William Harvey Lillard (1856 – September 7, 1925) was the first

chiropractic Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It is based on several pseudoscientific ideas. Many c ...

patient.

Biography

Harvey Lillard was an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

janitor A cleaner, cleanser or cleaning operative is a type of Industry (economics), industrial or domestic worker who is tasked with cleaning a space. A janitor (Scotland, United States and Canada), also known as a custodian, Facility Operator, porter ...

who worked in the Ryan Building in Brady Street,

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

. He was the first person to be treated with the technique known as

by D.D. Palmer. Lillard maintained the corner building where Palmer had his office on the 4th floor. In September 1895 he told Palmer that he had lost most of his hearing and was almost completely deaf. Lillard added that he "could not hear the racket of a wagon on the street or the ticking of a watch." When asked how he had become deaf he replied that, 17 years before, while bent over in a cramped, stooping position he "heard something "pop" in his spine" and immediately lost most of his hearing. Palmer later told that he then offered to take a look at Lillard's spine and found a lump just between his shoulders; he persuaded Lillard to allow him to "rack his bone back into position." Palmer, in fact, thought Lillard's hearing loss was due to a misalignment that blocked the spinal nerves which control the inner ear, the so-called

vertebral subluxation In chiropractic, a vertebral subluxation means pressure on nerves, abnormal functions creating a lesion in some portion of the body, either in its action or makeup (defined by D.D. Palmer and B.J. Palmer, founders of chiropractic). Chiropract ...

; he decided to push the vertebrae back into place and, after a few days, Lillard said that his hearing was better and almost completely restored. Lillard described: The date of Lillard's treatment is not confirmed. Some sources indicate September 6, while others indicate September 15 and 18 of September. Some sources also indicate that the month and year were changed by B. J. Palmer, the son of

Daniel David Palmer Daniel David Palmer (March 7, 1845 – October 20, 1913) was a Canadian-born American spiritualist and activist best known for creating chiropractic. Palmer was born in Pickering Township, Canada West, but emigrated to the United States in 186 ...

. Others indicate different years, 1894–1896, and month, January–April, as well. Lillard died on September 7, 1925, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle.Lakeview Cemetery website.
Search for Lillard. Only use last name.Chiropractor Touts His Strong Beliefs
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Gainesville Sun ''The Gainesville Sun'' () is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state. History The paper was founded in July 1876 as the ''Gainesville Times'', by brothers E. M. and ...

'', 17 April 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lillard, William Harvey 1856 births 1925 deaths 19th-century African-American people Janitors People from Davenport, Iowa American chiropractors American deaf people Burials at Lake View Cemetery (Seattle) African-American history of Washington (state)