does this say quack doctor to you??

Question

sorry people another question on this french rev document.
it says in it that the cahier of the 3rd estate wants to reduce the incredible number of petty assassins who with the aid of a wig and a licence and often only the razor undertake to treat the most complicated of illnesses and to whom the blood of the people seems to of been abandoned.
am i right in thinking the petty assassins were quack doctors??

Answer 1

In Europe at the time there was a kind of three tier system of medical practitioners. Proper educated doctors who dealt with illnesses but not injuries. Surgeons who dealt with physical ailments and apothecaries who were like pharmacists.

The Surgeons were organised into a guild and were supposed to have a certain level of knowledge but in reality the quality varied enormously. Lots of surgeons were what was called "barber-Surgeons" because they also cut hair as well as setting broken bones, removing teeth etc. They weren't very well trained but they couldn't be considered as quack doctors because they were licenced, its just the licencing system that wasn't very good essentially you could just buy a licence.

There were also quack/ charlatan surgeons who practised medicine without a licence and it could be referring to them but I think it is more likely a complaint about the poor standards of training needed before you could buy a surgeon's licence.

Answer 2

Yes I think so. But at the time that this was written there would have been very few genuine doctors any even these would use instruments or methods that would seem very crude to us. Most people would not have ready access to a proper doctor so had to seek the assistance of whatever charlatans they could.,all of whom would make a charge for their services.

Answer 3

Probably not. They were just good old assassins.

Chow!!

Answer 4

no idea, but ill say yes!