The Wasp — 1881 — page 371: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page contains a single illustration of a grotesquely drawn figure in Victorian dress, appearing skeletal or diseased. Based on the accompanying text titled "INSANITY," this caricature likely represents either a political figure or a personification of social decay. The article criticizes the prevalence of insanity in San Francisco, mentioning "hundreds of maniacs" walking city streets. It references Senator Miller's dead-lock issue and discusses whether legitimate insanity defenses should excuse criminal behavior—a contemporary legal debate. The satire targets both the epidemic of mental illness the editor perceives and possibly politicians (like Senator Miller) whom the writer deems complicit in social deterioration. The grotesque figure embodies the perceived moral and physical corruption afflicting the city.