A complete issue · 36 pages · 1918
Judge — February 2, 1918
# Analysis This is a "Cheer Up Number" from Judge magazine (February 2, 1918), during World War I. The cartoon depicts two medical professionals—a nurse and what appears to be a doctor or surgeon with bandaged head and eyes—in a hospital setting. The humor appears to satirize the irony of medical care during wartime: the caregiver (nurse) looks concerned while the medical professional himself is heavily bandaged, suggesting either incompetence, the dangers medical staff faced, or the absurdity of the medical situation during the war. The "censored" marking at the bottom indicates wartime publication restrictions. The satire likely mocks either medical mishaps or the general chaos of wartime healthcare administration.
# Analysis This page is **not satire or political cartoon** — it's a straightforward advertisement for Nujol, a laxative product made by Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). The ad uses health messaging typical of early 20th-century patent medicine marketing. It warns that winter causes lowered vitality through constipation, claiming this makes people susceptible to illness. The solution: Nujol provides "clockwork bowel regularity" to maintain health. The phrase "Regular as Clockwork" references the mechanical precision desired from bowel function. The visual of bottles arranged like a timeline emphasizes consistency. This reflects a historical period when constipation remedies were heavily marketed as general health tonics, often without medical basis. The ad notably targets soldiers and sailors, suggesting wartime distribution.
# "Cheer Up!" by Clinton Scollard This patriotic poem, published in *Judge* magazine during World War I, uses military imagery to rally American morale. The text references "Mr. Hoover" (likely Herbert Hoover, who directed U.S. food administration during the war) and calls for unified support against Germany ("Kaiser," "Krupp"—a major German weapons manufacturer). The poem addresses multiple Allied nations—"Yankee," "Briton," "France"—emphasizing Allied solidarity against "the Hun" (derogatory term for Germans). Phrases like "our lines be smitten / By the fierce foe's advance" acknowledge military hardship while urging emotional resilience without "pallor" (fear). The decorative wartime illustration on the right suggests patriotic themes. This is straightforward war propaganda designed to boost American confidence during the conflict.
