Accessing medical care that is safe, effective, and affordable has been challenging for most of human history, and arguably is still out of reach for many today. The doctor-patient relationship is an extremely important factor that affects every aspect of medical care from diagnosis to treatment to health outcomes. In modern medicine, the doctor-patient relationship is considered a pillar of the ethical principles of medicine, and is comprised of factors such as open communication, trust, empathy, and informed consent. Historically, however, the doctor-patient relationship was characterized by a paternalistic approach that saw physicians dominating the interaction. Doctors made decisions relating to a patient's health and treatment, and patients were expected to comply with a physician's orders without question or disagreement. It was common for physicians to prescribe a cure without taking the time to physically examine the patient or their symptoms. In particular, the poor, disabled, mentally ill, and otherwise socially-isolated were seen as requiring firmer guidance from the physician because of the prevailing assumption that poverty was a result of such negative traits as passivity, laziness, or a lack of education or morality. Such a paternalistic approach to care often resulted in fear, mistrust, and skepticism of medical professionals, and drove people to seek out self-treatment solutions. This display examines the often overlooked lives of London's most underprivileged citizens through the holdings of the Mount Royal University Archives and Special Collections, and highlights 18th and 19th century medical books that were intended to support the 'sick-poor.'