Index to Chiropractic Literature

• Ebrall P

The purpose of this pragmatic narrative is to find within the history of the emergence of chiropractic in Australasia the elements that could be considered its professional identity.  The evidence supports the view that locally trained persons latched onto the idea of chiropractic when it became expdeient to do so.  Threads of European osteopathy and natural cures informed lay people and self-proclaimed chiropractors proliferated without any concept of the depth of meaning inherent in Palmer's views.  A sharp distinction is noted with the practice identity of North American-trained chiropractors who held that "the nervous system controls the health of the body: that if anything interrupts the healthy working of nerves, the result is disease in some part of the body."  The public understanding of the profession's identity can be summarised as "chiropractor, a nerve specialist, who treats disease by manipulation of the spinal column."  The American-trained chiropractors did not become engaged with education in Australasia until 1974/75, meaning the local part-time attempts at training in Australia were poor and produced worthless certificates such as mutually declared diplomas of chiropractic.  The local chiropractors and educators exhibited what I call "The Beales Effect," where credible academic qualifications were not a concern.

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• Chiropractic / Australia
• Chiropractic / history / Australia
• Chiropractors / history
• Education, Chiropractic / Australia
• Education, Chiropractic / history