Kill or Cure: Lotions, Potions, Characters and Quacks of Early Australia

by Peter J. Phillips

A graphic picture of medical eccentricity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Kill or Cure is the study of decent men who fought for unpopular beliefs; of likeable villains - and a fair number of unmitigated scoundrels; of strange electrical devices and weird diagnostic procedures.

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, infuriating and terrifying. The sorts of Victorian and Edwardian madness that rarely gets discussed... So many crazy quack doctors pushing absolute nonsense on the still fairly illiterate poor and working classes. If you want a good look at Australian medical history 1850s- early 1900s, this is the read for you. It includes many reproductions of the articles and adverts of the time, too, so it can be a bit of a study in propaganda and advertising.