The Wasp — 1895 — page 894: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This single-panel cartoon satirizes doctor's fees during the 1890s. Two women converse in a parlor: Mrs. Polk asks Mrs. Hyde what her doctor did to hasten her recovery from illness. Mrs. Hyde replies that he told her he would charge her $10 for a visit. The joke critiques the shock value of medical costs as motivation for rapid healing. Rather than the doctor's treatment or medicine, the prospect of a substantial bill supposedly accelerated the patient's desire to recover quickly and avoid further expenses. This reflects genuine anxieties about medical affordability in the era, when $10 represented significant money for average Americans. The cartoon uses gentle domestic humor to comment on economic pressures ordinary citizens faced regarding healthcare.