Art and epigram regarding science and medicine in relation to death : being a reprint of a communication from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine (Section of the History of Medicine), 1914, Vol. VII, pp. 192-217 : together with an addition on epigram and art in relation to the excessive fear of death / by F. Parkes Weber.

  • Weber, Frederick Parkes, 1863-1962.
Date:
1914
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Art and epigram regarding science and medicine in relation to death : being a reprint of a communication from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine (Section of the History of Medicine), 1914, Vol. VII, pp. 192-217 : together with an addition on epigram and art in relation to the excessive fear of death / by F. Parkes Weber. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    17/34 (page 15)
    (sketches, engravings, coloured prints, &c.) in dispraise of physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, and naturally quacks and charlatans also. Several of those which are figured in Dr. Eugen Hollander’s work, “Die Karikatur und Satire in der Medizin’’ (Stuttgart, 1905), suggest that the drugs and medical treatment, and not the diseases, kill the patients. There is, for instance, a sketch (Hollander, op. cit., p. 223) 1904 (pp. 1.33, 134). In all of them the ending imitate.? Lettsom’s signature to his prescrip- tions, namely, “ I. Lett.som.” The first is taken from “ Old and New London,” vi, p. 279— “ When any patients call in haste, I physics, bleeds, and sweats ’em. If after that they choose to die. Why, what cares I ? I lets ’em.” The second claims to be the version told by Lettsom himself to the father of Mr. H.-S. Cuming— “ If any folk applies to I, I blisters, bleeds, and sweats ’em. If after that they please to die. Well, then I lets ’em.” The third version was obtained from Mr. Gorton, of the “ Golden Sun ”— “ I, John Lettsom, Blisters, bleeds, and sweats ’em. If after that they please to die, I, John, lets ’em.” In Notes and Queries for March 10, 1906, p. 191, sent to me also by Mr. Betbell, an epigram- matic reply by a friend of Lettsom’s is referred to— “ Such swarms of patients do to me apply. Did I not practise, some would surely die. ’Tis true I purge some, bleed some, sweat some. Admit I expedite a few, still many call. I. Lettsom.” Mr. Bethell likewise refers me to Notes and Queries for March 17, 1900, p. 210, where a quotation is given from The Wonderful Magazine and Marvellous Chronicle for the year 1793, i, p. 346, ending as follows :— ” You say I’m dead, I say you lie, I physicks, bleeds, and sweats ’em ; If after this my patients die. Why, verily J. Lets—’em.” Of only one of these four jjhysicians, namely, Francis Willis, does a portrait-medal exist. The medal in question, of which I had a good specimen in my collection, was struck on the recovery of King George III in 1789, and on the obverse bears a bust of Willis in low relief, with the medallist’s signature, C. I. (and a little serpent) on the truncation (the medallist’s name is, I believe, unknown). Good portraits exist, however, of the others. Of William Heberden the younger there is a painting by Eichard Bothwell, and of Matthew Baillie there is one by John Hoppner, whilst Lettsom occupies a conspicuous place in Samuel Medley’s picture of the early members of the Medical Society of London.