The history of ruptures, and rupture-curers, etc ... Occasion'd by a letter from a physician at Paris, to a physician at London, concerning a new and never-failing way of curing all sorts of ruptures ... by an infallible remedy, a secret. With a genuine receipt of the whole secret ... as also of a famous stiptick ... / By R[obert] H[ouston], M.D., F.R.S.

  • Houston, Robert, -1734.
Date:
1726 [i.e. 1727]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of ruptures, and rupture-curers, etc ... Occasion'd by a letter from a physician at Paris, to a physician at London, concerning a new and never-failing way of curing all sorts of ruptures ... by an infallible remedy, a secret. With a genuine receipt of the whole secret ... as also of a famous stiptick ... / By R[obert] H[ouston], M.D., F.R.S. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ty ; when I difcover too, that their pretended Cures are only fuch as in all Ages have been perform’d by Medicines the molt known and remote from Stents, I am provok’d to Indigna¬ tion, and refolv’d to fearch narrowly into the Truth of their Pretenfions, before I give my Confent to blame or commend: For as Death is the natural Confequence of miftaken Adven¬ tures in Phyfick and Surgery, the Prefumption of thefe Men is no longer an indifferent Matter, and our Detection of their Fraud and Arro¬ gance, becomes a Duty to the Publick. To cry down the Repute of Men., who really pol- fefs feme ufeful Secret, is to interpofe our pri¬ vate Envy to the Obftru&ion of the common Benefit; but to advance the Fame of Triflers, who under Colour of fuch difeovehd Ananas, grow Rich upon the ruin’d Health and wrong’d Credulity of Thoufands, is a Proftitution of our Reafon and Humanity, and a Vote to li- cenfe Villany, to live and grow Luxuriant on the Sufferings of confiding Ignorance. To tell you plainly my Opinion concerning Secrets in general, I look upon them for the moft Part as Cheats, and meer Appearances; but then there are fome again, fo truly valua¬ ble, that we fhould rather tire our Patience by wading through a thoufand falfe Ones, than indanger our Negleft of one that might be real¬ ly beneficial. The fplendid Quacks of your Country, who live fo plentifully by peopling Church-yards, and are fo grateful to poor Wretches, v/ho pay well