The Wasp — 1879 — page 222: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two distinct elements: **Main Article**: "TO BE WELL SHAKEN BEFORE TAKEN" - a satirical commentary on medical practice and doctors' reliability. The text mocks doctors' tendency to prescribe various medicines without real understanding, comparing their prescriptions to patent medicines that require shaking. It advocates skepticism toward medical practitioners while simultaneously warning against self-medication. **Illustrations**: The page includes two engravings—one showing medicine bottles and vessels (top), the other depicting what appears to be a fish or creature (bottom). These likely serve as visual accompaniment to the medicinal theme. The satire targets 19th-century medical practice's reliance on unproven remedies and doctors' often-arbitrary prescriptions, reflecting contemporary skepticism about medical science's actual efficacy during this period.