The Autobiography of a Quack, and The Case of George Dedlow: A Tale of 19th-Century Quackery and Medical Ethics

by S. Weir Mitchell

In 'The Autobiography of a Quack, and The Case of George Dedlow', S. Weir Mitchell tells the story of a charismatic scamp who finds himself bedridden with Addison's disease, surrounded by fellow patients in a Massachusetts hospital. Bored and restless, he takes the doctor's suggestion to write his life story, chronicling his clever schemes to acquire wealth and the setbacks that befell him along the way. With wit and candor, he reveals the hard truth that even a skilled scoundrel may not succeed in the end. Mitchell's classic tale offers a witty and entertaining look at a life lived on the wrong side of the law.

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Silas Weir Mitchell was an American physician and writer.

During the Civil War he had charge of nervous injuries and maladies at Turners Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, and at the close of the war became a specialist in neurology. In this field Weir Mitchell's name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria; the treatment consisting primarily in isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. His medical texts include Injuries of Nerves and Their Consequences (1872) and Fat and Blood (1877). Mitchell's disease (erythromelalgia) is named after him.

Reviews

[Osiris Oliphant · Rating 4 out of 5]

the author was a physician. one of his patients went on to write 'the yellow wallpaper' based on a rest treatment she had gone through under his care.
george dedlows a soldier and gets his legs blown right off in the civil war only to be haunted by them later in the form of seance induced 'phantom limbs'

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was doing some research on death in the Civil War and read about The Case of George Dedlow, which led me to download this e-book. Though that is an odd and interesting story, combining the horror of the Civil War with some dated religious and psychic phenomenon plot details, The Autobiography of a Quack was the more interesting of the two. It details the life of a selfish, greedy, bigoted, and all-around reprehensible doctor as he tries to make the most money possible from the poorest members of society. He's nearly impossible to cheer for, but the writing is good enough that it's easy to read in one sitting. Plus, it is very easy to believe that a doctor could be an opportunist and a pretty criminal, so there's no suspension of belief required. I can't recommend this to someone who wants nice characters and happy endings, but if you like disturbing 19th century character studies with gory medical details, this is a quick read that's never boring.

[Adela63 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reached The Case of George Dedlow through Oliver Sack’s Musicophilia

Seems the basis for Johnny got his gun, if I was brave enough to watch it again

[Annalise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad

[Neurtsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

(only read the case of George Dedlow)