Life, 1891-03-26 · page 9 of 22
Life — March 26, 1891 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 191 This page contains three satirical illustrations accompanying a narrative dialogue between Rafael and Professor Middlemist about treating an unnamed woman (Verinda) with experimental medicine. The cartoons depict Rafael being violently attacked—"seized by a very sudden and violent attack," "utterly prostrated," and having his "physical system" completely overthrown. The illustrations show fantastical, chaotic scenes of upheaval and distress. The satire appears to mock both homeopathic medicine (referenced explicitly in the text) and perhaps the desperation of medical practitioners. The joke centers on Rafael's suffering as a test subject for an unproven remedy the Professor believes will work on Verinda, playing on period anxieties about experimental treatments and medical authority.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
And completely overthrew my physical system. WG Seon tm a Bp titomco 191 “Unhappy boy! you are indeed per- verted,” said the Professor, removing his spectacles and rubbing the glasses on a corner of his bandanna. “ You argue in a vicious circle, whence is no exit. Your wife, in order to be your wife, must cease to be your wife! You are an irreclaim- able idiot.” “Not irreclaimable, Professor Middle- mist,” rejoined Rafael earnestly; “for you are the wisest of men, and I am con- fident that you know a medicine to cure even such an idiot as I.” “Humph! You really flatter me,” grunted the Professor, stroking his beard. “1 don’t altogether share your confidence + but I know your father, and for his sake Tam willing todo what 1 can, Let me see!" He opened a cupboard in the table near which he was seated, and took out a tin box. On being opened, it proved to be a medicine-chest, containing small phials similar to those used for homao- pathic medicine. He put on his glasses and examined one phial after another, pausing for a moment at one labeled “zelotypus.” But he replaced it. “Tt is avery odd remedy,” he muttered “but, from what I know of Verinda, I doubt if it could be made effective in your case. She is as guileless as a wild rose, and imagines there is but one man in the world. No I think I will make experi- ment with this nostrum of my own inven- tion, It is a desperate remedy, and has never been tried before; but it will cure you if you are curable; you are more fool than knave and that is in your favor.” The little bottle which he now took up was full of small pills, each as big as a duck-shot, and ofa high pink color, The Professor put some of them into a tiny paper-pill box, and handed them to Rafael. “Let her take one every morning, after breakfast,” said he. “If there is no im- provement by the end of the week, it’s a benefit.” “But itis 1 who am the patient, not Verinda!" said Rafael. “Itis through her that you must be cured, if at all,” the other replied ; “and in prescribing them to Verinda, I am pay- ing her the highest compliment ever offered toa woman. But she will never know it, and if she did, it would make no comicbooks.com