DD Palmer’s Books Were Inspired by Conflict
DD Palmer’s books were primarily a response to his critics, students, and colleagues. His three books were published in 1906, 1910, and 1914. Each of DD Palmer’s books represent distinct sets of ideas and conflicts. In fact, all were inspired by conflict.
One of the reasons I haven’t blogged in a while is because my time has been filled with studying DD’s collected works and the ideas that grew from them.
I decided that instead of waiting until the new program is launched I would just start blogging about my latest findings. A few ideas at a time.
Volume 1 of DD Palmer’s Books
I knew that BJ Palmer published Volume 1 of the chiropractic greenbooks after he and DD split their partnership. BJ kept both of their names on it as coauthors. They announced the book in January 1906, so they obviously started it together. According to Faulkner and Foley the two foremost scholars on Volume 1, DD was fully behind the book until the trial and all that ensued thereafter. He announced that he was leaving chiropractic and so BJ went ahead with the book, which was what his father originally wanted.
How much of the book was actually written by DD Palmer? That was my question. (Or one of them!)
In order to figure out this puzzle I read everything DD Palmer wrote prior to May 1906 when he split with BJ and headed to Oklahoma. Then I read a first edition of Volume 1. Thankfully google books has one available. The later editions were published in 1910 and 1917. Those do not have DD’s name listed as author! BJ edited those editions and added new content.
What I discovered was pretty amazing. They hired a college professor to arrange the book. He took most of DD’s writings from their journal The Chiropractor. DD wrote articles in every issue from December 1904 until April 1906 when he was jailed for 23 days. I determined that most of the content in the book was indeed written by DD. Some of it was written as far back as 1899. Articles from other authors were used as well.
Authors of Volume 1
Some of DD’s Main Chapters
- Chiropractic Rays of Light
- Chiropractic Versus Therapeutics
- Innate Intelligence
- Luxations of the Bones Cause Disease
- The Body is Heat By Nerves
- Chiropractic Versus Osteopathy
Inspired by Conflict
DD really started writing in 1905. We can attribute his burst of scholarship to conflict. That was the year AP Davis published his first book on a new method called Neuropathy. Davis, an 1898 graduate from Palmer’s school, combined osteopathy, chiropractic, and several other methods. Historian Gaucher-Peslherbe wrote, “It got Palmer back to work again.”
DD did not want Davis’ theories to be the published word on his child, chiropractic. All of DD Palmer’s books were inspired by similar events and conflicts.
As you can see from two of the chapters above, he also wrote about chiropractic versus therapeutics and osteopathy. Conflict.
A Preview
In 1909, DD was settled in Portland, Oregon. He started a new journal called The Chiropractor Adjuster. His goal was to adjust the misconceptions about chiropractic in the field. Several of the issues are preserved in the Palmer archives. Like all of DD Palmer’s books, the 1910 book was a collection of writings.
What I found amazing was that even though the 1910 book goes on to criticize many of the chiropractors of the day, the main person DD attacked during 1909 was his son. There were many reasons for this conflict. The criticisms were aimed at BJ’s first two books: Volumes 2 and 3. The books were published in 1907 and 1908. Perhaps DD got them from BJ’s students who lived in Portland.
From my reading of these criticisms it seems that DD was angry. So angry in fact, that he obviously misunderstood several of BJ’s new theories including Intellectual Adaptation and recoil.
Both Palmers developed new ideas because of this conflict. DD developed his theory of impingement in 1909. BJ introduced his theory of cord pressures in 1910.
More to Come
I will follow up very soon with more blog posts on the conflicts that inspired DD Palmer’s books. Again, my plan is to share a bit of what I am learning as I go. I hope you find this useful and helpful. Please feel free to comment and share it.
I have heard people say that these historical events are not relevant anymore or don’t matter for various reasons. They are relevant because the foundation of the chiropractic paradigm was established in these writings. DD was forced to refine and develop his ideas in significant ways. And of course, the history of chiropractic has been shaped by conflict ever since. If we are ever to move forward as a profession we need to learn from history.
