Life — January 17, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a straightforward **advertisement, not satire or political commentary**. The page promotes Nujol, a laxative product made by Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), based in Bayonne. The ad uses health anxiety as a sales pitch, claiming that winter's heavy food and sedentary habits cause constipation, leading to "blue days," headaches, and dizziness. Nujol promises to restore "healthy, adequate bowel functioning at regular intervals." The visual shows product bottles next to a clock, emphasizing regularity. Pricing information ($0.75 bulk, $0.50 for 9 oz.) and special mention of military shipping reflect the era's conventions. This represents vintage patent-medicine marketing—before modern FDA regulations limited health claims.