Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-23
Medical Graft in Southwest.
CHARITABLE LONGEVITY SOCIETY sLeo THE FARM.
LOOKING FOR MIRACULOUS CURES.

and as graft is a business il need
occasion neither horror nor surprise to
learn that it avais itself of human af-
Fiction as working basis. But the
celebrity with which the veriform APP
pendiX was exterminated when it
ceased to be fashionable has driven it
out OF all but licensed graft"
Graft" and 'grafters" are alike in
cXcusable, and frauds and swindles
should be denounced and punished.
But neither dennncation nor punish
ment, nor the police reports of per-
sons victinized that are to he found in
the newspapers daily. appear to have
any considerable effect in warning the
people against the tribe of willy
schemers that fill the land.
This article and others of the series
are printed with the hope that they
will serve to'give a fuller understand
ing of the manner in which these
fakes are perpetrated. and thereby
cause others to beware of them.
Religious. fraternal and philan-
thropie causes and claims are fire.
auently used to further fraud. Most
people are loath to believe that men
will stoop 10 do such things as are re-
lated on this page, but the following
story is a transcript from life and
should carry its own warning.
In Il cheap boarding house on an OBJ
Scnre street in st Louis two men
might he said to have been busily en-
gagged, but it would be an infraction of
strong English" to so describe it.
for thny were intensely engagcd-one
studying and memoriZing medical
nomenclature, the. other scanning page
"fto" page of Illustrated catalogues for
easily portable chemical and physical
apparatus. noting prices and making
"nt Il list
\ secondhand atlas or rather that
portion Of one containing the maps OF
Southwestern states and postal
Guide Law on table near at hand, but
their work was done.
From time 10 time during tho pre-
ceding month posmastcrs in the Snuth-
vest had received letters that read as
follows.
Dear Sir: Tho Longevity Society.
whose mission is To prolong human
lif,. and az which y man OF yonr in
tcilieoncc has certainly heard. wishes
quietly. I may say, secretly. To make 4
thorough investigation of diseases that
ar" supposed Ia DO incurablc
would yon. therefore. have the
Kindness to fiji out the inclosed blanks
with the names and exact location of
persons afflicted with consumption,
cancer. diabetes or Rright's disease
As this is = snmicharitable move
ment, we think the poor should have
tho preference. Please fill out in the
blank space for that purpose the iinan-
eial standing of tho persons whose
names Won send. For example: A. r..
s360. diabetes: G. D., consumption,
SGG60"
You understand, of course. that We
make no charges whatever. and you
can sec further that to prevent need
Jess alarm perfect secrecy is essential
Thanking you in advance. am yours
truly,
"R. l.. Gilnus
n. D., Phi D., F. r. s"
There had been heartfelt replies TO
this letter. and ii was gratifying to
note the number Of p. Ms who had
? added Superfiuous note to say that
they had long heard of and We're in
sympathy with a society not yet born.
But the letters We're not ION file" to
show the doubling. the list Of names.
the poor left out. we're i'm pocket
memorandum book.
bill" said the older man in vexed
tone. go over to the library and look in
big dictionary and see what hillary
ducks is. We are liable to run onto a
farmer that will throw US on the cIssed
birds
Bin returned promptly and said that
hillary ducks had something To do with
"fellers liver"
Now. Bill, listen" said his compan-
ion. I've changed the program for the
better. ] can't take the money direct for
the fleece of the lambs; I've seen a law
sharn about it. once | give dose or
charge n cent the local pill shooters
would chase m from hades to the ma
tutinal meal The rfazuma must come
through your land deal I've cut you out
as a medical pardner: you take the land
end. and as a doctor / go alone. g
You're good. but your plebian ways
are in your favor in land deal; as an
expert specialist you would queer the
whole thing. for you could not talk half
an hour and not fall into the dialect of
Sal Smith. of Nubben Ridge. could
have killed you in Little Rock that time
I was stringin' the swell preacher and
watchin~ for vcu nv aff'uent pardner
WHICH lDokeO up stitS' ahu
saw you coming. smoking a pipe on the
street and wearing high hat and a
sack coat. No. Bill. you study up on
your land. When I've hooked the sucker
YOU land him or her. for shall work
on them from the cradle to the grave"
well, all I've got to say returned
Bill, in a rebellious tone, lis if Id
picked out battlefield I wouldn't a
went to all the little one-horse towns
away from the railroads.
.Ah, Bill" was the plying reply.
every time you speak you give
another evidence of surface study Oh
the subject. Get out in the country
where there are more kids than dol
lars and the local sawbones will re-
gard me with awe. Take ii good sized
railroad village and 1 don't know
what minute I'll strike some one that
| can't fool. and if a hasty farewell
becomes imperative it is easy to cut
n single wire country telephone and
laavo INV too uri1lipU bolVpuara OF