Life, 1900-10-25 · page 1 of 20
Life — October 25, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, October 25, 1900 This page features a satirical illustration about a doctor's visit. The caption reads: "THE DOCTOR: HERE I CARRIED THAT PATIENT THROUGH A DESPERATE SICKNESS, ONLY TO—/ HIS WIFE: HAVE HIS OBJECT TO YOUR FEE? / 'NO; DROP DEAD WHEN HE SAW MY BILL!'" The joke satirizes the high cost of medical services at the turn of the 20th century. The doctor, having successfully treated a critically ill patient, expects gratitude and payment. Instead, the patient dies—not from illness, but from shock at receiving the physician's bill. This reflects contemporary anxiety about medical expenses and satirizes the medical profession's focus on fees over patient welfare. The ornate decorative borders and masthead are typical of Life's design during this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXXVI. NEW YORK, OCT. 25, 1900. j NUMBER 9937. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter, Copyright, 1900, by Lirg PUBLISHING ComPANT. pthiCanys sum mo. G « Aurern EJimegoes see » The Doctor ; WERY 1 CARRIED THAT PATIENT THROUGH A DESPERATE SICKNESS, ONLY TO— His We: uave wim onsect To Youn Fret “ NO} DROP DEAD WHEN ME SAW MY BILL!”