A Company of Physicians

A Company of Physicians

A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Etching by W. Hogarth, 1736, after himself.

The three named quacks occupy the top of the shield, twelve other 'doctors' are situated in the lower half; most of them have gold canes held up to their noses, one is dipping his finger into a urinal which another holds. Two pairs of crossed human thigh bones are below the shield

1 print : etching ; platemark 26.2 x 17.8 cm

There are three lines of footnotes below the lettering
Lettering continues: "Beareth sable, an urinal proper, between 12 quack-heads of the second & 12 cane heads Or, consultant. On a chief nebulæae, Ermine, one compleat doctor issuant, checkie sustaining in his right hand a baton of the second. On his dexter & sinister sides two demi-doctors, issuant of the second, & two cane-heads issuant of the third; the first having one eye conchant, towards the dexter side of the escocheon; the second faced per pale proper & Gules, guardent. With this motto. Et plurima mortis imago."

[London] : W. Hogarth, 3 March 1736.

Wellcome
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ejvctpf4