The Quack, plate 3 from Marriage A-la-Mode

This plate, from William Hogarth’s series that details the calamitous consequences of an arranged marriage, represents the effects of the husband’s descent into the depths of debauchery. The Viscount has taken this young girl as his mistress and given her syphilis. His own disease has progressed significantly, indicated by the large black patch on his neck that either conceals a sore or functions as a topical mercury treatment for the disease. The Viscount seeks medical assistance from the quack, Monsieur de la Pillule (as inscribed on the books in left foreground), who stands by a table on which rests a skull, a clear indication that this doctor’s remedies will only hasten death. The doctor has sometimes been identified as John Misaubin (1673-1734), a successful physician who was often derided by his contemporaries for his concoctions and pills. Hogarth’s print argues against exploitative doctors and against the behaviors producing one of the most miserable illnesses of his day.