Life, 1928-04-05 · page 50 of 59
Life — April 5, 1928 — page 50: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Listerine advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page uses the common cold-weather scenario of the 1920s-30s era to market mouthwash as preventive medicine. The advertisement depicts women in period coats standing outside, illustrating the health hazard described: moving between overheated indoor offices and cold streets, then crowded germy streetcars. The text claims this temperature shock and germ exposure causes sore throats and colds. The "joke" or persuasive angle is the practical solution: gargle with Listerine antiseptic twice daily during bad weather. The ad claims this will prevent the "50 diseases" that supposedly begin in the throat and nose. By modern standards, this is notable for its exaggerated health claims and the lack of medical evidence—now illegal in advertising. The approach treats a common cold as a serious preventable disease rather than an unavoidable viral infection.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Office heat... chilly street... sore throat! From over-heated offices in- to chilly streets . . . outin the cold waiting for 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. In the THROAT and nose more than 50 diseases have their beginning or development. Some. ot mild character, yield to more serious, donot. At the first sign of an irri- tated throat, gargle fre- quently with Listerine, and if no improvement is shown, consult @ physician, Watch your throat! Life 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 LIS TERINE -the safe antiseptic Th 1] comicbooks.com