Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 2 (of 2)Wootton, A. C.
History
Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Wootton, A. C.
Pharmacy -- History
Ward made besides a “white drop” which was an ammoniated solution of
nitrate of mercury; two sweating powders, one of which was simply
“Dover’s,” but with some liquorice powder added; the other was the same
with the addition of white hellebore. His paste for fistula and piles
was the original of our Conf. Piper. Nig. His “liquid sweat” was a
wine of opium with saffron, cinnamon, and salt of tartar; his “dropsy
purging powder” was jalap, cream of tartar and orris powder in equal
proportions; later the orris was dropped and a small quantity of bole
armeniac was substituted, and his essence for the headache appeared
later in the Pharmacopœia as compound camphor liniment.
By advertisements of various kinds, and by a number of startling cures,
Ward attained astonishing success. George II. had unbounded faith in
him. At his first interview with the King the latter had a dislocated
thumb. Ward gave it a sharp wrench which incited some strong German
from the monarch, but which put the thumb right. Subsequently George
provided the quack with a room in his almonry at Whitehall, and paid
him to treat poor people there. Ward bought besides three houses at
Pimlico and converted them into a hospital where his remedies were
administered, highborn ladies assisting in the conduct of this charity.
His patients included Lord Chesterfield, Gibbon the historian, and
Fielding the novelist, as well as a large number of titled persons of
less permanent fame, and when he brought an action for libel against
the _Grub Street Journal_ (which, however, he failed in) Reynolds,
the Lord Chief Baron, and Horace Walpole were among his witnesses. In
1748 a Bill was introduced into Parliament to restrict the practice of
medicine, and it contained a clause specially exempting Ward by name
from its penalties.
Naturally the qualified members of the medical profession were
irritated at the amazing prosperity of this charlatan. Queen Caroline,
it was said, once asked General Churchill if it was true that Ward’s
medicines had made a man mad. “Yes, Madam,” Churchill replied, “Mead.”
Dr. Richard Mead was the King’s physician.
Ward retained his fame to the end of his life, and the King’s
liberality made it possible to publish a collection of his recipes
which his old friend John Page compiled after his death. But George’s
tenderness to the memory of the great physic-monger did not go to the
extent of fulfilling the desire expressed in his will, that he should
be buried in Westminster Abbey, in front of the altar, or as near
thereto as possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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