Judge — October 27, 1917 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of This Judge Page This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satirical content. It advertises Nujol, a mineral oil laxative made by Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). The ad employs a rhetorical strategy: it cites an authoritative source (the Royal Society of Surgeons of Great Britain) claiming constipation generates "thirty-six separate poisons" in the intestines. This pseudo-scientific claim justifies the product as a gentler alternative to older, harsher purgatives. The marketing targets specific demographics—sedentary people, young mothers, and children—emphasizing Nujol's gentle action. The "Safeguard" headline frames the product as protective health care. This reflects early 20th-century advertising's heavy reliance on medical authority and exaggerated health claims, before modern FDA regulations.