Mezzotint: How merrily we live that doctors be, we humbug the public and pocket the fee. Caricature by Carington Bowles, c. 176-?

The caption of this satirical print reads “How merrily we live that doctors be, we humbug the public and pocket the fee”. (‘Humbug’ is an old term for a hoax or a fraud.) The print was a comment on how doctors charged their patients large fees for treatments that did not necessarily work while getting rich on the profits. It shows how the medical profession were viewed by some in the 1790s. The three doctors in an apothecary shop are finely dressed in expensive clothes and powdered wigs. One doctor has clearly been enjoying his wealth by eating well and becoming rather plump.