Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-02-06
THE 0UACKS,

The quacks of the present day are
sufficiently numerous, and meet with
success enough to cause astonishment
to every thinking person; but, compar.
ed with their predecessors of the eigh.
teenth century, they pale into insigniH-
canoe. Coblers, tinkers and footmen,
(soDe not able to read their own adver.
tlsements,) assumed the title of doctor,
and pretended to be able to cure every
known disease. They advertised par
ticulars of their wonderful cures, and
by the use of scraps of Latin or dog
gerel rhymes, or by claiming to be
seventh son of seventh son." or an
"unborn DOCTOR" secured the patron
age of the lower orders. They put for
ward the most extraordinary assertions,
as inducements. for the public to con-
fide in their medical ability. One as
serted that she had arrived at the
knowledge of the green and red dragon,
and had discovered the female fern
seed;" another stated that 'he had
studied thirty years by candle light for
the good of his countrymen;" whilst a
third, by heading his bills with the
word
"TETRACHYMAGoGoN,"
insured their being read by crowds OF
people. of whom the majority when sick
would go to no other but this learned
mar.
One of the most pertinacious adver-
tisers in the early part of the century
was Sir William Read. Originally a
tailor he became oculist to Queen Anne,
and afterwardto Georgethe First. From
Queen Anne he received the honor of
knighthood. Though so ignorant that
he could hardly read, yet, by an unusual
amount of impudence, and by the use
Of few scraps of latin in his advertise
ments, he obtained a great reputation
for learning, and such an amount of
patronage as enabled him to ride in his
own chariot. When travelling in the
province he practised C"by the light of
nature') not only in small towns and
villages, where the ignorance of the in
habitants might be supposed to favor
his pretensions, but also in the princi-
pal seats of learning. In one of his ad-
vertisements he calls upon the Vice
Chancellor, University and City of Ok
ford, to vouch for his cures. He adver-
tised in The 1atler that he had been
" thirty five years in the practice of
COUGHING cataracts, taking off all sorts
of wens, curing wry necks, and hair lips,
without blemish, though ever so de-
formed" His wife assisted him, and
after his death, which occurred on the
oath of May, 1715, carried on his busi-
ness.
In those days the quacks advertised
testimonials from grateful patients.
DR.. Grant was celebrated advertis-
ing quack. Commencing life as tin
ker, he afterward, though very illiterate
became Baptist preacher in South
wark, then turning quack, he eventual
ly became oculist to Queen Anne.
Speaking of Read and Grant, writer
in The Grub Street Journal says:
"Her Majesty. sure, was in surprise.
Or else was very short sighted;
when tinker was sworn mt 70 look after her eyes,
Mr.. Moore, the apothecary, was
known as the "Worm Doctor" because
of celebrated worm powder that he
sold. In one of the numbers of The
Tdtlcr q London Tradesman advertises
that he had been cured of rheumatism
by Mr.. Moore, of the Pestle and Nor
tar, Abchuich lane.
Early in the century fourished DR..
Tam Saffold, who used 10 publish his
bills in verse, thus:
"Here's Sanold's pills, much bettsr than the rest
Deservedly has gained the name Of best
A hos Of ei nj 10 q
Thouge II is too cheap in any mans won sense"
He is said to have gained more by
this couplet, than Dryden by all his
works.
The sterner sex were not, however,
allowed to monopolize the field of
quackery. One of the best known
characters of the last century was Mrs.
Mapp, the bone-setter, who, after lead
ing q wandering life for some time,
settled down at EPSON, then place of
fashionable resort. The remarkable
strength with which she was endowed,
together with such knowledge as she
had acquired from her father (himself q
bone-setter), mainly contributed to the
success which, in many cases, undoubt-
edly attended her operations. She
journied to town twice aweek in a coach
and-four, and at the Grecian Coffee
House operated on her town tents,
carrying their crutches back to EPSON
as trophies of her skill. During one
of these visits she was called into the
the aid of Sir Hans Sloane's niece, and
the success which she met with on this
occasion became the talk of the town.
A comedy called "The Husbands Re
lief, or the Female Bone-setter and the
Worm Doctor" was brought out at the
theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields. Mrs.
Mapp attended the first performance,
accompanied by Ward and Taylor, two
quacks. A song in her praise was sung,
of which one verse runs:
"You doctors Of London, who puzzle your pates
To ride in your coaches and purchase estates;
Give over, for shame, for your pride has faH,