Judge, 1923-07-28 · page 36 of 36
Judge — July 28, 1923 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Nujol product advertisement** disguised as editorial content in Judge magazine. The "cartoon" depicts a three-generation conversation between a grandmother, mother (Mrs. Wilson), and infant grandson about constipation remedies. The narrative functions as testimonial marketing: the mother explains how Nujol—a mineral oil lubricant made by Standard Oil—solved her postpartum constipation without affecting her breast milk, unlike harsh laxatives that caused her baby colic. The grandmother validates the advice, and the mother implies this product represents modern medical wisdom for the "rising generation." **The satire or "point"** isn't really satirical—it's straightforward advertising presented as family advice. The humor (if any) derives from the frank discussion of bowel health in a genteel domestic setting, which was somewhat unusual for the era but presented as progressive medical knowledge. The page title "Giving Him a Fair Start" uses the infant as a marketing hook: proper digestive habits from infancy ensure lifelong health—achieved through Nujol.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Giving Him a Fair Start Mrs. Wilson is assisting at the daily rites performed before the altar of her grandson, Master John Edward Phillips, Jr. a HY, Molly, you don’t give that poor little tyke a lax- ative every day, you?” “This isn’t a laxative, mother. It’s Nujol. It was the only thing I could use while the baby was nursing. I was ter- ribly constipated, you know, just after he was born.” “Well, that’s to be expected, I guess. I remember the trouble I had when you were born, dear.” “Oh, mother, I was in awful shape. I tried everything. And everything failed. All the laxatives and cathartics I was taking began to affect baby. He had colic and lost weight. My milk really seemed to poison him. Then the doctor ordered the Nujol treatment. You know the body doesn’t absorb Nujol at all, and consequently Nujol doesn’t affect the milk. It was an ideal treatment for my condition.” “How did you learn of this treat- ment?” “From a book written by a noted baby specialist. He advises mothers that the so-called lubricating method is the proper one as it tends to permanently correct constipation. “You see, mother, in perfect health a do natural lubricant keeps the 1ood waste soft. there is not enough of Nature’s lubri- eating liquid produced by your system to keep the food waste soft and moving. Leading medical scientists, after much study, found that Nujol, which is a gentle lubricant, acts like the natural lubricant and thus secures regular bowel move- ments by Nature’s lubrication. “And a big advantage of Nujol for nursing mothers is that, unlike laxatives, no particle of Nujol is absorbed into the system and so it cannot affect the milk or the baby. It is not a medicine, cither, in ar of the word, and like pure water, it is abso- lutely harmless.”” “My gracious! If I’d only had Nujol when you were a youngster.” “Yes, indeed. of the rising generation is having it. He is going to learn that it is as necessary to keep clean inside as it is to be clean outside—with Nujol. And look, mother, how nicely he takes it.”” But when a person is constipated own ~method— sense But this young sample For Constipation Nujol REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. A Lubricant—not a Laxative Guaranteed by Nujol Laboratories, Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey) PRESS OF WILLIAM ane comicbooks.com