What came first?

[YellowPolkaDotHalo]

Yeah right.. they're being gluttonous and covorting with riff raff.

 

[Myshkin]

Agreed... I wonder what the symbolism of the skeletal portraits is. Do you think that the artist is hinting that this is an unhealthy activity or is it something else? Is he saying that they may as well be having a ball as they'll die soon anyway? (I think not, the participants are not very sympathetically portrayed).

In light of Beer Street / Gin Lane and the likes, you might expect such symbolism, however this wasn't a stand-alone cartoon, but one of a series of illustrations by the caricaturist Charles Williams to accompany William Combe's poem, Dr Syntax In Paris.

I don't think the participants were intentionally portrayed as 'skeletal' - one of them at least is fairly corpulent to my eyes, and the remainder are pretty consistent with Charles Williams' style.

I haven't read the poem in question, so I can't say for definite that there isn't some moral / social message in the text which the cartoonist was attempting to suggest, but I strongly doubt it in this case to be honest.

Hell of a party though, aye.

 

[Gaz_hmmmm]

Not so obvious at all. First to cure Pneumonia. Then recreationally. Then as an anaesthetic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide


Ah, just realised, that doesn't cover whipping cream! Interesting anyway.

How does it cure Pneumonia and how long do you have to use the N2O for when treating pneumonia with it? :-/

Remember people N2O depletes/fucks with Vitamin B12 so make sure you take some after using N2O and *if you have Addison's Anemia/Pernicious Anemia then do not use N2O at all as it's probably dangerous unless you have injectable Vitamin B12 at hand for immediate use afterwards but I'm just guessing about that part*!

 

[Albion]

I doubt it was a very effective 'cure' for pneumonia. Just a hunch someone had back in the dark ages.

 

[Transform]

CO2 is used in drinks because it dissolves surprisingly well in water. Nitrous does dissolve a bit, but it's pretty insignificant in comparison so it's useless for making fizzy drinks. It wouldn't give the right taste either.

 

[jancrow]

I don't think the participants were intentionally portrayed as 'skeletal' - one of them at least is fairly corpulent to my eyes, and the remainder are pretty consistent with Charles Williams' style.

Tis the portraits on the walls what to which I am referring at!