Life, 1893-08-03 · page 10 of 18
Life — August 3, 1893 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "His Grip Was All Right—Trying It On" This page contains three separate satirical pieces. The main cartoon shows a well-dressed man (identified as "Mr Saunders MacPherson") encountering Doctor Wilgus Williams, head surgeon of New Utrecht Hospital. MacPherson seeks to explain why he's performing unauthorized surgical operations despite employer prohibitions. The humor centers on MacPherson's audacious attempt to justify his private surgical practice—he literally demonstrates his "grip" (surgical skill) is sound, as if this validates ignoring professional boundaries and employer rules. Below are shorter jokes: "The Baffled Student" mocks someone who confused entomology (insect study) with anthropology, and "The Best Thing Out" puns on a contagion/infection. The satire targets professional pretension and rule-breaking justified by personal competence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: HIS GRIP WAS ALL RIGHT — TRYING IT ON. «47S Me. Saunders MacPherson in?” “tis my name, sir.” “AhL Lam Doctor Wilgus Williams. Possibly you have heard of me as head surgeon of the New Utrecht hospital, No, I have made some hazardous operations there with excellent results, and I suppose that is the reason why your employers and associates have intrusted me with a little commission, so to call it, with reference to yourself.” “But I'm wanting no surgeors, sir.” “Excuse me; they claim that youdu. In fact, I have been asked by them to come and perform an operation on you.” “« My employers bade you.do that? It is incredible!” Notatall, Allow me to come in and explain? Thank you. May I put my instrument case on this table? Never mind the bag ; that is oaly for the sponges—for blood and ether, you know." “Excuse me for a minute.” Mr, MacPherson, rather pale and shaky, retired behind a screen and breathed hard. When he came out he also breathed spirits. A little of his color had come back and he had assumed an air half defiant, half conciliatory.‘ Inever knew,” said he, ‘such an amazing piece of interference with the private rights of a man as this, In my ‘own couatry, sir, a man is allowed the liberty to choose his own surgical operations. But if, as you say, my employers desire it, | will at least listen to what you have to say regarding it.” “Well, it isthis, and pardon me for speaking frankly: You cannot understand a joke.” Mr. MacPherson dropped into thought for a while, but he seemed to feel easier a(terward: ‘And are they not through dinging that most meeserable statement into the ears of the pepple?” he asked. “They say that your inability to see anything funny in their conver- sation throws a gloom over the whole place, and when you go to them and ask to have their humorous things explained to you, it takes a great deal of their time. In justice to them, as well as out of considera- tion to yourself, they beg that you will undergo a little pain for the sake of a great deal of pleasure and benefit that will come after.” ‘ But, my heavens man, what for?” “Surely, you know that a Scotchman cannot understand a joke without undergoing a surgical operation.” “'Tis a senseless statement, sir. I have a brother who not only takes Punch, but once wrote a very pretty witticism for it. Let me see ; It was like this: * Why is a—Why is a’—strange that I should forget it, for ‘twas very amusing.” THE BAFFLED STUDENT. 2S an entomologist. Just been to New Jersey to study the mosquito.” “Why did he leave?” “Found out that instead of. learning entomology, he was teaching anthropology. ROSP HEIGH1 You're a nice man to talk about Brooklyn. I don’t believe you even know where it is. MuRRAY HILL: Ah, but ! do. It is one of the stations on the road to Coney Island. THE Best THING OUT—A conflagration, comicbooks.com