return of venous blood from the stomach, kidneys, bowels and all other organs, such as the lymphatics, pancreas, fascia, cellular membranes, nerve centers, ganglionic and all systems of supply of organs of life found in the abdomen. Thus by pressure, stricture or contraction to the passage of blood can be stopped, either above or below the diaphragm, and be the cause of blood being detained long enough to die from asphyxia, and be left in the body of all organs below the diaphragm.

A CAUSE FOR DISEASE.

Thus you see a cause for Bright's disease of kidneys, disease of womb, ovaries, jaundice, dysentery, leucorrhœa, painful monthlies, spasms, dyspepsia, and on through the whole list of diseases now booked as "causes unknown," and treated by the rule of "cut and try." We do know that all blood for use of the whole system below the twelfth dorsal vertebra does pass through the diaphragm, and all nerve supply, also passes through the diaphragm and spinal column for limb and life. This being a known fact, we have only to use reason to know that an unhealthy condition of the diaphragm is bound to be followed by many diseases. A list of questions arise at this point with the inquirers that must and can be answered every time by reason only. The diaphragm is a musculo-fibrinous organ and depends for blood and nerve supply above its own location, and that supply must be given freely and pure for nerve and blood or we will have a diseased organ to start with; then we may find a universal atrophy or œdema, which would, besides its own deformity not be able to rise and fall, to assist the lungs to mix air with blood to purify venous blood, as it is carried to the lungs to throw off impurities and take on oxygen previous to returning to the heart, to be sent off as nourishment for the system. It is only in keeping with reason that without a healthy diaphragm both in its form and action, disease is bound to be the result. A question from our side of the argument is: How can a carpenter build a good house out of rotten, twisted or warped wood? If he can, then we can hope to be healthy with diseased blood, but if we must have good material in building, then we should form our thoughts to suit the heads of inspectors, and inspect the passage of blood through the diaphragm, pleury, pericardium and the fascia, superficial, deep and universal. Disease is just as liable to begin its work in the fascia and epithelium as any other place. Thus the necessity of pure blood and healthy fascia, because all functions are equally responsible for good and bad results.

WAS A MISTAKE MADE IN THE CREATION?

At a given period of time the Lord said, "Let us make man." After He had made him He examined him, and pronounced him good, and not only good, but very good. Did He know what good was? Had He the skill to be a competent judge? If He was perfectly competent to judge skilled arts His approval of the work when done was the fiat of mental competency backed by perfection. Since that architect and skilled mechanic has finished man and given him dominion over the fowls of the air, the beast of the field and fishes of the sea, hasn't that person, being or superstructure proven to us that God, the creator of all things, has armed him with strength, with the mind and machinery to direct and execute? This being demonstrated and leaving us without a doubt as to its perfection, are we not admonished by all that is good and great to enter upon a minute examination of all the parts belonging to this being; acquaint ourselves with their uses and all the designs for which the whole being was created. If we are honestly interested with the acquaintance of the forms and uses of the parts in detail by close and thorough examination of the material, its form and object of its form, from whence this substance is obtained; how it is produced and sustained through life in kind and form. How it is moved, where it gets its power, and for what object does it move? A demand for a crucial examination of the skull, the heart, lungs, of the chest, the stomach, liver and other organs of the abdomen is made. The septum of the brain, the pericardium of the chest—the diaphragm of the abdomen which is a dividing septum between the abdomen and chest. In this examination we must know the reasons why any organs, vessel or any other substance is located at a given place. We must run with all the rivers of blood that travel through the system.

AN EXPLORATION.

We must start our exploring boat with the aorta, and float with this vital current; see the captain as he unloads supplies for the diaphragm and all that is under it. We must follow him and see what branch of this river will lead to a little or great toe, or to the terminals of the whole foot. We must pass through the waters of the dead sea by the way of the vena cava, and observe the boats loaded with exhausted and worn out blood, as it is poured in and channeled back to the heart, with all below the diaphragm. Carefully watch the emptying of the vena azygos major and minor, with the veins of the arms and head all being poured in from little or great rivers to the vena innominate on their way to the great hospital of life and nourishment; whose quarter-master is the heart; whose finishing mechanic is the lung. Having acquainted ourselves with the forms and locations of this great personality we are ready at this time after examination, and found worthy and well qualified to enter into a higher class in which we can obtain an acquaintance with the physiological workings separately and conjoined of the whole being. At this place we become acquainted with the hows and whys of the production of blood, bone and all elements found in them, necessary to sustain sensation, motion, nutrition, voluntary and involuntary action of the nerve system. The hows and whys of the lymphatics, the life sustaining powers of the brain, heart, lungs, and all the abdominal system, with their various actions and uses, from the lowest cellular membrane to the highest organ of the body.

RESULT OF REMOVAL OF DIAPHRAGM.

When we consult the form of the cross-bar that divides the body in two conjoined divisions and reason on its use, we arrive at the fact that the heart and lungs must have ample space or room to suit their actions while performing their functions. At this time a question comes up: What effect would follow the removal of the fence between heart, lungs and brain, above that dividing muscle, and the machinery that is situated below said cross-bar? We see at a glance that we would meet failure to the extent of the infringement on demanded room for normal work of heart to deliver below lungs to prepare blood, and the brain to pass nerve power to either engine above, and all organs below the diaphragm.

SUSTAINING LIFE PRINCIPLES.

The life of the living tree is with the bark and superficial fascia which lies between the bark of the body of the tree, its periostium. The remainder of the tree takes the position or place of secreting. Its excretory system is first upwards from the surface of the ground, and washes out frozen impurities in the spring, after which it secretes and conveys to the ground through the trunk of the tree to the roots which is like unto the placenta attached to mother earth, qualifying all substances of constructing fiber and leaf, of that part of the tree above the ground. Each year produces a new tree which is seen and known by circular rings called annular growths. That growth which was completed last year is now a stale being of the past and has no vital action of itself. But like all stale beings its process is a life of another order, and dependent upon the fascia for its life and cellular action which lies under the bark, for its own existence as a living tree. It can only act as a chemical laboratory and furnish crude material which is taken up by the superficial fascia and conveyed up to the lungs, and exchanges dead for living matter, to receive and return to all parts of the tree, keeping up vital formation. With frost its vital process ceases through the winter season until mother earth stimulates the placenta, and starts the growth of a new being, which is developed and placed in form on the old trunk. Thus you see everything