A pyrotechnic display was arranged in St James’ Park (now Green Park) in London on 27 April 1749 to celebrate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, signed between Britain and France in October the previous year.
A huge temporary structure (scaffold) was built from which to launch the fireworks, and Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’ was specially composed to accompany the spectacular.
In advance of the event, there were widely circulated concerns about public safety. This satirical piece was published a few days earlier and later reprinted in the Scots Magazine on 5 May.
*****
An account of the famous Sieur Rocquet, surgeon, just arrived from Paris.
This is to give notice, That the Sieur Rocquet, surgeon, is lately arrived from Paris, and hath brought over with him fifty assistant surgeons, who will attend at the ensuing Royal fireworks, as near to the several scaffolds as can be done with safety, where they will be ready to assist all persons of quality and distinction: and to prevent imposition, he engages to perform the following chirurgical operations, at the lowest prices, viz.
For carrying off and bleeding a dead corpse, (he reserving the corpse for anatomical lectures), 5 s.—For ditto, returning the corpse to the relations, 2 s. 6 d.—Cutting off a thigh, (leg included), 1 l. I s.—Ditto leg below the knee, 10 s. 6 d.—An arm close to the shoulder, (wrist, hand, fingers and thumb included), 1 /, 1 s.—Hand, foot, thumb, toe, or finger, each, 5 s.—For clearing out a bruised eye, and replacing a right Paris brilliant black, blue or squinting one, in the socket; N. B. to be put in red hot without loss of time, or blood; 1 /. 1 s.—For repairing the bridge of a broken nose, with a right French enamell’d case of any complexion, 10 s. 6 d.—Ditto, beautifully inoculated, with an artificial small-pox, 10 s. 6 d.—Teeth per dozen, 1 /. 1 s.—Ditto, single, 2 s. 6 d.
He hath also brought over with him, a quantity of Kevenhuller cotton for the ears, which will entirely prevent any ill consequences which may otherwise arise from the noise of the cannon; absolutely necessary for Ladies, Gentlemen, and officers of the fleet and army, not used to sudden and frightful explosions. He also sells a most agreeable volatile salt, highly useful for such Gentlemen of the train as cannot bear the offensive smell of gunpowder. And he will extract grains of gunpowder out of Ladies faces, necks, arms, or other parts of the body, at the most reasonable rates.
N. B. The said Sieur Rocquet sells, wholesale or retale, all sorts of legs, arms, eyes, noses, or teeth, made in the genteelest manner, and as now worn by persons of rank in France.
He repairs and beautifies, in a surprising manner, any old, decayed, or lost parts of human bodies; fills up the wrinkles and furrows of old age, as well as the marks of the small-pox, with a new-invented paste; and sells artificial breasts for Ladies, either German plumps, French tetonettes, or English primikins, equal, if not superior, for complexion, softness, and elasticity, to natural ones.
He rectifies all bad shapes, by a new method of making a gentle incision to the bone, and filing off the protruberant parts.
He also cures effectually the most stinking breaths, by drawing out, and eradicating all decayed teeth and stumps, and burning the gums to the jaw-bone, without the least pain or confinement; and putting in their stead, an entire set of right African ivory teeth, set in a rose-coloured enamel, so nicely fitted to the jaws, that people of the first fashion, may eat, drink, swear, talk scandal, quarrel, and shew their teeth, without the least indecency, inconvenience, or hesitation whatever. He deals only for ready money with the quality and members of parliament, but will give reasonable credit to citizens, tradesmen, and gentlemen of the inns of court.
Inquire for the said Sieur Rocquet, surgeon, at the bar of Old Slaughter’s coffee-house.
Vivat REX.
[Image: King George II, painted by Christian Friedrich Zincke in 1727.]
The article above soon gave rise to another.
We hear that Mr Stevenson, undertaker, in the Strand, has contracted with the celebrated Mons. Rocquet, surgeon, from Paris, to receive and inter, in the most decent and solemn manner, all such limbs and members as shall suffer amputation by the said Mons. Rocquet next Thursday evening; for which purpose he has agreed for a piece of ground adjoining to the foot-way behind Hand-alley; and has provided limb-coffins of all sorts and dimensions; and to avoid any confusion of property, numbered tickets may be affixed to any limb or member, if required, and the respective names of the owners carefully booked, against each number, in the register; which afterward will be deposited in the Tower with Doomsday-book.
The Scots Magazine later reported a lower-than-predicted death toll resulting from the firework display.
Fewer accidents happened on this occasion than were apprehended. We see none taken notice of but these following. One of the rockets, missing its direction, darted straight forward to the scaffold next the library, by which Miss Sear, a young Lady, was much hurt; one Curtis, a painter, fell from the works, and was killed; a lad was killed by falling from a tree, into which he had climbed to see the fireworks; and a shoemaker, who was in liquor, stooping to drink out of the great pond, fell in, and was drowned.