Life, 1884-03-20 · page 1 of 16
Life — March 20, 1884 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Patients and Patience" - Life Magazine, March 20, 1884 This cartoon satirizes a doctor's poor bedside manner and patient care. Two figures stand outside what appears to be a doctor's office or residence (indicated by the bare tree and simple structure). The dialogue reveals the satirist's point: a doctor complains to his cousin about having to see patients, claiming he doesn't know how they are "by the way" and that patients "never get as far as my office." The satire mocks physicians who are indifferent to their patients' actual conditions and inaccessible to those seeking care. The title plays on "patients" versus "patience"—suggesting the doctor lacks the patience required for his profession. This reflects 19th-century social anxieties about medical professionalism and the quality of healthcare, particularly concerns about doctors prioritizing convenience over patient welfare.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME III. NEW YORK, MARCH 20, 1884. NUMBER 64. Entered at New York Post Office a1 Seoond-Class Mall Matter, Cormnicnr 1883 By sgAcrcneue UA | PATIENTS AND PATIENCE. Wuy, COUSIN CHARLEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I suppose I MuST CALL YOU DOCTOR, NOW, AND HOW ARE THE PATIENTS, BY THE WAY? I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY ARE BY THE WAY. I KNOW NONE OF THEM EVER GET AS FAR AS MY OFFICE. comicbooks.com