Mary Ann Mason

The following advertisement appeared in the Norfolk Chronicle and Norwich Gazette of January 4^th 1834:

MARY ANN MASON, of of the parish of Deopham, 19 years of age, was grievously afflicted with the Scrofula in her right leg, to such a degree as to be nearly covered with sores from the knee to the foot, with which she severely suffered during the space of three years, and had no power of moving but with the assistance of crutches. On the 28th of July, 1827, she was by the gentlemen of the parish, placed under the care of M. SMITH, of Diss, who, on examining the leg, found the bones in such a state of decay as he had scarcely witnessed before in his long practice. In the short period of ten months she was perfectly cured, during which time time ninety-eight pieces of bone were severally extracted, some of which were of the length of from one to two inches, and some even exceeding that length. Since the time the cure was effected, this young woman has continued, and now is in perfect health & strength; she can walk to any distance, and is able to do any kind of work, though ever so laborious, as well as any woman in the kingdom. On the 2Ist of July, 1831, Mr. Smith had an opportunity of seeing this young woman, and minutely inspecting the limb, which he found in the perfect state above described.

Attested by us, July 27th, 1831.
GARRETT ODDIN TAYLOR, Churchwardens.
ROBERT CURSON,
ROWING BRASNETT, Overseers.
WILLIAM LIDDALOW [sic],
ARCHIBALD ROWING, Gentlemen
THOMAS MATTHEWS, of the Parish
BARNABAS CLARKE.

N. B. This young woman still continues perfectly well and was married about six months’ since.
Mr. SMITH will attend at the Bell Inn, Orford Hill, on Tuesday, January 14th, and following day.
N B. Several other remarkable Cures will appear in this Paper; one every second week.
M. SMITH, since the Summer of the year 1824, has performed the following number of cures, viz.

Of Cancers 60 sound and permanent Cures
174 cases of Bad Eyes cured,
117 cases of the Joint Evil on the Knee cured,
898 cases of Sore Legs cured,
cases of bad hands, arms, ankles and feet 145 cures.
Of bad heads, ears, and divers parts of the frame, 205.
Of this this disease in the face and nick, 91 cases cured.

The above make a total number of 1688 cases in the short-space of eight years, being the greatest number ever cured by any professor of Scrofulous Medicine in double that space of time, from which he is led to assure the Public, that he does not consider himself overrating the virtue of these Medicines and Applications, when he declares it as his opinion, that there is no case of how long standing soever (if the Patient be not labouring under the influence of old age and debility) that by a proper use of the means and attention to his directions, he may fearlessly expect a perfect cure.

He has now in his possession upwards of 600 pieces of bone, from all parts of the human frame, many of which measure several inches in length, and which were extracted solely by the efficacy of the medicines and applications, without pain or manual operations, and which are now submitted by him to public inspection.

M. S. begs leave to recommend his FAMILY PILLS, so well known and universally approved as a Specific, if timely used, in almost all complaints.

M. SMITH wishes to address himself to that part of the Public who may unfortunately be suffering under the infliction of a Certain Complaint, too prevalent in large places, and to assure them that nothing but the delicacy of the subject precludes him from announcing the astonishing success which has attended his practice in every stage of that complaint, and that instead of the number of Cures which he has most satisfactorily effected, he is compelled only to say that honour and secrecy supply the place of well deserved fame, and that he challenges the world for the efficacy of these Medicines in that complaint, and the certainty of their success.

M. SMITH may be regularly consulted at the following places, viz. at Bury, Ipswich. Bungay, Lowestoft, Colchester, and at Providence Place, Diss, every Friday, being Market day, also on Sundays till Twelve o’clock.

Transcription © G. Sankey

The above advertisement appears in a number of local newspapers around this time. Similar advertisements also appear for other persons who have received miraculous cures from Mr Smith.
Eleven years after the above advertisement was published, it was reprinted in the Lynn Advertiser of November 1^st 1845 where Barnabas Clarke (whoever he is) had become Barnabus Clarke.
The advertisement had been revised to include the following:

CAUTION.- In consequence of a report having been circulated representing that Mr. Smith’s charges are very extravagant when consulted, he wishes to guard the public generally against such a false assertion, as it is wholly without foundation, and there is no doubt but that it was propagated by some evil-disposed person who is envious of the great success which attends Mr S’s practice.

The great and extraordinary success which has for twenty-five years attended the use of Smith’s Botanical Medicines, and Applications, has spread this fame through every County in England, and thousands who had been reduced to the most miserable state of affliction have the benefits which these means have afforded, and are now in the enjoyment of perfect Health.

Mr. Smith has now in his possession upwards of 1,300 pieces of bone, from all parts of the human frame, many of which measure several inches in length, and which are extracted solely without pain of manual operation and are now submitted by him to public inspection

The subject of this miraculous cure, Mary Ann Mason, appears to have been a real person in as much as the calling of banns for her wedding and the record of the marriage itself are reported as taking place in Deopham at a time that is consistent with the advertisement:

Date	Change
19/3/24	Published