REMEMBER THESE WORDS

" I sincerely hope no one will ever think I have been so dumb enough to start another drug school undeor a different name....." neither did he propose his school " turn out another doctor" or " teach a lot of parrots". If the truths of Osteopathic philosophy were to be discovered students must be searchers and questioners not just " gramophones with legs"

Andrew Taylor Still was an inspired preacher, a philosopher giving theory, not facts. He never expected parrot like answers, nor smart comments just common sense replies thought about and justified.

In 1891 3 Patients asked Still to teach them Osteopathy. A 7-month course was offered for $500.

By May 10th 1892 a charter was obtained and of 7 shareholders 5 were stills family. The Official opening was Nov. 1st 1892 with 10/11 students (5 were family, 5 were women) (the women’s historical book says 21 were in the first class, inc. his four sons and blanche his daughter)

In 1893 the first female faculty member Mrs. Nettie Bolles was asked to teach her daughter was in the first class and graduated in 1894

After the first class Still was unhappy and insisted the school repeat. Some refused, such as Marcus Ward (see bonesetting, and the Wharton Hood story)

A. T Still was 64 when the ASO was established. Boundless energy and spirit rocketed through him. Often seem prowling the Kirkville streets at dawn with his familiar six foot stick. Affectionately referred to as the OLD DOCTOR.

He was to his heart a patriot. Displaying the American flag in every lecture room, he was also a "GRAYIST" ie displayed Grays anatomy everywhere as well. He wanted an American school uncluttered from the foreign terminology. For Still the learning of useless knowledge was an utter waste of time. Evolution was beginning and took personal courage and intellectual strength.

The foundation stone of the school stood for. " LIBERTY OF THOUGHT" he spoke of the "FLAG OF PROGRESS" and "AVOIDING THE DUST OF HABIT"

As Still considered orthodox medicine useless their theories and administrations a waste of his time. He greatly admired science and hoped optimistically to place his school on a more scientific basis.

As Still had a certain view point on education the teachers often found it difficult to teach while the old doctor lay quietly at the back of the classroom listening closely to what was being taught.

Memorising was abhorred and note taking taboo, at least while he was around. As teachers were in short supply and there were no Osteopathic text books they had to employ some Medical Doctors from the nearby Norman Medical School. Still kept a sharp eye on them.

On one occasion the professor commented the tonsils should be surgically removed the old doctor sprang up and shouted " Tonsils were placed in the throat for a purpose, and god did not intend them to be removed" Evolution was creeping into medicine and anatomists were taking delight in finding what they called vestigial organs that served no vital purpose thus it became acceptable and profitable to remove them. Still following a theme as old as Aristotle believed nature produced nothing in vain. Evolution had also encouraged looking at the abnormal and rare diseases. Still told his students " I think it very wrong to teach and talk and spend so much time with pictures, cuts .. and hold up constantly to the view of the student births coming from the worst imaginable deformities and call this knowledge of midwifery" Still urged students to learn the normal and that would guide them through all variations. Often he would shout to professors " Yes but what has this to do with Osteopathy"

The approach of monitoring a patients vital signs with instrumental and lab tests arose his temper. Why waste time Still asked "with analising the steam or tar that comes out the axons and piston rods" all that is necessary is to find out what is the matter with the engine and remove the cause , nature will do the rest. He discouraged the use of thermometers as he felt any fool could detect a fever by touching a patients forehead. No students were allowed to carry them in his sight.

In 1894 a bill was passed to legalize Osteopathy on Missouri In 1897 they got state license to be independent Physicians and Surgeons. By 1897 there were 63 graduates.

Still was always involved. On a difficult labor a student called Charlie Still in, who than called William Smith who promptly delivered the baby with forceps. Next day the students heart dropped when he saw Still who he knew hated forceps. When asked what he should have done still answered "Turn on the ovarian artery"

The "ART" of Osteopathy lay in the individual patient orientated approach to treatment. He didn`t like manuals of treatment as no two were the same. Thus the philosophy was important thus an osteopath was a self generating philosopher.. Still wanted to create in the mind of the practitioner " THE COMPASS AND SEARCHLIGHT IN WHICH TO TRAVEL FRO THE EFFECT TO THE CAUSE OF ALL ABNORMALITY IN THE BODY"

Still emphasised anatomy saying "not to touch a patent until they knew what was under there fingertips., the physiological process taking place there and the possible pathology, and don`t forget there is a living soul there too."

The scope was enormous and he would challenge students saying "he just had the squirrel by the tail, and it was up to them to pull it from the tree"

Still tried to discourage M.Ds taking Osteopathy as it seemed to hard for them to change there views.

Usually patient with his students their lack of perception often annoyed him. One student assigned to a patient suffering from inflammatory rheumatism forgetting Still instructions begun at the knees which were so tender they could not be treated. The student repeated this to Still who patiently turned to the blackboard and drew the knees and wrote underneath it Mud Puddle. He said to the student suppose I go up to the spine and open a faucet of pure water to the knees, and suppose I know where to go and open up another faucet that will let the fresh water through and carry the impurities back to the organs of elimination. What will happen to the mud puddle ?

"It will clear up", replied the student. Still replied " so will the patients knees" Illuminated but still unsure he asked how to do this. Now his patience gone he said " You dam fool, what have you been doing with your time while you have been in school, you handle that case or I will turn it over to someone more competent then you "

He disdained the eastern colleges and the learning of useless knowledge. Memorising and note taking were forbidden. He encouraged students to look for health as " any one can find disease" Many after treatment remained in Kirkville to study. Such as one Kiwi called Florence MacGeorge she was travelling the world to help her eye sight. She was prescribed stronger and stronger glasses and burning drops etc, even from Queen Victoria physician. While travelling America she heard of Osteopathy and sort out Still and his college for treatment. Later she wrote that within five minutes the Osteopath had diagnosed the problem was due to an earlier fall which wrenched her neck and effected the nerves to her eye. Her headache disappeared and her eyesight improved. Later she became a graduate in the 1890,s.

These pioneer Osteopaths basked in euphoria believing they had found the secret of health, and were evangelical. Still crusaded to " Stand by the old flag of Osteopathy on whose fluttering folds were emblazoned in gold glittering letters: one science ; one lord; one faith and one baptism"

Remember there were no laws at the time and they could be arrested for practicing without a license. Many kept there overnight bags and a train schedule ready just in case.

Although the first bill was introduced in the state of Missouri legistation begun in Vermont in 1896, than N. Dakota. Hildreth a friend and traditional osteopath was sent to secure the bill along with two of Kirksville finest lawyers. The bill was vetoed on the governors desk although it passed all the senate and house. In 1897 Hildreth resumed lobbying and in March it was passed.

It was all competition as the average physician would get $1200 a year the Osteopath could get an average women practitioner could get $400 a month. Still always warned students do not go into it for the money though.

In 1898 it became a two year course and Littlejohn became Dean and Professor of Physiology.

The little johns were originally from Scotland and arrived in the 1890`s to the states. John Littlejohn suffered with throat problems and had treatment at Kirkville in 1897. James and David his brothers also taught there. With them and William Smith the ASO begun to change. There was clashes with Still as Littlejohn thought Physiology was more important than anatomy. He adhered to the drugless approach but felt everything except materia medica should be taught. The school purchased one of the first X-Ray machines in 1898. Still had in his mind the X-ray of the body long before Roentagen discovery. Visualisation, good observation skills and a delicate sense of touch was all Still needed. He also claimed to see an aura around his patients. He said of the X-ray machine " by tremendously increasing the vibrations ables us to see under the surface what our eyes will not discover. Why can`t we train our minds to do the same.?"