Principles of Osteopathy

The fourth edition was published in 1916 and became a standard text on osteopathic principles over the following thirty years. His book was a departure from AT Still’s rigid stand that abnormal structure in the body was the key process in all disease. In response to this rigid stand, Tasker wrote this book. Here he expressed his desire to be more scientific and not necessarily reject any practice that was not Osteopathy. His belief was that to be truly scientific, one must love truth more than preconceived ideas. As such, this book serves as a bridge between medical philosophy at the time and osteopathic principles as they had been taught up until this time. He covers topics such as the causes of disease, and how a lesion could be involved in the disease process. He discusses the nervous system and its role in dysfunction, as well as blood supply issues that also can cause problems. Overall, historically this book’s value lies in its clear and concise description of how to treat various dysfunctions with osteopathic techniques in use at the time.