Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-12-14
For The C1eayfeld RcppJlina.
LETTER FROM FRENCHVILLE.
FRENCuyILI.r Dire IN lsi

TW Wte ttodiJteId htprOiltUH.
LETTER FROM FRENCHVILLE.
FSENcHviLLE, Drc 7lh, 1864.
Nr, Eaitor-Permit me through the col
umns Of your journal to show up" some
of the doines Off Quack, who has recent
ly made his appearance in the lower end
Of this county, lie was first seen in this
county with "pRck on his back" filled
with very cheap article of trinket,,
mixed with all kinds of potions, lotions,
linaments and tinctu res, that would cure
all malodies that the human family are
subject to- In order to give you an idea
Of The chap will give you short biogra-
ply of him, as related by himself; not
wishing you to understand Tat | youch
for its correctness. lie stated Ne was lust
tom the city Of New Y,rk, and had come
out to rFIuV enate himself land perhaps TO
reeupera'e mis- pocket) with the pure
nouLtan water and air. He Sc. forth
that he had an extensive practice ana ex-
leIience in medicine, and more pnriicu-
larly in surgery, having been fifteen years
a surgeon in Napoleon the First's army
Napoleoa's military operations winding
up very suidonly alter the battle Of Wa
leTloo, in 1878, he must have, entered the
army in the year 1900; allowing him TO
be at least 81 years of age when he first
took The responsible position Of resi-
mental surgeon, you have his age 10y ad-
ding q to 81, which would make him IS
years OF age! which gives him very an
cent appearance. After the Battle Of
Waterloo he sought refuge in the United
States, the having to flee, being one of
Napoleon s principle men he located in
the city Of New York, where he complete
ly reyolutionized the system of medicine
and surgery" commanding the situation"
according to his story, up to the tma he
made his debut among US with his "pack
on his back" Being great on long,
windy story, Ee soon gathered about him
The ignorant and credu.ous TO hear lnm
relate his thrilling narratives, and hair.
breadth escapes on the battlefield, as
we'll as his numerous and difficult surgi-
cal operations, which he had performed
by the score. BY his big stories he soon
succeeded in drawing some of tho above
uOmed class into his embrace, as well as
50 me very respectable citizens. Now to
the point: Among his victims wEs young
man Of very respectable family, (the son
OF a widow, who had the misfortune to
be run over by timber stick, ard very Sc.
rioasly injured DR.. Henry Joseph, $50
he yles HIMSELF was called on, and after
very careful examination, pronounced
the most serious injury to be fracture Of
the left lhigh bone, two-thirds up from
the knee. To use his own language, he
"set, blndaged, and put the leg in frac-
ture box" lie attended him very dill
gently for nine weeks-the young man
suffering much pain in the meantime
about the hip joint, constantly telling Ii.
j. that his hip was out of place.
At the end OF the OH week, he, the
Doctor, consented that the bone was out
Of Joint, and proceeded TO reduce tle dis
( location. tSull insisting that the bone
was broken.) lie put three men to work
TO draw on his nine weeks broken leg -
[ 1t is hardly necessary for me 10 say that
/ he left his leg as he found it except a
good deal more painful-rotwiihstanding
/ he assured all present that it was Now all
right. On examination the same day, az
/ ter his departure, it was found there was
no fracture at al, but that his left temor was
/ disIocated backwards, the head OF the
/ bone being thrown into the iSciatic notch
The leg is about one inch shorter than the
sound one, and the head Of the bone has
( already adapted itself TO its new position
I 10 a remarkable degree-the patient hav-
I ing pretty good motion of the limb at
this date. Surgeons generally agree that
eight weeks is The latest period that re-
dUc,on should be attempted death Of
ten resulting from the violent extension
required at a later date. | would not
deem it advisable 10 attempt a reduction
in this case, the length Of time elapsed
from ihe date of dslocation being too
long. The very high state Of inhsmaiion
that existed has no doubt resulted in ad-
hesions that would require much force TO
break up. lie will acquire, through time,
a good motion of the limb, but will al
ways walk lame en- account of the short
ness produced by the displacement, and
he will never be able to stand much ac-
tive exercise. saw lady in this neigh
borhood with dislocation Of the left
shoulder, followed by atrophy ofthe limb,