April 1857 TUMBLETY: Accuses His Young Male Patient of 'Solitary Vices'// Quackery

[Archaic]

This Tumblety article is from The Medical World, April 22, 1857.

It appears to be quite an early one.

I checked to see if it had been posted before, but as far as I can tell the earliest Tumblety article archived here is an advertisement from September 14, 1857.
I couldn't find any record of Tumbletey's whereabouts in the Spring.

The page on him in the Casebook Suspects section says "Around 1850 (just before the death of his father), Francis left Rochester, perhaps for Detroit. Here he started his own practice as an Indian herb doctor, which must have prospered since from 1854 onward he always appeared as if of considerable wealth.
He next turns up in Montreal in the fall of 1857, where he again made himself known as a prominent physician."

Link: http://www.casebook.org/suspects/tumblety.html

I don't pretend to be a Tumblety expert, but simply thought other members might find this article interesting because it was published 6 full months before the alleged Canadian abortion incident, which received press mentioned in late September, 1857.

This Medical World article records the fact that Tumblety was accused of 'practicing medicine without a license' in Canada and a that patient of his was called to give testimony.

The patient testimony in this article is just priceless.... A young male patient testifies that Dr. Tumblety undertook his 'cure', and Tumblety surprised him very much by immediately accusing him of practicing solitary vices! The patient also refers to Tumblety's assistant as "Dr. Tumbletey's young man".

At the end of the article Dr. T is described as "very illiterate" and dismissed as just another harmless "Quack".

Best regards, Archaic)

[Phil Carter]

Hello Archaic,

I cannot recall having seen this either... quite a find if you have found the earliest known article about this man! Well done indeed!

best wishes

Phil

[Archaic]

Text of April 22, 1857 Tumblety Article

Hi, everyone.

Here's my transcription of the April 22, 1857 Tumblety article. (Sorry that I had to chop the article columns up in order to post them; the file size was too big.)

Best regards, Archaic



> MEDICAL WORLD, APRIL 22, 1857

"PERSECUTION OF QUACKERY IN CANADA.

At Toronto, Canada West, one of those silly fellows who gull servants and other unrefleting people out of their money by pretending to peculiar skill, who called himself an Indian Doctor, had a complaint lodged against him.

It appears no one is permitted to practise there without license, and consequently a prosecution may arrest his further progress.

Here in the States, however, the very fact of attempting to put a stop to quackery by some legal process would make a hero of him, and not only prodigiously increase his revenues, but perhaps be the means of making the impostor a member of the legislature.

Experience has satisfied every body here, that the good sense of the people is the strongest barrier against quacks and quackery.
Acts of the General Court never arrest a single dose of patent pills from being swallowed.

The sovereign people of the United States have enlarged notions of liberty, and one of the essential privileges for which they would contend to the last breath, is the privilege of being tortured and finally killed by quack doctors.

But this is a history of the case at "Woodstock, as far as reported to this date:—

Dr. Grant lodged information that F. Tumblety, the Indian Herb Doctor, was practising physic in this city, without being duly licensed.

Mr. J. Boulton was present on behalf of the Doctor.
Since the last charge was brought against the Herb Doctor, it seems the medical profession have been hunting up evidence, in order to remove one who, it is said, is a formidable competitor.

Thomas Mullen was called and deposed: "I am a servant, and have lately lived in the service of Mr. Clarke Gamble. About the 8th or 9th of February last, being then suffering from general debility, loss of memory, etc., I went to Dr. Tumblety.

On speaking to him, he said I was in a bad position in consequence of secret habits, which, he alleged, I was addicted to.

After some conversation, I admitted the fact. I asked the Doctor if be could do anything for me.

The Doctor replied, I can cure you. He said, that as I was a servant, he would only charge me , £5, and £2 10 when I was cured, adding that as I was poor, he would cure me for that sum.

I asked if he had any doubt of being able to cure me, to which he rejoined, " Do, my good boy, do you think I would take your money if I could not cure you ?"

I then gave him two ten dollar bills, and he gave me a bottle of medicine and a box of pills, with a printed paper of instructions as to diet, etc. Dr. Tumblety told me to call again in a week, and I did so, and he gave me more medicine.

I continued to return to him weekly for about seven weeks, to get fresh medicines. I kept out of place during the time, to attend to my health.

About eight days ago, I went to him and told him my chest was very bad.
He ordered his young man to give me a strengthening plaster, with directions to spread it on a cloth and lay it on my chest four or five days.
I went back to him on Saturday, and told him I had experienced much benefit from the plaster. He told me to renew it. When I called last, he told me to come to him on Thursday next.

Mr. Boulton cross-examined the witnesses at considerable length. I followed the printed instructions which he gave me as well as I could.

I told Dr. Tumblety of my habits, since I consulted with him. I have not practised it, as he ordered me not to do so.

I felt a lightness about the head at the time I first went to the Indian Herb Doctor. Dr. Tumblety's young man was present when I made the admission.

I had been to other Doctors before this, but they did not say anything about the habit referred to. Dr. Tumblety was the first man who told me that I had indulged in such a habit.

During the time I had been taking the medicine, I stopped at Dr. Clark's, near Yorkville, and the rest of the time at Mr. Clarke Gambles.
Previous to my going to Dr. Tumblety, I had been to Dr. Sewell, who gave him a prescription. Dr. Bovel also examined my chest, at the recommendation of Dr. Philbrick. Dr. Sewell told me that I was predisposed to decline."

Mr. Boulton asked his Worship, from the nature of the evidence given, did he think it was a case he should send to a jury ?

His Worship said that he thought the mere fact of Dr. Tumblety taking the fee, which was uncontradicted, brought the case under the meaning of the Act, which rendered a party practising physic without license, liable to a penalty of not less than £25, or imprisonment for the term not less than six months.

Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, he would, however, consent to receive moderate bail for Mr. Tumblety's appearance at the Assizes.

Dr. Tumblety said if security to the amount of £5,000 or £10,000 was required, he could at once procure it.

His Worship said he did not dispute that, and fixed the bail at two securities in the sum of £50 each, and the Doctor in £100.

Messrs. Carey and Montgomery at once entered into the necessary recognizances, and the case terminated.

From The Globe this comment on the proceeding has been copied :—
"Dr. Tumblety has been committed for trial by the Police Magistrate, on a charge of taking
money under false pretences. The charge evidently rests on slight grounds.

There is not the slightest proof that Tumblety mistook the disease or gave improper medicine; no attempt was made to show anything of the kind.

We know nothing of Tumblety's practice ; we only know that he is a man who, although very illiterate, is believed by many persons to 'cure' many kinds of disease, and we know no reason why he should not use his gifts in the healing as well as the many noodles who write "M.D." after their names."

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[jmenges]

Hello Archaic,

I cannot recall having seen this either... quite a find if you have found the earliest known article about this man! Well done indeed!

best wishes

Phil

As the above article implies, this incident was reported on at length in the Toronto Globe in late 1856. Tim Riordan references this early reportage in his book Prince of Quacks.

More people should buy and read Tim's excellent book.

JM

[Archaic]

re: April 1857 Article

Hi, Phil.

I honestly don't know how early Tumblety was covered in the press, but I'm sure others here will know. This article does quote a prior Globe article, but adds to it.

All I know is that I searched but didn't come across any reference to this particular article, so figured I might as well share it.

I do think it's interesting that as early as April 1857 Tumblety is seen as a rather silly and comical figure; much of this article appears to have been written "tongue-in-cheek." I get the impression that they just could not resist.

Cheers, Archaic

[Archaic]

Hi, Jon, I just saw your reply; thank you.

Have you ever seen this particular 'Medical World' article before?

I really got a kick out of this sentence:
"Here in the States, however, the very fact of attempting to put a stop to quackery by some legal process would make a hero of him, and not only prodigiously increase his revenues, but perhaps be the means of making the impostor a member of the legislature."

Thanks & best regards, Archaic

[Cap'n Jack]

I agree, Archaic, a nice find indeed, for I have seen the articles JM mentions but never this one.
What I find of enormous interest here is that Tumblety claims to be able to come up with a bail bond of $10,000, and this some thirty years before his troublesome encounter with the London police where we are asked to believe he can't come up with a couple of hundred quid for his bail?
And has to ask friends for the bail money?
Sort of doesn't work does it?
Interesting also that the judge in the case appears to know that Tumblety is capable of delivering a bail bond of that immense magnitude, for that is a vast sum of money for the 1850's.