[lbo-talk] putting quackery to the test

Dennis Claxton ddclaxton at earthlink.net
Tue Aug 8 15:04:11 PDT 2006


Michael wrote:


>You could get a degree by passing 5 or 9 classes at Harvard.

Progress is slow sometimes. Steve Martin's character, Theodoric of York, probably took fewer than five classes:

Joan: Hello, Theodoric, Barber of York.

Theodoric of York: Hello, Joan, Wife of Simkin the Miller. Well, how's my little patient doing?

Joan: Not so well, I fear. We followed all your instructions - I mixed powder of staghorn, gum of arabic with sheep's urine, and applied it in a poultice to her face.

Theodoric of York: And did you bury her up to her neck in the marsh and leave her overnight?

Joan: Oh, yes. But she still feels as listless as ever, if not more.

Theodoric of York: Well, let's give her another bloodletting. Brungilda.

Brungilda: Yes, Theodoric.

Theodoric of York: Take two pints.

Brungilda: Yes, Theodoric.

Joan: Will she be alright?

Theodoric of York: Well, I'll do everything humanly possible. Unfortunately, we barbers aren't gods. You know, medicine is not an exact science, but we are learning all the time. Why, just fifty years ago, they thought a disease like your daughter's was caused by demonic possession or witchcraft. But nowadays we know that Isabelle is suffering from an imbalance of bodily humors, perhaps caused by a toad or a small dwarf living in her stomach.

http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20060807/043600.html



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list