The rulers of Europe as doctors prescribing remedies for Empress Maria Theresa. Etching and letterpress, 1742.

Allegory of the war of Austrian succession (1740-1748), arising from disputes between the European powers as to whether Maria Theresa was eligible to rule the Empire. The patient is Maria Theresa, Holy Roman Empress and queen of Hungary: she sits in the centre, seated on a close-stool and vomiting into a chamber pot. Cardinal Fleury takes her pulse and writes his prescription for her, which is to reduce her pulse-rate with clysters; large clyster pipes lie on the floor. On the left a group of doctors have written their prescriptions: King George II, standing on the left recommends "steel remedies"; Prussia, holding a bag of money, prescribes julip cordials, Bavaria, wearing a crown, prescribes "Even stronger emetics"; Spain, "spanish fly and hops"; on the right Poland, holding a lancet, appears to recommends bloodletting. On the right, sits a Dutchman representing the Netherlands, holding a paper recommending "A restorative to make the crisis come"; behind his chair stands the pope, his tiara appearing like a fool's cap, three crowns falling from it, and a child's windmill in his hand in lieu of a crozier