A quack doctor offering a gouty John Bull some medicine while conventional doctors are turned away; referring to British politics. Coloured lithograph attributed to J. Doyle.

John Bull whose legs are resting on a gout-stool which is inscribed: "Sliding scale" says: "They say they could not cure me at once - so seeing your advertisement in the newspapers - I sent for you." The quack holding a medicine bottle labelled: "Expediency", replies: "I confess Mr. Bull, I am ignorant of the nature of your complaint, but I have one Universal Medicine, which I have ever applied to all diseases - in fact it is the only one I am acquainted with - this with 'low diet' and 'frequent bleeding' I trust will cure you". The other doctors respectively comment: "We prescribe more bread.", "We would have lain him on his legs instead of proping him up with that sliding scale.", "He should have a more generous diet." and "He would be the better for coffee with plenty of sugar."