A High German Doctor, or a Cure for a Complaint in the Bowels
Dublin Core
Title
A High German Doctor, or a Cure for a Complaint in the Bowels
Subject
A German quack doctor asks a British nurse about a man with a bowel complaint: misunderstanding the doctor, she has served the patient puppies instead of poppies, and an almanac instead of bole ammoniac. Coloured etching, 1803.
Description
The doctor is accompanied by a black assistant who wears a crown and carries a basket of medicines, with a handbill saying "All sorts of incurable disorder cured"
1 print : etching, with watercolour ; platemark 19.6 x 24.9 cm
Lettering continues: "Well norse how was mine patient by dish time?" "Much better sir, the medicines had great effect." "Ah! dat is goot and dit you gif de poppies- and de bol ammoniac as I told you?" "Oh! yes sir the puppies he has eat six this morning- and I have boil'd four more he is taking now- as for the old almanack I could not get one in all the parish; but I procured a very old copy of Robin Hood, & boil'd that down in milk which has answer'd the purpose very well."
1 print : etching, with watercolour ; platemark 19.6 x 24.9 cm
Lettering continues: "Well norse how was mine patient by dish time?" "Much better sir, the medicines had great effect." "Ah! dat is goot and dit you gif de poppies- and de bol ammoniac as I told you?" "Oh! yes sir the puppies he has eat six this morning- and I have boil'd four more he is taking now- as for the old almanack I could not get one in all the parish; but I procured a very old copy of Robin Hood, & boil'd that down in milk which has answer'd the purpose very well."
Source
Wellcome
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dp9wrynj
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dp9wrynj
Publisher
London (53 Fleet Street) : Laurie & Whittle, 1 January 1803.
Collection
Citation
“A High German Doctor, or a Cure for a Complaint in the Bowels,” European Mastectomy, accessed May 24, 2026, https://european-mastectomy.artinterp.org/items/show/210.