A man with influenza, taken in hand by a doctor, surrounded by dancing politicians. Wood engraving by Pépin (E. Guillaumin), 1889.

Refers to an influenza epidemic in Paris and Europe generally at the time, which is mentioned on p. 2 of this issue of Le grelot: "L'influenza continue à sévir". See F.B. Smith, 'The Russian influenza in the United Kingdom 1889-1894', Social history of medicine, 1995, vol. 8: 55-73

The man with influenza shivers in the embrace of a doctor who flourishes a prescription marked "Ordonnance. ...Au nom de la Faculté". A trio of skeletons play dance music on the bagpipes, drums and flute, and the politicians dance around in a ring with women marked with the names of influenza remedies ("Antipyrine", "La quinine", "Fleurs pectorales")

Paris (5 Cité Bergère, 5) : J. Madre, 12 January 1890 (Paris : Imprimerie V[eu]ve Hugonis, 6, rue Martel)

1 print : wood engraving, coloured ; image and lettering 34 x 28.4 cm

Tout le monde l'a (ter) l'influenza! La ronde des médecins et des potards. Pépin. Translation of lettering: Everybody's got it (thrice) the influenza. The round-dance of physicians and pharmacists

Pépin: pseudonym of Edouard Guillaumin, b. 1842

Wellcome Collection 31072i