The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-10-21
THE POISONING IS MENTAL

Webster tells us quack is an ig-
norant practitioner; one who processes
skill or knowledge in any matter Of
which he knows little or nothing.
Two things are essential for sue
cess in quacking it. First, the pre-
tender or faker must employ means
of attracting victims. Second, he must
have an imposing personality.
A physician or healer who is good
can and does depend on the good will
of his satisfied patrons to keep him
busy. That's how practice is built.
II he is not so good he must resort
to other means of attracting patrons;
he must either boldly blow his own
| horn up and down the by-WayS or
secretly employ some one else to do
for him what the satisfied patients of
a real physician voluntarily do for the
| doctor who has earned their good will.
There is a queer quirk in human
nature that prompts the trimmed
sucker to keep silent about his ex-
perience while he gets a certain mean
satisfaction out of watching other
suckers bite on the same bait which
lured him. People play this role even
when their good friends are in danger
of being victimized by the same hocus-
pocuS. Sometimes it is not entirely
meanneSs that prompts such silence
where fair warning should be given,
but in part shame at having been SO
| gullible. 1t is such shame felt by
victims of atrociouS quack sWindling
that makes the prosecution of these
ghouls SO difficult. Their victims are
too ashamed to 60 to court and tell
the truth.
One of the most successful quacks
sensitizes his prospects by explaining
to them that whatever complaints
they happen to have originate in some
vague poisoning of the system from
failure to eliminate, or something like
that. This charlatan has been ex-
plotting the ignorance and credulity
of the public along this line for years.
One would imagine even the dumbest
layman would begin to feel bit bored
by the same old song. but it seems
not, for the suave quack is still sing
ing it with all the gusto of radio
baritone rendering On the Road to
Mandalay, by request and with atmos-
pheric preparation by the announcer.
The music of this quack's hex-ap-
peal is always the same, but the words
as though he were actually poking fun
at the dumb eggs who will presently
become his customers. Here is a re-
cent instance, from an explanation
the quack gave his prospects for "all
| symptoms Of all ailments:
The mucus is formed from a deep
seated catarrhal inflammation which.
in its turn comes from wrong foods
and excessive quantities of foods
from the congestion, administration
| and absorption of poisons from the
blood stream
All this, the charlatan explains,
with tongue in cheek, means that the
body is attempting some form of
toxic poison elimination" Toxic poi
! son, you idiot, meaning a poison that
| is poisonous. AS a rule the quack has
the toxic poison" absorbed from the
| colon into the blood stream. This
/ time he has it absorbed from the blood
| into, goodness knows where. But
what's the odds. The wiseacreS and
! the morons from whose ranks such
| humbugs draw their cash customers
are so flattered by the difference paid
their intelligence that they'll never
notice any little discrepancies in the
| charlatan's approach.
Administration is mental-and the
shrewd charlatan knows how to inocu-
late his prospective customers minds
f; with it.