books, or obtaining plants and animals. Such was his activity, that once when he had broken his right arm, the surgeon, when visiting him the next morning, was surprised to find him writing, with sufficient facility, with his left hand. In fact, the whole of his life was, in the strictest sense, one continued sacrifice of his pleasure and health to his love of science. Haller's library consisted of 13,512 volumes, on anatomy, surgery, practice of physic, botany, and natural history; and about 150 manuscripts, mostly written in his own hand. These were offered to a London bookseller, a number of whom agreed to unite in treating for them; but before they had taken any farther measures, the whole were purchased by the Emperor of Germany. CHAPTER V. ILLUSTRATIONS AND SKETCHES OF MEDICAL QUACKERY. An apt illustration-Madame de Sevigné's definition of Quackery -The love of the mysterious-A decoction of flint stonesAttested cures Opinion of Sterne-Mr. Pott-Faith in the Physician-The vulnary powder-Anecdotes of the famous mountebank Dr. Bossy-Ignorance and impudence of bonesetters-Mrs. Mapp-Homœopathy-The Parisian Quack— Mantaccini-Count Cagliostro-The college prosecution of Brodum-Suggestions for the prevention of Quackery. "IF physic be a trade," it is observed, (the speculation is put hypothetically,) "it is the trade of all others, the most exactly cut out for a rogue." There is the absence of all restraint; and the only security for the doctor's ability and fair dealing, is often what is wafted to the public in the gossip-tale of some retainer in his interest. A transaction which a person had with his watchmaker affords an apt illustration of the principles of charlatanism. His watch having stopped, he took it to a mechanic in order to ascertain the nature of the defect, and to have it rectified. The watchmaker armed his eyes with a microscope, and, after exhausting his customer's patience, for a considerable time being, as he thought, very sapiently occupied in examining the machinery to discover the disorder, observed that he could do no good to the watch without taking it all to pieces. It was carried to another, who, a good deal to the surprise of the owner, discovered, and honestly told him, that he had only forgotten to wind it up! It is almost miraculous what a little learning can effect in setting off the attractions of that art (quackery), which Madame de Sevigné so comprehensively defines in one sentence, as an affair of "pompeux galamatias, specieux babil, des mots pour des raisons, et des promesses pour des effets.” The late Dr. Parr, of Exeter, defined the word, quack, to be applicable to every practitioner, who, by pompous pretences, mean insinuations, and indirect promises, endeavours to obtain that confidence, to which neither education, merit, nor experience entitle him. There has always existed, in the human mind, an innate love of the mysterious; and mankind have, ever since the creation of the world, delighted in deception, thinking with the poet, that, "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." A visit to a quack produces a pleasurable excite ment. There is something piquant in the disdain for prudence with which we deliver ourselves up to that illegitimate sportsman of human lives, who kills us without a qualification. There is a delicious titillation in a large demand upon our credulity; we like to expect miracles in our own proper person, and we go to the illiterate practitioner of medicine, for the same reasons which induced our poor ancestors to go to wizards. How true it is that— "First man creates, and then he fears the elf; He hates realities, and hugs the cheat, And still the only pleasure's the deceit." Walpole says that acute and sensible people are often the most easily deceived by quacks. A deceit, of which it may be said—" It is impossible for any one to dare it," always succeeds. If the imposture required any ingenuity to detect it there might be some hope for mankind; but it actually lies concealed in its very obviousness. At the same time it must be owned, that, in some cases, no little degree of firmness is required to resist the importunity with which a nostrum is recommended. "I seriously declare," says Sir A. B. Faulkner," Visit to Paris. that I was myself pressed with no little earnestness, by a person not otherwise above par in credulity, trying to persuade me of the infallible powers-of what?— Ye shades of Hippocrates and Æsculapius—what?actually and seriously, a decoction of flint stones!!! The prescription was grave and methodical. The flints were to be boiled, and the supernatant liquor poured off for use. The lady who advised this precious physic, would do so on the best authority; and not of one, but of many persons of her acquaintance, upon whose word she could place the most implicit reliance." The charm is in the mystery, in all these cases. "Minus credunt quæ ad suam salutem pertinent, si intelligunt," says Pliny. Credulity is indigenous in no particular climate. "In Chili," says Zimmerman, "the physicians blow around the beds of their patients, to drive away diseases; and, as the people in that country believe that physic consists wholly in their wind, their doctors would take it very ill of any person who should attempt to make the method of cure more difficult." They think they know enough when they know how to blow; which, translated into common language, means "raising the wind." Lord Bacon says, "That the impostor frequently triumphs at the bed-side of the sick, when true merit is affronted and dishonoured; the people have always considered a quack, or an old woman, as the rivals of true physicians. Hence it is that every physician, who has not greatness of soul enough not to forget himself, feels no difficulty in saying with Solomon, |