Andrew T. Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, reveals how he matured into a medical pioneer from humble beginnings in the rural frontier of the United States. Beginning with his upbringing in rural Missouri, we witness how Still became accustomed to practicality at a young age. At the time he was a boy in the 1840s, the area he and his family lived in was barely settled - many basic public amenities such as hospitals and schools simply did not exist. Still's father became the local doctor, and would introduce his son to the medicine. The outbreak of the American Civil War in the 1860s disrupted the young Still's apprenticeship in medicine and surgery, although he gained valuable experience treating sick and wounded soldiers as a hospital steward. During and after the war, Still was astonished at how ineffectual so many medical techniques were - this, coupled with researches and a further course in medicine, spurred him to create the science of osteopathy.

This insightful manual by Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, sheds light upon the thinking and practices of osteopathy - in so doing, he reveals the history behind the treatment. By explaining the fundamental reasoning behind osteopathic procedure, Still offers readers a blueprint of his own medical practice. Descriptions of treatment inclusive of case studies make this text a valuable document in the history of osteopathy. We learn how processes of the body involving the bones, organs, blood and nerves interact - these processes form pillars of A. T. Still's attitude to human maladies and disease. Chapters of this book are devoted to regions of the body which Still holds to be significant to osteopathy. The functions of the organs are discussed, and their behavior when confronted with sickness and fever detailed. More curiously, Still also appends a chapter on earwax - a useful substance which he held in high regard as the example of nature never making anything in vain.

Andrew T. Still's thorough account of osteopathic medicine details the discoveries and cases which contributed to the development of osteopathy. Written and published at the end of the nineteenth century, Philosophy of Osteopathy is a manual which attempts to overview the major aspects of the osteopathic discipline. Although much of Still's understanding is outdated in comparison to modern medicine, his accessible descriptions made this book a valuable reference text for aspiring osteopaths and physiotherapists for many years following its original publication. Chapters generally concern distinct areas of the body, as well as some theoretical questions which - at the time - hadn't received an answer. Andrew T. Still regards good osteopathy as an art form, and thus does not shy away from a passionate tone during parts of the text. Unusual subjects, such as the uses of earwax and the possibility that man has undergone a slow decline in his bodily resilience, lend color to the book.

Andrew T. Still's thorough account of osteopathic medicine details the discoveries and cases which contributed to the development of osteopathy. Written and published at the end of the nineteenth century, Philosophy of Osteopathy is a manual which attempts to overview the major aspects of the osteopathic discipline. Although much of Still's understanding is outdated in comparison to modern medicine, his accessible descriptions made this book a valuable reference text for aspiring osteopaths and physiotherapists for many years following its original publication. Chapters generally concern distinct areas of the body, as well as some theoretical questions which - at the time - hadn't received an answer. Andrew T. Still regards good osteopathy as an art form, and thus does not shy away from a passionate tone during parts of the text. Unusual subjects, such as the uses of earwax and the possibility that man has undergone a slow decline in his bodily resilience, lend color to the book.

Andrew T. Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, reveals how he matured into a medical pioneer from humble beginnings in the rural frontier of the United States. Beginning with his upbringing in rural Missouri, we witness how Still became accustomed to practicality at a young age. At the time he was a boy in the 1840s, the area he and his family lived in was barely settled - many basic public amenities such as hospitals and schools simply did not exist. Still's father became the local doctor, and would introduce his son to the medicine. The outbreak of the American Civil War in the 1860s disrupted the young Still's apprenticeship in medicine and surgery, although he gained valuable experience treating sick and wounded soldiers as a hospital steward. During and after the war, Still was astonished at how ineffectual so many medical techniques were - this, coupled with researches and a further course in medicine, spurred him to create the science of osteopathy.

This insightful manual by Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, sheds light upon the thinking and practices of osteopathy - in so doing, he reveals the history behind the treatment. By explaining the fundamental reasoning behind osteopathic procedure, Still offers readers a blueprint of his own medical practice. Descriptions of treatment inclusive of case studies make this text a valuable document in the history of osteopathy. We learn how processes of the body involving the bones, organs, blood and nerves interact - these processes form pillars of A. T. Still's attitude to human maladies and disease. Chapters of this book are devoted to regions of the body which Still holds to be significant to osteopathy. The functions of the organs are discussed, and their behavior when confronted with sickness and fever detailed. More curiously, Still also appends a chapter on earwax - a useful substance which he held in high regard as the example of nature never making anything in vain.