The Wasp — 1878 — page 475: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page primarily contains **editorial content** rather than a cartoon. The masthead shows *The Wasp's* ornate logo and publication details (602 California St., San Francisco; 35 cents/month). The main article, "Our Greatness in Crookedness," attacks **medical quacks and fraudulent "specialists"** who advertise cures in newspapers. The satire targets how these charlatans exploit public desperation, operating in legal gray areas. The text references a specific case: a man named "Armstrong" whose wife allegedly fell ill, and a quack promised a cure. The Wasp criticizes how such operators hide behind secrecy and shame their victims into silence. The piece ultimately advocates for government regulation and public exposure of medical fraud—a progressive stance for 1878.