Johann Ernst Greding (1718-1775). A contribution to the history of modern psychiatry.

Accum's relationship with Davy and other members of the Royal Institution had not yet deteriorated and there was no reason to depict the two as enemies. Mrs. George's argument that it was customary to fix a paper with a name to the subject in order to identify him is of course valid for the majority of these caricatures. However, there is at least one other instance where this practice was modified. In an amusing caricature designed by G. M. Woodward, entitled 'The Kentish Hop Merchant and the Lecturer on Optics'15 and dated by her 1809, a man of little understanding stands before the lecturer; in his pocket is a paper lettered 'Treatise on Hop . . .' (the mis-spelling being his mistake). If this print preceded that of Rowlandson, who was closely connected with Woodward, it may have been in his mind when he drew his type of an ignoramus. Maybe he found it a good motive to confront the lecturer again with a type unable to understand and funnier still to place a copy of the lecturer's book in his pocket. To me it seems unlikely for historic reasons that Rowlandson intended to caricature Accum at a time when his fame was at its highest. Besides, the good relationship between Rowlandson and R. Ackerman on the one side and Ackermann's friendship with Accum on the other, would have forbidden any antagonistic bias in a representation of the chemist.16 16 M. D. George, op. cit., vol. 8, No. 11470. *Wffliam J. Burke, op. cit., p. 10. R. BURGESS