Intrinsic Value

Often we lose the perspective of what we are doing, that of correcting vertebral subluxations, in contrast to what the medical doctor is doing, that of treating disease.  In presenting the straight chiropractic objective we acknowledge the necessity and the value of medicine.  While it is true it does have value – that value is of a subject vie nature as opposed to chiropractic which has intrinsic value.  Intrinsic value means that its essence or nature is good.  Gold has intrinsic value.  It is worth $350 an ounce (approximately).  It does not matter whether that ounce of gold is 50 feet under the ground, in someone’s teeth or in the shape of a gold bar.  Paper, on the other hand, has no intrinsic value.  Its value is subjective.  The newspaper is worth twenty-five cents, an original of the Declaration of Independence is less paper but worth thousands.  Yesterday’s newspaper is worthless.

A chiropractic adjustment has intrinsic value.  It always restores coordinated function in the human body.  It always enables the body to better express its innate potential.  There are no harmful side effects from a chiropractic adjustment.  It never has the potential to do harm.  Medicine, on the other hand, has no intrinsic value.  Its “good” is dependent upon the subject, the patient.  All drugs have side effects and the potential for harm.  The surgery can be a success and the patient can still die as a result.  We are not talking about poorly practiced medicine or malpractice.  The best practiced medicine has no intrinsic value.  It is always subjective.  It always depends upon the individual.  The same procedure, done the same way can help one person and kill another.  Even the dramatic life-saving procedures and life support systems that prolong death are of questionable value.  Sometimes neither the patient nor the ramily sees the value of it.  In this case the subjectivity is on the part of the doctor.  He may be the only one who sees the value. 

There are very ithinks in life that represent the good of intrinsic value.  The professions of law and government have inherent weaknesses.  Even charitable works do not have intrinsic good.  Are they done for self-gratification, out of pride, to assuage guilt, or for recognition?  Something of intrinsic value has to be good under all circumstances.  That’s what an adjustment is.  It doesn’t matter whether the subject (patient) is young, old, sick or asymptomatic, newborn or has one day to live.  A chiropractic adjustment is beneficial.  Whenever or wherever it is done it always results in good.

Why is it that chiropractors who have the opportunity to practice medical objectives which have no ntrinsic value is beyond comprehension.  It is like preferring 100 pounds of old newspapers to 100 pound of pure gold.  While we can appreciate the value of old newspapers, its value is only relative.  It depends upon the amount of available wood for paper, the cost and desirability of getting rid of it and any historical significance. The important thing is that we don’t place unwarranted emphasis upon the value of old newspapers.

Medicine has no intrinsic value.  It interferes with natural processes.  All of its practices are transient.  They are used one day and discarded the next.  It would be one thing if all procedures were discarded because a better, more effective one is found.  However, they are often discarded because they are found to be dangerous or, worst of all because the reasoning that precipitated the procedure was found to be incorrect.  Its procedures are relative and arbitrary.  There is no procedure in the practic of medicine that is effective and valuable for every member of the human race all the time.

Chiropractic, on the other hand, does have intrinsic value.  A chiropractic adjustment enables the human organism to express itself better in every person, every time.  It is always an absolute, positive, beneficial act for every human being.  It is no small thing that we chiropractors do.v2n6