The Power of the Charlatan

Description

As in Thomas Mann's Mario the Magician, there is more in this book than the story of the medicine man, the hypnotist, and the expert at shell games. The author writes of a galaxy of quacks in medieval and modern Europe and in America; men who like "Chevalier" John Taylor offered to help failing eyesight and blinded hundreds of people; like Bragadino who was called to Venice when its leaders felt themselves unable to compete with the upstart trading countries by hard work and therefore asked the help of a man who could manufacture gold for them. The charlatan always, as the author writes, "was the foe of education, of anything that could disturb the uniform ignorance of the mass; in the place of education he offered propaganda." The quack feeds on human misery. He does business best when people are suffering, when they are hopeless, or rather have only the hope of a miracle to right their fortunes. He has to be intolerant, and he has topromise his crowds their heart's desire. Grete de Francesco is a newspaper writer whose book was recently published in Switzerland and, curiously enough, had excellent reviews in Germany. It has been translated by Miriam Beard, who has also written certain sections on American quackery.