The apothecary's prayer!! [graphic]

An apothecary praying for a host of illnesses to descend on his customers so that he can make more money

"A lean and sour-looking apothecary kneels in profile to the left at a stuffed high-backed elbow-chair, his tricorne hat and gold-headed cane beside him. Behind him (right) are a huge pestle and mortar standing on a block. He prays to 'mighty Esculapius!' to send 'a few smart. Fevers and some obstinate Catarrhs', calls down curses on the 'new-invented waterproof (the earliest instance of the word in the 'O.E.D.' is an advertisement of Jan. 1799), asks for compassion to his book of bad debts, and pins his hopes on the squire's lady having an heir which he may 'bring handsomely into the world ...'."--British Museum online catalogue