It must have reminded all of us of Barnum's quip in The humbugs of the world.
Modern history knows hundreds of such.
Of course we more modern moderns, as PTB's less modern predecessors, are more forgiving of Valentine Greatrakes. England is struck by the plague. Anne remains safe at Ragley, but her headaches reach new heights of severity. She is in constant pain with frequent paroxyxms of even more agonizing pain. Edward Conway hears of Valentine Greatrakes, a man in Ireland rumored to cure people simply by laying his hands on them.