Judge, 1922-08-05 · page 36 of 36
Judge — August 5, 1922 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **a Nujol advertisement disguised as editorial content** in Judge magazine. Two men camping in the woods discuss digestive health—one extolling nature's benefits, the other explaining why modern desk workers suffer constipation. The "satire" is mild: the cartoon mocks sedentary urban life and poor diet, contrasting it with outdoor vitality. The pitch follows: laxatives are habit-forming and dangerous, but Nujol (a mineral oil product by Standard Oil) works like the body's natural intestinal lubricant—hence "not a laxative." The illustration shows two figures in wilderness camping gear, reinforcing the "Ma Nature" theme. This represents early 20th-century **advertorial content**—blending lifestyle messaging with product promotion. The digestive health anxiety it exploits was common in the era, when constipation remedies were heavily marketed. No specific political figures or events are referenced; it's pure commercial persuasion wrapped in editorial clothing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Tip from Ma Nature *“ TUST think of it, Bill. One more perfect day, and then—back to the sad, old grind—to res- taurant food, city air and that listless ‘how-I-hate- to -up-in-the-morning’ feeling. Out here in the woods I really live. The old blood fairly zips through my veins. I eat like a horse and sleep like Rip Van Winkle.” “Of course! In the wilderness you are living as Ma Nature intended you should live. You eat the right sort of food, really work your muscles and get a proper amount of sleep. Before you came out to the woods you were poisoned.” “Poisoned! What do you mea “Self-poisoned—food —w nating in your colon. It’s that afflicts more than seventy) per cent. of the people. You mental workers don’t develop any abdominal muscles to speak _ of. That’s bad. Then we don’t eat the sort of food Nature intended we should eat—and that’s bad. So slug- gish bowels soon begin to plague us and constipation is the result.” “How about laxatives?” “You know what happens when you take those drugs. You get a partial movement or one so violent that your system is exhausted for a Nu see, REG. U.S. PAT. OFF, day or two afterward. The next dose has to be stronger because the bowels are weakened. In time you are a confirmed victim of the la habit and constipation is chron “Well what is the answer, then, for of the desk? ol. Tt will put you right as a vet, as it has done me. You see, Nujol is a lubricant which medical science has found is very close in its action to the natural lubricating liquid produced in the intestines. Now, when you are constipated not enough of Nature’s lubricant is formed in the bowel to keep the food waste soft and moving. Nujol takes the place of this natural lubricant, keeps the food te soft and thus helps reg- ular daily evacuations. It is pleasant to take too, and absolutely harmless.” “Say, that must be great. stuff. Write the name down on a piece of paper and T'll buy a bottle or two at my druggist’s wken we get back. I want to keep the regular habits I picked up out here.” A Lubricant—not a Laxative Guaranteed by Nujol Laboratories, Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey) PRESS OF WILLIAM GREEN, NEW YORK comicbooks.com