St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-06
Beware of Quacks.

difficult for us to reconcile with which
men and women of good Judgment in
matters of general interest will place
their lives in the hands of men of whose
ability or qualifications as physicians
they have not the slightest assurance
except the arrogant assumptions of the
individuals themselves. No man of
average sense would think of trusting
his property in so reckless manner.
Before repOsing trust in an individual
he would ascertain with the greatest
care all about his integrity and fnan-
cial standing; and even then he would
require ample security against possible
loss. But when life and health are at
stake, interests of infinitely greater val
ue than any monetary consideration,
men who are in all other matters shrewd
and cautious, show the most reckless
indifference to all precautionary con-
siderations.
The most universal prevalence of this
lack of caution is the source of immense
revenue to quacks and charlatans of
every description. 1t is this which
leads people to place themselves in the
hands of travelling knaves who are as
ignorant of the mysteries of the humun
system as of the subtleties of the differ
ential calculus. These self styled "dOc-
tors'' ale as INSCRIPTIONS as ignorant.
They have no reputation to lose, and
care only to enrich their pockets. The
single fact that they are "triveling doc
tOrs,n with no settled residence, is am
pie evidence of their incapacity and un-
reliability. Reputable physicians do
not advertise themselves in fulsOme
terms. They do not take advantage of
popular ignorance to enrich themselves,
as do these inhuman impostors.
Most men of the class referred to are
from the lowest ranks of society. One
man of this stamp, whom we have now
in mind, and who not long since endeav
ored to persuade one of our patients
that bis filthy decoctiOn of nOXious
weeds would harmOnize beautifully with
our treatment, before becoming ''Dr.
-" by the purchase of recipe of
another quack, gained livelihood by
entertaining diminutive, long -eared
animal with a hoarse voice, but not
succeeding in this humble occupation,
he aspired to the dignity of a travelling
quack.
Occasionally we meet quack who
tidence by claiming to have been Il
member of the regular profession. Just
now there is a horde of these renegade
physicians infesting this portion of the
country in the guise of ''pile DOCTORS
They offer to cure all cases of piles with
a secret remedy which causes no pain.
They take great pains to keep the rem
edy a profound secret, only disclosing
upon the payment of certain sum.
| Nevertheless, we have good evidence
for believing that we know the means
employed, and there are grounds foI
believing it to be highly dangerous.
The secret doubtless consists in inject
ing into the hemorrhOid with fine hy-
podermic syringe a solution of some
caustic for the purpose of producing
coagulation and subsequent intlamma-
ton to degree sufficient to cause OBJ
liberation of the distended vessels. Con-
centrated carbOlic acid dissolved il
glycerine is employed in many cases,
being admirably adapted for quackery
of this sort. CarbOlic acid, while pow
erful caustic, has strong an9sthetiC
properties, and, consequently, produces
little local pain at the moment of use
|
The dangers of this means of treat
ing internal hemorrhoids, for it is il
cases of this kind that it is chiefly EN-.
plOyed, are
|. EmbOliSm. The caustic fluid in.
jected into the dilated hemolrhoida
vessels may find its way into the veins
which unite to form the large porta
vein and convey the blood to the liver
In this way, small clots of blood would
be formed which would he likely to fine
their way to the liver, in the substance
of which they would be detained anC
would give rise to assesses of the live
which might terminate in loss of life.
=. The intense inflammatOry action
which results after the lapse of Il few
DAYS from the time of the operation
may occasion the loss of considerable
portion of tissue, together with grea
prostratiOn of the patient, and othe
evils.
3. By this method, so large a slough
ing surface will be produced that thert
may be great danger of the production
of structure of the rectum by cicatricia
contraction.
From facts gathered from several ca
this way, we are satisfied that there il
really no saving of pain. There ma!
be less pain at the time of the operation
but the intense inflammation which fol
lows, occasions upon the whole NOR,
pain than the simple and perfectly SAT,
operation by ligature, which is employ
ed by all skillful surgeons with entir,
success.
The operations of these individual
have been brought forcibly to our no
tice within the last few days. One o
them recently visited our city, and af
ter operating upon well-knOwn citi
zen, left him in a condition of grea
suffering; and it has only been OWNS
to the faithful attention of several O
our most skillful physicians that he
now comparatively safe and cOmforta
BILE. simultaneously with the opera
tions of the person mentioned, a smOOt
tongued emissary of another quack q
the same class, while guest at th
Sanitarium, sneakingly endeavored t
decoy away patients whom we hav
y, undergoing the regular plan of treat
ment for this disease. We have N
hesitancy in pronOuncing persons q
this class as unmitigated quacks, an
utterly unworthy of public confidence
, We mention no names, since we do nc
, desire to be unnecessarily personal, bu
if we discover any further demonstra
tions of like character we shall not hes
: itate to warn the public against ever
y unprincipled person of this STAN
9 whose name we can obtain.
+ Beware of persons who advertise sc
fn o1a
h pie evidence of their unreliability fC
- ,,au,l l,ar oft tho