William Charles (1776–1820), The Country Infirmary

In the work of the Scottish-American cartoonist William Charles there are also numerous caricatures on medicine, doctors, and especially the hospitalized sick of the early 19th century. In Charles' portrayal, the overjoyed doctor dances a jig, while the patients languish in beds they are forced to share. The misery of this confinement is further emphasized by the dog relieving itself in the middle of the overcrowded hospital room.

William Charles (1776–1820), The Country Infirmary, coloured etching, 24.7 cm x 32.4 cm, 1813; source: Wellcome Library, London, http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/L0016539.html, public domain.