Judge — September 19, 1931 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Little Known Occupations: Testing Injections for Hay Fever" This Judge cartoon satirizes the emerging medical practice of allergy treatment through injections. The scene depicts a chaotic "testing" scenario where various people are being injected with hay fever treatments—some willingly, others coerced or tricked into participation. The humor derives from the absurdity and danger of unregulated medical experimentation. The giant ghost-like figure looming overhead (likely representing hay fever itself or its effects) emphasizes the desperation driving these treatments. The "Little Known Occupations" framing suggests this is an undignified, questionable profession—essentially professional test subjects or unwilling guinea pigs for dubious medical procedures. This reflects early-20th-century skepticism toward experimental medicine and the wild west of unregulated pharmaceutical testing before modern safety standards existed.