98 THE NEW SCIENCE ■ iUSTD ENGLISH LITERATURE 



titled The State of Physick, wliieli may be found in a volume of 

 Comedies not Acted, that was edited by John Genest. Across the 

 title page of this comedy in the copy that fell into the hands of the 

 -w-riter was written in a bold script the name, "Thos. Dickinson", 

 but whether intended for the author or not is unknown. "This 

 piece was never acted", says the Biographia Dramatica, "nor do we 

 know who is the author ; yet we conjecture it must have been some 

 person of the faculty, since, if we may be allowed a paltry quibble, 

 it is apparent, that even in the very title page, to make use of a 

 vulgar phrase, He talks like an apothecary ".^^^ But, whoever the 

 author was, he made his purpose plain enough; namely, to expose 

 medical quackery and the greed of apothecaries. 



This study is concerned only with the three doctors, Mody, Run- 

 about, and Easy. Mody is "A Physician of note, formal, and pre- 

 tending to Learning". He is in daily attendance upon Lady 

 Humane and by his learned conversation keeps her bewildered into 

 a constant fermentation. Connected with the waiting room of his 

 office is his museum, with many shelves apparently filled with books. 

 On inspection, however, Lord Humane finds them for the most part 

 painted blocks of wood. 



"Mody, — The Vacuities are embellish 'd. — A shelf half filled has 



such a mean look, that your lordship will judge the improvement 



not despicable — 



Runabout, — Nothing but the Fertility of your Cranium, Doctor, 



could have produced, and nothing but the Royal Society can 



merit so serviceable a production. 



Mody, — It shall be communicated, to be through them, made 



public, for the general good. "^^'^ 



This character is a replica of Dr. Fossil, with his rarities, his 

 "fossils, shells, and butterflies". From his tongue flow glibly the 

 cant phrases of medical quackery. When Goody, the apothecary, 

 fails to include among some half dozen other ingredients a single 

 powder, Mody exclaims, — " 'Twas the Vehicle of all you took: 

 'Tis the Alcahest of the Chymists, Primum IMobile of the philoso- 

 phers, and Aqua Vitae of the Apothecaries ".^^^ Later, when he 



^^ Bioff. Dram. IV, p. 299-300. 



"' The State of Physick, Act III, sc. 3. 



"8 Ibid. Act I, sc. 2. 



