The Doctor's Visit

A young woman swoons as a doctor takes her pulse. Clues suggest the woman’s condition: on the wall hangs a painting of Venus and Adonis, tragic lovers. On the floor lies a brazier with burning ribbon, used to revive the fainting patient or, supposedly, to diagnose pregnancy. Nearby, a vial of urine waits for the charlatan physician to examine its color and odor—another quack pregnancy test. The folded pages on the floor spell it all out: “There is no medicine of use, for it is lovesickness.”