Chapter II: Part I: In General

CHAPTER I--BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION 17

The Augean Stables of Therapeutics--The Remedy--Reason for
Absence of Dignified Literary Style--Diploma Mills--"All
but Holy"--Dr. Geo. H. Simmons' Opinion--American Medical
Association Not Tyrannical--Therapeutics a Deplorable
Muddle.

CHAPTER II--GRAFT AND FAILUREPHOBIA 25

The Commercial Spirit--Commercialism in Medicine--Stock
Company Medical Colleges--Graft in Medicines, Drugs and
Nostrums--Encyclopedia Graft--"Get-Rich-Quick"
Propositions--Paradoxes in Character of Shysters--Money
Madness--Professional Failurephobia--The Fortunate Few and
the Unfortunate Many--A Cause of Quackery--The Grafter's
Herald--The World's Standard--Solitary Confinement--The
Prisoner's Dream--Working up a Cough--Situation Appalling
Among St. Louis Physicians--A Moral Pointed.

CHAPTER III--WHY QUACKS FLOURISH 37

American Public Generally Intelligent--But Densely
Ignorant in Important Particulars--Cotton Mather and
Witchcraft--A.B.s, A.M.s, M.D.s and Ph.D.s Espousing
Christian Science, Chiropractics and Osteopathy--
Gullibility of the College Bred--The Ignorant Suspicious
of New Things--The Educated Man's Creed--Dearth of
Therapeutic Knowledge by the Laity--Is the Medical
Profession to Blame?--Physician's Arguments
Controvertible--Host of Incompetents Among the Regular
Physicians--Report of Committee on Medical Colleges--The
"Big Doctors"--Doc Booze--The "Leading Doctor"--Osler's
Drug Nihilism--The X-Ray Graft.

CHAPTER IV--TURBID THERAPEUTICS 51

An Astounding Array of Therapeutic
Systems--Diet--Water--Optics--Hemotherapy--Consumption
Cures--Placebos--Inconsistencies and Contradictions--
Osler's Opinion of Appendicitis--Fair Statement of
Limitations in Medicine Desirable.

CHAPTER V--THE EXPERT WITNESS AND PROPRIETARY MEDICINES 57

The "Great Nerve Specialist"--The Professional Witness a
Jonah--The "Railway Spine"--Is it Lack of Fairness and
Honesty or Lack of Skill and Learning?--Destruction of
Fine Herds of Cattle Without Compensation--Koch's Dictum
and Denial--Koch's Tuberculin--The Serum Tribe--Stupendous
Sale of Nostrums--Druggist's Arguments--Use of Proprietary
Medicines Stimulates Sale of Nostrums.

CHAPTER VI--FAITH CURE AND GRAFT IN SURGERY 62

Suggestive Therapeutics Chief Stock in Trade--Advice of a
Medical College President--Disease Prevention Rather than
Cure--Hygienic Living--The Medical Pretender--"Dangerous
Diagnosis" Graft--Great Flourish of Trumpets--No "Starving
Time" for Him--"Big Operations"--Mutilating the Human
Body--Dr. C. W. Oviatt's Views--Dr. Maurice H.
Richardson's Incisive Statements--Crying Need for
Reform--Surgery that is Useless, Conscienceless and for
Purely Commercial Ends--Spirit of Surgical Graft
Especially in the West--Fee-Splitting and Commissions--A
Nation of "Dollar-Chasers"--The Public's Share of
Responsibility--Senn's Advice--The "Surgical Conscience."