Life, 1926-12-23 · page 35 of 37
Life — December 23, 1926 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Listerine advertisement**, not political satire. The image shows a person with an exaggerated expression touching their throat—meant to illustrate the "warning signal" of throat irritation that the ad discusses. The ad's argument: sore throats are dangerous entry points for infection and disease. Most people neglect throat protection despite this risk. The solution: use Listerine mouthwash and gargle regularly as a preventative antiseptic. A secondary pitch targets social anxiety: regular Listerine use will also protect against halitosis (bad breath), making you "polite" company. **Context for modern readers**: This reflects early 20th-century medical thinking that emphasized hygiene and antiseptics as disease prevention. The dramatic language about bacteria and "danger" reflects the pre-antibiotic era when throat infections were genuinely serious threats. The social shame around bad breath was also heavily marketed in this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WATCH YOUR. THROAT! The warning signal ORE serious illnesses than you can count on the fingers of both hands start with the warning signal, an irritated throat. A tickle in your throat is nature’s way of saying “Lock out—Danger ahead: the bac- teria are getting the upper hand!” Naturally, too, for the throat is the open door for in- fection. It is the ideal breeding place for disease germs. And in spite of this, so many of us neglect throat protection! A good, healthy body will be able to throw off the attacks of many bacteria, but very often the human system is not in the proper condition to fight them back, we OLY —the safe os oe at wy, . ose ene Se, Bi ce et toe egeoth Sees ghee poac LISTERINE When you think of your throat in this way, it seems amazing that more people do not take the proper precaution against illnesses that start with throat infection. when the safe antiseptic, Listerine, is as near at hand as any corner drug store. Particularly, Be on the safe side these winter days. Use Listerine regularly as a mouth wash and gargle. Also, then, you will be on the polite side with re- gard to that condition, halitosis (un- pleasant breath).—Lam- St. Louis, insidious Ley o® oni bert Pharmacal Co., : U.S. A. antiseptic comicbooks.com