Life, 1913-01-09 · page 68 of 100
Life — January 9, 1913 — page 68: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes public health overreach during a smallpox crisis. The top cartoon shows military/naval figures (referencing Gilbert & Sullivan's *HMS Pinafore*)—a visual joke about bureaucratic absurdity. The main text is a letter mocking Pittsburgh's Health Director E. R. Walters, who threatened to arrest citizens refusing vaccination. The satire's punch: **Walters himself just recovered from smallpox despite being recently vaccinated**, yet now demands others be vaccinated under threat of fines and jail. The author uses this contradiction to argue vaccination's unreliability and question the government's authority to mandate medical procedures. This represents early anti-vaccination sentiment and distrust of public health mandates—concerns that resurface periodically throughout history. The "jokes" highlighted sardonically note Walters' failed vaccination protection, undermining his credibility to enforce it on others.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Oh, I am the cook and the Captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig. And the bo’sun tight and the midshipmite, And the crew of the Captain's gig.” AL cinated during an outbreak of smallpox. This applies etter only if the party has not been vaccinated inside of five Epttor oF Lire: years. The penalty for refusal is a fine of from five dol- lars to twenty-five dollars. In case the fine is not paid the defendant can be sent to jail. In every case where the city physicians met with refusal reports were made to the department and the persons refusing told prosecu- The best joke ever. A clipping from the Pittsburgh, Pa, Chronicle-Telegraph of November 19, 1912: HEALTH DIRECTOR THREATENS ARREST INFORMATION TO BE MADE AGAINST PERSONS WHO REFUSED TO BE VACCINATED. Director of Public Health and Charities E. R. Walters tions would follow if they did not comply with the de- partment’s edict. Director Walters has himself just been released from to-day announced that to-morrow he will make informa- tions against all persons who refused to be vaccinated by city physicians sent out by order of the Health Depart- ment. It is estimated by the director that over two hun- dred informations will be drawn up. The city solicitor is at present drawing up the informations and they will be taken to various aldermen in the city. An act of assembly passed in 1895 compels all persons to be vac- the local pesthouse after an attack of smallpox lasting some six weeks. (Joke) He was thoroughly protected (?) by vaccination a few weeks before taking the disease. (Another joke) He now proposes to fine or imprison those persons who did not avail themselves of the same kind of protection, and who did not take the disease. A. E. Reap. comicbooks.com