When once the victim is within the web, flattering, intimidations, and extravagant promises, one or all, generally will accomplish their aim. As they never expect to see a special victim again, they squeeze the last dollar from the unfortunate wretch, giving therefor nothing--worse than nothing! I sent a pretended patient to one of these charlatans not long since, and, with crocodile tears in his eyes, he related his case to the _soi-disant_ doctor, who with great sympathy heard his case, and assured him it was "heart-rending, and, though very dangerous, he could cure him;" but the knave compelled the patient (!) to turn his pockets inside out to assure him they contained but the proffered dollar. A small vial of diluted spirits nitre was the prescription, for which the doctor assured the patient he usually received twenty to forty dollars! I have visited several of these places in disguise, including those of female doctors, and those advertising as "midwives," every one of whom agreed to perform a criminal operation upon the mythical lady for whom I was pretending to intercede. Their prices ranged from five to two hundred dollars. The following painfully ludicrous scene I copy from manuscript notes which I made some years ago, respecting a visit to one of these impostors. I vouch for its truthfulness. "I next bought a penny paper of a loud-mouthed urchin on the street corner, and, reading it that evening, the words 'Medical Notice' attracted my attention. It was all news to me, and I resolved to visit this 'very celebrated' doctor on the following day, 'advice free.' "Accordingly I repaired to his office, as designated in the advertisement. There were several doors wonderfully near each other, about which were several doctors' signs conspicuously displayed; and, since I had heard that 'two of a trade seldom agree,' I thought it remarkable that three or four of a profession should here be huddled together. "'STEP IN THE ENTRY AND RING THE BELL,' I read on a sign, in big yellow letters. I did so, when a big burly Irishman answered the summons. "'An' who'll yeze like to see, sure?' he inquired, with a broad grin. "'Dr. A.,' I replied, eying this Cerberus with awakening suspicion. "'He's just in, sure. Come, follow me.' "He led the way across a small room, and through a darkened hall, around which I cast a suspicious glance, noticing, among other things unusual, that the partitions did not reach the ceiling. Thence we entered another room, which, from the roundabout way we had approached, I thought must be opposite the outer door of Dr. B.'s or Dr. C.'s office. "Here Pat left me, saying, 'The ixcillint doctor will be to see yeze ferninst he gits through wid the gintleman who was before your honor.' [Illustration: "AN' WHO'LL YEZE LIKE TO SEE, SURE?"]