Life, 1914-01-22 · page 28 of 40
Life — January 22, 1914 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This "What Do You Think?" letters page showcases early 20th-century medical skepticism and social commentary. **Main content:** Letters debating the Pasteur rabies treatment, with one doctor (Charles E. Pace) arguing the vaccine causes more deaths than it prevents—a fringe anti-vaccination stance popular before modern medicine's validation of Pasteur's work. **The cartoon "The Infectious Yawn"** depicts three figures in what appears to be a medical or academic setting, with one yawning—likely satirizing how tedious or unconvincing medical lectures or treatments can be. **Other letters** include humorous ones: one proposing a "Society for Prevention of Useless Dunning" (debt collection satire), and another in deliberately misspelled dialect mocking patent medicine advertisements in newspapers. The final letter sarcastically defends women's necessity against earlier commentary. The page reflects Life's role as a satirical magazine challenging authority and exposing medical quackery and debt-collection practices, while also airing genuine medical debates of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
oy) Ba) be cial Sa What Do You Think? We are Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which are Too Long for Our Limited Space. Brevity is Desirable Pasteur Homicides Epitor or Lire: The most recent Pasteur killings, of which I have note, are of the two police- men at Washington, D. C., who were bitten by a dog whom they had doubtless misused. If their wounds had been treated, or even neglected, it is -alto- gether probable that healing would have * resulted, and the good policemen would have kept right on living, just as has happened to tens of thousands of persons bitten; but, no, they must have the Pas- teur treatment, and were directly para- lyzed and very shortly died. Practically all of the fatal cases of “rabies” have followed from the Pasteur treatment. The question is, How long will the laity allow this miserable serum business to go on? Cirartes E. Pace, M. D. Bostox, December 8, 1913. A Merciful Scheme Office of The Society for the Prevention of Useless Dunning. S-P-U-D Eortor Lire, Dear Sir: Actuated, like yourself, solely by al- truistic motives, I have just started an organization called The Socicty for the Prevention of Useless Dunning, of which I am sole owner and proprietor; and I cordially invite all those who are unduly oppressed by their creditors to join me in an effort to extirpate this undesirable species. This, of course, will not interest you, for, like myself, you don’t owe anybody anything. But there undoubtedly are, among the constant readers of Lire, many poor hounded devils who would gladly em- brace the opportunity here presented to seck shelter and protection under the noble banner of the SPUDS. Very truly yours, ett R. Currrer, Asuevitie, N. December 29, 1913. “Simptons” Deer life i hav red yure book 4 a long tim an want 2 sent you mi testmoneyal. it has dun me a hole lot of gude. i like reed- ing about thees heer doctor fellas what cut peeces out of dogs an cats an litle kinney pigs an then let em go. i bet they aint a one of em what nose what he dos it for. i am glad to see you show up thees heer fakes. sum fella had ot 2 show up thees heer fellas what rite thees heer fony medcine rite ups that you see in all the daily papers 4 i think they have a hole lot 2 dew with making sum people sic. they have the simptons of every diszees 4 man or beest an if you kant find out what ales you after reeding thees heer rite ups sumthing rong. if you are troubled with specs on your izes run- ing nose sor feet weeknees thats a simp- ton of appendexcites witch meens a lay of 4—6 weeks an a doctor bill of mabce 200 bucks an mabee yure fokes can call the undertaker. people ot 2 cwit decling with thees heer bum medcines as they wont do em no gude. youres truely, a. phfeifer. Mitwauker, Wis., January 3. 1914- From a Letter “ Will you permit me to thank you also for your stand in the matter of medical freedom? Given the sanction and author- ity of the legislation sought, we would soon witness the same disregard of the rights of humanity—the same intolerance and cruelty in the interests of an experi- mental Science '.’ Oh, Fie For Shame! Tne Enrror or Lire: Your comment on Blanche Shoemaker Wagner's magazine article in Lire of December 18, 1913, headed “ Why Man” was very interesting. Is it not time for you to show that women is only an ornament and an exerescence? She is no longer necessary for any sort of housework. Men can get their own breakfasts and other meals if necessary. Mothers no longer nurse their babies. The female of any species will no longer be needed in the universe in a short time. Cows may be climinated because a bull has Leen discovered which gives milk. The agricultural school at Wilming- ton, Delaware, now has the wonderful animal. I have been experimenting with producing the human young without the aid of women, and in a short time ex- pect to have the process perfected, at which time it will be announced through Lire exclusively. The law of evolution is that all things in nature which have no use are gradually climinated (as, for example, the appendix), either by a natural process or by surgeons. As physicians complain that business is poor, here is a large field for their activity. The feminist movement will solve itself, naturally, with a little pa- tience. Woman is the superfluous sex. Yours truly, Percy Montaorency. Greexwicrt, Conx., December 25, 1913. al Of, THE INFECTIOUS YAWN