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 thoſe Times; and how a Set of Thieves and Pickpockets, not only robb'd and cheated the poor People of their Money, but poiſoned their Bodies with odious and fatal preparations; ſome with Mercury, and ſome with other things as bad, perfectly remote from the Thing pretended to; and rather hurtful than ſervicable to the Body in caſe an Infection followed.

I cannot omit a Subtilty of one of thoſe Quack-operators, with which he gull'd the poor People to croUd about him, but did nothing for them without Money. He had it ſeems, added to his Bills, which he gave about the Streets, this Advertiſement in Capital Letters, (viz.) He gives Advice to the Poor for nothing.

Abundance of poor People came to him accordingly, to whom he made a great many fine Speeches; examin'd them of the State of their Health, and of the Conſtitution of their Bodies, and told them many good things for them to do, which were of no great Moment: But the Iſſue and Concluſion of all was, that he had a preparation, which if they took ſuch a Quantity of, every Morning, he would pawn his Life, they ſhould never have the Plague, no, tho' they lived in the Houſe with PeopLe that were infected: This made the People all reſolve to have it; But then the Price of that was ſo much, I think 'twas half-a-Crown: But, Sir, ſays one poor Woman, I am a poor Alms-Woman, and am kept by the Pariſh, and your Bills ſay, you give the Poor your help for nothing. Ay, good Woman, ſays the Docter, ſo I do, as I publiſh'd there. I give my Advice to the Poor for nothing; but not my Phyſick. Alas, Sir! ſays ſhe, that is a Snare laid for the Poor then; for you give them your Advice for nothing, that is to ſay, you adviſe them gratis, to buy your Phyſick for their Money; ſo