Life — May 17, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This satirical cartoon depicts a figure wrestling with a large snake labeled "HYDROPATHY" while a bed labeled with the same term is visible in the background. Two onlookers on the left appear to be doctors or medical professionals observing the struggle. The cartoon satirizes "hydropathy" (water-cure medicine), a popular but controversial 19th-century medical treatment. The snake metaphor suggests the practice was dangerous or deceptive—something to be wrestled with rather than trusted. The physicians' presence implies medical establishment skepticism toward this alternative therapy. The text references "Code of Medical Ethics Works," indicating this critiques unorthodox medical practitioners who violated professional standards. The cartoon mocks both the hydropathy movement and those promoting it as legitimate medicine.