In centuries past it was believed that a seventh son of a seventh son was endowed with special occult powers of healing. To be a High-German medicine seller was an added plus since Germany was reputed to be particularly advanced in its knowledge of treating disease.

The snake held by the mountebank in this etching was sacred to Esculapius, the Greco-roman god of medicine. Harmless serpents in ancient temples of healing were lovingly tended by Esculapius's daughter, Hygeia, who came to be regarded as the personification of health. The symbol of the god, a knotted wooden staff around which a snake is coiled, is still the emblem of the medical profession.