Andrew Taylor Still is considered the founder of osteopathic medicine. He was also a physician, surgeon and author. He pioneered the idea of "wellness" and would be considered a forerunner of the concept of wholistic medicine. He followed in his fathers footsteps and became a doctor in Missouri back in 1860 and was a surgeon during the civil war. He became very skeptical of traditional medical practices when three of his children died from spinal meningitis. He spent many years studying the human body and dedicated himself to finding better ways to treat illness and disease.