Life, 1894-04-26 · page 1 of 20
Life — April 26, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Penalty" — Life Magazine, April 26, 1894 This cartoon depicts a confrontation between a young doctor and an older physician. The caption reveals the satire: the young doctor boasts that six of his patients recovered this week, while the older doctor retorts that the young man spends too much time at the club rather than attending to his practice. The joke satirizes medical negligence and dilettantism among privileged practitioners. The "penalty" appears to be professional consequence—the young doctor's patients' recoveries despite (not because of) his inattention, contrasted with an older doctor's implied diligence. This reflects period anxieties about professionalism in medicine and the contrast between serious practitioners and wealthy doctors who treated medicine casually.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
« é * VOLUME X3Ill. NEW YORK, APRIL 26, 1894. NUMBER Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1854, by Mrrcuext & Mitten. THE PENALTY. The Young Doctor: JUST THINK; SIX OF MY PATIENTS RECOVERED THIS WEEK. The Old Doctor: T'S YOUR OWN FAULT, MY BOY. YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME AT THE CLUB,