STREET DOCTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1855, 10 June 1887, Page 31

STREET DOCTORS.

Of all queer professions that of a street doctor certainly claims a prominent position.

The enterprising, gentleman who devotes his talents to such a genteel calling may be said to " practise " upon the easily-beguiled nature of a confiding public ; his mysterious preparations are equally benefioial ,for, every ill that human flesh is heir to, anything and everything between a cold in the head and a pain in the big toe,, and the probability iathat nobody chuckles more heartily thanhimself at the delightfully innocent way his patrons " swallow " his patter, and find supposed relief in following 'fthe printed directions which will be found with every box " -

" You see, sir, it's what people fancies is the matter with 'em,'' an old street surgeon remarked to me> during the course of an' interview at his open-air establishment in " Doctor's Commons," otherwise Whitecross street, a truly remarkable thoroughfare in the vicinity of Old Street road. Brick Lane and Petticoat Lane could both make a goodly return of the number of such professional men who congregate thereabouts on Sunday mornings, but there is no quarter of

London' where' such' a ' strange ; and motley*'." gathering can be.f ound as' in '" Doctor's Commons "on a Saturday afternoon. : • : 'Here may be pur6hased VThe Poor Man's j Seidlitz' Powder," "Baby's Todtti lhducer ," and "The Working Man's Cough Mixture," ° whilst a. half-pint glass of . " Sarsapariliai" ' which has the appearance of stale porter, with plenty of froth, may be freely indulged ' in at Id a time. A score or, more of ; temporary s dootors' shops, are located in ttie .gutter. surrpundedTj by' a crowd f pf and la^an^presided over by experienced gentlemen,' blessed" with a super-abundant supply of that* happy chat which never fails to satisfactorily intrdduce' their questionable remedies to confiding and" t speculative customers.' '' * „ " , *'.',' There is no branch' of the profession more, popular or profitable 1 Vith" the ' fraternity than "pills." -•-•<> *- > • 1. The established man would buy & machine, costing (new) from 18s or a poun<i upwards ; ' but with many the hands, by incessant prac-?, tice, become peculiarly'adapted to "rolling," : or a coupleiof pieces of I « grooved" wood are made very, helpful. Pills are remarkably cheap. . ■ , : , , One of the principal druggist's stores in ! London - quotes them as ' low as lOd a gross ; ' but an old hand can make them at a much * lower figure, and secure a good profit, too, even by retailing them at 12 a penny. The ingredients used in their -manufacture by our friends consist -principally of treacle breadcrumbs, and. powdered ginger; with the addition of a little paregoric, which imparts an unmistakable odour of ".shop " to ' them. • For hardening purposes, soap is used;the finishing touch is " coating,'' and for this flour is a capital enamel. Herbs, too, are r greatly respgeted-by quacks for pill making, and although the ingredients .used ' occasionally belong .to the' order of " cheap and' nasty," yet it may be safely* said ! that, what- ' ever the nature of them may, be, theyare per* fectly harmless. . , ! One of the oldest perveyors of pills who pitches -at the street corner is a respectable gentleman, who has stood in the neighbourhood of Stoke Newington for 20 years or more. He has a very novel method .of illustrating the beneficial effect his pills have upon •f the system." ■ • 'SThis, friends, you will observe/is a glass of water, clear and -.sparkling, representing the state of the human 'system' when. in. good 'ealth; but immediately any .disorder, takes place, what is the result. J\ I will show you," at the same time adding a few, drops' of liquid from a small bottle to the ! water, which converts it into a thick, disagreeable* ', lookiug mixture, " That is the result 1 .. But • immediately you take my pills a reformation takes place— all this is removed, for they act upon your ' system ' in a manner, as- 1 will undoubtedly prove." Again, a few more drops are added, when, behold ! the water is,, once more clear and sparkling 1".- Another branch to which the attention of the streetdoctor is particularly directed is, that .of corns, warts, bunions, &c. ; He invites any- * body troubled with a wart— a boy preferred.' —to " step this way." The part so afflicted '■ it anointed with some [preparation, and the simple-minded youth is sent home with the assurance that, if he keeps iton,all night. < he will wake up in the morning and find it , vanished. They will not hesitate to " draw " a com, occasionally, "the corn " being a portion of + the pulp of a quill which is held up as a trophy/ whilst another dodge is thnt practised by travelling dentists, who are very .partial to, sheep's teeth, capital things ,in their way, as' specimens of the dentist's triumph in the "tug of war." i The gentleman with his barrow stocked with herbs, labelled with startling Latin phrases, is a familiar acquaintance. He sells cough dropsat four ounces a penny. . The most popular, representative of this,,class in the city is a man who is known amongst his brethern as " the gentleman'from Woolwich,'.' . a 1 title gained from the fact of his wheeling his barrow .every , morning \y4th ; his stock) from" that . military quarter! ' Occasionally, however, he, is out of cough lozenges, so pineapple rock takes their place, but the same card is always displayed, stating that it wilt cure colds and coughs in something less than no, time 1

There is but little difference between a street surgeon and a quack, though it is in the provinces where their dodges find much better scope than in London. True,, the oldfashioned quack is slowly but surely taking his departure ; but there are many men, who still travel the oounfcry, visiting all the fairs, and finding their prescriptions as much in demand as ever.

The more impertinent of them will have their apprroach heralded by large placards, enter the town in a carriage, hire ..ar brass band, take up their stand in the' marketplace, and, as they put it, " do' a roaring trade." ,

"The-dootor"will often open proceedings with some act of charity, one gentleman whp visited a town in 'the Midlands some time" ago offering to ' extract, free, gratis, for nothing, and without pain into- the bargain^ any troublesome tooth, by way 'of introducing his " Oriental ointment," and " Paradise pills," which the " funny man "—who is part and parcel of the quack's establishmentassured the crowd, would not only be found a sure relief for neuralgia,' pains' in the head andj" stiff necks, but "was warranted to remove your freckles or your furniture on the' three years' system without inquiry fee I" ' ' Although a certain' individual, who visits ' the principal market thoroughfares in Lon-don,-and sobs Eau-de-Cologne, jockey club, and other perfumes at one penny,- and twopence per bottle, and " the purest lavender water," at something like fourpence for half-a-pint, hardly comes under' the cat'egory-of street doctors, yet, as he is such a T > wellknown character, his little • dodge— which savours of quackery— might well be introduced into this article.

His barrow is filled with the orignal bottles —the Hau- de- Cologne label being a specialty. These he buys up in quantities, when empty' from people who collect them. They arethen filled with water slightly perfumed, and 1 coloured according to the scent they are supposed to' contain, corked arid officially " sealing-waxed." •• , ' ' ' ' • '--.'•- But those ! round his'barrow see him damp

i*riwy&

his hand with, the , scent, and hold it out for the purpose of — as he expresses it-^" taking a good sniff." , But, his, hand has been pre- , pared with soms oderif erous ointment, which does duty for a three-halfpenny bottle of essence bouquet, or, a" half -pint of the aforementioned " lavender water." .On the, whole it may be said that street doctors are not to be recommended.