Henry D. Esch, DC, was a student at the Palmer School of Chiropractic (PSC) in the early 1920s, and earned his "DC" and "PhC" from the Davenport institution in September 1923.1 He practiced for many years in his native Michigan and relocated the family to Arizona in 1947. Patriarch of an extended chiropractic family, his daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Lelia and Abe Schlabach, practiced with him in Phoenix for many years. "Lee" Schlabach, DC, is the "founding mother" of Palmer College of Chiropractic West; it was she who introduced the resolution to the Palmer College board of trustees to take over the ailing Northern California College of Chiropractic in 1980.2
Dr. Esch was a loyal Palmer graduate and often trekked to Davenport in August to attend the annual lyceums (homecomings) of the PSC. It was a fun-filled annual event that brought alumni to the Mississippi River town from around the globe. Dr. Esch often brought along his camera, and on one occasion, presumably in the late 1920s or 1930s (judging from the automobiles and attire), he captured a number of scenes from the festivities. Daughter Lelia Schlabach, DC, recently had the negatives developed, and kindly provided them to this writer. So, without further ado, here is a pictorial account of a day on campus and at the park during a Palmer lyceum, sometime long ago. (We think these photos were all taken about the same time).
Well, that's all for now, but stay tuned for the continuing adventures of B.J. of Davenport.
References
Esch, Henry D. Life Story of Henry D: An Autobiography. Phoenix AZ: the author, 1995.
Keating, Joseph C & Johnson, Claire D. From Pacific States to Palmer West: the short life and enduring influence of the Northern California College of Chiropractic. Chiropractic History 2001(June);21(1):51-70.
Keating JC. Shhh!!!... Radiophone station WOC is on the air: chiropractic broadcasting, 1922-1935. European Journal of Chiropractic 1995(Aug);43(2):21-37.
Keating JC. B.J. of Davenport: The Early Years of Chiropractic. Davenport IA: Association for the History of Chiropractic, 1997.
As a practitioner, you know foot pain should be addressed as soon as possible, as pain in one or both feet can potentially lead to impairment of foot function. But rather than treating foot pain with over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or even corticosteroid injections for chronic foot pain, why not try red light / infrared therapy?
The recent systematic review by the Clinical Compass on spine-related musculoskeletal pain – the latest study comparing chiropractic vs. medical care that demonstrates lower health care utilization when a DC is the initial provider – has been voted the top published article for 2024 by Chiropractic and Manual Therapies.
There is great interest among the tribes in expanding access to chiropractic for their tribal members; however, there is confusion as to how to do it; as well as a lack of knowledge in the greater chiropractic community of the need and process. This article is intended to help bring awareness to the issue and be a guide for those interested in working in this arena.
