Page:Quackery Unmasked.djvu/258

254 from them; and if the whole mass of this trash, with all the lying publications now filling the shelves and counters of ten thousand shops, could be collected into one grand colossal pile for one immense bonfire, the day of the conflagration would deserve to be celebrated as a jubilee throughout all time. But the public have so long been accustomed to the use of articles of this sort, that many consider them almost indispensable. It is thought to be a matter of prudence and economy to have some of the more common articles ready for use in any emergency, by which the delay and expense of calling a physician may be obviated. If the sick or their friends could always understand the nature of the diseases which they attempt to treat, what remedies were indicated, and how to use them, then certainly there would be no need of employing physicians; but this knowledge cannot be acquired without years of study and observation, and therefore unprofessional men cannot be supposed to possess any considerable amount of it. There are some common articles, such as castor oil, and a few others, that may safely be put into