Judge, 1918-09-07 · page 5 of 32
Judge — September 7, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Doctor Agreed With Her" — Judge Magazine This is a humorous short story by Max Merryman (illustrated by Wilfred Jones) about a man named Bixby who is ill and complaining of stomach troubles. His wife summoned a doctor, but—according to the story's setup—she monopolizes the conversation, talking excessively about Bixby's various ailments and family medical history. The illustration shows the doctor at the bedside with both Bixby and his wife present. The caption quotes someone saying the doctor warned against "too much talking in the sick room"—a dig at Mrs. Bixby's chattiness. The satire targets wives who over-manage their husbands' medical care and dominate doctor visits with excessive commentary, while the patient himself cannot get a word in. It's domestic humor typical of early 20th-century magazines.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE “THE HAPPY eMEDIUM ” “You Hearo Wuat tue Doctor Saip Asout Too Mucu Tarkinc 1x tHe Sick Room!” The Doctor Agreed With Her By Max MerryMan Illustrated by Witrrend Jones IXBY was ill for almost the first time in his life, so ill that he had consented to have Mrs. Bixby telephone for the doctor, although Bixby declared that he guessed he would “ pull out of it,” if the doctor did not come. “What seems to be the matter?” asked the doctor, as he walked up to the bed on which Bixby was lying with a splitting headache. “T think, doctor,” began Bixby, and he ended there, for Mrs. Bixby said: “T think, doctor, that it is indigestion. He com- plains of a pain in his stomach and he has a temperature and—the trouble is, doctor, that he will not be a bit careful about what he eats. Can amaneatcheese anda big slice of watermelon and drink a bottle of ginger ale at eleven at night amd not have to pay for it? He banks on having the digestion of an ostrich, but I tell him that——” “Ever have anything like it before?” doctor. asked the “Not that [——” “Yes, you have, Horace. You had something simi- lar to this the summer we spent two weeks on a farm in the country, and I have more than once known his food to disagree with him, doctor. He seems to think that because two of his grandparents lived to be over ninety and the other two to be over cighty that he can run any risk with his stomach. He has a brother who has had to go to a sanatarium for indigestion and his mother was often troubled with dyspepsia. He doesn’t seem to think it is of any consequence, doctor, but he has more than once complained of heartburn, and sometimes he has dark rings under his eyes. I know that it is very unusual for him to take to his bed, but I tell him that that is the very reason why he should take the best of care of himself. Health is too precious a thing to run the risk of losing, and those who have it ought to——” “Tongue coated?” “Yes, it is, doctor,” butted in Mrs. Bixby. “And his flesh feels hot and dry to the touch and youcan see comicbooks.com