Old Dad Chiro: his thoughts, words, and deeds

D.D. Palmer, schoolmaster. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

D.D. Palmer, circa 1870. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

At Sweet Home. The author and son, Jarred Brown, in 1996 examining some of the nonindigenous trees at the Sweet Home site. Palmer had drawn out a grid map in his journal identifying where he planted trees with notation of their type. Among the healthy trees on the site were many of the thorny locusts that were a source of nectar for D.D.'s apiary operation. We also found an extraordinary number of “wild” raspberries growing throughout the acreage. (Photo courtesy of the author.) (Color version of figure is available online.)

Verdurette, the Drury 24-room home; the first in the area with hot and cold running water, steam heat, and gas lights. Drury maintained a wild animal preserve on the 13 acres: buffalo, deer, elk, fox, antelope, swans, raccoons, badgers, and tigers. (Photo courtesy of the author.) (Color version of figure is available online.)

Timeline.

Paul Caster; note crutches and canes. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

D.D. Palmer, displaying crutches and canes on both sides of his chair. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

Palmer's practice was a successful business. He would boast about his top-floor, 42-room infirmary: “our parlors, office, and infirmary are the finest in the city.” D.D. Palmer's magnetic healing practice occupied 42 rooms on the top floor of the Ryan Block. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

William A. Seeley, MD, DC, business card reveals a pride about being a Palmer School graduate. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.) (Color version of figure is available online.)

D.D. Palmer circa 1902. (Courtesy Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

Letter from Rev. Samuel Weed to D.D. Palmer suggesting possible Greek names for the fledgling profession. This letter was uncovered as a part of B.J. Palmer's historic scrapbook. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

Reverend Samuel Weed was both a patient and a friend to the founder of the profession. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

D.D. Palmer's choice to name the profession Chiropractic. (Image is a magnified portion of Fig 11; courtesy of the author.)

Journal cover photo depicting Palmer in Scott County Jail. From The Chiropractor, April-May 1906. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

D.D. Palmer's death announced on the cover of The Chiropractor. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)

D.D. Palmer adjusting Shegetaro Morikubo, PhD, DC. (Courtesy of Palmer College of Chiropractic Archives, Davenport, Iowa.)