The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-14
field clear to the educated, scientific pbysi.

field clear to the educated, scientific pbysi.
clan.
Medical quackery Is nothing new under
the sun. Its history Is the history of the
human race in all ages and in all climes,
and its pathway is marked by fraud, de-
ception, ruined constitutions and prema-
ture death. 1t has its foundation in the
ignorance and credulity of man, and, 80 to
speak, his fondness for being imposed
upon. Its victims, however, are not found
among the poor and ignorant alone, but the
wealthy and semi-educated are ready TO
bow TO the pretensions of the duack and
submit to his guidance. A century ago
one Joanna Stephens proclaimed that she
had discovered sovereign remedy for
painful malady, and, after becoming
wealthy by Its sale, offered TO make its
secret known for the small consideration
of five thousand pounds sterling. An at
tempt WIS made, through the Gent,enan's
Magazine, 10 raise this amount by subscrip-
ton, and although the bishops of Glouces-
ter and Oxford, the earls of Pembroke,
Godolphin and Clarendon, and viscounts,
duchesses, countesses, generals, and lords
and ladies innumerabe were LIBERAL in their
contributions, only about ohe.third of the
amount was raised; and application was
made to parliament, and that body prompt
ly voted her the five thousand pounds, and
Joanna's secret became public property.
Her prescriptions we're as follows:
My medicines are powder, a decoction
and pills.
The powder consists of egg shells and
snais both calcined.
The decoction is made by boiling some
herbs-camomile flowers, fennels. parse-
ley and burdock-(together with a ball
which consists of soap, swines crosses burnt
to blackness and honey in water.
The pills consist of snais calcined, wild
carrot seeds, ashen keys, hips and hawes.
all burnt to blackness-soap and honey.
And for this with directions for mixing,
the enlightened British nation, only GEN.
fury ago, paid twenty thousand dollars in
gold d! And months have not passed since
equally disgusting mixtures have been
palmed off upon the enlightened citizens
OF Vermont as panaceas for nearly every
Ill that flesh Is heir to-and while the fool
ana his money has been willingly parted,
the interruptions and cunning quack has
people ana >" haryestR.nd"ho only broken
constitutions but, too often, impaired
minds.
This quackey and charlatanism is not, by
any means, thing of the past. 1t is
about us to-day as it always has been,
" barefaced, impudent, successful, haggling
" Tor its rewards like a shameless barlot."
How long ago is it that one of these Ignorant
pretenders visited Rutland, blazoning forth
his certificates of the miraculous cure of an
I" ovarian tumor in the breast"-we quote
literally from his certificates and ADVERTISE
ments-and advertising to cure consump-
ton and nearly every other known disease
without the use of medicine or the knife .?
And his rooms were crowded day by day,
with an Ignorant, credulous people, anx-
lously seeking health, willingly exchanging
their little all for the promise OF it-and
the result was that he reaped harvest of
money, while his patrons became a harvest
for death. And this was not an isolated
case. The state has been and still is over
run with them. The poor houses and in
sane asylums are full of their victims, the
reaper death has gained bountiful harvest
from the same cause, and broken consttu-
tions and shattered intellects have been the
rule among those who sought their aid,
listened to their advice and followed their
directions.
1t is high time, as we have said, that So |
ciety should be protected from these yen-
ders of powders, pills and potions, from
the ravages of these quacks, charlatans and |
fofteuaeTin md this Jay, if rigidly en-
law was not intended to interfere with, hhe |
cannot be made to interfere with, educated
and qualified physicians and surgeons who
come into the state either for the purpose
OF making permanent residence here, az
specialists, in consultation with a home
or when called by patient re-
siding heTe-the law affords ample protec-
ton to al ea1cated physicians practising
in the state, whether they reside here or |
else8here-it is aimed only at those who
seek to rob the pocket by fraudulently pre-
tending to skill they do not possess. and
lie designed to protect the weak aud cred |
llous from the Vaccinations Of the crafty |
and interruptions. The law, I. rgidly en- |
forced, will do this, and we trust that the |
several medical societies of the state will |
zee to it that the object of the law is at |
aimed.