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Tag Archives: Health
Quarantined in the Port
Snippets 160. In 1817 Henry Matthews went on a “tour in pursuit of health”, and wrote about his experiences in Diary of an Invalid, in 1820. His first port of call was Lisbon, and from there he travelled to Italy, … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century, Books, History, People, Snippets, Travel
Tagged Health, Henry Matthews, Italy, Leghorn, Livorno
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A Royal Visit to Midhurst
In November 1903 King Edward VII laid the foundation stone for the Midhurst Sanatorium, later the King Edward VII Hospital. It was reported in newspapers all over the country. The following quote is from the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser, from … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century, History, Local History, Newspapers, People, Royalty
Tagged Health, King Edward VII, Midhurst, Sanatorium
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French Healthcare in 1854
Snippets 134. The oldest hospital in Paris is the Hotel-Dieu, founded in 651. Visiting the hospital in 1854, the American Rev. George Foxcroft Haskins was extremely impressed with what he found, and compared it favourably with American health care at … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century, Books, History, Inspiration, People, Snippets, Travel
Tagged France, George Foxcroft Haskins, Health, Medicine
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The 185 Year Old Men
Snippets 77. John Abernethy (1764-1831) was the author of one of the earliest popular books on medical science, published in 1809. It was not long before other authors began to hang on his coat-tails, and in 1830 Common Sense or … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century, Books, History, People, Science, Snippets
Tagged Health, John Abernethy, Longevity, Medicine
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The Miracle Cure (Not)
Snippets 71. During the 19th Century it was commonplace to make extraordinary claims about the properties of medication, in the absence of any regulation requiring proof. The following quote is taken from an advertisement for “Revalenta Arabica” in the Tasmania-based … Continue reading
Deadly Toothpaste (Snippets 26)
Toothpaste dates back to Greek and Roman times, and for the first two thousand years of its history tended to be rather nasty, abrasive stuff. It was not until late in the 19th Century that anything was formulated that could … Continue reading
Cobweb Concoctions (Snippets 18)
Eliza Leslie was a popular writer on the subject of cookery and etiquette in America during the early-mid 19th Century. In 1837 she published Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, which was enormously successful. Later editions had an added … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century, History, Snippets
Tagged Cookery, Eliza Leslie, Health, Miss Leslie
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A Pint of Seawater Please (Snippets 15)
In Snippets 11 we looked at some rather out-of-date medical advice on taking cold baths. Medical books from the 18th and 19th Centuries often advocated bathing in the sea, and even drinking seawater. This idea was popularised by Richard Russell … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, 19th Century, History, Snippets
Tagged Caspar David Friedrich, Charles Taylor, Health, Richard Russell, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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A bracing cold bath, but only if you’re skinny (Snippets 11)
Opinions are divided as to the benefits or otherwise of cold baths and showers, but at the turn of the 19th Century Dr Samuel Solomon thought he had it cracked, and offered some detailed and definitive advice in the American … Continue reading
Windows into History 