Judge — January 26, 1918 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes a "pulmotor"—an early mechanical resuscitation device popular in the early 20th century. The caption reveals the joke: a woman tells her husband she wishes to use the pulmotor on "some awfully handsome young officer" to make him "fall violently in love" with her. The satire mocks both the pulmotor's exaggerated reputation for miraculous effects and the woman's infidelity. By suggesting the device could magically induce love, the cartoonist ridicules contemporary faith in new technology while commenting on marital discord and female desire. The illustration's domestic setting—an elegant study with the husband present—emphasizes the scandal of her stated intention. Judge's audience would recognize the pulmotor reference as topical humor about newfangled inventions.