The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-02
OUR MEDICAL GUERuLAS


Ing and Its Practices.
clever essayst In q recent paper on the subject
humorously sets forth the theory that in successful
quackery certain order Of genius Is necessary-in
other words, that the qnack ought always to have
suffcent faith in his own nostrum 10 impress the
public with sense OF his sincerity In dIssemln atng
1t, he pill, syrup, basam extract II has been
historically contended that the modern American
quack must be considered professional descend
ant OF the old-time Indian herb doctor. though,
saving certain appropriateness in the supposition
the position has real foundation either in TACT or
fiction. The Indian herb doctor had mis- day and
generation, principally between the years 1920 and
1850, but II the medical annals OF the last
century are TO he credited, was preceded in this
country by Quackery in holder and less mysterious
forms. In a word, the Indian practitioner. whose
face In wood used to be feature OF the adver-
Using columns In his day. was nothing more nor
css tnan shape which qnackery took by way OF
playing successfully upon Its one everlasting
fiddle strlng-the crcdulity Of the public As early
as 1853 the Independent Reflector leading journal
| in its DAY, declalmed passonatey against the
practice In vogue remarking that In New York there
were as many as forty persons calling themselves
physicians more than hall OF whom were as ignorant
OF medical science pig might be supposed to be
OF plum pudding. In 1850. innumerabe articles
having been written the subject the Colonial
Legislature undertook to regulate the profession
by special statute IN the prescription OF
suitable BOARD of examination, the board TO con-
sis of Of his MaJesty's council the judges OF the
| Supreme Court, the King's Attorney General, the
Mayor OF the city of New YORK. and medical assis
tants by them appointed The forfeit for practising
\ without license from this board was fixed at the
sum OF five pounds sterling; ana in this statute ap
pears the first barrier erected against qnackery
WITHIN the jurisdiction OF what now constitutes the
State OF New York.
II was one OF tire lodges OF the quack doctors OF
that day AFFECT the the cancer also 10 give
| immediate ease throughout the whole list OF in.
curabies. In fact, the miraculous doctor was
the mode for nearly quarter oil a century, when
| some modification In the phraseology OF quackery
| took place ana the cancer was partially dropped.
The pill and panacea mania was not yeL the syrup
| mania succeeded IN the category. and for twenty
years New York took syrups every III that humanity
Is to, from satrheum to liver complaint. In
| Vulnerable regiments, armed with syrups took the
| advertising columns OF the weeklies by Storm and
| New York was deluped internally and externally
doctor with his infable balsams, the syrup men de-
| parting, and later still appeared the mania for pills
and pain panaceas for neuralgia Is one or the imps
| OF the American constitution, and infallibe reme-
dies therefor cannot fail to be marketable IN some
| quantity 1t would be but Just to remark that the
cure Of tuberculosis, while II has never formed one
OF the quIps Of the fraternity in New York. has al!
cities, as in the South and west have specidcs for
intermittent fever but OF these local quackeries no
l
laws thereof to assume the particular form most
| ticing to the local community.
The country, in fact has never Afforded that null
tpcatOn OF quackery into specalties that Afforded
III this cy In TACT one OF the most profitable forms
| OF the lmpOsition-that OF cosmetic quackery-has
few practitioners In the rural districts or even In
provincial cities; while here there are professors OF
oil cutaneous affections oy the score and capillary
doctors by the dozen, and complexion ply scians by
| the hundred. with any number OF nostrums war
ranei TOR infalibiity and yei, In spite OF them all
beaded race, reapins little benefit from unfaiiing
| panaceas by the hundred. All these are profitable
Inv to the vanity Of the pubic rather forcby re-
ceive patronage considerably greater than would
be at first supposed and II may be observed with.
lear Of gailsay, that they sure every Of
them, TO revive the skin. or the hair or the com.
plexion. within Sax months from the first
| application. Cases are of frequent occurrence in
whlc.. lead palsy has been traced to the prescrip-
lions OF cosmetic quacks; and medical men OF stand
OF subtle prevalent diseases may be said 10 have
Its first IN The absorption by the SKID OF the
more or less deadly pOts0ns used In mixing popular
cosmetics. However, these are facts too familiar to
DC enlarged upon, end may be dismissed with the
sPIaIruALIsx IN THE pIsLp.
Since the days OF Spiritualism y new form OF
quacKery mas had considerable popularity prinot
pay, no doubt 10y reason OF Its appeal tO the pas
| SION for the marvellous and miraculous. The cur
voyant is a comparatively modern invention OF the
Of the age 80 also the Individual who heals you Of all
malades by the laying on of hands street
has become sort OF thoroughfare OF these magnetic
and miraculous gentry. Great Jones street u
| rying on heavy trade IN miraculous matters. Tho
ever few and Us many OF them are never heard Of
at all beyond their respective nelghbOrhoodE IL IL not
easy to ercct an accurate enumeration. One hun
dred and nfty-seven, OF greater ese prominence,
| are sufficiently known 70 be catai0gued; but IN
doubtediy these are scarcely moro than one-half Of
the whole. In fact, expert ventures the guess
that there from $50 u s ciarvOyaDts practising
In the city, about threeourths OF whom are women.
Their practices generally very bad. they hav
Ing great faith In the laying on Of hands aud the
like which Injuries nobody provided always that tho
ting and cleaning Of the nails cannot be expected OF
these people, who have spiritual matters most OF the
tsnS ma , Sed smDnrs sess 81 sssmt sep
| ness.
| The seventh son and seventh daughter business Is
now DnssS mostly though there Is one OF the brood
left, who announces herself by handful the
seventh daughter OF the seventeenth son greatly to
| ditlon TO some doggereI verses setting forth her
| merits that she Is the Identical woman who nrst
foretOld the wonderful career Of General Grant The
seventh daughter OF the seventeenth son has not
however, yet succeeded In amassing large prac-
tce. and may therefore DC wrtsen Gown as SUPERB
| the advance Of Spirtualism there seems to have
taken place sort OF general decadence IN the pop
few who still cling to Old theories can barely exc
out subsistence by sort OF combination OF star
quackery, and in the course OF the past ten wears
| dozens OF them have been driven 70 gypsying
through the country TO settle IN provincial cities
| with view to profit In the profession. The age is
emphatically one Of two hObDesscience on che one
hand and Spir1tualism on the Otber-and one or the
other must be ridden by tie quack of the decade
quackery turns out to be rather fangud way OF
turning the needed penny for visible of sup
port Generally speaking LII fact,
| SCIENTIFIC QUACKERY
succeeds best in the race for popuaritythe patron
age accorded to clairvoyants being sporadic and linn
tied mostly W superstous females, and, hence, OF
scientific quacks the age has multiplied an innumer
able brood, most Of whom have managed TO exc out
| diplomas In one way other by means legitimate
or otherwise. The number OF physicians $50 caiedl
In this city IL something over 1000, exclusive OF
i the mr. ann
| therefore, by courtesy debarred from practice VI
this number not more than $50 are included In the
| medical register there being hence not over $50
| alopatls in the city In good standing, including
| registered dentists and specialists IN nrst class
| practice. An accurate enumeration reveals the ex-
| lstence OF a little over 100 homeopathic ply
| sicians who must be ranked as legtmntists, and