Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything

"Looking back with fascination, horror, and not a little dash of dark, knowing humor, Quackery recounts the lively, at times unbelievable, history of medical misfires and malpractices. Ranging from the merely weird to the outright dangerous, here are dozens of outlandish, morbidly hilarious “treatments”—conceived by doctors and scientists, by spiritualists and snake oil salesmen (yes, they literally tried to sell snake oil)—that were predicated on a range of cluelessness, trial and error, and straight-up scams. With vintage illustrations, photographs, and advertisements throughout,Quackery seamlessly combines macabre humor with science and storytelling to reveal an important and disturbing side of the ever-evolving field of medicine." - Workman Publishing 

By Lydia Kang, Nate Pederson 

hardcover, 352 pages 

Be sure to stop by the Carroll Gallery at the Physick Estate to view Quackery: The Age of Medical Marvels now through October 31st, 2023.