Life, 1916-11-16 · page 40 of 46
Life — November 16, 1916 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines advertisements with a humorous essay. The main satirical content is "The Aristocrat of Microbes," which playfully personifies the gout bacillus (germ) recently discovered by Dr. John B. Murphy as a disease agent. The joke treats this microscopic organism as an aristocratic gentleman with refined tastes—a "pedigree" germ who has historically dined with historical figures like Lucullus and Falstaff, consuming luxurious foods (ortolans, Falernia wine, port, Madeira, champagne, lobster) rather than the "humble dietary" of common germs. The satire mocks wealthy gouty patients by suggesting their gout reflects their own decadent lifestyles: they've literally been feeding this elite microbe through excessive indulgence. By calling gout's discovery "a triumph," the author ironically suggests finally exposing this parasitic aristocrat hiding in the human body. The page is otherwise dominated by period advertisements for Gold Seal Champagne, Dioxogen (throat gargle), and Faultless Pajamas—typical early-20th-century LIFE magazine content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Aristocrat of Microbes The discovery that rheumatism and gout are germ diseases adds a radical new theory to medical practice and a new and most distinguished member to the microbe family. The discovery is credited to the late Dr. John B. Murphy of Chicago, and is made public by his colleague, Dr. Philip H. Kreuser, who says that Dr. Murphy experimented with eight hundred cases and successfully identified and isolated the germ. So away with liniments and lotions; they have served their turn, The medi- cal world henceforth must deal with the gout germ, the latest among pernicious organisms and certain to receive the warm welcome the profession accords to all new arrivals of bacilli. On Lake Keuka, New York, in the heart of the finest grapecountry in America, are the famous cellars of A rich, pure and bril- liant wine that asks your favor because of its quality. You can- not get a better cham- pagne at any price. SPECIAL DRY and BRUT Insist on Having It ‘Scratchy’ Feel ing HAT “‘scratchy”’ feeling meansjust one thing— impending sore throat, with all its dangers and unpleasant- nesses. Jhat’s the time to gargle with a solution of Dioxogen and water, Nine times out of ten one or two such treatments will instantly arrest the trouble. A little Dioxogen and water used morning and evening makes a remarkably efficacious mouth wash and purifier—a protection to the teeth and a safeguard against those diseases originating in the mouth and teeth. The Dioxogen habit is a good one to acquire. Have a bottle handy. Oakland Chemical Co., 10 Astor Place, New York Certainly the gout germ deserves first rank among his kind. He is the aristo- crat of microbes, the highest liver of them all, the prize epicure of germ life. He dined on ortolans and drank Faler- nian with Lucullus, quaffed sack with Falstaff, swallowed bumpers of port with the coming of the spacious days, imbibed Madeira with the fathers of the Republic, and subsists now on lobster and cham- pagne. He has been the most pampered of microbes, the familiar and intimate of the world’s first families from the be- ginning of time. Most other germs have been of low degree with a humble dietary, but the gout bacillus has ever been a dainty feeder and much given to luxury, a germ with a pedigree. Surely to dis- cover him after all these years and to drag him from his time-honored refuge in man’s anatomy into the light of medi- cal scrutiny is a triumph of surgical re- search—New York World. Noah Webster The first man to Since 1881 CHANGE of ADDRESS The Post Office does not forward paper mail to a second address without prepay- ment of postage. It is essential that notice of change of address should reach us fen days in advance of the date of the issue. LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 17 West 31st Street, New York advertise Faultless -not defective — free from blemish — free from incorrectness. - perfect E.Rosenfeld & Cr. Baltimore & New Ye #* UUM il books.com'