Don't gamble with appendicitis
Health-advice poster: a pained man in striped pajamas sits up in bed and telephones, under a red brush-stroke banner reading 'appendicitis'. The text says to call a doctor and not to use a laxative, and a boxed panel points to a booklet, 'Leonard's appendix - and how it burst'. The tell is a fear-appeal about a ruptured appendix, paired with a plain action step.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency (artist Nydorf)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Theme
- Health
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-663 (NAID 514142).
Text on the object
Don't gamble with appendicitis don't use a laxative call a doctor * for more information read— Leonard's appendix —and how it burst [signature:] Nydorf [uncertain reading] [imprint:] Federal Security Agency WH19—U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE [imprint:] ☆ U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1944—O-587512
