Long before Dr. Spock’s attempt to document the “correct” way to raise psychologically healthy children, many authors published medical science of the day for use by housewives.
Knowing I was interested in times past, my mom brought me Wife and Mother or Information for Every Woman from my aunt’s yard sale. Published in 1886, the book likely belonged to my grandmother.
Written by Pye Henry Chavasse and evidently published posthumously, the book contains over 500 pages of timely advice. Dr. Chavasse was certainly ahead of his time on many topics. For instance, cleanliness wasn’t associated with the Victorian age, yet Dr. Chavasse propounded total daily ablution. He considered water to the body a necessity of life that braced the nerves, hardened the frame and warded off disease.
I relied on advice in Wife and Mother to add authentic history to various characters’ opinions. For instance, the idea a bride could ruin her health by having a too-hectic first year of marriage comes from Dr. Chavasse.
I was amazed to find no less than 24 separate references to the importance of window management and fresh air. Proper ventilation of the home—how and when to open and close upper and lower windows—was considered one of the most important aspects of housekeeping, vital to the health of occupants.
Held in high esteem during his life, Dr. Chavasse encouraged many healthy habits we recognize today such as eating slowly and the importance of exercise for women to include gardening, the study of botany, archery, croquet, lawn tennis and walking. He correctly identified poor household drainage as the source of scarlet fever and diphtheria.
I enjoyed reading the account of an actress who was cast in a period drama. The ladies weren’t provided adequate dressing rooms and had to ride the New York subways wearing corsets and hoop skirts. Although initially difficult to manage, they soon became adept at manipulating their costumes and even came to enjoy wearing them. She believed women of that era sought to be fashionable, contrary to many historians who profess men restricted and controlled women through their clothing. Actually, there are many documented articles and cartoons by men who felt women’s fashion was nothing short of idiocy. I imagine Dr. Chavasse’s warning of the dangers of corsets was probably unpopular with the ladies of 1886, although we certainly recognize the unhealthy aspects of restricting the body today.
He believed children should have toys, which serve to make a happy home, but discouraged too much reading. Children needed to indulge in outdoor activities such as playing ball, football, hoops and skipping rope.
He detailed the dangers of tobacco as one of the most injurious and deadly habits a boy or young man could indulge.
I read long ago that flour was a great treatment for superficial burns. I tried it and putting a burn in flour for ten minutes not only relieves pain but prevents blisters. Imagine my surprise when I found that Dr. Chavasse documented this treatment.
Not all Dr. Chavasse’s recommendations rang true. For instance, he wished to banish rocking chairs, finding them wearisome and monotonous. That’s one piece of furniture I appreciated as a mom and grandma.
And then there are handy home remedy recipes, many including ingredients such as opium, sulfuric acid, lead, syrup of poppies and chalk. Treatments of that day were probably more unhealthy than the complaints they were supposed to cure.
I truly appreciated Wife and Mother or Information for Every Woman, which provided a window to the world of my female characters. Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Mom!