George Clarke, having been bludgeoned on the head in riots at an election meeting n Brentford, Middlesex, is treated by a surgeon and a physician: around them stand six doctors proposing different cures, and eight election officials playing down his illness. Etching, 1769.

[London] : [The universal museum], [1769]

1 print : etching ; image 10.8 x 17.8 cm

The present state of surgery, or modern practice. Engraved for the Universal museum The surgeons on the left say (right to left) "If ye fever does not kill him contusions & fractures are nothing"; "A court plaister will remove ye seat of ye disorder; "Shall we apply ye trepan Sir"; A glyster might evacuate ye broken pieces of bone."; "That would be a fundamental cure indeed.";"It may make his head ache & increase ye fever". Two of the men on the right, holding staves, say "The doctor says a broken scull's nothing if they can but cure ye fever" and "Thank God we need not fear being knock'd on ye head then". Three other people say "I wish those Irish dogs had kept ye distemper to themselves. It's worse than the itch."; "Aye they were deadly wise at ye election time"; "I catch'd a fever from a bludgeon at Brentford myself". The two men with staves on the right are presumably Balfe and McQuirk

British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal satires, vol. 4, 1883, pp. 466-467, no. 4224

Wellcome Collection 2477064i