Chiropractors

January 22, 1932  I went along with K. H. Reimer to Dr. Schlichting.  ______ _______ Mama and Mary mended clothes.

The most common medical help among the Mennonites was chiropractors, and Dr. Schlichting was one of the favorites.  He lived near Minneola, Kans., which was twenty-two miles northeast of Meade, had an office at his home, and was self-taught.  His brother lived at Corn, Okla., and people would car pool from Meade to get treatments there.  It was believed that everyone from the smallest infant to the oldest adult could benefit from his treatment and that it would be good for whatever ailed you.  So the Siemens would regularly go to Dr. Schlichting for treatments.

On this occasion, Cornelius went along to Dr. Schlichting with his brother-in-law, Klaas H. Reimer (1892-1976).  That way they would have company on the drive and save gasoline by making one trip instead of two.  Cornelius likely paid K. H. for his share of the gas on the trip – Mennonites paid each other for everything that had been purchased.  Cornelius often did things together with his wife’s brothers, Heinrich, John, and Klaas; so it seems that he got along well with them and with his new wife’s family (they had been married less than two years then).  Since Cornelius was a very social person and never held grudges, perhaps this is not a surprise.

Dr. Schlichting’s treatments were quite painful; but the more painful the treatment, the more effective it was.  He would give a piece of candy to children, and this was known as “Schlichting candy.”

[Notice that this diary got wet at some point, so the ink on the corner has bled.  I have tried to recover the handwriting here with a little success, but even so it is hard to read.  Below is the best image I could get of this page.  Compare it to the unedited scan above.]