Life, 1928-01-19 · page 31 of 38
Life — January 19, 1928 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Listerine advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It uses a common early-20th-century public health scenario to sell mouthwash. The scenario depicts the problem: people move from overheated offices into cold streets, crowd into germ-laden public transportation, then wonder why they catch colds and sore throats. The photograph shows people in period coats waiting outdoors, presumably for transit. The "solution" is to gargle with Listerine twice daily, especially during bad weather. The ad claims the antiseptic attacks "disease-producing germs" in the mouth, nose, and throat—claiming over 50 diseases begin there. This reflects early-20th-century **germ theory marketing**: before antibiotics, antiseptics were heavily promoted for preventing infectious disease. The Lambert Pharmacal Company (Listerine's maker) used health anxiety and pseudo-scientific claims to drive sales, a common advertising tactic of the era that would later face regulatory scrutiny.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life 29 Office heat... chilly street... sore throat! From over-heated offices in- to chilly streets . out in the cold waiting fer trans- portation . into germ laden cars crowded with coughers is it any wonder thousands are laid up with colds or sore throats—or worse? Don’t be one of them. After exposure of this kind, gargle with Listerine when you get home. Better yet, use it system- atically night and morning during nasty weather. It may be the means of spar- ing you a long, painful and costly siege of illness. Many a cold weather complaint has been checked by Lis- terine before it had a chance to become serious. Being antiseptic, it im- mediately attacks thecount- less disease-producing germs that lodge in mouth, nose and throat. Again, we counsel you for your own protection to use this safe antiseptic twice a day, at least, during in- clement weather. Lambert Pharmacal Company, St. Louis, Mo., U .S. A. Gargle when you get home In theTHROAT and nose more than 50 diseases have their beginning or development. Some, of mild character, yield to an antiseptic." Others, more serious, do not. At the first sign of an irri- tated throat, gargle fre- quently with Listerine, and if no improvement shown, consult = physician. Watch your throat! LIS TERINE -the safe antiseptic comicbooks.com