The =sense of touch= should be very acutely developed and this requires months of persistent, practical experience. A carefully educated sense of touch is the keynote to both osteopathic diagnosis and operative technique. From the very nature of the osteopathic conception—the physical body viewed as a mechanism whose disordered or diseased conditions demand anatomical readjustment—it is imperative that a delicate and educated sense of touch be acquired in order to logically and successfully apply its tenets. Proficiency means not only being able to note certain small physical irregularities, and various degrees and areas of muscular contractions, and variations in body temperature, but the extent and state of vital resistance, that is, tissue condition, and the feeling of organic resistance, e. g., the heart, lungs, liver. These are the special features wherein osteopathic fingers detect disease causes and traces. To know the difference between normal and abnormal structural deviations and distortions, as well as organic changes, requires an accurate, detailed knowledge of anatomy and pathology with a systematic daily education of the sense of touch; but to realize, appreciate and know by tissue resistance feeling that nutritional condition is improving requires much more practical experience. Thus two very practical points should be taught to and thoroughly impressed upon every osteopathic student: First, =the sense of resistance of the tissues=. This gives us an absolute clue to the vitality of the patient. As has been stated, there is a vast difference between the feel, the sense of resistance, of normal and abnormal tissues; for instance, a normal muscle and a contractured muscle, a normal liver and a congested liver, a normal intestine and a prolapsed intestine and these differences comprise innumerable gradations. Second, =the receptivity of the patient to treatment=. This is dependent upon the vitality of the tissues. The sense of resistance to touch gives us an important diagnostic clue; the receptivity of the patient to treatment tells us much as to prognosis. After a few treatments the receptiveness will be positive or negative; that is, the patient is, or is not, responding to treatment. Consequently the receptivity of the patient usually tells much as to the state of nutrition.