This is the oil which birthed Antimacassars. My great-grandmothers and grandmother had antimacassars on everything. Click for full size!
Macassar Oil, An oily Puff for Soft Heads. Thomas Rowlandson, Etching coloured, 1814. Subject: Macassar Oil, Rowland’s Oil,Alexander Rowland,baldness,hair Tonic, Hair Oil,Proprietary Medicines.
If you missed the beginning, it’s here. Click for full size. ETA: I’ve found translations, but I’m not sure as to their reliability.
Emperor.
Todt zum Keyser:
HErr Keyser mit dem grawen Bart,
Euwr Reuw habt ihr zu lang gespart,
Drumb sperrt euch nicht, Ihr müßt darvon,
Und tantz’n nach meiner Pfeiffen thon.
Death to The Emperor:
Mr. Emperor with the gray beard,
You have long saved your repentance.
Therefore, do not struggle, you must from here
and dance after my fife’s tone.
Der Keyser.
Ich kundte das Reich gar wol mehren
Mit Streitten, Fechten, Unrecht wehren:
Nun hat der Todt uberwunden mich,
Daß ich bin keinem Keyser gleich.
The Emperor.
I was able to increase the kingdom considerably,
with war and fight prevented injustice.
Now Death has won over me,
so that I’m not [any longer] like an emperor.
Empress.
Todt zur Keyserin:
ICh tantz euch vor Fraw Keyserin,
Springen hernach, der tantz ist mein:
Euwr Hofleut sind von Euch gewichen,
Der Todt hat euch hie auch erschlichen.
Death to The Empress:
I dance beforeyou, Mrs. Empress,
Dance after, the dance is mine.
Your courtiers have left you,
Death has here sneaked up on you too.
Die Keyserin:
VIel Wollüst hat mein stoltzer Leib,
Ich lebt alß eines Keysers Weib:
Nun muß ich an diesen Tantz kommen,
Mir ist all Muth und Frewd genommen.
The empress:
My proud body had much pleasure.
I lived as an emperor’s wife.
Now I must come to this dance.
All spirits and joy have been taken from me.
Click for full size.
The Winding Up of the Medical Report of the Walcheren Expedition. Thomas Rowlandson, Etching coloured, 1810. Subject: Lucas Pepys (1742-1830), Robert Jackson (1750-1827), Thomas Keate (1745-1821), Dr. James’ Fever Powder, Chelsea Hospital, Walcheren Campaign, Military Medicine, Medical Boards, Drugs.
The Walcheren Campaign involved little fighting, but heavy losses from the sickness popularly dubbed “Walcheren Fever”. Although more than 4,000 British troops died during the expedition, only 106 died in combat; the survivors withdrew on 9 December. […] Along with the 4,000 men that had died during the campaign, almost 12,000 were still ill by February 1810 and many others remained permanently weakened. Those sent to the Peninsular War to join Wellington’s army caused a permanent doubling of the sick lists there.
As for ‘Look Ass Peeps’ (Lucas Pepys):
In 1794 Pepys was made physician-general to the army, and was president of an army medical board, on which it was his duty to nominate all the army physicians. When so many soldiers fell ill of fever at Walcheren, he was ordered to go there and report. As a consequence the board was abolished; but Pepys was granted a pension.
I got right distracted today while working on the Healing Arts posts, distracted right into the amazing world of The Dance Of Death. There’s a large body of work by different artists devoted to this particular aspect of death, and they widely range in style, to say the very least. All of the art work is very beautiful, and is often poignant, witty, and sly. The main message being that death is no respecter of persons.
So this will be a sort of companion series to the Healing Arts. I’m going to start with Basel’s Dance of Death by Hieronymus Hess (1799-1850). These are based on copies of a mural which was done around around 1435-1441. The wall with the original mural was lost long ago, in 1804. Some fragments survive and are housed in a museum. We open with The Ossuary and Death’s first conquest, The Pope. Death looks positively gleeful walking off with the pope. I’m quite enchanted with Hess’s portrayal of Death as a mostly fleshed character who must maintain modesty when it comes to the private bits. Death also changes gender in Hess’s portrayals, and there are obvious character shifts in Death, dependent on just who is being claimed. In The Pope, it almost looks as if Death were wearing a skull mask.
The Ossuary. Click for full size.
Death and the Pope. Click for full size.
Click for full size.
A Cure for Lying and a Bad Memory. Thomas Rowlandson, Etching coloured, 1807. Subject: Pharmacy, Medicine.
Matt Easton in his capacity as an antique swords collector tells the fascinating story behind one of his swords – who its original owner was and why he (probably) requested this non-standard issue blade later in life. To me personally is this one of his best videos.
Click for full size.
Poisoning the Sick at Jaffa. George Cruikshank, Aquatint coloured, 1814. Subject: Napoleon, Jaffa, Poison, Hospitals, Military Hospitals.
Click for full size.
Medicine. Jan Kip (1652-1722), Laid. Subject: Apollo, Python, Mythology, Drugs.
Click for full size.
The Company of Undertakers. William Hogarth, Laid, 1736. Subject: Mapp, Sarah (d.1736), Taylor, John (1703-72), Ward, Joshua (1685-1761), Dod, Pierce (1683-1754), Bamber, Dr., Quacks & quackery.
Click for full size.
Le mal de tete. Charles Ramelet / Honore Daumier, Lithograph coloured. Subject: Headache, Depiction of Pain.
La Colique. Charles Ramelet / Honore Daumier, Lithograph coloured. Subject: Cholic, Depiction of Pain.
Le Cure. Oui, mes freres… Charles Ramelet / Honore Daumier, Lithograph coloured. Subject: Alcohol, Sleep.
Click for full size.
A Cure for Drowsiness–or–A Pinch of Cephalic. George Cruikshank, Etching coloured,Jan. 25th 1822. Subject: Tobacco, Snuff, Smoking.
Click for full size.
The Last Gasp. Or Toadstools Mistaken for Mushrooms. Thomas Rowlandson, Etching coloured. Subject: Mushrooms, Obesity, Gastronomy.
Click for full size!
Die Schwitz = Kur. Johann Wenzel Zinke, Engraving coloured, Satyrisches Bild. #22. Subject: Sweating Cure, hydrotherapy.