An itinerant surgeon extracting stones from a grimacing patient; symbolising the expulsion of 'folly' (insanity). Engraving.

Reference:
21135i
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An itinerant surgeon extracting stones from a grimacing patient; symbolising the expulsion of 'folly' (insanity). Engraving. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Description

The images of a surgeon (often itinerant) making an incision in a patient's head in order to extract 'stones' (implying madness in the individual) do not represent an actual operation, but are allegorical scenes refering to the subduction of 'folly' (madness) from the body. See further: W. Schupbach, A new look at The cure of folly, Medical history, 1978, vol. 22, pp. 267-281

Physical description

1 print : line engraving with etching

Reference

Wellcome Collection 21135i

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