The Wasp — 1888 — page 339: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* depicts what appears to be a medical or pharmaceutical scam scenario. The caption references "MEDICO CLAIMS," suggesting criticism of medical practitioners or patent medicine vendors making dubious health promises. The scene shows well-dressed men presenting or promoting something to a woman and other figures in what appears to be an indoor setting. The bottles and containers visible at right likely represent patent medicines or tonics—products that were frequently satirized in late 19th/early 20th-century American publications for making exaggerated or false healing claims. The cartoon's satire targets the exploitation of vulnerable people (particularly women) through fraudulent medical schemes that were widespread during this era before FDA regulation. The formal dress contrasts with the questionable nature of their "medical" claims.