"In my place, my dear sir," said I, "you
would do exactly what I mean to do."

The Treasurer took his arm out of mine,
and, without saying another word, wished me
good morning.

Did I determine, on reflection, to follow
my friend's advice?  Certainly not.  I was
in love; and what man worthy of the name
follows friendly advice in that situation? No;
I had resolved, at all hazards, to go to the
doctor's, at Barkingham; and, being firmness
itself where my own sentiments and tender
interests are at stake—in due course of time
away I went.

Did I repent my rashness?  We shall see.

ONE CURE MORE.

The last extravagance of quackery is called
the Movement-cure. It is of German breeding:
Its Hahnemann, however, was a Swede,
named Ling.  There is a London professor of
it, who is a German M.D., and by whom it
is expounded at length in a book, illustrated
with a series of useful pictures.  They represent
a patient who goes through the whole gymnastic
series, and is a victim to all the fingering
and mauling by which epilepsy, consumption,
disease of the heart, liver complaints, scrofula,
dropsy, cholera, and more of the several ills
that flesh is heir to, may be relieved, cured,
or averted, according to the doctor.  The
remedy consists, in every case, in getting up
a certain movement on the part of the
afflicted body; or lifting of arms to a
particular height at a particular pace during a
particular time; a scientific kicking of the
heels, and other contortions exhibited by a
new class of artists called acrobats.  This
gymnastic remedy must be applied scientifically,
and needs always the help of a professor, or
of two or three professors, or professors'
assistants; one fingering here, another there;
and all, we suppose, applying a squeeze
dextrous over the region of the pocket.

An ordinary walk is not a Movement-cure;
although a good stout one has been long
accepted as a remedy against the megrims. A
curative walk is to be taken in accordance
with the rules of the Movement-cure in the
manner to be described presently; but we
must premise an observation or two before
quoting out of the book.  The two persons
engaged in the movement are represented
by the letters G. and P.  G. is the
Gymnast or operator upon P. the Patient,
or the Pigeon.  Cures are effected only
by what are called gymnastic movements
regulated as to order, space, time, and degree
of force.  To raise the arms in a random way
and stretch them in the air is nothing; but "to
stretch the arms in a manner and direction,
and with a velocity, and force all previously
determined and exactly prescribed, and then to
move their different parts precisely as
determined and commanded: this is a gymnastic
movement."  Now such movements are called
by this system of quackery, active when they
are made to order by the volition of the P. or
patient; passive, when they are produced for
him by the external force of the G. or
gymnast, who pushes, pulls, or presses; half
active when they are compound movements,
the force of the gymnast pulling a leg
forward, for instance, opposed, to a given extent,
by the force of the patient who resists.  This
is called in the prescription P. R. (patient
resists).  Also, it is the force of the patient
moving a part of his body against the
resisting force of the gymnast, called in the
prescriptions G. R. (gymnast resists).  Now, this
is a real constitutional and curative walk,
considered scientifically.  We quote the
definition given in the treatise:  "The patient
makes the movements of walking on the same
spot, while one or two gymnasts, with their
hands placed on the shoulder or hips, press
his body downwards; thus the movement is
half-active, with G. R."

We cannot explain the whole set of
technical terms that represent the back straight,
toes out, and other more complex movements
of which a gymnastic-prescription is composed.
But to show that this is really a very
deep science, and quite a philosophy to take
the town by storm—being quite as full of
common sense as Pop Goes the Weasel, and
as easy of comprehension as Abracadabara—
we quote the last of a set of five prescriptions,
which, in five months, cured a man
of consumption:—

FIFTH PRESCRIPTION.

1.  Trunk lying, double leg down pressure
(P. R.)

2.  Stem lying, holding.

3.  Stretch stride high sitting, trunk back
flexion (G. R.) with stomach-loin pressure.

4.  Span speak grasp, reclined kick standing,
leg down pressure (P. R.) (right span,
left speak, left kick).

5.  Swim hanging, larynx vibration and
stroking.

6.  Span speak grasp standing, hip forwards
twisting (G. R.) (right span, left speak, left
hip).

7.  Tumble standing, chest double arch
chopping.

8.  Stretch stride sitting, chest lift
vibration.

9.  Heave standing, chest spanning.

10.  Half rest twist, high sitting, trunk
back falling (G. R) (right rest, right twist).

This prescription was used for some time
with such extraordinary success, that, when
the patient's health was perfectly restored,
his whole frame (especially his thorax)
was so much expanded, that his coat could
not be buttoned at all.

We look with awe on this prescription, and
at the gymnast who is competent to make it
up.  As for the gymnast himself our respect