New book with connection to Dutch massage-physician Johann Mezger

A new study traces the origins of osteopathy and chiropractic, linking them to a seminal yet overlooked 19th-century European therapeutical discourse called “mechanical medicine”.

During the 19th century demand for healthcare services rose dramatically as more people could afford medical treatment. It was a veritable consumer revolution. New healthcare professions emerged to meet this rapidly growing demand. A study from the University of Gothenburg reveals long-forgotten connections between North America and Europe in this context. Sweden specifically played a major international role in the emergence of these new professions. Few recall that Sweden was once a global point of reference for patients and healthcare providers alike.

Anders Ottosson, historian at the University of Gothenburg, even likens Sweden’s influence in healthcare at that time to IKEA’s current impact on furniture and interior design. These findings are presented in his new book The Lost origins of Osteopathy and Chiropractic in European Mechanical Medicine and Physical Education, c. 1800-1950. In this book Ottosson “deconstructs” the historical narratives of several healthcare professions, and especially their claims of originality.

The book has a Dutch connection, because it deals with Johann Mezger, the internationally famed massage-physician. Mezger is of great interest as he was the first to really challenge the Swede Peter Henry Ling’s status as the inventor of “scientific mechanical cures”.

Read more about the book on this website.