Evening star., 1928-03-05
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
A OUACK DOCTOR.
BY DANIEL DEFOE.

daniel Defoe. 1osi,i13i was we'll
| known English story writer and n"veis.
| His most famous book is Robinson trusne
and ., one Of his & nc,' knsT sn"~n stories Is Inc
Passing the other day through a
, little village. at some distance from
| town, was entertained with the view
of very handsome equipage moving
| toward me. The gravity OF the gentle
! man who sat in 1t. and the eagerress
wherewith the coachman drove along.
engaged my whole attention; and I
| Immediately concluded that 1t could be
nothing less than some minister Of
state. who was posting this way upon
some very important affair.
They were now got about the middle
Of the place, when making a full
stand, the footman. deserting his
station behind and taking up abreast
OF his master, gave us a very fine
blast with trumpet. l was surprised
to see him transformed so speedily
into a trumpeter, and began to wonder
what should be the meaning OF such
an unusual sight: when the coachman
jumping from his box, laying by his
whip. and slipping of his great coat
in an instant rose UP complete merry
andrew.
NY surprise was now heightened and
though honest pickle in world OF
grinace and Rcsticulation endeavored
TO move my gayety. began to be very
fearful where the transformation might
end. looked very earnestly first at
the horse and then at the wheels, and
expected every minute TO have seen
them take their turn In the farce. and
laying aside their present appearance
assume other shapes. BY this time the
gentleman. who has hitherto appeared
wonderfully sedate and composed. be-
gan to throw of his disguise: and
having pocketed all his former modesty
and occurrences, and flushed his fore
head with all the impudence Of A
Thoroughbred quack, I Immediately
discovered him to be very eminent
and learned mountebank.
This discovery raised my curiousity
as much as II abatrd my surprise. so
that being very desirous to hear what
new proposal the doctor had TO make.
or what new thing in medicine he had
found out. Quilted my former position
and joined myself 10 the crowd around
him After short introduction, he
began 10 open the design Of hts trip
setting forth at length the great affec-
ton which he bore in particular 10
the people OF that place. He expanded
on his own merits and qualifications.
specifying great numbers OF cures which
he had wrought on incurable diseases.
and emphasizing the extreme danger
Of going without hts medicine and
Offering health and long life for as
low price as you please-~considcring
the great value.
You'd have burst your sides, had
you but heard the foolish things. quaint
expressions. and all that, which this
eloquent speaker let fall from his mouth
After such indication OF his learning
though, who was there who did not
believe him? Who was there who was
50 discourteous as not TO purchase one
Of his packets?
Lest any Of US, however, should hold
our money too tightly. he tried 10
persuade us that there were seeds OF
some terrible disease lurking In each OF
| our bodies--and that the only thing In
nature which could save us was hts
! medicine. lie threatened us with death
| II We did not buy. The poor people.
therefore. we're much afraid and
| thought il very easy 10 escape such a
fate by buying. so they bought and
| sent The doctor adrift on his further
| adventures.
| The scene upon which had CHANGED
was now ended. and ] had the leisure
| 10 think shout what / had observed.
| could have cried or laughed heartily,
either one. At what had witnessed.
| The arrogance Of the quack doctor
and the folly Of his patients were each
~ them ridiculous enough TO have set a
more serious person than myself laugh
| ing. But then. consider the tragic
| issue 10 which these things tended.
| snd the fatal effect 50 many such
medicines might have on the people. and
| the merriegt clown alive would be
| s1bered.
| nave not often seen more hale,
/ robust crowd ri people than that which
| encircled this doughty doctor, rethinks
one might have read health In their
| very faces, and there WAS not counte-
nance among them which did moi give
| the lie In the doctors suggestions,
| Could but one see little INTO me
| future and observe the condition they
viii be In few months hence. what
| an alteration one might findl How
| many 0f those braWny youths VIII
| then be sick from that vile medicine
| How many rosy y-c0mpiexioned girls VIII
| be as pale as A ghnstf
propose In n little time tn make
a second Journey t0 this place IN order
10 zee how the doctors medicine has
acted. by searching the parish req:
ister and comparing the numbef of
funerals made weekly before the doc
tors visit and aftsTward. Will be
easy Ia form an estimate OF the havoc
which this wandering man slayer made
IN the space 0f two hours. shall
then proceed 10 compute the number 0f
auacks IN The three Kingdoms. from
which It VIII be no hard matter to de-
lermine the number Of people carried
of every year by the whole fraternity
| NJ quanks
Lastly, / shalt circulate The loss which
The government sustalns by The deaiil
of every subject; from all OF which ths
immense damages AGeriing viii sWs
IDENTIFY appear. and the public VIII be
fully convinced 6f the truth OF what
II have heretofore asssrtsf-~that the
Quaeka contribute more toward kesping