Two general rules are applicable to all dislocations, whether partial or complete: 1. Exaggerate or increase the dislocation. This is to relax the tissues about the dislocated articulation and to disengage the articular points that have become locked. 2. Reduce the dislocation by retracing the path along which the parts were dislocated. Hence to =correct= a =lesion=, for example, a vertebral lesion: (1) Exaggerate the lesion. (2) Place the fingers of the hand that are not employed in exaggerating the lesion over the extended portion of the lesion. (3) Extend the region that is flexed when the lesion was exaggerated. (4) When the lesion is being extended produce traction and slight rotation of the region. (5) At the same time extension, traction and rotation is being produced push in upon the extended portion of the lesion. To this might be added for sake of clearness and greater assurance of success: (a) Be positive the focal point absolutely corresponds to the lesion, or else most if not all of your effort will be useless. (b) Just before reaching the maximum of exaggeration have your fingers correctly placed for the readjustment, and at the very moment of maximum exaggeration or just a fraction of a second prior begin to correct or readjust, or else you will lose the vantage gained and the operation will probably be a failure. (c) The general traction and rotation are to aid in unlocking the lesion, not to readjust as some may think. Inhibiting and releasing the soft tissues, such as spasms, contractions and contractures of muscles, and stretching thickened and adherent ligaments is very important preliminary work. Then, next to securing exact leverages an essential point is to maintain the release or exaggeration until the readjusting step is incepted. In other words, coordination of all factors is the desideratum. The lack of this is the cause of many failures. Hot fomentations frequently assist in relaxing irritable and spastic soft tissues. This, however, is but a preliminary measure. All rough handling, needless snapping of parts, and excessive rotation and stretching are not only apt to tighten the lesion more, shock the system and irritate the parts, but it may be absolutely dangerous. It should not be forgotten that the osteopath includes many measures in his treatment of various diseases, as nursing, dieting, hygiene, sanitation, hydrotherapy, antidotes, antiseptics, etc., and does not depend upon readjustive manipulation alone, although correcting disordered anatomical structures and perversions are paramount in the treatment.