DEATH OF A GREAT HEALER - John Wernham, Osteopath (1907 - 2007)

Recently the well known therapist John Wernham passed away. Known to all of us as JW, he was born in May 1907 and working up until his death.

He trained as a photo journalist but on the train to London was persuaded by Dr J.M. Littlejohn (who brought osteopathy to UK in 1916), to study at the British School of Osteopathy.

His career spanned until Feruary 2007, i.e. 70 years of using osteopathy to help people in pain, and help them he did, tirelessly - Monday to Saturday - first in the BSO college and then in BCNO.

As each told him to modernise/simplify, he refused to abbreviate this holistic art and science and so had to set up his own clinic first in Maidstone, later in two colleges, and helped set up further colleges in Brussels, Dublin and Finland.

My classmate's son with a hole in his heart received weekly osteopathy and the nerves stimulated regrowth so the hole closed up. An adult with hyperthyroidism was gradually brought back into balance, and he helped hundreds of women be able to conceive then also worked on their children as they grew up.

He also reprinted vital old textbooks from long ago and while lecturing would nip out during the tea break to treat yet another patient.

During teaching he was clear (almost loud) and accurate, yet humbly descried himself as Dame Nature's Hand Maid, aware of this immense spiritual presence, which often showed in photographs as a stange light shining on the back of his head and shoulders. He felt he was giuded by spirit.

It was his job to remove physical blockages to health (e.g. twists with swelling upon nerves) and balance the body's activities, thus permitting the person to spring back into health again. It was his awe with this that kept him working right up until his death just before his 100th birthday.

He was an inspiration to us all and a godsend to tens of thousands. Neil Fennel Osteopath.