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I Remember Dr. Dobbins
On a number of occasions, the Edgar Cayce readings recommended certain healthcare professionals by name. One such individual was Frank Parker Dobbins, D.O., an osteopathic physician to whom Cayce referred over one hundred patients.
Shortly after discovering the Cayce material in the early 1960's, I made a Saturday morning appointment to see Dr. Dobbins, who, at that time, maintained an office on New York City's Staten Island.
On my first visit, I took with me several readings on the topic of stuttering, which I obtained from an A.R.E. Circulating File on that condition. I had been afflicted with that particular speech impediment ever since I underwent emergency surgery in 1946 to remove a badly inflammed appendix. Only six years old at the time, the whole experience was so traumatic that I began to stutter. I had already tried speech therapy and hypnosis, but without success.
The Cayce readings consistently recommended osteopathy in the treatment of stuttering. However, until my acquaintance with the Cayce material, I had never even heard of osteopathy, let alone been to an osteopath. So, I really did not know quite what to expect when I set out from my home in Flushing, N.Y., on the 2 1/2 hour trip by bus, subway, ferryboat, and bus to Dr. Dobbins' office.
When I arrived at my destination, I found an old wood frame house which, I must admit, did not look too impressive. I went inside and sat down in the hallway, which doubled as a waiting room. There was no receptionist and there were no other patients. Hanging on the wall was a large and very official looking diploma that told me Dr. Dobbins had graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathy in 1932.
When Dr. Dobbins appeared at the door of his office to welcome me inside, I was surprised to see that he was a hunchback, a condition he had acquired through years of practicing his brand of osteopathic medicine. He later told me that he wouldn't trust anyone to work on him, so he constantly gave but never received the help he needed to maintain his own structural integrity.
I showed him the readings I had brought along, and he took note of the areas where manipulation was suggested. During our initial conversation, he showed me a stack of readings that he had successfully used to treat people with a wide variety of health problems. One case, in particular, stands out in my mind--that of a professional wrestler who became psychotic after being hurt in the ring, and then recovering completely under Dr. Dobbins' ministrations. He also told me that he had received a life reading from Edgar Cayce which said he had been the father of William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania) and that the best place for him to live would be Philadelphia.
After our talk, it was time for my treatment. So, he had me take off my shirt, loosen my trousers, and lie on my back on an obviously homemade table. It had a padded wooden top supported by a frame consisting of 4" iron pipes and pipe fittings painted white. Then he went around the room dimming all the lights, one fixture at a time.
He began his treatment with a brief soft-tissue massage followed by adjustments to my neck, lower back, mid and upper back, and ending with my tailbone. To me, what he did was very much like cracking one's knuckles, but applied instead to the joints of the spine. Just before administering an adjustive thrust, he would ask a question in a soft, low voice, so that my mind would be occupied devising an answer, instead of trying to anticipate (and resist) what he was about to do. Sometimes what he did was painful (e.g., adjusting my tailbone), but mostly it just felt funny--so funny, in fact, that I couldn't help laughing out loud for much of the session. I wonder if he didn't think I was crazy!
When the session ended, I thanked him and paid his modest fee of $5 (once, he waived the fee entirely). I didn't need to make another appointment, for, he said, all I needed to do was show up anytime between 9 am and noon on Saturday and he would see me.
When I left Dr. Dobbins' office, I noticed that my vision was better, and there was a pleasant warming sensation that seemed to come from nowhere and pervade my internal organs.
Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) definitely did improve--but not cure--my stuttering. I say "not cure," because, under certain conditions, it would--and still does--become manifest. However, for the most part, it was very much better. Had I been able to afford more treatments and been more consistent in receiving them, perhaps it would have resolved itself completely. As it was, I was only to see Dr. Dobbins about six or eight times over the next several years. On each occasion, his ministrations proved helpful, and I thank God that he ignored the admonition in his life reading to settle in Philadelphia.
It has been many years since I last saw Dr. Dobbins, as he passed away in 1971. During that time, I became a chiropractor, a massage therapist, and a registered nurse.
I have had many spinal adjustments from other healthcare practitioners, both osteopathic and chiropratic. Dr. Dobbins, however, was by far the best. He was gentle, kind, and--in the area of manual medicine--a consummate artist. I have never felt as good or as balanced as I did after his treatments. They have helped me more than anyone else's. The readings definitely knew what they were doing when they recommended him by name.
Dr. Dobbins once told me that a psychic had observed Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, overshadowing him as he ministered to his patients. Based upon my own personal experience, I can easily believe it!
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