THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 

 MONTHLY. 



JUNE, 1883. 



MEDICAL QUACKS AND QUACKEEIES. 



Br FEANCIS J. SHEPHEED, M. D. 



JOHNSON defines a quack as " a boastful pretender to an art he 

 does not understand," and perhaps the term is more often applied 

 to boastful pretenders of the art of medicine than of any other.* Prob- 

 ably, ever since man acquired the faculty of articulate language, quacks 

 and quackeries have flourished. In the ruder ages, man attributed all 

 disease to the influence of evil spirits, and sought by various means to 

 ward off or lessen their injurious and malevolent actions. Now, as an 

 eminent physiologist has lately said, the controlling of unknown pow- 

 ers has always been a matter of some difficulty, and one which ordinary 

 mortals with average ability could not successfully attempt ; hence 

 arose a class of specialists men who, by their greater knowledge and 

 cleverness, made others believe that they were able to cope with the 

 unseen. These were the priests, and, without doubt, the first quacks. 

 They supplied charms and potions, and made use of incantations, not 

 only to cure, but to prevent disease. These services obtained for them 

 great power and influence and increased wealth. The ancient Egyp- 

 tians attributed all diseases to the anger of the gods. They worshiped 

 Serapis as a medical divinity, and the cure of disease could only be ac- 

 complished through the intercession of this deity's priests. Thus the 

 priests had the monopoly of medical practice, and their medical knowl- 

 edge was jealously concealed from the vulgar ; it was only divulged 

 to those who with extravagant ceremonies, wonderful mummeries, and 

 terrible vows of secrecy, were initiated into the Egyptian mysteries. 

 It was thus that Pythagoras is supposed to have obtained the founda- 

 tion of his medical knowledge and philosophy. Among the Israelites 



* " ' Quack ' is said to be an abbreviated form of ' quacksalver,' which is derived from 

 the Dutch Kwabzalver from Kwab, a wen, and Zalver, an ointment." Notes and Queries. 

 vol. xxiii. 10 



