The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21

perity and popularity Of tho quaok doctors
Il New York DR.. Young, seoretssy Of the
County Medical Society, told this story:
A regular practitioner and . quack doc
tor met at tho corner Of . busy thorough
fare and stopped to exchange greetings.
Il hear that you are getting rich. while
I am barely making a living remarked
the regular practitioner. why Is it7'
.How many persons do you suppose
have passed this corner since We stood
here7. asked the quack doctor In turn.
About one hundred, perhaps, hazarded
the other.
And out Of that number how many
would you say arc Intelligent and have .
GOOD brain7'
Probably uoe'mors chan one said;ths
phyaician-
We'll. your question b snsvsred.' szu0-
ingly remarked ths fGke7. You ~ Tho
one and got tho other ninety-nins.s
The County Medical Society wagss un-
oeasng war upon tho 5000 quaoU who
are said to do business IN New York city
alone, and who constantly Violate The laws
relating to medical practise. Al . result
Of the society's activity about fifty Quaok
doctors are rounded up In tho courts 0~ery
month to be tried and fined. They pay
their fines and then fade out Of sight, to
resume business again, maybe In . new
neghborhood under . different name,
More than three-fourths Of these con-
viotions are based upon the testimony
Of women employed a. agents or detectives
by the County Medical Society. 1t Is the
business Of these women to get eviden %
against the quacl1s. the practitioners who
are not registered, and regular physicians
against whom complaint has been made
Of grand larceny or extortion.
1t Is In the guise Of patients that these
agents work. Very often they succeed
In trapping their victim; occasionally they
do not. Takers are wary. and the ap-
pearanoe Of patient apparently IN robust
health may awaken suspicion.
Mrs. Witherspoon, for instance, who
has done much work for the society, is
strongly built. round and rosy-she might
even be called stout. There is plenty OF
In fact, her appearance by no means
matches the role Of ailtng woman she Is
constantly required to play.
Mira Cook. another agent. is, on the other
hand, small and slight, although perfectly
nedUHy, LOT WHICH To60Osl BIO CHI OCCdBlOu-
ally get evidence where the other fails.
Sometimes these two agents 60 together.
but oitener they make their visits sin ely,
accompanied now and then by a friend
who may be trusted to pose as patient and
keep her own counsel.
'One day said Mrs. Witherspoon In
relating some Of her experiences. "a friend
whom had taken along and introduced
a. my sister-in-law to great big woman
"a nerve specialist she called herself
nom Copenhagen-got more than she
bargained for and was shy Of going again
with me anywhere.
MY friend told the specialist that she
suffered with pains In her head and In the
back Of her neck and was troubled with
sleeplessness. The doctor asked great
many questions. felt her neck, looked at
her eyes and pronounced 1t a bad case Of
diseased nerves and said that she was all
run down, whereas. as a matter Of fact,
the woman was in perfect health and didn't
know sic had such thing as nerves.
After prescribing some medicine
quieting powders she called them-the
doctor seated her patient in chair OPP
poste talcum powdered apparatus dang
ling from the wall, fastened strap around
either ankle and then without warning
began to hoist her feet up, up. up. until
they were good bit higher than her head
and kept them In that position fully seven
minutes. Only that my friend was there
for purpose she would not have sub
mtted, and as it was she was quite stiff
the next day from remaining so long in an
unnatural position.
The doctor said this treatment was ex-
celent for the nerves; that she had cured
serious case OF sciatica and several rheu-
matte patients by using this apparatus
alone.
In your case, she told my friend, you
must come here at lesst three times a week
for Ave weeks for treatment The charge
will be 81 visit
One of the first doctors was sent to get
evidence against was a Russian who had
an Office on the lower East Side and put
up his own medicines. When he confronted
me told him suffered from shortness Of
breath, which indeed was true at that mo-
ment, whereupon be examined my heart
and lungs and said impressively that he
feared | was afflicted with tapeworm, but
that must take medicine which he would
supply and come regularly to his Office
every OtIef Gay OF % lOI eoiuo liiao poAoio
he could be quite sure. left him carrying
three boxes OF medicine, with which ] con-
fronted him soon after in the police court.
Ss.c that experience didn't surprise me
nearly so much as one ran up against few
days later. In this case the doctor was
German with quite pretentious Office
in Second avenue and he made a specially
OF vibration treatment.
When I walked into his office ne day
looking healthier than usual was afraid;
j was almost certai he would tumbl' to
my game at once. But no. When I said
in tired voice:
Doctor am troubled SO much with
lain in my back under the shoulder
blades he said Immediately:
must examine you. That pain Is from
the lungs robably.'
Then he went to work and tapped and
listened and sounded, and finally remarked
impressively that my lungs and also my
hear, were weak and that ought to have
immediate treatment. must come for the
vhra. ion treatment every morning for ten
days, and after that every other day for
five more treatments, and the charge would
tp0 70 IN oo,,ruo ho sotI N0fhip0