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As long as there has been disease, there have been those who have taken it upon themselves to find cures, whether it be by herbs and incantations, or by the latest genetically engineered and scientifically proven therapies. However, there has always been room for sorcerers and charlatans since there is always disagreement on what works and what doesn't, what is quackery and what is not (1). Many techniques come in and out of vogue, all awaiting the type of carefully controlled scientific investigation that was first suggested by William Harvey in his landmark masterpiece "De Motu Cordis" in 1628. The line between quackery and cure has always been blurred and remains so today.

Quacks Become Legit

The first patented quackery device consisted of multiple metallic metal probes that supposedly "drew out" disease, called Perkins Tractors, patented in 1801 (2,2a). Since then, therapeutic approaches have been as varied as the mind can imagine, and include water therapy, light and color treatments, heat, magnetism, vibration, electricity, and radioactivity to name a few.

Phrenology

The assessment of character and intelligence by physical appearance is comical in one respect, both racist and sexist in another. This "science" was taken seriously in the 19th century under the names of phrenology and physiognomy. Phrenology was created by a Viennese physician, Dr. Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828), and brought to the United States in 1832 by Joseph Spurzheim. Theoretically, the shape and size of the brain determined the appearance of the skull, which then affected personality (3-5). According to the study of physiognomy, physical traits additionally affected personality traits. For example, a broad chested individual is more likely to like sensual pleasure, while someone with muscular features would have a strong character. A well-coordinated person is intelligent, and a short, slight individual is impulsive (6). Comparative physiognomy, or a demonstration of the similarity between animal and human traits, was also popular at the turn of the century (7-10).

Healing and the Elements

Before technology provided healers with sophisticated buzzers and bells, most were content to use the elements they had at hand, including water (11,12), light (13-16), and temperature (17,18). The common goal was to either increase or decrease circulation and thus oxygen supply to different areas of the body, depending on the disease process. Some Egyptian cults worshipped the sun and the healing ability of light, while Roman had baths where the afflicted could get water treatments for different ailments at various temperatures. Massage therapy is also an ancient practice that has remained popular by theoretically improving circulation and oxygenation to diseased tissues (19,20). A number of devices were sold in the early 20th century that supposedly provided more "healing oxygen" to diseased tissues when worn properly, though in reality did nothing at all (21,22).

1) Dr. Kidd and his Amazing Claims

There were sometimes no limits to the statements made by "healers" when promoting the efficacy of their products and services, as witnessed by this full page advertisement in "The Twentieth Century Review", ca. 1900.

2,2a) Perkins Tractors by Gillray

Perkins Tractors are the starting point of any collection of medical quack antiques. This particular set was purchased from Sandra Louise Perkins (Sebert), who is a direct descendant of the inventor, Dr. Elisha Perkins. One of the probes is marked ìPerkins patented tractorí, and the case is bright red leather with gold trim. Caricature was very popular in England at the turn of the 19th century, and James Gillray was one of the most prominent satirists of the time. He produced this hand colored engraving, called ìmetallic tractorsî, in 1801 to jab his own barb into the medical community

3-5) The Study of Phrenology and Personality

OS Fowler outlined the areas of the mind that related to certain personality traits in "The Practical Phrenologist" in 1869. This porcelain bust by LN Fowler was very popular in the 19th century and contained similar markings. Collectors need to be aware of the many modern reproductions.

6) Henry VIII and his Character

Mary Stanton wrote "The Encyclopedia of Face and Form Reading" in 1913. She described the personalities of many famous people by way of their appearance; beware those who looked like the king!

The combination of the facial signs reveals a selfish, despotic will and unbridled amativeness, which, backed by such a tremendous will, made his character detestable.

7-10) Animal Appearance and Human Personality

Many textbooks were published claiming that appearance could predict personality. Animal characteristics were not overlooked in this comparison and the observation that people "look like their pets" dates back at least to the 19th century. These illustrations were taken from "New Physiognomy or Signs of Character" (1866), by Samuel Revells, and "Redfield's Comparative Physiognomy" (1887), by James Redfield, MD.

11-12) Hydrotherapy

Water therapy for many ailments was popular at sanitariums throughout the country. Pictured is a patient getting therapy for liver disease and a water research laboratory in Battle Creek, taken from "Rational Hydrotherapy" (1902), by JH Kellogg, MD.

13-16) Light Therapy

An arc lamp is capable of producing very bright light with eye protection mandatory. The picture of a subject being treated is from "Light Therapeutics" (1927), by JH Kellogg, MD, with the light cabinet from the same text. Spectro-Chrome devices were very popular in the early 20th century for the treatment of all disease categories. They were designed by Dinshah Ghadali to produce a bright light that was passed through differently colored filters. The "Dinshah-attuned color waves" that were produced varied according to the disease that was to be treated.

17-18) Thermocap

Allied Merke Institutes, Inc. designed the thermocap for hair growth. There was no evidence that the heat from this light bulb was at all helpful, however.

19-20) Eye Massagers

Certainly muscles get stronger with exercise, so why not eyesight? That was the theory behind these two eye massagers. The first one was called the Neu-Vita Oculizer (London), and the second the Ideal Light Restorer (New York).

21-22) Electropoise

Similar devices were very popular and supposed to provide diseased tissues with more healing oxygen. When disassembled, however, no chemical reaction or evidence of activity could be found.

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1) Twentieth Century Review

2) Perkins Tractors

4) Phrenology Bust

6) Henry VIII

7) Comparative Anatomy

11) Kellogg Hydrotherapy

14) Kellogg Arc Lamp

18) Thermocap

19) Neu-Vita Oculizer

22) Electropise