The author is an Osteopath who abandoned the practice of Osteopathy after a few years' earnest endeavor, convinced of the untenable position of those professing the practice of this art. He returned to the more congenial profession of teaching. For obvious reasons he publishes this book under a _nom de plume_. He is abundantly fortified with facts to substantiate his criticism. That his effort may be of some service in clarifying the situation and lead to better therapeutics in the near future, is the sincere hope of THE PUBLISHERS. CONTENTS. 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