‘The Porter Brewer and his Family or the Modern Druggist’, 1807

Description

Mounted hand coloured etching, entitled ‘The Porter Brewer and his Family – or the Modern Druggist.’, drawn by Isaac Cruikshank, etched by anon, and published by Samuel William Fores in 1807.

This caricature refers to the statute K.B. 42 George III c. 33 which imposed penalties on mixing beer with various adulterants, including quassia, supposedly used instead of hops. The brewer, wearing a round-brimmed hat and apron, stands before a large vat of “MODERN INTIRE” into which he throws “col. narcotic” (a tiny heavy cavalryman who says: “Here I go neck or nothing”).

The brewer motions to the small devils at his feet, labelled “Tobacco”, “Deadly night shade”, “Nux Vomica”, “Opium”, “Coculus Indicus”, “Hounds Tongue”, and “Thorn Apple”, to also go into the vat; “Come along my little boys thats my Darlings”. Two sad putti labelled “Malt” and “Hops” are left out; they remark; “Father dont take any notice of us now, he has got so many Bastards”.

John Bull looks in through a window and says, “Od lookers, w