Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

QUACK

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 706 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

QUACK , one who pretends to knowledge of which he is ignorant, a See also:

charlatan, particularly a medical impostor. The word is a shortened See also:form of " quacksalver " (Du. kwaksalver), in which form it is See also:common in the 17th See also:century, "See also:salver" meaning " healer," while " quack " (Du. kwakken) is merely an application of the onomatopoeic word applied to the sounds made by a See also:duck, i.e. gabble or gibberish. In See also:English See also:law, to See also:call a medical practitioner a " quack " is actionable per se without See also:proof of See also:special damage (See also:Allen v. See also:Eaton (163o), r See also:Roll. Abs. 54). The often-quoted legal See also:definition of a " quack " is " a boastful pretender to medical skill," but a " quack " may have See also:great skill, and it is the claim to cure by remedies which he knows have no efficacy which makes him a " quack " (see Dakhyl v. Labouchere, The Times, 29th of See also:July 1904, and 5th and 9th of See also:November 1907).

End of Article: QUACK

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
QP2 		[next]
QUADRATRIX (from Lat. quadrator, squarer)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries