Freeman and Wallace
FREEMAN AND WALLACE Doctors Howard Freeman and Richard Wallace established their Electro-Medical and Surgical Institute in Sydney in 1897, and quickly set about organising a widespread and high-profile publicity campaign throughout Australasia. The Institute's advertisements, which promoted its ability to cure nervous and chronic complaints, blood and skin diseases, heart, kidney, liver, bladder, Rheumatism, sciatica and other problems, especially targeted men. From the early 1900s they began using endorsements, both celebrities and non-celebrities. The most popular were sportsmen. Also utilised were Australian and visiting international variety artists - notably trick cyclist Arthur Hill (Hill and Sylvainy) and pianist J. H. Brown. By early 1908 increasing questions regarding the veracity of their treatments, along with several law suits by patients, led to the Postmaster General placing the Institute on its prohibited post list. Later that same year Freeman and Wallace were forced into bankruptcy. Howard Freeman and Richard Wallace set up their Electro-Medical and Surgical Institute at the corner of Elizabeth and Bathurst streets, Sydney sometime around mid to late-1897. Although the pair promoted themselves as "legally qualified and registered" doctors and specialists, with nine diplomas and certificates between them,1 there is some question as to the validity of their claims to be medical practitioners. Their advertisements, the earliest being in September 1897, not only highlighted consultations at their institute but also offered individuals not living in Sydney the opportunity to write to them outlining their complaints. Freeman and Wallace would then provide them with the necessary treatment - which they claimed was "always satisfactory." These treatments supposedly cured nervous and chronic complaints, blood and skin diseases, heart, kidney, liver, bladder, Rheumatism, sciatica etc.
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