The Brown Cow Eats Green Grass and Gives White Milk.

Editor's note. Dr. Sanford Black was a 1947 graduate of the Palmer School of Chiropractic. As a longstanding practicing Blair practitioner, Dr. Black was one of those "gentle" giants in chiropractic. The type that had an unshakable certainty about chiropractic and left a lengthened shadow on our profession. My favorite memory of Dr. Black is when I checked him one day and he had lost his adjustment. Just at the moment I was setting up on him, he said I was the 5th chiropractor to ever adjust him. Drs. B.J. Palmer, Sterling Pruitt Sr., Mary Ann Pruitt, and Bill Blair were the other four. I have never been more honored and nervous at the same time. Dr. Black has passed away, but he left me with about eight small essays on chiropractic philosophy. Today's post is the first and it is my honor to keep a small part of his legacy alive.

Chiropractic Philosophy

By Dr. Sanford Black

In Chiropractic Philosophy we understand that there are no separate and independent major systems within the human body. No separate or isolated actions or function can occur without affecting all other systems of the body.

In a patient that is critically ill, when one major system begins to fail, it will affect all other systems to the extent that measurable responses can foretell the failure of the body to respond.

As a student in Chiropractic Philosophy class, I asked a question, “When should you stop adjusting a critically ill patient?” The professor responded by asking me the question, “How young a patient can a Chiropractor adjust?” To both questions his answer was: “It always helps if the patient is breathing.”

Yes, it is always indicated to adjust Vertebral Subluxations whenever THEY ARE DETECTED. The Innate response must be allowed to occur. Sometimes that response can be so very intense and strong so as to startle the Chiropractor.

So many times we find that we tend to adjust a patient with only one result in mind. For instance, to get rid of a headache or relieve muscle spasm. We have all seen patients that have been under the care of a Chiropractor for a very long time and have been adjusted symptomatically for the relief of the acute system that may have been present. The patient feels bad, goes in to their Chiropractor and feels better after an adjustment and then only returns when another symptom or the same one shows up.

Regardless of the new patient’s initial complaint, the modern Chiropractor must be looking at the patient as a whole – as a complete functioning organism. The patient’s initial complaint is quite often only the visible tip of the traditional iceberg. In taking the history, constant attention must be paid to the chronicity of each complaint. The presence of Vertebral Subluxation must be noted, verified and considered to be affecting the whole organism. Careful case management during the process of recovery will educate the patient to know what is occurring within all their body systems and will help them to realize that their return to health is a direct result of the correction of their Vertebral Subluxation. The patient will then realize that their return to health is an expected natural result, just like when the brown cow eats green grass and give white milk.

Principle #32 and the Chiropractor

Editor’s note. This article is an edit/reprint from my article in the Summer 2003 edition of “The Spinal Column”, the official newsletter of the Chiropractic Society of Texas.

As one studies Chiropractic philosophy, the one thing that strikes you is how it applies to all aspects of life. One of these basic principles is that Chiropractic philosophy flows from above-down inside-out. Intelligence flows from the SOURCE to each individual and we can take this and apply it to the issue of why a Chiropractor should belong to a state, province or national association.

In R.W. Stephenson's 1927, "Chiropractic Textbook", the 33 Principles of Chiropractic were outlined for the profession. These principles start with a major premise and then flow from above-down in a deductive fashion. Principle number 32 deals with the principle of coordination. It is defined as, "Coordination is the principle of harmonious action of all the parts of an organism, in fulfilling their offices and purposes".

First, let us look at the organism of Chiropractic and evaluate the individual parts. Above all else, the Principles of Chiropractic come first. The reason why we must start here is because these principles are the premise on which Chiropractic is based. The tenets of Chiropractic are more important than any individual association, chiropractic college or individual practicing chiropractor. These principles are timeless and are perfect.

The next item in our discuss ion involves the state, province and national chiropractic associations. Belonging to an association is very important because it allows for a collective group of Chiropractors, with the same core values and beliefs, to come together and promote and protect their point of view. We use our membership and the resources it provides to advance Chiropractic and to keep our profession a separate and distinct healing art. We must also protect it from any interlopers, such as physical therapists trying to manipulate or treat subluxations.

The office holders of these associations also play a vital role in allowing proper communication of issues concerning the advancement of Chiropractic to flow to the general membership. If this flow is interfered with, then incoordination will result and the organism (in this case the association) will lose its proper function and experience a lack of ease. Therefore, it is vital that communication flows to and from the chiropractor and the association to ensure that all parts of the organism are in a state of harmonious action.

Finally, the individual chiropractor plays an important role in expressing Chiropractic philosophy and applying this true philosophy to the general public. If the Chiropractic principles are adhered to and expressed through both the association and the individual member, we have coordinated function and as a result, we are fulfilling our offices and purposes. The end result will have positive accumulative constructive survival values for Chiropractic. Get involved!

The Typo in the 33 Principles

It is my opinion that the 33 Principles are perhaps the most scrutinized writings in Chiropractic history. However, they have stood the test of time and are as true today as they when they were first formulated by Dr. B.J. Palmer and written down in 1927 by Dr. R.W. Stephenson in "The Chiropractic Textbook".

However, I think there is one problem with them. Principle #30 (The Causes of Dis-ease) states on page xxxiii, "Interference with the transmission of Innate forces causes incoordination of (emphasis mine) dis-ease."

Later in the Senior Text portion of the book, each of the 33 Principles are discussed in great detail. On page 301, Article 364, it states that the definition of the Cause of Dis-ease is, "Interference with the transmission of Innate forces causes incoordination or (empahsis mine) dis-ease.

It is my opinion that this is the correct definition of Principle #30 and one typo that has gone unnoticed throughout chiropractic history. In fact, it was Dr. Rob Sinnott that first brought my attention to this matter and it makes total sense to me. Interference with Innate forces causes either incoordination or dis-ease.

The first definition brings about the question of cause and effect. Do you need to have dis-ease to cause incoordination. Are they mutually exclusive as the word "or" would indicate or is there a possessive relationship as "of" would indicate?

To me the correct wording should be "or" and I think about all the websites, posters, books, and other Chiropractic material that have carried on this typo for 82 years. I don't know about you, but I am making the correction in my Stephenson's Text Book today.

The 33 Principles

The 33 Chiropractic Principles
by Ralph W. Stephenson, DC

1. The Major Premise - A Universal Intelligence is in all matter and continually gives to it all its properties and actions, thus maintaining it in existence.

2. The Chiropractic Meaning of Life - The expression of this intelligence through matter is the Chiropractic meaning of life.

3. The Union of Intelligence and Matter - Life is necessarily the union of intelligence and matter.

4. The Triune of Life - Life is a triunity having three necessary united factors, namely: Intelligence, Force and Matter.

5. The Perfection of the Triune - In order to have 100% Life, there must be 100% Intelligence, 100% Force, 100% Matter.

6. The Principle of Time - There is no process that does not require time.

7. The Amount of Intelligence in Matter - The amount of intelligence for any given amount of matter is 100%, and is always proportional to its requirements.

8. The Function of Intelligence - The function of intelligence is to create force.

9. The Amount of Force Created by Intelligence - The amount of force created by intelligence is always 100%.

10. The Function of Force - The function of force is to unite intelligence and matter.

11. The Character of Universal Forces - The forces of Universal Intelligence are manifested by physical laws; are unswerving and unadapted, and have no solicitude for the structures in which they work.

12. Interference with Transmission of Universal Forces - There can be interference with transmission of universal forces.

13. The Function of Matter - The function of matter is to express force.

14. Universal Life - Force is manifested by motion in matter; all matter has motion, therefore there is universal life in all matter.

15. No Motion without the Effort of Force - Matter can have no motion without the application of force by intelligence.

16. Intelligence in both Organic and Inorganic Matter - Universal Intelligence gives force to both organic and inorganic matter.

17. Cause and Effect - Every effect has a cause and every cause has effects.

18. Evidence of Life - The signs of life are evidence of the intelligence of life.

19. Organic Matter - The material of the body of a "living thing" is organized matter.

20. Innate Intelligence - A "living thing" has an inborn intelligence within its body, called Innate Intelligence.

21. The Mission of Innate Intelligence - The mission of Innate Intelligence is to maintain the material of the body of a "living thing" in active organization.

22. The Amount of Innate intelligence - There is 100% of Innate Intelligence in every "living thing," the requisite amount, proportional to its organization.

23. The Function of Innate Intelligence - The function of Innate Intelligence is to adapt universal forces and matter for use in the body, so that all parts of the body will have co-ordinated action for mutual benefit.

24. The Limits of Adaptation - Innate Intelligence adapts forces and matter for the body as long as it can do so without breaking a universal law, or Innate Intelligence is limited by the limitations of matter.

25. The Character of Innate Forces - The forces of Innate Intelligence never injure or destroy the structures in which they work.

26. Comparison of Universal and Innate Forces - In order to carry on the universal cycle of life, Universal forces are destructive, and Innate forces constructive, as regards structural matter.

27. The Normality of Innate Intelligence - Innate Intelligence is always normal and its function is always normal.

28. The Conductors of Innate Forces - The forces of Innate Intelligence operate through or over the nervous system in animal bodies.

29. Interference with Transmission of Innate Forces - There can be interference with the transmission of Innate forces.

30. The Causes of Dis-ease - Interference with the transmission of Innate forces causes incoordination or dis-ease.

31. Subluxations - Interference with transmission in the body is always directly or indirectly due to subluxations in the spinal column.

32. The Principle of Coordination - Coordination is the principle of harmonious action of all the parts of an organism, in fulfilling their offices and purposes.

33. The Law of Demand and Supply - The Law of Demand and Supply is existent in the body in its ideal state; wherein the "clearing house," is the brain, Innate the virtuous "banker," brain cells "clerks," and nerve cells "messengers."