Rock Island daily Argus., 1886-10-13
TALES FOR DOCTORS.
MARVELLOUS MEDICAL SUPERSTE
TONS OF THE. MIDDLE AGES.
Napoleon and His Court Physician.
Curious Old Boobs-A Gambler Turned
Ouack-Monumentai Creduiity Of the
Perisians Many Years Ago.

orders with which tse PHYSICIAN must CON
tend In the midst Of such an array of enc.
mics nature contends. Nature" says a
French philosopher, is fighting with disease;
blind man armed with club--that is, the
physician-comes TO settle the difference. He
first tries to make peace, and when he cannot
90 this be Efts hi club and strikes at random
If he strikes the disease he kills it; IL lie
strikes nature he kills the patient" That may
he an uncertain sort of philosophy, but it is
borne out by Napoleon. who once said to one
of his court physicians: Believe me, we had
better leave off these remedies. Life is q
fortress that neither you nor know anything
about Why throw obstacles in the way of
its defence, It's own means are superior to
all the apparatus of your laboratories. Med
icine is a collection of uncertain prescriptions,
the results of which, taken collectively, are
more fatal than useful to mankind"
MEDICAL BOOKS AND PRESCRIPTIONS.
Cir Thomas Browne spends considerable
time III di5IToying common error of his
time: that healing and the mysteries of medi-
cine We're gift bestowed with coronation
ur0n royalty This idea seems TO have been
very generally he'll In 1910 book was pub
liShcd entitled, "The Quecncs Closet Opened
or divers things necessary TO be knowne col,
lccted out of sundry books, olde written, and
| now brotc into one order. The several things
herein contained may be seen in the bookes
and tables followinge, written in the yeare
OF cur Lorllo God, 1910"
The titles of the books were: First. A
| coppye cf all such medicines wherewith VI
| noble Countcsse of ONenfcrde, most CHART
| able, j. hcr owno persono, did mayne greate
and notable cures upon poor neighbours.
| Tho second book is entitled: Here boginnctt
| = true coFryu of such medicines wherewitl
| Mistlr-E 1ohan OunsteaI daughter unto tn;
| worshipfulc Mr.. John Ounstead. alderman OF
| london, hath cured many forlorne and dead
| lie diTeasps." A sanplo of the prescriptions
| is as follows: "To cure freckles, take the
hloudc Of hare, ann0ynte then with it, and
it will dce them away And another: "Foi
forgetting and weGkerirge of the understand
i2g. II the hcarte. eve, or brayne Cf black
piovcr be hanged about mans neck, it i.
profitable agaynstc forsetfullnesse and
sharTcth mans understandings" The bool
ais2 contains q scorc of prescriptions against
l1vns,clress. and innumerable phiIters and
love charms.
II the year l116 doctor Travelled oyel
Germany who called himself the "Rainwater
Do tor" His remedy for all diseases was
this on" cure, either applied or taken inwardlv
Wonderful cures were wrought we are told,
GrI Eiultitules hockCd after him to he healed
AGAHPLER TURNED ouAcK
Sanders has . story of a most notorious
gambler Of Paris named Mantacinni, who
having sgrandcred all his fortune, sought to
retrieve his losses by turning quack He
started bis carriage, and made tours of the
'"rntry. pompously protesting to effect cures
't nj! diseases with n single touch, or even q
look Failing in this he eSsayed n bolder
clnim, that of raising the dead at will Tc
remove al doubt be announced that in Il GER
tan city he would in fifteen days go to the
GhmrhvaId and call 10 life all the dead
though they had been buried for years. This,
of course, excited a general murmur against
lim, but ha at once went to the magistrate
and asked to hc put under strict guard and
held, tc prevent his cScapc until be had made
good his claim. This inspired the greatest
| confidence, and the whole city came to CON
suit the mighty savant and to buy his eau de
| vic. His consultations were numerous, and
| be received tremendous fees At length, a.
| The day drew near, his confederate, who was
attircd as his valet, expressed his fear, and
| suggested an attempt at escape The doctor
| shrugged his shoulders and said: ''You dc
| not know mankind d-wait.n Scarcely had he
spoken when servant brought letter from
a prominent citizen saying. "Sir, the great
operation you are about TO perform has broken
my rest and made nv life a burden | have
a wife buried fer some years, who was a
fury, and | Gm unhappy enough in her
memory without her resurrection In the
name Of heaven. do not make the experiment
which have every reason to believe will be
| 4 Success ] viii give YOU fifty louis if
vau will keep YOUR secret to yourself
Soon after two dashing beaux arrived, who
besousht him to dasist Their father had
been the greatest misef in the CITY, and if be
were to return they would be reduced from
tho swell Of their affluence to paupery. They
| offered him fee of 100 louis, but the doctor
shook his head in doubtful compliance I'm,
mcdiatcly came young widow on the eve of
matIillony, who threw herself at the feet Of
the Quacl,. and with sobs besought him to de
| sist. From morning until night fees poured
II, and letters and messengers besought him
to deSist. The whole city was in confusion,
so that the mayor came and said: ''Sir,
bavc not the least doubt, from my experience
| Of your rare ard wonderful talents that YOU
viii accomplish easily the resurrection in our
churchyard the day after tomorrow, accord
ing to your promise But, pray you, see
how our whole city is in confusion Your
experiment must prove dreadful revolution
i'll every family. | entreat YOU, therefore.
moi to attempt it, but so your way and re-
store tranquility TO the CITY In Justice. how.
ever to YOUR rare talents, l shall give YOU a
parchment, under the seal of the city, testify
rg that YOU can raise the dead, and that il
was Gun own fault that we were not eye wit
nass2s Of your power And the certificate
Mantacinni did receive, and went back to
p2ri5 lcadcd down with gold as q result Of
the credulity ard superstition of his victirus.-
Chicago Herald
Telescope on the Sidewalk.