The Chiropractor
D. D. Palmer
1914
 
IMPULSE
 
 
    In our last lesson we learned that intuition is a knowing without reasoning.  That instinct is a natural inherited impulse, unassisted by reasoning.

    An impulse is a spontaneous incitement arising from the feelings of the mind or spirit in the form of an abrupt and vivid suggestion prompting some premeditated action.  An impulse suddenly starts or drives a thought forward to action.

    Thoughts are entities; they exist, are created by imagination, reflection, mediation, judgment and reason; they are elaborated.  They may be transfered from one intelligent being to another by signs, speech or telepathy.  A sign is that which communicates an idea, speech consists of articulate sounds transferred by atmospheric vivbration, telepathy is the communication of ideas betwen two minds at a distance from each other without the aid of words or signs.

    The power or force of thought depends upon its momentum, and momentum upon the impetus received from nerve vibration during transmission.  Vibrations receive their force from the amount of heat.  The amount of molecular action and heat are coexistent.  Molecular action decides the quantity of heat.  Heat determines the amount of molecular action.  The quantity of heat depends upon tension, and tension upon excitation.  Normal stimulus is furnished by Innate, the spirit, a segment of Universal Intelligence.  Too much or two little excitation, stimulation, is the result of over-tension.  Over-tension from pressure, displacement of the tension frame (bones) and nerve toxication.

    Morbid impulses are qualified and differentiated as animal, destructive, homicidal, suicidal, uncontrollable, and especially those of an insane character.  An impulse denotes action, not an entity.

    Function is the special and normal action of any organ or part of a living animal.  This includes the natural action of any mental faculty.  Pathological functions are those performed in a greater or lesser degree than normal.

    Force is that power which produces or arrests motion, that which may be converted into motion, the rate of transforming energy.

    Vitality is the vigorous active principle upon which individual life depends.

    Vital force is that principle of life which imparts energy.  It is inherent in each organ of an organism.

    Energy is the internal, inherent power, the product of activity, that which is aroused by an impulse.

    Nerve-vibration carries thoughts, commands, orders, known as impulses when in transit over the nervous system.

    Thoughts gather force, receive impetus, while being transmitted, the amount depending upon the quantity of nerve vibration.

    Momentum is the force of motion acquired by the movement of thoughts, the impetus received from nerve-vibration.

    Tone is the normal activity, strength and excitability of the various organs and functions as observed in health.  Tone is a response of tonicity.

    Tonicity is the normal elasticity of the filamentary or threadllike structures of the body, the nervous system.

    To innervate is to supply with nerve-force.  To enervate is to deprive of nerve-force.

    An impulse is a communicated thought.  Impulses are conveyed over the nervous system by means of vibration.

    Thoughts originate in man, animal and spirit.  They are forwarded by atmospheric and etheric vibration.  In spoken language by the former and by the latter where the affections of one mind are acted upon by the thoughts or emotions of another without communication through the ordinary channels of sensation, viz., the five senses.

    There are two kinds of impulses, sensational and motor.  Motor impulses go outward and sensational inward.  The motor is twofold, one originating in the mind of the physical, governs animal functions, the nerves of animal life, it is under the control of the human will; the other is not under the control of the human will but that of spirit, and controls the sympathetic nerve of organic life, creating and continuing an intellectual existence.  A sensational impulse is one which comes from without, one which creates within us sense impressions of our environments.  A sense impression is no more or less than a recognition of nerve vibration, which is set in motion by the force of a sensational impulse.  An impulse (a thought in transit) may be passed from one intellect to another, as in hypnotism and telepathy, or it may be transported from one portion of the body to another.  In the latter case the nervous system is the transmitting medium.

    An impulse does not make a circuit.  Mental, motor, impulses go away from the central nervous system.  Sensory impulses go to the central nervous system and away from the external, and to the origination of nerves.  Motor or sensory impulses do not make a circuit, they do not circulate.  Motor impulses may be of the mental or spirit, the sensory is of the mental.

    Life (intelligent action) is the response to an impulse.  This is true of the voluntary and involuntary functions.  The former are those of the human will, the latter are those of the spirit.  The impulse in transit is the thought sent out, it always remains the same in its requirement and command; however, its force may be augmented or decreased, owing to the amount of nerve vibration.

    Functions performed normally, with normal force, produce activity known as health.  Functions performed with more or less force than those indicating health is disease.  Either of these conditions is life, one of health and the other of disease.

    Pathology is modified physiology.  Pathological operations are physiological acts modified.  Processes which are pathological are but modified functional movements.  Physiological impulses may become pathological in their expression.

    The spiritual or organic impulses are transmitted over the sympathetic ganglionic nervous system, the nerves of organic life which ramify the viscera of the four cavities of the body, whereas the mental impulses are of the mind, under the control of the human will; they go to the somatic portion of the body over the anterior and posterior branches of the spinal nerves.  It will be seen that the impulses of spirit (Innate) and those of Educated (the mind) have different origins, each are transmitted over their special nerves, the splanchnopleure to the inner or visceral portion and the somatopleure to the body wall.  These two classes of impulses, destined for different portions of the body, over entirely different divisions of nerves, the one involuntary, the other voluntary, the former devoted to organic life, the latter to animal, ought not be thrown into one indiscriminate lot, as “Innate mental impulses.”

    That Frenchman threw in a question a few evenings ago by saying, although the lady with the head of beautiful flowing hair has a good flow of language, yet there is nothing about her hair that is characteristic of a fluid.
 
    I was referring to physical science, natural philosophy, which deals with the material world.  However, any gentle, gradual movement or procedure of thought, diction, or music, which resembles the quiet, steady movement of a river, or a continuous outpouring of words, a stream of language, is referred to as flowing.

    It is assumed that all intelligence, our thoughts, every impulse, is formulated in the brain.  If so, in what particular part of the brain?  Do they originate in the pons, the oblongata, cerebellum or the cerebrum?  If in the cerebrum, which half? Is that originating center midway in the corpus callosum, between the two hemispheres?  Why not say, I do not know?

    In physical science to flow is a type of motion characteristic of fluids, that is, of liquids, gases and viscous solids.  A viscous solid is one distinguished by vicosity, having the quality of being adhesive, sticky, ropy, or glutious consistency.  Impulses do not flow as a liquid, transudate or circulate as a fluid, or become softened sufficiently to run as a viscous solid.  Rivers flow from lakes, tears from the eyes, and the menstrual flow is periodical.  Impulses are not liquids, therefore, do not flow.  Light, heat, sound and impulses are transmitted by vibration -- molecular action -- they do not flow.  Vital force is inherent, consequently, does not flow.

    Impulses are not substances, they are not ponderable, capable of being weighed, they cannot be measured by the bushel, they have no length, breadth or thickness; they do not flow, they cannot be percented, nor impeded, hindered, obstructed or interfered with by the placing of an obstruction in their pathway.  The arch or bar of a violin, guitar or other stringed instrument, which gives permanency to and causes the wires or strings to be tensely stretched, do not prevent the passage of vibration.  An impingement modifies tensions, it changes the amount of vibration, but does not obstruct the course of an impulse; it simply augments or decreases the force of an impulse.

    Please remember, abnormal functions and morbid tissue are coexistent.

    Howell’s Text-Book of Physiology says: “Variations of temperature change the velocity of the impulse, the rate of transmission increases with a rise of temperature up to a certain point.  The irritability and conductivity of nerve fibers are influenced markedly by temperature.  If a small area of a trunk nerve be cooled or heated the nerve impulse as it passes through this area may be increased or decreased in strength.  Impulse conductivity may be entirely suspended by cooling a nerve down to zero, Centigrade; 32 above zero, Fahrenheit.  Function promptly returns when the nerves are warmed.”

    Why are abnormal functions and morbid tissue always associated?  Because tissue can only perform functions becoming their condition; structure determines the amount of function.  The special action of an organ or other part of the body is determined by the firmness, renitency and tension of tissue.

    The truths of biological science have been known for centuries.  I made use of them in formulating the science of chiropractic.  The principles which compose the science of chiropractic have existed as long as animals have had backbones.

    Physicians and surgeons knew of and have taught nerve-tension; neurectasia, nerve-stretching and nerve vibration.  They have used, and so have the osteopaths, the stretching of nerves as a therapeutical agent for many years.  I was the first to assume that the neuroskeleton was a nerve tension-frame.

    Vertebral luxations have been known for many years.  I was the first to affirm that slightly luxated joints, those in which the articular surfaces had exceeded their normal limit of movement and there become fixed, was quite common.  It was I who first said that about 95 per cent of all diseases were because of luxated joints and that the other five per cent were in other displaced joints.

    Many physicians and surgeons have occasionally replaced displaced vertebrae.  To D. D. Palmer rightfully belongs the credit of replacing displaced vertebral articulations.  See cut on page 220 of The adjuster.

    Before 1895 a few vertebrae were replaced by physicians and surgeons.  This was accomplished by main strength and awkwardness.  See cut on page 886 of Adjuster.

    It has always been held by all practitioners that the blood heated the body in health and disease until July 1, 1903.  See cuts on 487 and 489 of the Adjuster.

    The different kinds of nerve-pressure have been known to physicians and surgeons.  I have added nothing new on pressure.  However, I am the first to state that displacements of the joints of the tension-frame cause nerves to become more tense than normal, thereby creating disease.

    It has always been held that poisons affected the blood.  That bloody delusion will soon be a theorum of the past.  Poisons affect nerves.  I am the first to say so -- what of it.  My affirmation will in a measure prevent a lying plagarist from being believed.

    I originated nerve-tracing and taught it to my early students while the pseudo fountain head was fishing for tadpoles.

    I have succeeded in making displaced articular surfaces adjusting practical.  Why not make it definite, specific, scientific?