Comic Annual,  3 (1832), vii–x.

Preface

[Thomas Hood]

Genre:

Preface, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [2]

Illustrators:

T Hood

Subjects:

Public Health, Epidemiology, Medical Treatment, Pharmaceuticals, Exploration


    Hood observes: 'As recommended by the Board of Health, I discard anxiety and keep up my spirits, trusting sanguinely to the favourableness of the present volume. Between the Reform Bill and the Cholera, the public has been so drugged by the House of Commons and Doctor's Commons, that figures of speech, neither political nor medical, must come as figures in high relief'. Hood has consequently increased the print run of the Annual 'by the advice of Sir Henry Halford [president of the Royal College of Physicians]' and of his publisher. (viii) The illustration captioned 'Doctor's Commons' (facing viii) depicts a nauseous man clutching a measuring jar and a spoon seated at a table loaded with bottles of medicine, a pill box, and a bottle of leaches, arranged as though making a meal. To 'prevent' any 'misapprehensions', Hood points out that the author of the article 'An Assent to the Summut of Mount Blank' cannot be (as might at first be supposed) a servant of Edward B Wilbraham, who gave an account of his own ascent of Mont Blanc in the Keepsake (ix–x). The illustration captioned 'To Be Continued' (x) depicts a giant sea-serpent weaving its way past a ship and an island, with its tail-end passing off the side of the vignette.



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