QUACK ADVERTISEMENTS.
1
352 your valuable Journal to elicit information on the following subject :-A practitioner of this town attends a Friendly Society at Chute, Wilts, for a low salary. One of its members having occasion to apply for medi- cal relief for some complaint (the nature of which I have not been able to learn), was given a box of " pilis." By some chance or other, when about taking one, he thought that they felt very hard, and was prompted by curiosity to divide it into halves, when he discovered, to his astonishment, that they were PEAS! To be fully convinced of the fact, they were, after being washed and deprived of the magnesia, planted in earth, and are now actually growing. This state- ment I had from one of the stewards belong- ing to the Society. Now, as I am not aware that peas contain any medicinal properties, and am also igno- rant of any disease that is likely to be bene- fitted by their administration, I shall feel obliged by information, either from the pre- scriber, or any of your numerous readers, as to how long such a remedy has been in use for the treatment of disease, and what cases are likely tobe benefitted by their application. The replies may afford the means of saving much pharmaceutic trouble, and supersede the use of pill-making machines. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, VERITAS. Andover, May 15, 1839. *,’" The writer has authenticated his com- munication, but we withhold for the present the name of the practitioner who is alleged to have supplied this economic medicine. Peas and bread-pills must come under the .quack’s head of "VEGETABLE MEDICINES." QUACK ADVERTISEMENTS. A CORRESPONDENT of the Midland Counties Herald " having observed the fol- lowing paragraph in a letter which recently appeared in THE LANCET, makes the subjoin- ed statement, which we copy into our own columns with pleasure. The exception is most honourable to the provincial Editor, assailed as he must be, week After week, with the applicutions of the filthy and igno- rant quacks, for room in his pages to delude the readers of the " Herald." We may take this opportunity of adverting to another ex- ception with which we formerly met. Simi- lar instances are so rare that they deserve eulogistic mention whenever they occur. It is that of the ‘ Weekly True Sun," when edited by Mr. John Bell, who, also, went so far as to exclude all quack announcements from his cotunms, whether with or without the prefix ’· advertisement." The following is the notice in the " Herald:"- " ’ Tire quack sends his advertisement to the public papers, and gets it inserted aa a paragraph, according to a system disgrace- ful to the press, to the pursuit of which sys- tem the « Timea," I believe, forms an honour- able exception. * * * The fact, that the newspapers thus tend to mislead the public, ought to make every medical man doubly vigilant in warning his patients against the daily insidions attacks upon their health.’—Lancet, April 13, p. 113. " The Times’ does not form the only honourable exception to the insertion of quack advertisements. The Midland Me- tropolis ’ can also boast of a paper, the editor of which, spurning the loathsome bribe, keeps his pages uncontaminated by the moral pestilence, and his conscience clear from those throes which must some. times accompany the act of becoming the pander to a set of avaricious mountebanks, on the one hand, and a vitiated public taste oa the other. Had the Editor of THE LANCET, or the writer of the letter, known of this other exception, I feel convinced it would give, at least the former, too much pleasure to permit him to pass it unnoticed ; he has had too much trouble in endeavouring to lessen the bad effect of disgraceful medical laws not to fetdjoy at seeing a fellow-labourer in the field ; in which light the editor of the Midfand Herald,’ by discountenancing the shameful system of quack advertisements, must be considered. 11 W. R. (M.R.C.S.) "Sutton Coldfield, April 29,1839." TO CORRESPONDENTS. A Constant Reader (Bury) has been anti- cipated in his letter.-The communication of n,.. Stewart has reached us. A Consulting Surgeon should be very cau. tious. The sum originally paid for the office was £500, being about £490 more than its valne. The sufferer may think him- self, therefore, fully justified in asking £1000 for his vote and interest, on the p-e. sent occasion, but no one except an idiot would give it. H. The only one with which we are ac- quainted was in the neighbourhood of Smithfield. W. Af. A medical man cannot claim an additional fee for attendance on an adjourned inquest. We regret thatwe cannot comply with the request of Mr. Tucker. The remarks of Mr. John Snou’ on a recent communication from M. H., on the physio- logy of respiration, have been received. We cannot help thinking that Mr. Snow might better employ himself in producing some- thing, than in criticising the productions of others. Letters have been received from S. B., .llr. Brandon, Mr. Ancell, and Mr. Curtis. In Mr. Thomson’s lecture, page 248, col. 1, line 18, the words "were ultimatelv," should have been inserted after "locomtive fuuctione."
Transcript of QUACK ADVERTISEMENTS.
352
your valuable Journal to elicit informationon the following subject :-A practitioner ofthis town attends a Friendly Society at
Chute, Wilts, for a low salary. One of itsmembers having occasion to apply for medi-cal relief for some complaint (the nature ofwhich I have not been able to learn), wasgiven a box of " pilis." By some chance orother, when about taking one, he thoughtthat they felt very hard, and was promptedby curiosity to divide it into halves, whenhe discovered, to his astonishment, that theywere PEAS! To be fully convinced of thefact, they were, after being washed anddeprived of the magnesia, planted in earth,and are now actually growing. This state-ment I had from one of the stewards belong-ing to the Society.Now, as I am not aware that peas contain
any medicinal properties, and am also igno-rant of any disease that is likely to be bene-fitted by their administration, I shall feelobliged by information, either from the pre-scriber, or any of your numerous readers, asto how long such a remedy has been in usefor the treatment of disease, and what casesare likely tobe benefitted by their application.The replies may afford the means of savingmuch pharmaceutic trouble, and supersedethe use of pill-making machines. I am, Sir,your obedient servant, VERITAS.Andover, May 15, 1839.*,’" The writer has authenticated his com-
munication, but we withhold for the presentthe name of the practitioner who is allegedto have supplied this economic medicine.Peas and bread-pills must come under the.quack’s head of "VEGETABLE MEDICINES."
QUACK ADVERTISEMENTS.
A CORRESPONDENT of the MidlandCounties Herald " having observed the fol-lowing paragraph in a letter which recentlyappeared in THE LANCET, makes the subjoin-ed statement, which we copy into our owncolumns with pleasure. The exception ismost honourable to the provincial Editor,assailed as he must be, week After week,with the applicutions of the filthy and igno-rant quacks, for room in his pages to deludethe readers of the " Herald." We may takethis opportunity of adverting to another ex-ception with which we formerly met. Simi-lar instances are so rare that they deserveeulogistic mention whenever they occur. Itis that of the ‘ Weekly True Sun," whenedited by Mr. John Bell, who, also, went sofar as to exclude all quack announcementsfrom his cotunms, whether with or withoutthe prefix ’· advertisement." The followingis the notice in the " Herald:"-" ’ Tire quack sends his advertisement
to the public papers, and gets it inserted aaa paragraph, according to a system disgrace-ful to the press, to the pursuit of which sys-
tem the « Timea," I believe, forms an honour-able exception. * * * The fact, thatthe newspapers thus tend to mislead thepublic, ought to make every medical mandoubly vigilant in warning his patientsagainst the daily insidions attacks upontheir health.’—Lancet, April 13, p. 113." The Times’ does not form the only
honourable exception to the insertion ofquack advertisements. The Midland Me-
tropolis ’ can also boast of a paper, theeditor of which, spurning the loathsomebribe, keeps his pages uncontaminated bythe moral pestilence, and his conscienceclear from those throes which must some.times accompany the act of becoming thepander to a set of avaricious mountebanks,on the one hand, and a vitiated public tasteoa the other. Had the Editor of THE LANCET,or the writer of the letter, known of this otherexception, I feel convinced it would give,at least the former, too much pleasure topermit him to pass it unnoticed ; he has hadtoo much trouble in endeavouring to lessenthe bad effect of disgraceful medical lawsnot to fetdjoy at seeing a fellow-labourer inthe field ; in which light the editor of the Midfand Herald,’ by discountenancing theshameful system of quack advertisements,must be considered.
11 W. R. (M.R.C.S.)"Sutton Coldfield, April 29,1839."
TO CORRESPONDENTS.A Constant Reader (Bury) has been anti-
cipated in his letter.-The communicationof n,.. Stewart has reached us.A Consulting Surgeon should be very cau.
tious. The sum originally paid for theoffice was £500, being about £490 morethan its valne. The sufferer may think him-self, therefore, fully justified in asking£1000 for his vote and interest, on the p-e.sent occasion, but no one except an idiotwould give it.H. The only one with which we are ac-
quainted was in the neighbourhood ofSmithfield.W. Af. A medical man cannot claim an
additional fee for attendance on an adjournedinquest.We regret thatwe cannot comply with the
request of Mr. Tucker.The remarks of Mr. John Snou’ on a recent
communication from M. H., on the physio-logy of respiration, have been received. Wecannot help thinking that Mr. Snow mightbetter employ himself in producing some-thing, than in criticising the productions ofothers.
Letters have been received from S. B.,.llr. Brandon, Mr. Ancell, and Mr. Curtis.
In Mr. Thomson’s lecture, page 248, col.1, line 18, the words "were ultimatelv,"should have been inserted after "locomtivefuuctione."
