Life — May 12, 1904 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This satirical cartoon titled "MORE THAN HE COULD STAND" depicts a man (identified as "Burglar" in the caption) arriving at a home where a woman holds a baby. The burglar appears distressed, asking the lady to give him "a little bromo-seltzer to settle my stomach" before he can proceed with his theft. The satire mocks excessive food consumption and digestive discomfort. The accompanying article discusses Mr. Fletcher's recommendation to restrict appetites and food intake. The joke suggests that even a criminal cannot stomach—literally—the overeating habits of the household, making digestive distress so universal that it affects everyone, regardless of social station or intent. The cartoon ridicules both overconsumption and the era's popular digestive remedies like Bromo-Seltzer.