Life, 1908-04-09 · page 8 of 20
Life — April 9, 1908 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical story about a young boy whose father, a surgeon, encourages him to become a scientist. Harold becomes enthusiastic about conducting experiments on living animals. His father initially supports this as "natural" scientific curiosity, though he expresses concerns about expense. The satire targets parental ambition and the justification of animal cruelty in the name of scientific progress. Harold's father argues that overcoming "natural repugnance" to inflicting pain is necessary for scientific advancement—a rationalization the story presents as morally questionable. The cartoon at page bottom (showing prone figures) likely illustrates the consequences of such "vivisection." The piece satirizes how adults rationalize children's cruelty by framing it as educational aspiration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIPE* Harold, the Boy Vivisector © HAROLD'S papa was a celebrated sur- ., geon, and one day Harold was in his * study reading about the new Rockefeller EI... Institute and all the nice experiments esas made on living animals and he said, enthusiastically, “Oh, why can’t I be an experimenter?” “You can, Harold,” replied his papa, \/f- delighted to think that his son’s mind was. beginning to show ambition. “But,” he added, warningly, “you must do it only in the interests of Science.” “Oh, T understand all about that,” replied Harold “Of course, papa, everything must be done in the interests of Science, for if it wasn’t people would think we were cruel.” “That's it. You have the right ide: like to begin?” “Oh!” exclaimed Harold, enthusiastically, “could I have a secret operating room like yours, and some of those things you have to hold the cats and dogs down on the table, and a set of instruments?” Harold’s papa stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Tm afraid,” he said, “all that would be too expensive. You know a great many of those wonderful appliances are imported from France and Germany. I couldn’t let you have mine because I am constantly using them and I should have to take out an extra appendix somewhere in order to pay for a complete new outfit. But never mind! We wil give you a start, anyway, and if you show any originality and skill, why then it will be time enough to fit you out complet So Harold was presented with some tourniquets, forceps, Jances and an adjustable cat and dog rack, together with a complete sterilizing outfit. Harold was naturally delighted with his new outfit and lost no time in securing a homeless dog which came to the back door for food, and a neighbor's cat. In the evening, when Harold’s papa came home from the hospital and his visits his young son looked rather solemn. “Well, Harold, how are you getting on.” “Oh, I say, papa, it isn’t nearly so much fun as I thought it was. I don’t know—I guess I didn’t enjoy it much.” His papa regarded him sternly. aN And where would you “You won't make a scientist unless you start in ‘earnestly and sincerely to overcome the natural repugnance which one always feels in the beginning.” “What do you mean, papa, by natural repugnance 2” “Why, you hate to inflict pain. You allow your feelings to get the better of you, forgetting that no sacrifice is too great in the interests of Science.” “And did you feel that at first, too, papa?” “Certainly I did, Harold,” replied his papa, proudly. “That is a quite natural and human weakness, common to all of us. But you will get over it if you keep right on. Why, you'd be surprised,” he added, lowering his voice, “how easy it is after a while. Yes, Harold! You will become so absorbed in the great work that everything else will be forgotten, that the agony of victims will be really enjoyable.” “And you have made some great discoveries, haven’t you, papa?” “OF course! Of course!” replied his father. ‘I'm making ’em all the time—all the time! But Harold had a youthful imagination, and his pride in his father, mingled with his own ambition, led him on. “Say, papa, we'd all be dead of some awful disease if it wasn’t for what you and other men have done with pussy cats and bow-wows?” “Now, now! Harold,” said his father. “Perhaps I wouldn't go quite as far as that. It’s hard to estimate exactly, you under- stand, the benefit which has been done, But by and by, when you grow up and get a medical education, why some day you might discover something that would revolutionize thing.” “Like you, papa? “Um. Yes—-er busy.” Harold had to be content with this and so he hurried back to the barn.* It was not until the next day, however, that he appeared before his father again and then he seemed to be much crestfallen. “Papa,” he said, timidly, “I guess, if you don’t mind, I'll play at something else. And I’ve brought back all the instru- ments. I guess I don’t want to be a great surgeon like you.” “What's the matter?” Harold shook his head. “You see, papa,” he replied, “the barn’s kind of hollow yes, like me. Now, run along. I'm very BUSINESS comicbooks.com