18 September 2010

Gentlemen,

In the Green Book “The Great Divide”, the second sentence states, “It is said that the letter of the word killeth, but the spirit of the word give it Life”. Upon hearing about the proposed recommendations put forth by your organization regarding the changes to the chiropractic profession and teaching institutions, I can not stand in support of them. My reasoning is as follows:

You propose to eliminate the term ‘subluxation’ from use at chiropractic institutions which are based on my findings and teachings.  The word “subluxation” is as much a part of the chiropractic profession as a cavity is to dentistry.  If removal of this term does not affect the basis and foundation of the profession, then why remove it at all?  Subluxations will continue to exist whether addressed by an English word or not. True chiropractors will continue adjusting these maladies.

You also propose to eliminate the phrase “without drugs or surgery” from the chiropractic curriculums which put forth the chiropractic education based on my discovery and findings. Teaching institutions and collages are forming BASED on this principle, yet now you consider changing an inherent chiropractic principle? To what end?

Chiropractic is principled and inherently to be taught and promoted as being a healing profession that does not use drugs or surgery. So, leave that to medical men. For anybody using drugs or surgery to treat dis-ease cannot truly be considered a chiropractor.  A Chiropractor can treat many causes and does so specifically without medicines. By contrast, a medical man without drugs or surgery is useless. This profession thereby would not benefit by such a blend of disciplines. Likewise, licensing the use of drugs or surgery to a chiropractor is a paradox as well as a conflict of interests, and shall be treated as such.

If medicine, medical principles, and medical practices got sick people well, there would be NO necessity for chiropractic to do what medicine fails to do.

The adjustment of the vertebral subluxation is the valve, the switch button which, when turned off makes people sick, and if turned on makes sick people well. As a cause of dis-ease, the subluxation does exist. There are no exceptions.

The institution of chiropractic and its education, upon which all of you have based your lives shall not be infringed by becoming inclusive or subservient to another profession. I did not build my school of Chiropractic in Davenport for this purpose. It is unique and separately identifiable from all other professions, and MUST be kept that way.

It is a violation of chiropractic principle to include dispensing medication. To think that what I would do on this day 115 years ago would contemplate the inclusion of medicines as part of chiropractic would defeat entirely the reason of my discovery.

It is based upon these founding principles that I reject your proposal for changes in the profession which I have founded. By doing so, you are stating that you know more about this profession’s principles than its founder does, and we know this to be impossible. But as for now, it is not a matter of who is right, but what is right for the continuance of this profession. I have done all that I can to make the foundation and principles of chiropractic as clear as possible. I would only hope that over the years of chiropractic’s development and maturity that its unique nature and healing abilities are kept and honored. If they are, they will give you as much pleasure and satisfaction as it has given me.

Electronically signed,

D.D. Palmer – 18 September 2010

(disclosure- DD Palmer- the person is not here now. He has come and gone but left behind a principle, CHIROPRACTIC. As long as he lived, he protected his principle.  Now that he– the person– is no longer here, it is OUR responsibility to protect defend and preserve his principle.)