“If the germ theory were true, nobody would be alive to believe it”

“If the ‘germ theory of disease’ were correct, there’d be no one living to believe it” or “If the ‘germ theory of disease’ were correct, there would be nobody alive to believe it” (also “If the germ theory were true, no one would be alive to believe it” or “If the germ theory were true, nobody would be alive to believe it”) is a saying that has been ‘rinted on many images. The saying was popular among chiropractors in he 1920s, and authorship is uncertain. American chiropractor B. J. Palmer (1882-1961) is usually credited, but it’s unknown if he said it first.
   
“Since the body itself always has germs within it, if the germ theory was correct no one would be alive to believe it” was printed in the Wayne (NE) Herald on March 24, 1921. “If the Germ Theory of Disease were true there would be no one living today to believe it” was printed in the Chillicothe (MO) Constitution on June 22, 1921. “If the ‘germ theory of disease’ were true, there’d be no one living to believe it” was printed in The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, SD) on January 26, 1922. “If the germ theory of disease were correct, there would be nobody living to believe it” was printed in the Alliance (NE) Herald on February 10, 1922.
   
             
Wikipedia: B. J. Palmer
Bartlett Joshua Palmer (September 14, 1882 – May 27, 1961) was an American chiropractor. He was the son of Daniel David Palmer (D. D.), the founder of chiropractic, and became known as the “Developer” of chiropractic.
         
Newspapers.com
24 March 1921, Wayne (NE) Herald, pg. 3, col. 1 ad:
Chiropractic
Education
(...)
Since the body itself always has germs within it, if the germ theory was correct no one would be alive to believe it.
(...)
Drs. Lewis & Lewis
 
Newspapers.com
22 June 1921, Chillicothe (MO) Constitution, pg.11, col. 5 ad:
If the Germ Theory of Disease were true there would be no one living today to believe it.
(Ray W. Rogers, D. C.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
8 October 1921, The Chat (Brooklyn, NY), pg. 5, cols. 2-3 ad.:
Chiropractic Health Talks
(By John R. Dorr, D.C.)
(...)
Since the body itself always has germs within it, if the germ theory was correct no one would be alive to believe it.
     
Newspapers.com
26 January 1922, The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, SD), pg. 9, col. 3 ad:
“Schwietert Chiropractic Health Service”
(...)
“If the ‘germ theory of disease’ were true, there’d be no one living to believe it.”
   
Newspapers.com
10 February 1922, Alliance (NE) Herald, pg. 4, col. 4 ad:
If the germ theory of disease were correct, there would be nobody living to believe it.
(Drs. Jeffrey & Smith.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
12 March 1922, Mansfield (OH)News, pg. 8, col. 1 ad:
Chiropractic
(...)
The germ theory of disease is fast becoming obsolete because if it were true, there wouldn’t be anybody alive to believe it.
(...)
SITES & SITES
THE PALMER CHIROPRACTORS
 
Google Books
Municipal Record
Volume 15
San Francisco (Calif.). Board of Supervisors
1922
Pg. 100:
Chiropractors openly boast that they do not believe in the germ theory of disease. An axiom is printed for general distribution by one of the largest chiropractic schools in this country to the effect that “If the germ theory of disease were correct, there’d be no one living to believe it.”
 
Newspapers.com
4 March 1923, Mansfield (OH) News, pg. 5, col. 5:
CHIROPRACTOR SAYS HE WILL DRINK
GERMS AND EAT DISEASE MICROBES
(...)
“Germs are the result of disease rather than the cause. If the germ theory was true there wouldn’t be anyone living to believe it.”
(Nathan Friedman, a local chiropractor.—ed.)
 
Google Books
A Liberal Arts Reader
Robert B. Partlow
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
1963
Pg. 188:
( 22 ) The views of those who still deny the microbial causation of disease altogether are epitomized in a saying they are fond of repeating: “If the germ theory of disease were correct , there would be none on earth to believe it.”
 
Google Groups: misc.health.aids
Should heretics be silenced? (was The AIDS Heresies—DEMONSTRATED—)
Kev
Jan 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
“If the germ theory of Western Civilization were correct, there would be no one living to believe it”.

-B.J. Palmer
 
Twitter
Bill Bollinger
@DrBillBollinger
“If the germ theory were true, no one would be alive to believe it!” B.J Palmer
1:39 AM · Sep 29, 2009·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Dr. Joe Merlo
@sdchiro
Interesting thought of the day…“If the germ theory were true, no one would be alive to believe it.” ~ B.J. Palmer, D.C. What do you think?
11:27 AM · Oct 28, 2010·Facebook
   
Twitter
Patrick Selimo
@Selimochiroprac
If the “germ theory of disease” were correct, there would be nobody alive to believe it http:www.selimochiro.com/index.html
1:25 PM · Mar 14, 2011·Twitter for BlackBerry®
   
Twitter
Lifestyle Chiro
@StPaulChiro
“If the germ theory of disease were true, there would be no one alive to believe it!” BJ Palmer,… http://instagram.com/p/maZzfGx6Sk/
11:05 AM · Apr 5, 2014·Instagram
     
YouTube
Germs don’t cause disease - Sound bite Dr. BJ Palmer - 1955 Lyceum
Mar 16, 2020
Spinal Hygiene Movement

 
Twitter
Dr Bruce Salzinger
@DrBruceSalzinge
If the germ theory of disease were correct there would be no one alive to believe it #germs #virus #juiceplus #bacteria http://drbruce.juiceplus.com
youtube.com
Germs don’t cause disease - Sound bite Dr. BJ Palmer - 1955 Lyceum
9:34 PM · Mar 16, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
C.J.
@CJB3331
Replying to @HighImpactFlix
Because Germ Theory is a FRAUD.
“If the Germ Theory were true, no one would be alive to believe it.”
12:50 PM · Dec 19, 2021·Twitter Web App
   
Twitter
Otter
@Otter2626
Replying to @waddicorc @tbonetom88 and @piersmorgan
If germ theory was right, nobody would be alive to believe it! Get a clue.
8:59 PM · Dec 20, 2021·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
Technocracy is Unsustainable
@99KristinLee
Replying to @JamesMelville
“If the Germ Theory were true, no one would be alive to believe it.”—B.J. Palmer, D.C.
odysee.com
COVID-19 Virology Fraud Explained In 19 Minutes by Spacebusters
“The entire fabric of the germ theory of disease rests upon assumptions which not only have not been proved, but which are incapable of proof, and many of them can be proved to be the reverse of…
3:59 AM · May 2, 2022·Twitter Web App