The medicine, put up in a small bottle, carefully labelled, and sold for the modest sum of five francs, consisted of water from the River Seine, tinctured with a quantity of spirits of nitre. A few were wise enough to see the trick, but most people believed in the efficacy of the nostrum.
Unfortunately for Villars, he intrusted his secret to another, the humbug leaked out, and Othello's occupation was gone; but not, however, until Villars had amassed a large fortune from the credulity of the public.
This brings to mind a story, the truth of which can be vouched for, respecting a New England doctor. His labels contained the following instructions:--
"The doctor charges you to take care of the health God has given you. In eating and exercise be moderate. Avoid bad habits and excesses that sap the life from you. Use no salt pork, newly-baked fine bread, vinegar, coffee, strong tea, or spirits while taking this medicine. 'Tis not in the power of man to restore you to health unless you regard these directions."
"What do you think of this?" asked the editor of a journal of Dr. P., former professor of H---- College, presenting a vial of the high dilution, as the medicine was, labelled as above.
"All very well," the doctor replied, after having read the label; "for if the vial contains nothing but water, with just sufficient alcohol to keep it, a strict observance of these directions might restore you to health."
"You have treated my case for a long time, doctor, and have never given me such instructions. Pray why don't _you_ get up something similar?"
"Well, what was his reply?" I asked, as the editor hesitated.
Humbug is not necessarily synonymous with ignorance. So far from it, that doubtless a very perfect and successful man in the art of humbugging must be educated to his business.
The following true statement is a case in point: A physician of New York, now in excellent standing, who "rolls in riches," and whose own carriage is drawn by a span of horses that Bonner once might have envied, was but a few years ago as poor as a church mouse, and as unknown as Scripture. He had graduated with honors in Transylvania University, opened an office in a country town, where his knowledge and talents were unappreciated, and which place he abandoned after a twelve months' patient waiting for a practice which did not come. He had become poorer every month, and but for the kind assistance of early friends, must have perished of want.