POSTSCRIPT.

HAVING received ſeveral letters containing the moſt illiberal abuſe, in conſequence of the publication of the preced⯑ing pages, ſome of which I have reaſon to ſup⯑poſe were written by Counſellor Brand's^* Surgeon of Character; I think it neceſſary to declare, that I never intended, nor, indeed, could I form an idea, that the Treatiſe in queſtion ſhould give the ſmalleſt offence to any Gentle⯑man of the Faculty. My ſole object was—the relief of my fellow-creatures, and the inſtruc⯑tion of the ignorant in that which it is neceſ⯑ſary they ſhould know.—Beſides improv⯑ing their practice, I have a right to the thanks of the Faculty, for pointing out the moſt ef⯑ficacious cure of a Malady, from which they are by no means exempt—and which the moſt eminent of them have had no little trouble to remove.—And I ſincerely wiſh I could not ſay with truth, that numbers have, within theſe few years, loſt their lives, after having paid very conſiderable ſums for pretended aſſiſ⯑tance, and ineffectual advice. It is intereſt, [30]then, alone that prevents theſe cavillers from doing juſtice to my performances, and which prompts them to cheat the diſordered of aſ⯑ſiſtance.

I AM acquainted with Surgeons who have been many years in practice, and who have aſ⯑ſured me they never had an opportunity of reducing a Rupture, or of applying a Truſs.—A midwife, too, who has been up⯑wards of twenty years in practice, lately de⯑clared to me, that, to her knowledge, ſhe ne⯑ver had delivered a woman that had a Rup⯑ture either in the Groin or Navel.—Yet have I applied Bandages on a variety of both.—

NOTWITHSTANDING the true method of ap⯑plying Truſſes, or reducing Ruptures, is a mat⯑ter of the utmoſt importance in the treatment of that malady, and in the higheſt degree con⯑ducive to the eaſe of the Patient, I am bold to ſay, that in all the treatiſes I have peruſed, both antient and modern (and they are not a few), I never met with any thing like a clear inſtruc⯑tion to that purpoſe.—Something curious, tho' by no means advantageous, may be col⯑lected from a book lately publiſhed.—(The Author, I think, dignifies his name with, [31] ‘"Maſter of Arts and Surgery, Member of the Royal Academy of Surgery at Paris, Demonſtrator in the School of St. Come, Surgeon for Ruptures of the Hoſpitals of Hotel Dieu, the Invalids and Incurables, of the City of Paris, and of all the military Hoſpitals in France.")’ A proceſs is there adviſed for making an ointment of a ſolution of Gold Pearls, to be uſed for aſſiſting the reduction of ſtrangulated Ruptures.—When this ingenious and moſt expenſive pre⯑paration is compleated, it will probably be as efficacious as the ſame quantity of clay, in the ſame manner applied.

I HOPED in the treatiſes above hinted at, to have found ſomething that would, at leaſt, have been capable of improvement in the true method of applying Truſſes, and the reducing Ruptures:—On the contrary, they contain merely long and unſatisfactory details of the manner in which the antient Surgeons com⯑monly burnt the Ruptures of their Patients, and deſtroyed the fleſh of thoſe parts to the Bone, with a view of avoiding the more ne⯑ceſſary application of Truſſes.—This is one proof, among many, that Surgeons never en⯑couraged Truſſes, altho' it is univerſally ac⯑knowledged [32]that it is impoſſible a cure can be perfectly obtained without ſuch an aſſiſtant.—The pain attending the wearing of ſome Truſſes, it muſt be acknowledged, has pre⯑vented many perſons from adhering to the moſt ſalutary method of cure; but ſuch neg⯑lect is often attended with the moſt dreadful conſequences; it being no uncommon thing to meet perſons in the ſtreet, whoſe Guts partly falling into their breeches, exhibit a deplorable and pitiable ſpectacle.

AND here it may not be improper to inform the Reader of the encouragement I received from the Faculty on my arrival in London, which was in June, 1764. Mr. Ranby being the only gentleman of the profeſſion I had the honour of knowing, I waited upon him; and, by his deſire, afterwards attended the Gentlemen of St. George's Hoſpital. With the countenance of ſuch a Gentleman as Mr. Ranby, whoſe name and letter to me at Aberdeen I had the liberty to uſe, I could not but form the moſt pleaſing hopes of convin⯑cing ſome of the firſt Surgeons in England of the merit and utility of my Truſſes.—But I was diſappointed: I found, tho' they were men of learning, they were not men of can⯑dor. [33]—Mr. Bromfield ſaid, ‘"he believed they might do."’ Mr. Gataker ſaid, ‘"he could ſee nothing more in my Truſſes than in any other."’ However, while I was one day at⯑tending a perſon, then under the care of Mr. Hawkins, he informed me that he had long been an Out-patient of that Hoſpital, and had Truſſes from every Truſs-maker in Town, but that none of them would keep his Rup⯑ture up; and that ſince he had been under Mr. Hawkins's care, he had procured him a Truſs from a perſon in Bartholomew Cloſe, which would by no means keep up his Rupture, tho' he had been to the maker twenty times to have it altered, who told him his Rupture would never be well 'till he had it cut. I looked upon this as an opportunity, offered me by Providence, of at once doing a ſervice to a fel⯑low-creature, and bringing conviction of the uſe of my Elaſtic Truſſes to thoſe who had ignorantly or intereſtedly denied their merits. I brought the youth to my lodgings, and there applied a Truſs on him; my honeſt endea⯑vours had the deſired effect; and in about three months, he obtained a compleat cure.

LEST any of my Readers ſhould doubt the truth of this relation, I deſire to inform [34]them that the name of the above-mentioned youth is John Pellerſt, whoſe uncle, of the ſame name, lives in Downe-ſtreet, near Hyde-Park Corner; and I believe that ſomething relative to this affair will be found in the books of St. George's Hoſpital, from the beginning of April 1764, to the end of Auguſt in the ſame year.—To this caſe I have only to add, that notwithſtanding this ample proof of the merits of my Truſs, I cannot charge Mr. Hawkins with recommending a ſingle Patient to me, tho' he has often confeſſed my Truſſes were more efficacious than thoſe of any other perſon he had knowledge of.

IN Mr. Pott's Treatiſe on Ruptures, ſecond Edition, Sec. 1. Page 29, that gentleman ſays, ‘"The cure of a Rupture is either perfect (called alſo radical) or imperfect, which is called palliative. This diſtinction, which, he ſays, is juſt and true, and founded both on reaſon and experience, has frequently been miſun⯑derſtood by the generality of mankind, and has therefore been the cauſe of much undeſerving cenſure on the practitioners of Surgery."’ He adds, ‘"the truth is, that tho' the events are extremely different, yet the chirurgical means which are made uſe [35]of in either caſe are exactly the ſame, viz. the reduction of the protruded parts, and re⯑tention of them when ſo reduced by proper Bandages."’—I wiſh Mr. Pott had given the addreſs of his proper Bandage-maker, as Dr. Smellie did of his proper Midwifery In⯑ſtrument-maker. I could never find thoſe Bandages at the Shoemaker's, nor at the RUP⯑TURE-CURER'S, who has his name diſtinguiſhed in the Court and City Regiſter for 1771.—Convinced at leaſt of their politeneſs in thus dignifying a man who has little pretenſion to public favour, I had no doubt but that the com⯑pilers, or compilers directors had compli⯑mented me with a ſimilar appellation;—but I was again miſtaken: I found (in Page 142) my deſert would procure me barely the title of plain Truſs-maker.—I wiſh ſome of thoſe perſons whom this RUPTURE-CURER has aſſiſted, would perſuade me out of a notion that it is death which generally performs the cure for this worthy gentleman. I am aſſured that thoſe Truſſes ſaid to be of his making are too painful even for a horſe to wear. He prides himſelf, I am told, on employing the ſame perſons who did buſineſs for my Predeceſſor.—As a proof of the abſurdity of building on another's ſuppoſed reputation, when I was appointed [36]Truſs-maker to Greenwich Hoſpital, I could not find one in twenty of the ruptured men in that place, who could wear the Truſſes made by my predoceſſor; and thoſe who did wear them were ſo miſerably fretted and galled on their Hips and Loins, that they were obliged to attend the Surgeon every morning to have their Wounds dreſſed: So that by my ap⯑pointment, I had the pleaſure not only of re⯑lieving the diſeaſed men from the miſery they ſuffered by the iron Truſſes before made uſe of, but prevented the ſurgeons from being troubled with the like complaints, and ſaved the expences of the houſe.

BEING, about twenty-eight years ſince, af⯑flicted with a Rupture, I conſented to become a Patient to Meſſrs. Woodward and Hunt; and from a ſtrict attention to their method, I am enabled to give the Reader ſome idea of it. The firſt object then with them was, to ex⯑amine the Patient—with reſpect to his circum⯑ſtances. If he would part freely with his mo⯑ney, they firſt applied a linen Bandage; and ſhortly after informed him, that was not ſuffi⯑cient of itſelf to perform the cure, and that they muſt call in the aſſiſtance of proper Me⯑dicines, [37]with which they would furniſh him at one Guinea per Month.—And in this way did they cajole me out of Fourteen Guineas; and my Rupture was greatly worſe at the year's end than when firſt I became their Patient.

I AM here induced to relate a Story which cannot be contradicted, and which will ſerve ſufficiently to expoſe the fallacy of trifling and vain pretenders. A gentleman of 70 years of age, who has been afflicted many years with a Rupture, and who has worn a Truſs of my making for upwards of theſe five years, which rendered his Rupture, tho' by no means cura⯑ble, of little trouble to him, was very lately perſuaded to apply to Mr. L. a Surgeon, for a complete cure. He accordingly waited on that gentleman, to know if he would take his caſe in hand, and what the expence would be. Mr. L. told him he had no doubt of effecting a cure, even if he was eighty years old; and as he was only a Tradeſman, he believed he could do it for about 30 Guineas; but that the Patient muſt wait on him every morning. This, the gentleman informed him, was a thing he could not do; and the Surgeon, therefore, conſented to call upon him.—Next [38]morning Mr. L. dreſſed in a ſuit of black vel⯑vet, drove in his chariot to his Patient's. The tradſeman, reflecting that this appearance of grandeur was not kept up at a ſmall expence, determined to make a ſure bargain, and ac⯑cordingly told the Surgeon,—‘"Sir, before we proceed to buſineſs, let me know exactly what the expence of this cure will be; and if no cure—no pay."’—At this the Surgeon "ſtarted like a guilty thing," and turning on his heel, whipp'd into his chariot, and drove home,—no doubt ſufficiently mortified at the diſappointment.—I have only to remark, that if every afflicted perſon would endeavour to make as certain a bargain as my Patient in⯑tended to do with the above-mentioned im⯑pudent aſſertor, the velvet ſuits of ſuch pet⯑tifoggers in genius would ſoon be ruſty, and their Chariots without a wheel.

I AM acquainted with many perſons of both ſexes who have been Patients to Mr. L. and they all agree that the following is his method of operation: Firſt, he applies a Bandage, as Woodward and Hunt uſed to do. The Pati⯑ent muſt then attend on him once a day for ſo many times as he ſhall appoint, and at theſe times he applies a bruſh dipt in ſome⯑thing [39]which he calls an Aſtringent. When he is tired of bruſhing, he pronounces a com⯑plete cure; which ſhould the Patient preſume to doubt, he is capable of behaving in the moſt inſolent manner, which he juſtifies by the affront offered to his knowledge:—and ſhould their ſpirit on the occaſion equal his impu⯑dence (which is barely poſſible), he will even go ſo far as to threaten a proſecution for defa⯑mation. To corroborate this fact, it is well known that, about ſeven years ago, this ſame Mr. L. obtained a verdict of eighty pounds from a Surgeon of eminence, and another of an hundred pounds from a Gentleman in the ſame profeſſion equally reſpectable, for a pre⯑tended defamation; and has ſince been at the point of being pilloried for his mal-practices on his Ruptured Patients.

I MUST here beg leave to introduce a paſſage from Mr. Pott's Treatiſe on Ruptures, p. 169. ‘"The hiſtories of Prior, Cabriere, Bowles, Sir Thomas Renton, Dr. Littlejohn, &c. &c. to be found in Dionis, Houſton, and other writers, will furniſh to the Reader an idea of the practice and performances of ſome who have ſtood at the head of thoſe bold promiſers."’—‘"This is a ſubject in which [40] mankind are much intereſted, and on which a good deal might be ſaid; but as an ho⯑neſt endeavour to ſave the afflicted from the hands of thoſe who have no character to loſe, and whoſe only point is money, might from one of the profeſſion be miſconſtrued into malevolence and craft, I will not enter into it; but ſhall conclude by wiſhing, that they who have capacity to judge of theſe matters (which are as much the object of common⯑ſenſe as any other kind of knowledge) would not ſuffer themſelves to be deluded by the impudent aſſertions of any Charlatan whatever; but determine in this, as they do in many other things, that is, by the event."’—There is a ſentence in ſacred writ which naturally ſtrikes me on the preſent occaſion—‘"Out of thy own mouth will I con⯑demn thee."’—Let the Reader join the above quotations, and think for himſelf.—I ſnall only ſay, that I ſincerely wiſh Counſel⯑lor Brand's Surgeon of character would reflect on the very excellent opinion of Mr. Pott, be⯑fore he receives his fee merely for approving what the Shoemaker has done, or preparing the way for what he is to do.

WITH reſpect to myſelf, without a vain pre⯑tence to a thorough knowledge of Surgery, it is my boaſt that a ſtudious application, long experience, and, above all, a ſtrict adherence to the principles of^* Humanity, have fixed me in the midſt of a moſt extenſive practice. That there are perſons who bear me illw-ill, I have no doubt; but I have the conſolation, that, in this caſe, thoſe who are my enemies are the enemies of Society.—I deſpiſe the reflections thrown out againſt me on account of my former profeſſions: Such reflections are at once a proof of ill manners and ill principles. The good and the ſenſible will acknowledge, that it is as poſſible for a ſoldier to attain a knowledge of the true method of reducing [42]Ruptures and applying Truſſes, as it was for Frere Jacques to diſcover the proper manner of cutting for the ſtone; for a friar to inſtruct the world in the uſe of Gun-powder; or a ſoldier to invent the important and uſeful art of Printing. From a conviction that the Pupils in the different Hoſpitals in town ſeldom had an opportunity of ſeeing a Rupture, and from a deſire to render a knowledge of its proper treatment more general; I very lately gave them a public invitation to ſee me perform the operation of reducing Ruptures, and the retention of them when ſo reduced by apply⯑ing Truſſes, which is the only remedy, at all ages, and in all ſtates, of reducible Ruptures. At the ſame time, I provided a number of caſes, ſome of which were acknowledged by Mr. Hunter to be the moſt ſingular he re⯑membered to have met with.—However, this good diſpoſition in me could not eſcape cenſure;—an undiſtinguiſhing haughtineſs con⯑ſtrued it an affront—and I was informed, that if I perſiſted in that practice, it would greatly offend the Faculty. To exculpate myſelf from a deſign to give offence, I ſhall only refer to the feelings of every candid Reader, and ſay, [43]that I meant a ſervice to the world. In conclu⯑ſion, I ſhall ſubjoin a few Caſes, and for the preſent take my leave,—wiſhing thoſe who condemn from ignorance, more know⯑ledge;—thoſe who aſperſe from malevolence, more good-nature.