Many have sought to expose quacks and warn the public of its dangers. This cartoon referenced the fraud of Dr. John St. John Long, a successful London quack in the 1820s and 1830s. He began his career as a painter but proclaimed himself a physician to make more money. Long claimed all conditions were caused by “acrid humours.” He gave medication to make the patient sicker, then substituted a placebo. Patients recovered and attributed their miraculous cure to Long. Note that Long is dressed as an undertaker. He was tried for murder when a patient died, but the case was dismissed when former patients defended his practice.
For more about Dr. John St. John Long – George Humphrey, “Dr Long, The Oracle of Harley Street, 1830,” July 14, 2015
Image courtesy of U. S. National Library of Medicine
Image featured in Discovering Quacks, Utopias, and Cemeteries: Modern Lessons from Historical Themes by Cynthia Resor