Dr. Benjamin Rush = dingbat

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I found a real weirdo in U.S. History today, Dr. Benjamin Rush. He believed the "color" and "figure" of blacks were derived from a form of leprosy. He argued that with proper treatment, blacks could be cured and become white.

On the plus side, he believed in washing hands daily, bathing and clean operating rooms. Circa 1760.

[janekane (imported)]

I have never encountered any person who is other than a dingbat.

Having encountered myself, I am obviously a dingbat.

It takes one to know one?

[devi (imported)]

This is an obvious example of one person trying to figure out how another person (other persons) different than themself is somehow "diseased", or "not normal". The most common expression of this type of thinking is often found by children on the playground and follows something like this, "WHAT is WRONG with you??? Do you got some kind of a disease or WHAT!?" or "Are they all like YOU from where you come from?", "Are you Chinese (could be anything else here) or what?" plus a variety of other comments.

[considering (imported)]

...And then there's John Brinkley, the goat gland man. For about twenty years this person believed that transplanting the testicles of goats into humans would cure impotence. A talent for self publicity didn't hurt neither did the stupidity and vanity of men. Enough so that he made millions. Lost it in malpractice suits, wrongful death suits etc. He was one of the first to set up a broadcasting station in Mexico with so much power it could be picked up all across North and South America. His license to practice had long since been pulled but that didn't seem to stop him. And, when about to be run out of another town/county/state he'd con some local Dr. to "accept" his practice, just send him a percentage of the fees. He twice ran for the governor of Kansas, almost winning once, and had a thriving practice in that state until....it was realized that while he was producing sterile, nutless goats, he was not producing red blooded men who could reproduce at will. Really, it's a shame a musical hasn't been made about him, afterall, if they can do it for Sweeney Todd, they can doit for castration. I'm in for the book, now, who's up for music and lyrics?