1§0 Dr. Willich onthe Dangerous Progre/s of Quack Medicines. [Sept. 
and as it were protected in their nefarious 
-practices, when we find them nearly ex- 
pelled, at leaft not publicly tolerated, in 
all other countries in Europe. 
I do not here allude to the profeflors of 
Aftrology and Divination, lurking in va- 
rious corners of the metropolis ;—not to 
the fwindling Jews, who by way of pre- 
text carry famples of muftard in their 
pockets, when travelling through the 
country, with a view to difpofe of their 
counterfeit halfpence—not to the whcle- 
fale dealers in aoe bills, which 
but too often keep at, and above par with 
other paper money, calculated at once to 
raile and deftroy public credit.— All theic 
things, however ferious in their moral 
tendency, have little influence on our 
“phyfcal profperity,-as tvdividual citizens 
of a flate afpiring to iliunination of mind. 
The objects of the prefent invettigation 
are of much greater confequence, | beth in 
a political ahd moral view, than the col- 
leétive mafs of other impoiters; in as 
much as the dealings of the latter are not 
confined to home confumption, but have: 
ef late extended their deleterious trade to 
diftant nations—to both Indies. Every 
judicious reader will, without difficulty, 
perceive that the queftion here relates to 
vile and arérul practices of Quacks, and 
the numerous tribe of their 
and coadjutors. 
I hope in this paper fatisfactorily te 
prove, that the fubjegt under confideration 
has never been reprefented to the public, 
with that degree of calm difpatfionate en- 
quiry, to which it is fo juftly entitled. 
It is not, however, my intention to 1m_- 
peach the legiflature of this country, for 
tolerating abufes than which rone are 
more pregnant with mifchief and cala- 
mity. With all due deference to the 
wifdom of the legiflative powers, I fhall 
avail mylelf of the liberty (not licentiouf- 
nefs) of the prefs, to pronuence my opi- 
nion upon proteiii onal fubjects, although 
3t fhould carry me fc far as to difapprove 
of meafures fanétioned by the higheit au- 
thority. Yet from hence no conclufon 
ought to be drawn, that the lesiflature 
itfelf is the obicét of cenfure, when the 
fhafts of criticifm are directed  foiely 
againft the vile arts, carried on under its 
tacit confent, or avowed approbation. 
In this refpeét, we have little occafion 
to extol our own enlightened age, at the 
ae. of thofe which are fo frequently 
and juftly termed dark. We daily fee 
big and audacious empiries fport 
with the lives of a credulous public, that 
feem obftinately to fhut their ears againit 
attendants ° 
‘dificulty, be  underftood, 
all the fuggeftions of reafon and expe- 
rience. It is a melancholy truth, thas 
little more is required at prefent’to im- 
pofe upon the multitude, than fome 
pearance of learning, a confidential ad- 
drefs, and affected humanity, efpecially 
as ‘there are no laws to cheek and pre- 
vent fuch-fraudulent infinuations. The 
holt of empirics and mountebanks to be 
found in our great cities, and the ting- 
tures, effences, pills, drops, lozenges, 
elixirs, lotions, cordial balms, with which 
the {tomachs of the eredulous are affault- 
ed; the not yet exploded impoftors of ani. 
mal magnetilm, the’ prevailing mdiffa-- 
ence of all Gerctic precepts, the tables of 
blocd-letting and other abfurdities of 
popular almanacks, “fufhcienthy evince, 
that this i is far trom being the ¢* Age of 
Reafon ;”’ that the temple of fuperitition 
is yet thronged with numberlefs votaries ; 
that we are {till faves to the moft tyran- 
nical prejudices ; and that there is no rea- 
diey way to excite general attention and 
admiration, than to. affect the my fterious 
and the marvellous. 
It cannot be denied, that there pre- 
vails at prefent a very. general rage for 
quackery y.in this country, and that this 
rage is not only highly pass to the 
nterefts of medical fcience and | learning 
in general, but at the fame time incom- 
patible with the /afety of individuals. To 
juttify thefe affertions, which to fome 
may appear equally novel and bold, & 
fhall De under the neceffity of accom- 
panying them with fats and illuftrations. 
Although there is but one fate of per- 
fect health, yet the deviations from it, 
and the gezera and Species of difeafes are 
almof infinite. Hence it will, without 
that in the 
clafies of medical remedies, there muit 
be likewife a great variety, and even 
fome of them of an oppofite tendency. 
So are both the warm and the cold bath, 
confidered as medical’ remedies, though 
they differ altogether’ in their fenfible ef- 
fets. Each of them mantiefs its me- 
dical virtues, but in fuch a ftate of the 
body enly, as will admit of wfing it with 
advantage. 
It is evident, from thefe premifes, that 
an univerfal remedy, or one that poffeffes 
healing powers for the cure of all dif- 
eafes, is in fa&t a xonentity, the exiftence 
of which is phyfically impoffible; as the 
bare idea of it invalves a direct econtra- 
diction. How, fer inftance, is it con- 
ceivable, that the fame remedy fhould be 
capable of reftoring the tone or the fibres 
when they are reJaxed, and likewile se 
he. 
2h 
ar z4 
