He authorizes me to state that Mr. —— has no authority or right
whatever to make use of his name. About four years since a man came
to his surgery, and introducing himself as the inventor of roseate
tint preservers and amber spectacles, showed him a pair in silver
frames, and, expatiating upon their wonderful properties, mentioned
the names of several leading surgeons and oculists who had inserted
their signatures in a book which he handed to Mr. Hodson, who, without
suspecting the design of the knave, added his to the list, for the
same reason, he said, that folks do so at a watering place, a library,
or as having visited or seen some particular exhibition—in fact,
because it was customary to do so. Four or five days afterwards the
same individual called again, apparently in great haste, and requested
Mr. H. to lend him two sovereigns, as he had immediate occasion for
that sum. He produced a pair of amber spectacles, and said, “I will
leave these as security until I return the money.” Mr. H. began now to
suspect the fellow, and guessed it to be very unlikely that he would
trouble himself to redeem the Spectacles (worth about twelve shillings)
if he succeeded in raising two pounds upon them; he therefore referred
him to a pawnbroker in the neighbourhood, whose business it was to
enter into such arrangements, which were, clearly quite foreign to his,
Mr. H.’s practice.
Mr. Hodson has ever since regretted having (though inadvertently)
given his signature, which, as the reader will perceive, is solicited
as a mere matter of form, and is then made the most unwarrantable use
of, involving the parties in many dilemmas, and exposing them to the
ridicule and reprehension of every intelligent observer.
The fact is, if one signature of an eminent person can be procured by
dint of false representation or plausible pretence, the rest follow as
a matter of course; thus Mr. Hodson signed his name, seeing that some
of the “heads of colleges” were there inscribed. Mr. Soden, of Bath,
gave his signature because Mr. Ledsam had given his; and Mr. Ledsam
signed because Mr. Hodson had done so.
Mr. Alexander, Oculist to the Royal Family, was waited upon by one of
the crafty crew, whose object was to get his signature at all hazards.
The fellow fawned and entreated, but was sternly resisted by Mr. A. who
showed him the door, and declared, if he presumed to make use of his
name, in his quack advertisements, he would set a solicitor to work
immediately.
Copy of a Letter from ROBERT KEATE, Esq., Surgeon in Ordinary to Her
Majesty.
_Albemarle Street,_ _July 17, 1838_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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