The Miracle Cure-All
A traveling medical practitioner claims a bloodless breakthrough in Everett, drawing crowds and skepticism.
Much excitement prevails in Langley over the remarkable removal of many gall stones from Mrs. Bainter. The great Fer-Don, who has been in our city the past week, stated that the great Fer-Don medical experts and bloodless surgeons would introduce a new method in removing tumors, cancers and gall stones without the use of a knife. At first he was laughed and sneered at; the citizens called him a fake, fraud, crank, etc. But how well has the great Fer-Don kept his word; a number of the most prominent citizens of Everett can verify his statement. Mrs. Bainter, living at Langley, Wash., had been sick for several years and had consulted several physicians. She heard of the great Fer-Don and they told her they could remove the gall stones in twenty-four hours with just three doses of medicine. True to his word, Mrs. Bainter was relieved of many gall stones by just three doses of medicine and she has them in a box. The reputation of the Fer-Don medical experts now is established in Everett and multitudes of prominent citizens can be seen at his office at the Brownell building.
“At first he was laughed and sneered at; the citizens called him a fake, fraud, crank, etc.”
Snake oil salesmen were a staple of early 20th-century frontier towns, exploiting the lack of regulated medical care. This story serves as a reminder of how quickly desperation can turn a 'crank' into a local sensation.
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