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1774

Mutual Accusation

James Bretherton

British, active 1755 - 1799

While a quack doctor would never refer to himself as a quack, his rival certainly would. Here two quacks argue over the merits of their rival antiscorbutic pills (for the prevention of scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency), one "veritable" and the other "true." For extra effect, their wives, dogs, and cats are fighting too. Both quacks wear full wigs, emulating a practice favored by respectable physicians of the period.

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James Bretherton, Mutual Accusation, 1774 | Philadelphia Art Museum