1963 — In November 1963 the American Medical Association (AMA) established its Committee on Quackery (CoQ), whose avowed intention was “first the containment of chiropractic and, ultimately, the elimination of chiropractic.”

Though this had clearly been political medicine’s intention for many decades, the formalization of the effort within the CoQ brought special vigor to the campaign. From its Chicago headquarters the AMA orchestrated a conspiracy (involving a number of other medical organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, the American College of Radiology, the American Osteopathic Association) to accomplish this goal.

Professional collaboration with DCs was deemed “unethical” for MDs, and penalties threatened (for example, forfeiture of hospital privileges). Simultaneously, the CoQ developed an extensive anti-chiropractic publicity campaign, and sought to block federal recognition of chiropractic education. The work of the AMA helped to delay passage of a chiropractic benefit in Medicare and the licensing of chiropractors in Mississippi and Louisiana until 1973-74.

The details of CoQ et al.’s conspiracy were revealed in a 1972 book, In the Public Interest, which reprinted a number of AMA internal memoranda. The collective effect of CoQ’s activities was a restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust law, and would result in a suit brought by chiropractors (led by Chester Wilk, DC) in 1976 against the AMA and co-conspirators