William Harvey Lillard Explained

William Harvey Lillard (1856 – September 7, 1925) was the first chiropractic patient.[1]

Biography

Harvey Lillard was an African-American janitor[2] who worked in the Ryan Building in Brady Street, Davenport, Iowa.[3] He was the first person to be treated with the technique known as chiropractic by D.D. Palmer.[4] [5] [6]

Lillard maintained the corner building where Palmer had his office on the 4th floor. In September 1895 he told Palmer that he had lost most of his hearing and was almost completely deaf. Lillard added that he "could not hear the racket of a wagon on the street or the ticking of a watch."[7] When asked how he had become deaf he replied that, 17 years before, while bent over in a cramped, stooping position[8] he "heard something "pop" in his spine"[9] and immediately lost most of his hearing.[10]

Palmer later told that he then offered to take a look at Lillard's spine and found a lump just between his shoulders;[11] he persuaded Lillard to allow him to "rack his bone back into position."[12] Palmer, in fact, thought Lillard's hearing loss was due to a misalignment that blocked the spinal nerves which control the inner ear, the so-called vertebral subluxation; he decided to push the vertebrae back into place[13] and, after a few days, Lillard said that his hearing was better and almost completely restored.[14] [15] Lillard described:

The date of Lillard's treatment is not confirmed. Some sources indicate September 6,[16] while others indicate September 15[17] and 18[18] of September. Some sources also indicate that the month and year were changed by B. J. Palmer, the son of Daniel David Palmer.[19] Others indicate different years, 1894–1896, and month, January–April, as well.[20]

Lillard died on September 7, 1925, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle.[21] [22] [23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Keating JC Jr, Cleveland CS III, Menke M (2005). "Chiropractic history: a primer". Association for the History of Chiropractic. Retrieved 2008-06-16, p. 9.
  2. Web site: World Chiropractic Alliance, 2006.
  3. Web site: Welcome sore-back.com - Hostmonster.com. www.sore-back.com.
  4. Lillard H. "Deaf seventeen years". The Chiropractic 1897a (Jan); Number 17 (Palmer College Archives), p. 3
  5. Web site: Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  6. Web site: Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  7. Web site: Chiropractic Clinic, PDF file.
  8. News: At Your Own Risk: The Case Against Chiropractic – The Iowa Grocer's Dream . Stephen Barrett, Samuel Homola . 1969 . Chirobase.
  9. Web site: Norwood Chiropractic.
  10. Web site: World Chiropractic Alliance, 1994..
  11. 1957 (Nov): ICA International Review [12(5)] includes:-B.J. Palmer authors "History in the making" (pp. 1, 9); discusses D.D. Palmer's magnetic healing and Lillard's adjustment, relates "bump" was in Harvey's neck.
  12. Web site: Dr. Jon Ewer of Ewer Specific Chiropractic, serving Greensburg and Pittsburgh, PA. www.ewerspecific.com.
  13. 1958 (August): ICA International Review of Chiropractic [13(2)] includes: B.J. Palmer authors "Fourth dorsal or axis? A misstatement of fact – and why" (p. 1); BJ claims his father adjusted Harvey Lillard's axis, rather than his thoracic spine.
  14. http://philosophyofchiropractic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lerner.pdf Lerner, Cyrus. Report on the history of chiropractic
  15. "SciArtPhi" – Palmer, D.D. (1910) The Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic Portland, Oregon: Portland Printing House Company.
  16. Web site: About Up C Spine - History of Chiropractic. upcspine.com.
  17. Web site: Non-Profit Chiropractic Organization (NPCO).
  18. Web site: World Chiropractic Alliance, History..
  19. Web site: Lerner Report - TIC.
  20. Web site: Keating J. BJ Palmer, Chronology..
  21. http://www.lakeviewcemeteryassociation.com/burials.php Lakeview Cemetery website.
  22. Web site: Chiropractic History: Whatever Happened to Harvey Lillard?.
  23. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19940417&id=4rEpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3157,5447217 Chiropractor Touts His Strong Beliefs

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