The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 348: what you’re looking at

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THI MYSTERIES OF LONDON. ee =. ——ae ae the real condition of my feelings when I rejoined the Indies in the parlour, And now, as time slipped away, I did not lose the misgivings that this second visit had excited in my mind—TI could not forget that I was in tho power of a villain, who was certain tocomo back again. Months passed ; and asthird timo —I remember it well—it was on Christmas ove,—the fotal message was delivered to me. On this occasion I started so violently and betrayed so much confusion that both:my wife and mother-in-law obsorved my agitation. I however hurried away, without re- sponding to their anxious enquiries ; and when once more in the presenco of the extortioner, T heaped the bitterest reproaches upon him. He heard me with a coolness and a self-possession that only aug- mented my wrath; and at length I ceased speaking through sheer exhaustion. He then informed me, in his imperious and rude manner, that he bad an opportunity of emigrating under tho most favour- able services--that ho required a thousand pounds —and that if I gave him this sum, he would never trouble me again. I bound him by the most solemn oaths to that pledge; and, to save myself from a shame that would have crushed mo down to the very dust and rendered life intolerable, I gave thic miscreant a cheque on my bankers for the largo amount which he demanded. But on my return to the company of my Editha and Mrs. Greville, I was compelled to invent falsehoods to account for my confusion; and I beheld, with pain and bitter grief, that they both saw tbat I was deceiving them—that I was concealing the real truth—and that thero was something upon my mind I* “Oh! yes—and they conjectured truly; for my a * In s publication entitled Zhe Afedical Adviser, and issued some years ago, we find the following observations relative to quacks and quackery :—The legisiators in almost overy civilized socicty have censidered them as pests and a disgrace to cvery country where they are to bo found, and pena} Jaws have therefore been enacted for the suppression of quackery. The Colleges of Physicians were instituted in different king. doms of Purope, to examine all persons who undertook the practice of the art, to inspect all drugs in the apothecaries’ shops, ald destroy such as were unfit; and there can be no doubt but their power extended to the examinations of nos- trums in general, and on their report, the vendors were sub- ject to severe penalties. Inthe reign of James L., an order of council), grounded on former laws, was {issued tor the ap- prehension of ail quacks, in order to their being examined by the censors of the College of Physiclans; on that occasion several mountebanks, water-tasters, agtuec-charmers, and vendors of nostrums were fined, imprisoned, and banishicd. This wholesome severity, it may be supposed, checked the evil fora time; butin tho reign of William III. it became again necessary to put the laws in force against these base yermin and miscreants, in consequence of which many of them, when examined, confessed their utter ignorance to such a degree, as to be unable elther to read or write; others, it was found, had been attempting to procure abortion in unfortn- nate single women; scveral of them were discovered to be fortune-tellers, match-makers, frauders, pimps, and bawds ; some of these miscreants were sect in the pillory, some put on horseback with their faces to the horse’s tail, with their noscs and lips elit, and their necks decorated with a collar of urinals, and afterwards whipped, imprisonea, branded, and banished.” The victims of quacks might even now show the scoundrels, if they chose, that there are laws in existence fully strong enough to punish them; and we should advise those who have been plundered to state their cases to their solicitors. It is intolerable that the public shonld be preyed upon by a ect of villians who live in splendid mansions, ride in their carriages, and maintain luxurious tables at the expense of the unfortunate dupes whom their advertisements entrap. Several years ago, Sir. Charies Dunne, a surgeon, pre- sented to Parliament a petition against Quackery; and in that well reasoned document we find the ensuing paragraph, sane we feel convinced, our rcaders will peruse with in- ercst :— ‘*That the mal-practices of quack docters are wisely guarded against in every country of Europe, except Britain ; for no person (under pain of fine and imprisonment, is al- . ee oe en 343 peace was now so thoroughly disturbed, that I de- spaired of regaining it. I felt convinced that, in gpite of the villain’s solemn vows, ho would come back again; and I dreaded to be at home—for every knock at the door made me start nervously, If I walked or rode out, on my return I dreaded lest the servants should inform me that a certain person had called for me during my absence, and would look in again in the evening, Thus my life became a veritable burthen to me; and my sorrow was aggravated by the stern noocessity of retaining it allin my own breast. Often and often did I think of inventing somo excuse to induce my wife and her motber to consont that wo should break up our establishment in London, and repair to the continent. <But what apology could I de- vise for such a strange procoeding ?--and, moreover, would not the extortioner find me out, if Le set himself to the work ? becauso to imagine any feasi- ble ground for changing our name, was impossible, Thus months passed away, without seeing me de- termine upon any plan tofrustrateo tho extortioner should he roturn; and I saw that my Editha’s health and spirits began to fail—because she knew that I was seeretly unhappy! “ And the extortioner did come back: and again was I forced to yield to his demands.-- Two thousand pounds did he obtain from me on this occasion ; and when I reminded him of his solemn pledges and sacred vows, he laughed outright in my face, Oh! how J hated—abhorred—loathed that man! I could have slain him on the spot: but I thought of my dear wife and innocent boy, and I restrained my hand. And now my mind became scriously un- ee lowed to take the charge of the sick, or even to direct tho application of medicines, without having gone through the proper ordeals of examination as to his professional know- ledie and acquirements. In England it is notorious that we have not only carpenters, tailors, bricklayers’ labourers, lead- pencil-makers, Jews old clothes men, journeymen linen- drapers, and men of colour, but even wemen quacks, who practise their duplicities on the unwary and unthinking part of the public, by plundering all those who have the folly to approach them, whilst many are absolutely deprived of life by them, and ethers, who have the misfortune to escape death, are Jeft to drag on a miserable existence with an en- tirely broken constitution for the remainder of their days. The baneful effects, too, of patent medicines, as they are called, deserve particular notice, the composition of which is formed in such a manner as to render their administration at all times dangerous, and but teo often fraught with death; whereas, on the Continent, no medicines (similar to those with us called patent) are permitted to be sold, without first haying been analyzed by the constituted chemical authori- tics, and duly examined by the respective faculties of medi- cinc. It is clear from what occurs in law, divinity, and physic, that 2 foundation or competent education by o course of ‘study, is essentially necessary to exercise any of these different departments, and whoever exercises thom without this education cannot possibly do it with advantage to the community. For an unscientific knowledge of the treatment of any disease, even if occasionally successful In its object, can never be trusted to; for if any unforeseen circumstance shonld arise, such practitioner can neither avert the mischief, nor find means to relieve the paticnt,as a man of real sciences would do;—mere experience alone, devoid of science, can have uo other claim on public notice than as empiricism, and, like a seaman, incapable of taking an observation when anything inauspicious occurs at sea, fis unable to direct his course. Ernpiricisin in all professions being the opposite to science, and directed by no regular principle but the Know- lddze of one or two iselated facts, is evidently hostile to the advancement of liberal principles, and too often ruinous to those confiding in snch hollow pretensions. Empiricism, therefore, jn religion, law, politics, and physic, is the hydra to be guarded against, as the bane of real knowledge and im- provement; aud wherever enrouraged, such empiricism is always subversive of the best interests of mankind. The great object of legislation should be to imposo a wholesome restraint on any attempt calculated to overstep the just and fair bounds, which the welfare of the people requires.” een es ee (C(O) (C DOO <S LL (SO)