The Quack – that person or group of people who make big claims – big promises and offer nothing in return, except to empty bank accounts. It sure isn’t new – I suspect there are most likely drawings on pre-historic caves extolling the virtues of magic cures and potions.
Now we’re bombarded relentlessly with miracle cures, “why didn’t I think of this before?” remedies and too-good-to-be-true recoveries from seemingly hopeless diseases. And you can’t click on even one if you’re curious because those great illusive algorithms will glom on to your curiosity and assault you day and night – by text, e-mail or messenger and an avalanche of click-bait, hoping you’ll be caught off-guard enough to agree to something that you will find impossible to shake later.
In the 1950s there was the fear factor driving everything – miracle cures based on some highly guarded formula the “government doesn’t want you to know about”.
But along with all the fake cures came fake doctors – those guys who looked the part, were unflappable and were convinced they were the Second Coming; here to save the world and eradicate everything from Cancer to boils. Unfortunately the only thing they managed to do (and still do) is eradicate bank accounts.
This radio documentary, produced by CBS Radio in 1953 takes a look at the thriving subculture of Medical fakery. How it comes with disastrous results and how it plays on the fears and expectations of people who are desperate but convinced modern medicine is the problem and know in their heart-of-hearts “the government” is out to get them.
How, at one time, it was on the fringes of society but now has become a painful reminder that fear, gullibility and Quacks are still with us and flourishing.
It’s an hours worth of history and popular culture – the kind that repeats over and over – and will probably be stuck on repeat a hundred years from now. The only way around it is to take the adage “when in doubt – don’t” to heart and not be fooled.
Special thanks to David Goldin for the pristine transfers of this 1953 recording.
