Victorian Health

Recognition that Victorian Doctors didn't have the answers and that more often than not their medicines did more harm than good often appeared as short humorous articles in Victorian newspapers; below are two Victorian newspaper cuttings which shows this clearly:-

"A physician, passing by a stone mason's, bawled out to him, "Good morning, Mr W-; hard at work, I see; you finish your gravestones as far as `In memory of,' and then you wait, I suppose, to see who wants a monument next?" - "Why, yes," replied the old man, resting for a moment on his mallet, "unless somebody is ill, and you are attending him, and then I keep right on!"

AND

"Doctor, I want to thank you for your splendid medicine."
"It helped you, did it?" asked the doctor, very much pleased.
"It helped me wonderfully."
"How many bottles did you find it necessary to take?"
"Oh, I didn't take any of it. My uncle took one bottle, and I'm his sole heir."

These snippets of Victorian newspaper articles are published here thanks to my great-great grandfather, George Burgess (1829-1905) who during his working life saved over 500 newspaper articles and stuck them into his scrapbook.

George Burgess was fully aware of the dangers of seeing a doctor or taking their medicines and on several occasions makes this point in his diary; below is an extract from his diary where he also gives his own good sound advice on healthy living:-

I have never been ill. I have never had any doctors - nor their medicines, so far.

I have aimed to preserve my health during my long life. Of course I have avoided all alcoholic drinks. I drink plenty of good water - and also, very freely of tea. I like it fairly strong - with plenty of good milk and sugar in it.

I eat heartily of all kinds of foods, but of course, I eat to live - I don't live to eat. And I am always at work - in the Garden - or in my office. And - I sleep well - being able to sit down and enjoy a sweet sleep several times through the day. But I set very high value on the Water drinking. Water is as necessary for cleansing the inside of a man, as the outside of a man. It reaches every vital organ - and streams through every avenue of his system - and refreshes, his whole being up with newness of life. I ought to think that these simple and natural rules for taking care of my health have preserved me - and have much helped me to have and enjoy good health and happiness on this my 70th birthday.