Life, 1904-04-21 · page 15 of 22
Life — April 21, 1904 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces critiquing early 1900s social and medical issues: **"The Important Thing" dialogue** mocks the "Gas Trust" (a corporate monopoly on gas utilities)—a major political concern of the Progressive Era. A character argues the State should test the morals of corporations rather than just regulate meters, reflecting contemporary anger at big business. **The Verrall letter exchange** satirizes Christian Science healing claims. Life had challenged a Christian Science publication to name a doctor who witnessed a miraculous cure; Verrall refused, citing the family's social prominence. Life ridiculed this evasion, suggesting the "miracle" was fabricated to avoid embarrassment to wealthy believers. **"His Specialty"** jokes about a physician who rejects modern medical interventions (serums, vaccinations, appendectomies), claiming he can treat "None!" of his patients—dark humor about medical quackery or willful ignorance among practitioners. The page reflects Progressive-era skepticism toward corporate power, alternative medicine, and medical pseudoscience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Garden of the Idle Mind. HE Garden of the Idle Mind A gentle pleasance knows; A lifting lilt with every kind Of wandering wind that blows Within its fragrant dalliance I linger all the day To wanton with the madcap, Chance, In happy roundelay. And when the twilight comes, I find A richer destiny ; The Garden of the Idle Mind With dream subdueth me Isabel Moore, The Important Thing. ODD: Why don’t you have your metre tested? Doesn't the State provide for that? Topp: Yes. But what the State ought to provide is a test of the morals of the Gas Trust. n indulge in pensitics, but the bet with a friend. In Live's Easter Number appeared a letter from Mr. R rd P. Verrall, of the Christian Science Publication Com- mittee, which related the healing of a child from an abscess of the mastoid Christian Science, during the temporary absence of the doctor, who, Mr. Verrall stated, ‘‘expressed the greatest surprise, and pronounced the case a freak of nature."” Lire's bet was to the effect that if Mr. Verrall w requested to furnish the name and address of the doctor referred to, he would refuse to give i Our ry rs may be interested to know that Lire won the bet hands down: PRIL 2, 19¢4. bone, b To THE Epiror oF Lire: In reply to your question as to the name and address of the attending physician in the “WOW LONG DO YOU THINK A MAN OUGHT TO KNOW A G! The Bachelor case mentioned in my letter, I will say that 1 was requested not to give the names of the parties connected with this case, as they are prominent in the social world and might be caused some annoyance there Thanking you for your courtesy, I remain, Yours very truly, Richard P. Verralt, Office of the Science Publication Committee for the State of New York, . t. James Building, 1133 Broadway. His Specialty. FALLING into conversation in the smoking car with one whom I had heard was a distinguished and success- ful physician, I confess to a feeling of intense embarrassment, My lips trembled, my face flushed in the dilemma, and I felt that my secret was not safe, At last the conversation took such a turn that, with a secret sense of shame, I was obliged to falter out : “*Alas! doctor, I have never been inoculated with any serum.” “Quite right, sir," replied the doc- tor; ‘I, for one, don’t believe in it.” Astonished, but encouraged, I took heart of grace. “And would you mind my saying, I ventured, ‘‘that I have never been vac- nevertheless much L BKFORE PROPOSING ? ** ALL MIS LIFE. cinated, nor had my appendix removed ? What do you say to that?"* My companion shook my hand. “T congratulate you, 1 things “No, sir. I cannot afford in my prac- tice to ta “Bu imed, “what class of people can you treat “None !"" he replied calmly. a horse docto Tom Wasson. MER FIRST APPEARANCE, comicbooks.com