Anatomy and Osteopathy

"The student of any philosophy suceeds best by the more simple methods of reasoning. We reason for necessary knowledge only, and should try to start out with as many known facts and as few false theores as possible.

Anatomy is taught in our school more thoroughly than in any other school, because we want the student to carry a living picture of all or any part of the body in his mind, as an artist carries the mental picture of the face, scenery, beast, or anything that he wishes to represent by his brush. I constantly urge my students to keep their minds full of pictures of the normal body."

-Andrew Taylor Still
The Philosophy and Mechanical Principles of Osteopathy
1902

Osteopathy is about sturcture and function, osteopathy is about mind body spirit, and osteopathy is about holistic treatment of the person. But the theory is incomplete without the mechanics of osteopathic manipulative medicine, and these mechanics are rooted in anatomy. Only through the careful study of the human body can the operator understand the machine. I am very concerned that in the current reconstruction of the KCOM curriculum that we are throwing out the very essence of our profession. Anatomy must not be thrown out if the school is to continue producing competent osteopaths. There must be a common ground for avant garde medical education, and the traditonal educational foundation of our special abilities.