Judge, 1915-06-26 · page 5 of 25
Judge — June 26, 1915 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a satirical short story by Lee Shippey about a doctor's prescription for a nervous wife: attending musical theater. The narrative mocks both the wife's condition ("she's blue") and the era's casual medical advice. The accompanying cartoon shows a man demonstrating a boat he wishes to sell, capsizing it intentionally to prove its seaworthiness. The caption sarcastically praises this as careful salesmanship ("Careful as a bird!"). The satire targets two common early-20th-century absurdities: dubious medical treatments for women's nervous conditions, and overzealous product demonstration. The cartoonist suggests that both doctors and salesmen employ questionable logic to sell their services or goods to the public.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eal ork ta uch her > et The owner (demonstrating boat he wishes to sell)—Did you see that? Did you see how she went over? Graceful as a bird! HE GREAT specialist looked surprised and slightly annoyed. Evidently the man who had just been admitted was not a personage, as were most of those who consulted him, but a His only greeting was a mere person. sharply questioning glance. “*Doc,’’ announced the intruder, the ab- breviation confirming the specialist's sus- picions, ‘‘I suffer an awful lot from nerves."’ ‘*Nonsense !"’ snapped the special! The impudence of the lower cla: ! The idea of a member of the masses having nerves! “Straight stuff, doc,’’ insisted the per- son. ‘I suffer an awful lot from ’em."’ "You delude yourself,’’ replied the spe- cialist. ‘*I cannot waste time on you. Plainly there is nothing the matter with you—physically.'" He reached to press a button which would notify his waiting-room supervisor that another patient might be admitted. But the person’s hurried expla- nation arrested the action. - THE SINGING CURE By LEE SHIPPEY “Oh, no, nothing wrong with me, doc,”’ he agreed. ‘‘It's my wife's nerves I suffer from."” For the first time in his life the great specialist felt understanding, sympathy and brotherhood for a member of the lower classes. He extended his hand impulsively. “We all do!’’ he exclaimed. ‘*Tell me all about it. If I can help you, I will.'" “Well, sir,’ said the man, ‘‘it really ain't her fault. She’s a good girl. But she’s got the blues all the time. She's blue about everything. She's blue because she has to do our housework, though Lord knows there’s little enough in our little flat. She's blue when she has anything to do, because it’s so hard on her, and blue when she hasn't anything to do, because it’s so mo- notonous. She has just enough to do to do her good, if she'd go at it light-hearted, But that's just the trouble—she don't go at anything light-hearted. So everything is tiresome and wears her out. She gets worn out resting. What she needs is something to make her light-hearted."* The specialist sat in frowning thought several minutes. Then inspiration illu- mined his face. “Is your wife musical?’’ he demanded. “Mighty few.” “‘Then we must make her musical.’’ **Some job—but you're the doctor.’’ The specialist took a small, narrow en- velope from a pocket. “*Here’s the first treatment,’’ he said. ‘Look at it."” The person opened the envelope and drew out two slips of cardboard. “Theater tickets!'’ he ejaculated. “T intended using them to-night, but find I cannot,"’ said the specialist. ‘*Tell your wife you found them on the street and take her to the show. It's an exceptional mu- sical show—really good. The leading woman is beautiful, stylish and has a glo- rious voice. Remark to your wife, about the middle of the show, that that leading woman constantly makes you think of her, comicbooks.com