Judge, 1913-12-27 · page 24 of 25
Judge — December 27, 1913 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **health advertisement** disguised as satirical content, not political satire. The "cartoon" shows an Arab figure (likely meant to evoke stereotypical orientalism) supposedly "possessed" by coffee's effects—the visual joke being that coffee makes one "drunk." The advertisement claims coffee causes serious ailments: liver congestion, nerve damage, headaches, weak heart, and "nervous prostration." It promotes **Postum**, a caffeine-free grain beverage alternative, as the cure. The pitch: stop coffee for ten days, drink Postum, and you'll improve—proving coffee caused your problems. This reflects early 20th-century health anxiety marketing. The Arab origin story lends the "legend" exotic credibility while subtly reinforcing period racial attitudes. The entire piece is designed to scare readers into switching beverages, using pseudoscientific health claims common to that era's advertising.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
About 15 centuries ago an Arab herder of goats driving the flock through some new country was alarmed at the antics of the animals and thought they were “pos- sessed of the devil.” Each day the same thing occurred after the goats had eaten of a certain kind of berry. The goatherd thought he would eat a few to try the effect. That was the discovery of coffee. Arabs learned to brown the berries and boil them, drinking the liquor, which was then and now recognized to have a direct action on the heart, and of course the reaction and depression later on. Coffee sets up a partial congestion of the liver; dulls the brain; wrecks the nerves, and interferes with digestion. Anyone can easily prove whether it be coffee that causes the periodical headaches, sick stomach, bowel troubles, weak heart, kidney complaint, weak eyes, neu- ralgia, theumatism or nervous prostration. Simply leave it off entirely for ten days and have a tich piping hot cup of Postum. If you find, in a day or two, that you are getting better, that’s your cue, follow it straight back to health, comfort and the power to do things. Postum now comes in two forms: Regular Postum— must be well boiled. Instant Postum is a soluble powder. A spoonful dissolves in a cup of hot water, and with sugar and cream makes a delicious beverage instantly. ““There’s a Reason”’ for Postum comicbooks.com