Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1890-02-13
THE DEVICES OF CHARLA-
TANS.
Or the BLACK Arts" in Medicine.

W Inc DIuCK HIS IN mGUIGM6'
READ AT THE CHARLTON COUNTY MED
ICaL SOCIETY AT SALISBURY, Mo.
JANUARY -, 1890, BY GEO. NJ.
DEWEY, NJ. d.
In all ages, among all nations, the
doctors have been the object OF ven
Grafton. The heather adored Hy-
pocrates and deIfied Escslapius. The
Indian, with all his perverseness and
cruelty, regards the medicine man"
as a demi-god. II not inspired, he is,
at least, supposed to be conversant
with the gods. Surely, then, more is
expected of him than of the common
herd.
We might expect that one whom
all the world praised would rise su-
perIor to all mankind in honesty and
truth. That he would be uninflu-
enced by vanity; unseduced by lust,
and unbiased by lucre.
But, alas! with all the honor, rev.
erence and veneration paid him, he
is often found to be but man, and
a very low grade one, at that.
We find him vigorously engaged in
destroying, in besmircbins his neigh
boris reputation and deceivlng the
laity.
1 propose, in this paper, to con-
slider some of the tricks, the articles,
the fnesSe, of the scoundrels in the
medical profession.
The anatomy of man shows such
skill, such design, that the doctor is
compelled to believe in a designer,
who Is entitled to alteration, to wor-
ship. Still, it does not follow that
he should join the most numerous
and popular church and sit in the
amen corner-to be called out when
the worship is in full blast.
A medical fraud is generally a re-
ligious fraud also, He Is always en-
deavoring to pass for what he is not.
Appearing like a very saint,
While everybody knows he amt;
His autograph, with an NJ. d.,
Is all the evidence We see.
Soliciting practice Is a common
custom of low grade doctors. OF
course no gentlemen do this. A lay
man with any sense of 7ropriety
would scOrn such a sneak.
Getting ones name in the secular
press for some skilifui surgical oper-
alton Is a very questionable practice.
OF course no one is responsible for
reporters nosing around; but the
technical language gives the opera
tor away.
Making a so-called specially OF
some disease is a very common trick
of latter day country mountebanks.
The country is full of specialists.
They have "corner" on every dis
ease flesh is heir to. The respecta-
BILE portions are not cancer curers.
Most of them are snoot or pile spec.
ialists. They commence on the ear,
nose and throat; failing in these,
they go down to the rectum and at
tack piles.
In a large city, making specially
of some particular branch of medi
cine Is, doubtless, q useful thing
but in a country town 1t is humbug
1 have yet to know country spec
ialist who possessed any superior
skill or knowledge of any particula
branch of medicine that the genera
practitioner did not possess.
Their skill is bit make believe.
A trick-ihe ignorant to deceive.
Taking an extraordinary lnteres
in the family affairs of patients i
always suspicious of hypocrisy. /
such patron chances to change phys
icians the former deep interes
suddenly merges into neglect.
Making presents 10 children is al
electioneering scheme. This is yer
captivating to mothers, and If dot
tor has nothing else to recommen
him to favor, he may be excused, a
II is quite innocent.
Extraordinary attention to patient
catches the fools. The quacks ar
all "onto this" 1t captivates th
ignorant laymen, whose confidenC
in the unpossessed curative powt
of drugs is boundless. Drugs bin
the ignorant; they close the p;
TENTS eyes TO the mountebani
failure in diagnosis.
The quack is known by his pr,
scriptions. He always "comes in @
blind" Sucsus AheTunS, IOdO-Br
mide Of Calcium Compound, Litoliu
Comp, AueYas Cordial, Warner
Safe Cure, BrOmedta, and an abun'
ance Of pills are the loads he fires
! his patients in the dark.
, When q doctor talks of disease
"runnlng into each other" set hl
down as fool. This expression
running into," was invented
cover failures in diagnosis. The i
noramus visits patient, names Il
disease and prescribes accordingly
At the next visit it is apparent to Il
by-standers and doctor tEat mistal
was made in diagnosis. The docto
| To nn,-nr his innnranne and cnwar