The 33 Chiropractic Principles

    The forces of Innate never injure or destroy the tissues in which they work.

    That something which travels over nerves, which is arranged in cyclic form, is really an intelligent current of life. This life shows that it is an adaptable law, able to make instantaneous changes according to environmental conditions of a tissue cell. None, but the creator can change a law, make laws, or circumvent physical laws, so the life current must be a force directly from Law itself.

    What is in the living, which a moment after, is not in the dead? What has gone that has kept these molecules and atoms together in a unit of life, which is able to show manifestations of intelligence, sensibility, and signs of life? Mental force, that which flows over nerves to their peripheral ending. This force or message is specific for the momentary needs of a tissue cell. It must therefore be more highly organized force than that given to molecules and atoms.

    From our study of physics, we know that the universe is full of energy. We see it manifested in every bit of matter. There seems to be no limit to the amount of energy that may be in space occupied by matter, but there seems to be a limit as to how much of it a given bit of matter can express.

    We observe that energy seems to travel; or at least it can express itself in a matter at a distance from its source. We say that it travels by radiation or conduction. When it radiates, it travels swiftly- approximately at the rate of one hundred and eighty-six thousand miles a second. As well as it travels by radiation, however, it seems to like to pause and "play around" in matter. If this were not true, we could not have radio receiving sets for the radio would scorn our aerials. So, though it must travel much slower in matter, it seems that it really prefers that mode.

    With many forms of radiant energy, there can be interference with its transference. We will not say all forms, for we do not know, but we do know that an umbrella interferes with the suns rays considerably. Lead hinders X-rays; brass hinders magnetic rays, etc.

    In matter, energy travels at a widely variable rate of speed depending upon the form of energy and upon the kind of material and the shape of the material. Through some materials, a given form of energy will scarcely travel at all. Thus we find that electricity prefers some metals, such as gold, silver, copper, iron, and the like, but does not pass readily through glass or rubber. Heat will pass through silver, copper, and gold readily, but not glass, asbestos, etc. Magnetism passes through soft iron easily, but not brass or copper or gold and the like. Also, we find that since these forms are radiant, they will easily be caught by the kind of matter they prefer.

    There can be interference with the conduction of these energies, as when the conductor has a gap or when its thickness is diminished. When interference with conduction is thus offered to a conducted form of energy, it will be transformed, partly or wholly, back into the radiant form or into some other form. As in a conductor of electricity, we find that electricity, when it suffers interference, transforms into heat and radiates.

    Mental energy in the body seems to obey the same laws. As to its radiation, that is another story and is too lengthy and entirely too theoretical to be within the scope of this article. In the conduction form of mental energy, we have more data and plenty of its manifestations. We find that it, too, prefers a conductor and uses nerve tissue for its conveyance. About what mental energy is, we are just as much in the dark as electricians are about electricity, but as electricians can do practical work, nevertheless, so chiropracTORS are not hindered by that lack of knowledge. Theories are a help and are progressive if they are based upon soundly established facts; and as the electrician bases his practical work upon a theory, so can the chiropracTOR.

    Let us study another phase of the universal energies. Universal Intelligence, with its universal energies, fills all the space in the universe, and every spot in the universe. Any place without it would be outside the universe, which is impossible and absurd. The body, then, is no exception. Universal energies permeate every cell. But there is this difference; in the body, normally, Innate keeps these forces all balanced, controlled, adapted to her uses at all times- every moment. In fact, that is how "she" does her work- by using the the universal energies she finds at hand. There are always plenty of them. Interference with her balancing forces, which she has assembled (from universal supply of course) prevents balancing and controlling the forces resident at the tissue cell. Interference with the transmission causes the universal forces, in that given spot, to be instantly unbalanced and therefore not behaving as Innate wants them to. Of course, these universal forces must be expressed by matter, as any kind of force must be. That is a chiropractic fundamental; but what material have these universal forces at hand to express them? Anyone can see that it is the tissue cell, for that is the spot we are talking about. Then, this cell is expressing some physical or chemical forces, without the management of Innate Intelligence.

    All the energies of the body must be controlled by Innate by balancing, restraining, and augmenting them by the transmission of other forces from the universal source. This is Innates' job; her mission in the body; her function. She can break no universal laws; create nothing new; but can "juggle" the existing forces to build existing matter into structures to house her, and then continually "juggle" more forces to maintain that house. Let her vigilance be interfered with one moment, and the universal forces play pranks; that is, they are pranks according to Innates' estimation.

    For organic matter, there are adaptable forms of force. These forces show that intelligence has originated them or managed them, and they are for the building and maintenance of living organisms. Should these forces be withdrawn, the living organisms revert to the elemental state wherein their molecules act according to the unswerving laws of physics and chemistry. A living organism has signs of life, which is evidence that it is under the care of intelligence; evidence of special care.

    Having these forms of adaptability, sensibility, and the forces which govern the organism, it can respond to any new set of circumstances- not unswerving action but changing action, according to the demands of the moment. In a collection of living cells, as a living unit (for instance, an animal) these forces come from a central point. This points out that intelligence in a well-organized unit has a headquarters.

    If we use the hypothesis that mental impulses are energies, then it must be a very carefully composed unit of energies, prepared (created) by Innate in order to impel the cell to proper action, which must be coordinative. Mere action is not sufficient, that would be "stimulation"; it must be right action in quantity, quality, direction, and time. We might conceive of this mental impulse as being composed of certain kind of physical energies, in proper proportions, which will balance other such forces in the Tissue Cell; as electricity, valancy, magnetism, cohesion, etc., etc. Perhaps some of these energies are not known to us in physics. What right have we to assume that we have found them all. The writer presents this as a hypothesis or theory in order to get a working basis. In other places in this book, other theories for the same thing have been offered, for the same purpose.

    Innate Intelligence is always normal and its function is always normal.