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A RARE MANUSCRIPT OF CHEVALIER TAYLOR, THE ROYAL OCULIST, WITH NOTES ON HIS LIFE

1930; BMJ; Volume: 14; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/bjo.14.5.193

1468-2079

S. Wood,

Historical Economic and Social Studies

ENGLAND in the 18tlh century has been called the " Paradise of Quacks."Men and women of little or no education set themselves up as masters of difficult branches of the medical art and flourished exceedingly, trusting to a brazen impudence to carry them through the intricacies of a science which few of them understood.Hogarth, in a satirical picture, " The Arms of the Undertakers," perpetuates some of these quacks, the most prominent being Ward, Mrs. Mapp, and the Chevalier Taylor."Spot " Ward, formerly a footman, invented a pill and drop, and was called to see the King, who, in spite of the quack's treatment, recovered his health: Ward received the thanks of the House of Commons and was given leave to drive his carriage through St. James's Park.A clause in his will is evidence that he was conscious of his great value to King and State, for he modestly desired " to be buried in front of the altar of Westminster Abbey, or as near the altar as might be."The centre figure in the engraving is that of Mrs. Mapp, or Crazy Sally, the termagant bone-setter of Epsom.She has been termed "a drunken female savage " whose strength of arm was equalled on July 16,