“Caricature of a woman trying to protect herself from the cholera epidemic.” Photograph © Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz / Art Resource, NY. Reproduced with permission.

This color engraving is a German caricature of a woman who is making every possible effort to protect herself from cholera. It was made by an unknown artist around 1820, at the same time as the “The Sufferings and Pleasures of a Cholera Quarantine Station” (Clin Infect Dis 2006; 42:11). Among the many measures that are described in the text are the smoking pot in her right hand, chlorinated lime, and garlic, as well as the various herbs in pockets along the hem of her skirt and in branches attached to her parasol. Vinegar bags dangle from the 3 braided twists of her hair. She and her dog wear protective footwear, and the dog also has protective branches attached to his tail. The sign that the dog carries in his mouth proclaims their fearlessness about cholera. Although the artist mocks the “Cholera-praservativ-Frau,” her reaction is understandable when no one knew what preventative measures might be effective against cholera. This engraving is from the collection of Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museum, Berlin, Germany (Ann Arvin, Cover Art Editor)