Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. 51 



writings of these years, testifying strongly to his ina 

 bility to concentrate his mind and work. 



The most interesting fact connected with this por 

 tion of the career of Rafinesqne is his attempted appli 

 cation of his medical information to the treatment of 

 consumption. He has commonly been regarded as a 

 &quot;quack&quot; during this part of his life. However he was 

 far from such in fact. There is the essential distinction, 

 first of all, that Rafinesque really believed in his medi 

 cines and in his treatment. In his will may be found 

 a paragraph to which attention is directed in this con 

 nection. For some years he had made and advertised a 

 medicine, sold in several forms, to which he gave the 

 name of &quot; Pulmel,&quot; and concerning the virtues of which 

 he wrote a book. His methods, then novel and Rafin 

 esque always seemed to be in the lead in novelties 

 were not at all unlike those now adopted by respectable 

 firms for the advertisement of their own nostrums. He 

 published a number of statements of cures, reliefs, and 

 similar matters, just as is now done under cover of the 

 certification of a reputable physician. While it is prob 

 able his decoctions and pills and powders possessed very 

 little therapeutic value, it is not quite clear that they were 

 less valuable than many that now are heralded, world 

 wide, as possessing virtues and powers that are incredible. 



