Life, 1907-01-17 · page 54 of 60
Life — January 17, 1907 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains two separate items: **Left side:** Advertisements for Buffalo Lithia Water (a mineral spring product) and Underberg Bitters, presented as medical remedies. These include endorsements from doctors claiming the water cures kidney disease, gout, and rheumatism. This reflects the era's patent medicine advertising, before FDA regulation—products made dubious health claims without evidence. **Right side:** "A Washington Tragedy" satirizes the "Simplified Spelling" reform movement. The satirical obituary—written in deliberately misspelled English ("Simpal Speler," "litle," "Obscekwiz")—mocks the movement by presenting "Simplified Spelling" as a dead child adopted by Theodore Roosevelt and supported by Andrew Carnegie and Brander Mathews (real advocates). The joke: the movement failed and deserved to die. The exaggerated funeral treatment lampoons the reformers' earnest efforts to change English orthography, which the magazine clearly found ridiculous and pretentious.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Especially the BUFFALO LITHI ATER virsiaia.” For Bright’s Disease, Albuminuria, Renal Cal- culi, Gout, Rheumatism and All Diseases Dependent Upon a Uric Acid Diathesis. Samuel O. L. Potter, A. M., M. D., M. R. C, P., London, Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine and Clinical Medicine in the College Phy- Sicians and Surgeons of San Francisco, Cal., in his‘ Hand-Book of Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Therapeutics,”’in the citation of remediccunder the head of «Chronic Bright's Disease,”’ says: **Min- of Virginia, eral ‘waters, especially the BUFFALO LITHIA WATER tas 21007 advocates.” Also, under 66 is highly rec- “Albuminuria,” he says: BUEFALO LITHIA WATER ommended.” George Halsted Boyland, A. M., M. D., of Paris, Doctor of Medicine, of the Faculty of Paris, in the, New York Medical’ Journal, August 22, 1896, says? tenn iene remedy as absolutely specific in all forms of Albamniaucls oud right’s Disease, whether pring No. 2. acute or chronic, as BUEFALO LITHIA WATER , sccompanieaby a milk dict. In all cases of pregnancy, where albumin is found in the urineas tate as the last week before confinement, if this water anda milk diet are prescribed, the albumin disappears rapidly from the urine and the patient has a positive guar antec against puerperal convulsions.” T. Griswold Comstock, A. M., M. D., of St. Louis, Mo., says: “I have often pre-e in Gouty and Rheumatic condi- scribed BUEFALO LITHIA WATER tionsana i tionsand in Renal Calculi, ace companied by Renal Colic, and always with the most satisfactory results) In Renal Calculi, where there is an excess of Uric Acid, it is especially efficacious.” Medical testimony which defies all imputation or question mailed to any address, is fc le by di i BUEFALO LITHIA WATER 00 grocers gencisly, PROPRIETOR BUFFALO LITHIA SPRINGS, VIRGINIA, THE GOOD GENIUS OF HOME. A true luxury, delicious, and the very best Bitter Ligueur. ' Also the quickest, most invig- crating of tonics, It quickens the most jaded appetite, and aids digestion, No sideboard is complete without it. Enjoyable as a cocktail and better for you, With sherry or mixed drinks UNDERBURG is preferable to any other bitters, Over 6,000,000 botttes imported to the United States, Atall Hotels, Clubs and Restaurants, or by the bottle at Wine Merchants and Grocers, rent, Kheinbune Germany, LUYTIFS BROTHERS, 204 William street, New York, ral Agents, : A Washington Tragedy The Short and Checkered Career of Simplified Spelling Decraex 13, at the home of its adopted father, Theodore Rusevelt, Washington, D. C... after ate munths of sufering. Simpal Speler. belovd foster chikd of Androo Karnagy and Brandur Mathuse. Obscekwiz privut. Pleez omit flours. HE above simpul obituary notis was a severe shock to the many sorrowing friends of the litle stranger who was brought to earth byan edu- cated stork last March, and after a painful, bottle- fed existence of a few months past away without giving any indications of the promising future that was predicted for it by the wise men of the East who were present when the waif was sent to the Washington home for the alleviation of a con- gested language. Messrs. Kamagy and Mathuse wrapped the little waif in a copy of a paper containing a com- plete report of the proceedings attending the latest presentation of a library by the master of Skeeboo and an expurgated edition of Mr. Mathuse’s latest. work, “Recreation of an Anthologist,” while a copy of “Josh Billings” was put in the chubby hand. Then in the dark of the moon the foster parents of the waif went to the White House and tenderly laid the bundle on the steps. “Mr. Rusevelt is a kind-harted man,” said Mr. Karnagy, “and will not see the little deer suffer.” “Surely,” said Mr. Mathuse. “Mr. Rusevelt will take it in and nurrish it. He is opposed to race sooighside, you know, and this is such a little deer he cannot help luving it.” Then they gave the bell three hard pulls and ran around to the corner of the house to see what would happen. The door opened and Mr. Ruse- velt looked up and down the street, as though looking for Bellamy Storer, but he didn’t see him Then the kind-hearted man heard a little squeak and glancing down saw the waif. “Delited!” said Mr. Rusevelt, as he took the infant in his arms and went into the house. But the waif had a very bad spell as soon as it was taken into the household, and Mr. Rusevelt said he would have to get a nurse, so he sent for Mr. Gillett, of Massachusetts, who is very expert in handling infant industries. Mr. Gillett said he would have no trouble in getting a nice place for the infant as soon as it got strong enough to work, and he asked Mr. Ruse- velt to recommend the little fellow for a place with the publik printer. Mr. Rusevelt again said he would be “delited,” and he did so. Under the nursing of Mr. Gillett, Simpul Speler began to grow and develop a lung power that could be heard all over the city. The naybors began to make complaints about the noise and said that Mr. Rusevelt would do well to send the squaller out of the city or else get a nurse that knew his busine But the waif got worse all the time, and Mr. Rusevelt said: “Here, this fellow is strong enuf to work. Let him go and help the publik printer.” ‘The printer didn’t like it, but he gave the kid a place. But the foundling was attacked with a rush of wurds to the hed one day, and expired suddenly. Nurse Gillett used oxigen and other restoratives, but without avail, and it was laid to rest. Over the grave was placed a stone, with this inscriptior. : akrud to the memry of Simpul Speler. WwW our loss." © monra oer 1°" —Philadelphia Press. comicbooks.com