Life, 1909-01-28 · page 23 of 28
Life — January 28, 1909 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes reader letters, advertisements, and an insurance company statement—typical for Life's format. The key satirical content appears in the second letter, "Concerning the Newspaper Scribbler." A reader sarcastically praises Life's "noble and dignified attitude toward medical science," referencing a recent cartoon (December 31st) labeled "Every Dog Should Have His Day." The writer uses heavy irony to mock Life's apparent anti-medical stance, suggesting the magazine should expand its campaign to include not just doctors but also nurses and hospital administrators—ultimately calling for closing medical schools and "exiling" unreformable physicians. The satire targets Life's editorial position: the magazine apparently ran anti-doctor content that the letter-writer treats as absurdly extremist. By pushing the magazine's logic to ridiculous conclusions, the writer satirizes both Life's stance and broader early-20th-century medical skepticism or quackery debates. The Franco-American Foods advertisement above represents the contemporary "open kitchen" marketing trend.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
From a Representative Texan rie Epitor oF Lire Sir:—That was a very fine article of yours on t Roosevelt and Pulitzer. Occasionally you write a good thing. I take you, like I do shad, when the bones get in my throat I reject them, but keep on eating shad. e been reading Lire for 25 years, and of the first subscribers, taking it while a student at Princeton University in 1880. a great admirer of Roosevelt, and was t into close touch with him last May when I represented Texas at the Governors’ Confer- ence in Washington, and if you will write a few nore editorials like that, we shall be in perfect accord Yours sincerely, W. Goopricit Jones. Trarte, Texas, January 6, 1909. Concerning the Newspaper Scribbler To ne Epitor or Lire: Sir:—While your noble and dignified attitude neianes toward medical science in a general way must be a source of keen satisfaction to every fair- minded man and woman who have acquired a little more than rudimentary knowledge of nat- ural history, your cartoon in the December 31st 2 Fe ONE “Our Kitchen, Always Open to Visitors, is Our Best Advertisement.” Between the lines you read: “What can be seen can be believed. A visit to our kitchen will convince you that in the making of soups we stand first and foremost, whether the pointof view be cleanliness, thorough- hess, quality, purity or flavor. We would like you to pay us a visit. If ‘unable to do so, write for our illustrated, descriptive book, sent free on request. 21 kinds sold by Grocers everywhere in Quart, Pint and Half-Pint Tins, THE FRANCO-AMERICAN FOOD Co. JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, N. J. 58th ANNUAL STATEMENT OF copy of Lire. appropriately labeled “ Every Dog Should Have His Day,”* will undoubtedly inspire your readers to a more aggressive policy against the medical men THE MANHATTAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY i Say sagen aI CEN NEW YORK HENRY B. STOKES - President Total Payments to Policyholders Since Organization Plus Amount Now Held For Their Benefit $82,076,713.42 ADMITTED ASSETS JANUARY Ist, 1909 Bonds and Stocks owned by Company... Bonds and Mortgages, first lien (Fire Ins. $7,860,750). Loans and Liens on Policies in force “ash in Bank and on hand... Net Deferred Premiums and ‘Premiums in Course of Collection. Interest and Rents due and accrued and all other Assets... LIABILITIES Policy Reserve (28 Computed by New York Insurance Department) ...sceeee All other liabilities eatease oa acs MOUNT TO PROVIDE FOR ANY Possipte DEPRECIATION OR HER CONTINGENCIES.. tee CONTINGENT RESERVE FUND ‘THE CONTINGENT RESERVE FUND ON THE BASIS OF THE N. Y. INS, DEPT 'S VALUATION OF REAL ESTATE IS $2,298,484.08 This Company Is one of the strongest Increase In Assets of - - - - - - Increase In Contingent Reserve Fund of - - - Increase in New Insurance Written and Pald for Lowest Participating Rates Consistent With Safety Large Annual Dividends 9 these imposters professing to have better insight into the human body and its imperfections than the average newspaper scribbler, but it should include trained nurses who invariably assist in these gruesome operations; also those gentlemen of the laity interested in relief and hospital work. Would it not be feasible for you to formulate a‘platform as the basis for opening a campaign against physicians and their assistants, with the purpose of ultimately closing medical schools, hospitals and exiling all those who cannot be reformed to your standard of physiology and natural science. esier Splendid use could then be made of the funds Sasoroyeco. | NOW being expended for general sanitation and $349,075) enterprises to alleviate human sufferings and dis- $1299-700-09 | tress in every walk of life under all conditions by erecting monuments to those dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rats, snakes, etc., which have dicd a martyr's death at the hands of these ruthless men. But before we come to this advanced state of true civilization, let me suggest that you give due credit to those other animals, besides the dog, used for vivisectional purposes, by immortalizing $18,377,681.00 | them in a cartoon similar to your latest highly 274,385.15 | esthetic production, Would it not be appropriate to include oxen, cows, pigs, etc., killed daily in enormous numbers in order to provide the needs and luxuries of mankind? Yours truly, Water Raciats. Pittspurc, Pa., Crartox Station, January 3, 1909. The “Catholic” Church 253,536.32 $20,682,291.23 $516,495 To tHe Epitor oF Lire: Sir:—Will you give me a little space in your $126,160 paper? In your issue, December 31, 1908, you printed a letter written by J. S. Clark, in which the Catholic Church is mentioned. Probably the Roman Church was meant by the writer, and Continued om page 140. comicbooks.com