MEDICAL QUACKS AND QUACKERIES. i 55 



to a healthy part, was as harmless as water, but when applied to a 

 surface covering a diseased organ caused the morbific humor to ex- 

 ude. His success was immediate and great. Patients from London 

 and all parts of the country rushed to consult the miracle-worker in 

 his house in Harley Street. Ladies of the highest rank hastened to 

 place themselves and their ailing daughters under his care. Long 

 was shrewd enough not to undertake the cure of cases which were 

 apparently hopeless. He pretended to cure consumption by the appli- 

 cation of his liniment, and of course, as nine out of ten of his jiatients 

 were women, and a large majority of these hysterical or perfectly 

 healthy, his success was marvelous. For several years his income ex- 

 ceeded 13,000. He went out into fashionable society, and was a 

 lion in the most aristocratic circles ; his ready wit, fascinating man- 

 ners, intellectual countenance, and handsome figure, procured him a 

 host of admirers, among whom were Lord Ingestre, the Marquis of 

 Sligo, Lady Harriet Kavanah, the Marchioness of Ormond, the Count- 

 ess of Buckinghamshire, and many others. Long was a superb hoi'se- 

 man, hunted regularly, and rode magnificent animals. " On one occa- 

 sion, as he was cantering round the park, he saw a man strike a woman, 

 and, without an instant's hesitation, he pulled up, leaped from his 

 horse, seized the fellow bodily, and flung him over the park-rails." 

 He had many offers of marriage, but declined them all. He wrote 

 a book called " Discoveries in the Science and Art of Healing," which 

 was well padded with letters from grateful patients, and testimonials 

 of miraculous cures from his ai'istocratic friends. Soon misfortune 

 came upon him ; his liniment was applied to the back and breast of a 

 perfectly healthy girl, inflammation set in, followed by gangrene, and 

 in a few days his patient was no more. Long was convicted of man- 

 slaughter, and fined only 200 by a partial judge. In his trial he was 

 supported and petted by his lady admirers, who gave evidence in his 

 favor. One nobleman swore that Long had abstracted pure quick- 

 silver from his head. Soon another patient fell a victim to his treat- 

 ment ; he was again tried for manslaughter, and again had the sym- 

 pathy of his female friends, but this time he was acquitted. These 

 trials had no effect in lessening his popularity : he went about pro- 

 claiming himself a martyr, comparing his case to that of Galileo, 

 Harvey, and others. He died while still young, in 1834, retaining 

 a large practice to the last. His admirers raised a magnificent 

 monument to his memory in Kensal Green Cemetery, adorned with 

 a long and laudatory inscription. After his death, his property be- 

 came the subject of very tedious litigation. Among the claimants 

 was a woman of humble station in life, who proved to be his wife. 

 This explained his preference for bachelorhood. The wonderful lini- 

 ment turned out to be acetic acid, which looks much like water. He 

 of course substituted a bottle of water when he did not wish the 

 "morbific humor" to come out, and so gulled his willing victims. 



