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Editorial
September 24, 1800
The Providence Journal, And Town And Country Advertiser
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Editorial decries the abundance of medical quacks and patent medicine vendors in the US, exploiting public folly, with foreigners flocking to America. Highlights a fraudulent 'Turkish' physician in Baltimore selling dubious remedies and urges legislative intervention to stop such impositions.
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OCR Quality
95%
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Full Text
From the GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES.
PERHAPS no past period in the history of this country has teemed with such a multitude of medical mountebanks as the present. The venders of patent medicines, in almost every capital town in the United States are fattening on the weakness and folly of a deluded public.
The regularly bred physician administers, in vain, with the skill of Galen, his salutary portion. Whilst one empiric can be found, mankind in general will encourage him. Foreigners who see this growing passion for patent physic, leave their home to try a soil where weeds of this kind flourish with liberal luxuriance. England has lost many of her chief charlatans, and quacks transplant themselves into our country from Italy. Even Turkey is not ignorant of the great encouragement which America extends to those who are solicitous for the health of her citizens. In Baltimore, Ibrahim Adam Ben Ali, physician from Constantinople, or more probably some crafty native, who has assumed a Turkish name, and culled a few simples, and indiscriminately applies them in various and opposite cases, offers a variety of poison under specious and plausible names. He vends the Incomparable Algerine Medicine for the scurvy. He has for sale the infallible Russian Corn Plaster.
He advertises in the same his Cordials for weakness of the stomach, and his shaving powder for smoothing the Skin.
His terms are 50 cents for each application, and if he does not effect a cure, the price of the medicine only is charged. - This latter part of his advertisement appears to be on a fair principle, but it is very probable that he puts his own price to the ingredients which compose it. To put a stop to this species of imposition is an object worthy of Legislative interference.
PERHAPS no past period in the history of this country has teemed with such a multitude of medical mountebanks as the present. The venders of patent medicines, in almost every capital town in the United States are fattening on the weakness and folly of a deluded public.
The regularly bred physician administers, in vain, with the skill of Galen, his salutary portion. Whilst one empiric can be found, mankind in general will encourage him. Foreigners who see this growing passion for patent physic, leave their home to try a soil where weeds of this kind flourish with liberal luxuriance. England has lost many of her chief charlatans, and quacks transplant themselves into our country from Italy. Even Turkey is not ignorant of the great encouragement which America extends to those who are solicitous for the health of her citizens. In Baltimore, Ibrahim Adam Ben Ali, physician from Constantinople, or more probably some crafty native, who has assumed a Turkish name, and culled a few simples, and indiscriminately applies them in various and opposite cases, offers a variety of poison under specious and plausible names. He vends the Incomparable Algerine Medicine for the scurvy. He has for sale the infallible Russian Corn Plaster.
He advertises in the same his Cordials for weakness of the stomach, and his shaving powder for smoothing the Skin.
His terms are 50 cents for each application, and if he does not effect a cure, the price of the medicine only is charged. - This latter part of his advertisement appears to be on a fair principle, but it is very probable that he puts his own price to the ingredients which compose it. To put a stop to this species of imposition is an object worthy of Legislative interference.
What sub-type of article is it?
Science Or Medicine
What keywords are associated?
Medical Quacks
Patent Medicines
Charlatans
Public Folly
Legislative Interference
Foreign Empirics
What entities or persons were involved?
Ibrahim Adam Ben Ali
Regularly Bred Physicians
Foreign Charlatans From England, Italy, Turkey
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Criticism Of Medical Quacks And Patent Medicines
Stance / Tone
Critical Of Charlatans And Public Gullibility, Advocating Legislative Reform
Key Figures
Ibrahim Adam Ben Ali
Regularly Bred Physicians
Foreign Charlatans From England, Italy, Turkey
Key Arguments
Multitude Of Medical Mountebanks Fattening On Public Weakness And Folly
Patent Medicine Vendors Outcompete Skilled Physicians
Foreign Quacks Migrating To America Due To Fertile Ground For Deception
Example Of Fraudulent Turkish Named Physician In Baltimore Selling Poisons As Cures
His Remedies Include Algerine Medicine For Scurvy And Russian Corn Plaster
Terms Seem Fair But Likely Overpriced Ingredients
Legislative Interference Needed To Stop Such Impositions