Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4498, 16 August 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1893.

The travelling professors.of the Ait of Healing—quacks, some people call them—have not had a good time of it recently in Masterton. We do not altogether regard these gentry as quacks pure and simple, for we Occasionally find that the person who is deemed an imposter because he does not possess ft certain diploma is a specialist in some branch of tLe healing art, or its border land, aod possesses some genuine power or knowledge whicbis serviceableto humanity, but at the same time it is prudent, with strangerswbo profess to perform marvellous cures, to|f xerciso the utmost caution. We believe that just at prosent Masterton is sceptical about wonderful cures, so that. Milner Stephen was disgusted during bis recent visit, and even Professor Richard is disappointed, Tho reason probably is that a talented combination in the healing line, the Longshore-Potts troupe, when in this town took away an enormous sum of money and left very many people wondering what benefit they >had derived frcm the heavy fees which they had paid away, Masterton having been once bit is now twice shy, though at the same time it is only fair to say that soino people speak well even of the Lougplioro Potts, company and claim to have received benefit from it. ; There are in every community a number of almost hopeleSß cases of disease which are practically given up by the doctors. Sufferers. of this kind often regard a travelling specialist, quack though he may bo called, as a forlorn hope, and it does sometimes, though not frequently happen that a cure is effected by the unlicensed practitioner, which could not be obtained from legitimate channels. A good many impulsive people are apt to waste large sums of money with travelling professors without duly considering the chances of a successful result, but where there is a reasonable .expectation of permanent benefit, persons who have failed to secure relief from ordinary curative agencies are quite justified in investi« gating and experimenting with the forlorn hope.