Health, wealth and happiness, the Victorian way

THE WAY I LIVE MY LIFE

I am an Englishman, born and bred in Lancashire. I studied and took my degrees in Edinburgh, and came to London in 1880. I was born March 29, 1858, and was married in 1888; my height is about 5ft 9, and my weight about 9st 3lbs. I have been lighter in weight, but never much heavier.

I am of fair complexion, have a sandy beard and a good head of hair, brushed back over my head, but not parted. I am full in the face, and my cheeks are ruddy; when walking I stoop a little from writing so much. My health is phenomenally good, but that is because I take care of it and live by rule. My spirits are always cheerful, and I have enough energy in me for two or three people.

I have not eaten any fish, flesh, or fowl since February 1882, as I find I can do my work much better without these things. When I first started life for myself, I had only my earnings to fall back on, and I found a non-flesh diet allowed me to make most of what little I had and what I earned; now I find such a diet allows me to make most out of my powers, and so I keep to it.

I am an abstainer from all alcoholic drinks. I find I cannot do mental work and drink any kind of alcoholic liquors. I want to make people teetotallers from my own standpoint.

Let me feed people on brown bread, grain foods, vegetables and plenty of fruit, and I will make the people sober without a single temperance lecture, and without an Act of Parliament. If people will live properly, they will neither have a desire for strong liquor, nor will they take it.

As for tobacco, I do not use it. I gave it up in 1880, and from then until now I have only smoked once; then it made my mouth hot, parched my throat, and made me feel so queer about the head, that I have not touched it since.

Tea and coffee I have practically given up since 1886. I found they made me nervous, fidgety, anxious, low spirited, and took away some of my energy. Tea made me tremble, gave me brilliant but false ideas, and confused both speech and writing; coffee gave me wind and colic and took my memory away for four hours, so I have given both up. Salt, pepper, mustard, spices, condiments, pickles, and sauces I rarely use, as they are in some degree injurious, and I have no craving for them.

I rise between 7 and 8am as a rule, and wash. While still wet, I dry my face, ears and neck, and then give my body a vigorous rubbing with the towel, and get it into a glow.

My head gets washed only every three weeks, as I find too much soap causes scurf in the head, bleaches the hair, and makes it brittle. Occasionally I go in for a little mild exercise before dressing, such as throwing my arms about, or stooping in various ways to exercise the muscles. When dressed, I go out for half an hour's walk before breakfast, no matter how cold, wet, or foggy.

My meals are three a day, about 9am, 3pm, and 9pm. Breakfast consists of six ounces of brown bread, two apples, oranges, or other fruit, and a cup of cocoa. I eat my food slowly, chew it well, and eat bread and fruit together. At the end of my meal I drink my cocoa, which is then nearly cool. I use Cadbury's cocoa; put half a teaspoonful in the cup, pour hot water over it, add one lump of white sugar and a tablespoonful of milk. Made thus it does not lead to biliousness nor does it repeat.

My dinner at 3pm varies a little. When I am using my brain more than usual I dine on bread and fruit. Two or three days a week I have a plain cooked dinner, composed of a vegetable soup, milk pudding or stewed fruit. Tea, at 9pm, is a repetition of breakfast; for a change I may have beetroot, celery, or boiled or fried onions.

On this simple diet, which will not cost a shilling a day, I work 14 hours out of the 24, am bright and merry at the end of the day, and have uninterrupted good health.

I walk from eight to 12 miles every day. Often on Sunday I manage to get 16 miles walking. The weather never prevents me going out. I rarely wear an overcoat, except when it is wet or if I am travelling. At night I do not always wear my hat when walking, but let the cold air strengthen my scalp and keep my hair from falling off. Fresh air I try to get everywhere; in my bedroom and sitting-room the windows are always open three or four inches night and day, and in all weathers.

I go to bed as soon after midnight as I can, and just before jumping into bed I pull up the blinds. By this means I awake earlier and more fully; the light acts as a stimulant, and makes me feel cheerful. I never exclude the sun from my rooms.

My boots are broad at the toes, not tight-fitting, the heels are low, and the soles fairly thick. I do not wear flannels, and only such clothes as protect the body from undue cold.

The tall hat I abominate, but yet wear when making professional calls.

Now that I have given my readers an idea of how I live, and why I do so, I hope they will take hints, and make themselves happier and healthier in consequence by my example.

ON BREAD

In my lectures on Health I always advise my hearers to eat brown bread. By brown bread I mean wheatmeal or wholemeal bread: that is, the entire wheaten grain finely ground and made into bread by any of the known ways, with nothing left out, nor must it be made with chemicals. Persons who eat white bread often suffer from an inward craving: to cure this, recourse is often had to beer, wine, or spirits, which lulls the craving for a time. If they ate brown bread they would not suffer from this, and we should be a more sober nation.

If living in a town, there is almost sure to be some baker who supplies wholemeal bread. Be sure you get it, use no other, and beware of spurious imitations. After a little time its taste grows on you. Brown bread is not a luxury, but a necessity to every family, and no house is complete unless it is provided at every meal. Make your bread at home if possible; it is sure to be better and cheaper than that bought.

HOW TO EAT

If meat is eaten more than once a day, or in a larger daily quantity than four ounces, ill must result. Our best physiologists calculate that four ounces of flesh food, or its equivalent in peas, beans, or lentils, is required to keep our muscles in repair, and that the hardest working navvy, or blacksmith should not eat more than six ounces a day. We must supply our bodies with proper food, in proper quantity, at stated intervals, keep up proper combustion by pure air and by exercise, and see our excretory organs are in good condition. I am of the opinion that three meals a day are as many as the ordinary man can readily absorb and use up. Time must be allowed for our meals. I spend about two hours a day over my three meals. I begrudge the time, and wish I could open a door in my stomach and push the food in. But as I cannot, I submit to Nature's decrees and eat slowly.

BREATHING

Breathing through the mouth is a mistake, and should never be practised unless the nose is blocked up. The mouth should be kept shut, unless we are eating, drinking, speaking, yawning, or laughing. Nose breathers suffer less from smallpox, scarlatina, measles and diphtheria than those who by keeping their mouths open, invite disease germs to enter. To learn to sleep with the mouth shut, use a piece of stamp paper, gum it over the mouth, and keep it on at night until you get into the proper habit of breathing through the nose.

HOW TO GROW TALL

Those who want to grow tall must not smoke or take stimulants, and they are better without tea and coffee. Excessive hard work before 16, early sexual excitement, bad air and dark rooms, must be avoided. Grain foods, such as wholemeal bread, or porridge, oatmeal, barley, or maize, must be eaten daily; nuts and fruit must also be used. Daily exercise and all the pure air possible are aids. If these conditions are obeyed, tall persons will be numerous, and small ones few.

SUMMER LIVING

My young lady readers cannot do better than join a lawn tennis club and practise daily, or they may get their brother, or some one else's brother to take them for a run on a tandem tricycle. Wear light things. Do not dress heavily as if you were afraid of the weather. In hot weather the lighter the clothing the better.

BATHING

From the middle or the end of May bathing may be commenced, in the sea or in fresh water. Two or three baths a week should be taken if possible, whilst those who have the time and opportunity may take one daily. A daily swim is useful in many ways. It acts as a tonic to the system generally, while the action of the sun and air on the naked skin is very invigorating. Even the most delicate may begin to have a sponge down with cold water every morning.

Those whose lives are chiefly spent in offices should get up early and have a swim before breakfast.

POVERTY

It is said that in England "the rich eat what they like, and the poor what they can get". That such a state of things should exist in a country that pretends to lead the world is very sad.

ESCAPING THE CITY

To those who can afford it, I should say, get away from Saturday to Monday, as it will do you a world of good, and the money you spend in or on your trips will be saved in doctors' bills.

VEGETARIANISM

We may define a vegetarian as one who will not cause animals to be killed for food, but he may eat animal products, such as eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and honey. A vegetarian thus makes an artificial distinction of foods. He eats eggs which may contain potent life, and he drinks milk meant for a young calf, but he will not eat the producers of these foods. Life is not the criterion to go by, for the vegetarian who eats a bit of cabbage may destroy hundreds of lives on that cabbage, and when he drinks any country water, he may swallow an aquatic multitude. The difference between animals and plants is purely an arbitrary one, for where plant life ends and animal life begins is unknown to the scientist.

Facts show that a man can live healthily and be strong on a diet into which flesh does not enter. This country contains hundreds of hard-working men who never eat any fish, flesh, or fowl, from year's end to year's end. Blacksmiths, porters, miners, carpenters, fishermen, puddlers, agricultural labourers &c, are found in the ranks of the Vegetarian Society; whilst its roll contains the names of many men known to intellectual fame.

But beware of vegetarianism as a religion, or a fad. In these cases it is injurious and liable to lead one astray, but as a rational way of living there is none better.

FRESH AIR

Few people know the value of pure air. Many are afraid of it as if it were a poisonous gas to be kept out of their rooms, or only to be breathed through a respirator. Pure air is our best friend.

EXERCISE

As a rule, English people eat too much food and take too little exercise. Let us follow the daily routine of many town-dwellers. They get up in the morning, swallow a hurried meal, and go off to business by 'bus, tram, or train; write all the morning until dinner time, take this meal leisurely, read the paper, and then return to their offices, where they sit writing until 4, 5, or 6pm. Then they ride home, get their evening meal, and in many instances never stir out again, but read the latest novel, the evening paper, or study, or else practise on the violin, piano, etc. They retire to bed at 11 or 12, and think they have done wisely.

When I know all this I am not in the least surprised that our youths and maidens have pale faces, and suffer from pimples, blackheads, constipation, bilious attacks, hacking coughs, nasty colds, feeble circulations, and even consumption. Physiologists calculate that every person requires three hours' moderate daily exercise to keep in fair condition.

When I advise people to walk nine miles a day, I am only trying to make them conform to physiological laws, for nine miles can be walked leisurely in three hours. I should advise every person who wants to keep himself in fair average health to walk to and from business daily, if not living more than four miles away. But if he rides to and from business, then he must exercise before he starts in the morning or when he gets home.

On Saturday and Sunday, too, exercise and fresh air must be had. On Saturday afternoon the bicycle or tricycle may be wheeled out and a good run made on that, or strong shoes put on and a good tramp taken. The same on Sunday, for when persons are engaged in the office all the week, they cannot afford to spend all Sunday in badly-lighted and unventilated churches or lecture rooms.

To my young lady readers I say take exercise. Help your servants or mothers to make the beds, then if you have a little spare time put on your walking boots, whistle for the dog, and take him for a good run somewhere round the neighbourhood; then your vivacity, cheerful spirits, rosy cheeks, and general good health will more likely gain for you a husband than if you become sickly and pale, and unable to walk a mile without being tired.

I now advise all young fellows I can to join a gymnastic or athletic club, or a Volunteer corps. A man who practises various athletic exercises is an all-round man. Exercise strengthens the muscles, increases the power of the heart, invigorates the body, clears the mind, causes warmth, burns up waste material and excess of food, acts as a charm in low spirits, helps on sound sleep, and is beneficial in every way when not carried to excess.

SLEEP

For adults, the absolute amount of sleep required is about six hours, but as we do not always fall asleep when we first turn into bed, it is wise to allow ourselves about eight hours. I have known many try to do with only four hours' rest, but sooner or later they come to grief. If one goes to bed late, he must get up late. Those who work hard with their bodies require less sleep than those who work hard with their brains.

SLEEPLESSNES

Avoid tea and coffee in the evening; use no intoxicants or tobacco. Tire the body daily by active exercise; avoid food for at least three hours before going to bed. A rubdown with a wet towel is also a good sleep inducer.

FLATULENCE

To prevent flatulence, avoid peas, beans, lentils, cabbage, onions, and radishes, or else put up with the consequences.

WORK

Overwork is the cause of much disease and ill-health. Many people have an idea that the more work they can crowd into a lifetime the better. This is a mistake. Every business man should take two hours' exercise in the open air daily. No man should excuse himself and say he has no time; he must make time or his health will fail and his business suffer.

A RED NOSE

In some it is chronic; in others it only comes on after meals; in a warm room; if excited; or after exposure to the sun, wind, or very cold weather. An excess of waste matters in the system is the primary cause. Overfeeding causes many cases; hot fluids and foods make matters worse, as do all kinds of peppery and hot condiments. Cure: cut the meals down to three a day, take them at intervals of five to six hours, take all the foods and drinks cool.

THE TOMATO

Tomatoes are best in their natural condition, and should be eaten with bread the same as an apple. The daily allowance should not exceed a pound a day.

DEAFNESS

In adults, bad habits are the commonest cause of deafness. Such habits are smoking tobacco, drinking stimulants, over-feeding, taking insufficient exercise, breathing impure air, and not keeping the skin-pores open by proper baths. All these habits produce a disordered system, and deafness may result.

THE TEETH

To keep our teeth in good condition we must exercise them, for if we do not they gradually decay. Such exercise is found in eating hard food, as biscuits, crusts, raw fruits, and nuts.

TOOTHACHE

Place in the hollow of the tooth a mixture which will allay the pain for a time; such can only be temporary and must not be resorted to as a regular custom. There are many preparations used, but one of the following will be found best. First cleanse and dry the hollow tooth, and then put into it a small plug of cotton wool dipped in creosote, or oil of cloves, or chlorodyne, or a 4 per cent solution of cocaine. Then put another bit of dry wool over this and leave in the tooth. Live on simple slop food for a day or two, then visit a good dentist, have the decayed tooth attended to, and so save future misery.

PIMPLES & BLACKHEADS

To promote cure all bad habits must be stopped. Tobacco in all forms must be given up. All stimulants, as beer, wine, and spirits must be avoided. Drugs (especially arsenic) must be shunned. Next, good habits must be learnt. The meals must be limited to three a day; pig in any form must never be eaten, meat must only be taken once a day, or even only every other day, and then not fat.

NERVOUSNESS

The causes of nervousness are any habits which lower the tone of the body or any foods or substances which load the system with improper materials. Too much food, too little exercise, too little fresh air, and a dirty skin all tend to produce this complaint. The most common substance which gives rise to nervous symptoms is alcohol. Next in order comes tobacco. It causes palpitations, trembling, and unsteadiness very quickly. Lastly come strong tea and coffee. To many these are nearly as bad as alcoholic liquors.

Limit the breakfast and tea meals to six or eight ounces of brown bread, with fruit or green stuff. Take an average dinner. Avoid suppers and snacks between meals. If you smoke stop doing so, and make up your mind that you cannot afford to injure your body for a mere habit. If you take the seductive glass of liquor try to give it up; and the sooner you do so the sooner you will feel a new life never before dreamt of. If you are fond of strong tea or coffee, use weak tea or coffee instead.

If you carry out these rules you will not know that you have any nerves, but will enjoy life to the full and be free from anxious forebodings.

SMOKING

Smokers will suffer from some of the following symptoms: loss of appetite, coated tongue, constipation, foul breath, restlessness, sleeplessness, nightmare, irritability, morbid fancies or ideas, paleness, sallowness, thinness, colic or cramp, weakness, tremblings, stomach troubles, disorders of sight, etc. Wounds in smokers do not heal so readily as in those who abstain from it. Nicotine is a foul poison. One drop of it kills a rabbit in three and a half minutes, and a man has been killed by this poison in four or five minutes. A single cigar contains enough poison to kill two men.

The best way to stop this injurious habit is to give it up suddenly; there will be a great craving and a feeling as if something were lost for four or five days, then the natural man will predominate, and health and comfort be gradually restored.

To young men, I say, do not learn to smoke, it is not a necessary, nor a useful accomplishment. Smoking is a filthy habit, wastes money, brains, and time, and gives foul breath, black teeth and a damaged constitution.

SALT

Civilised man has accustomed himself to eating salt, but he is no better for doing so, but, on the contrary, is injured by it. The only way that man may take salt is when it forms an actual and organic part of the food that he eats. In other words, the fruits, grains, and vegetables contain all the salt necessary for our systems, and if we add more, we err and do to ourselves an injury. Use salt moderately. The less you use the better, and do not force children to take it, nor tell them it is necessary.

BALDNESS

The causes of baldness are wrong living, improper foods, too many meals, intoxicating drinks, tobacco, strong tea and coffee, late hours, bad air, vicious sensual habits, or anything that lowers the tone of the system. Rectified spirit of petroleum is said to be one of the best remedies for baldness. It should be scented with oil of bergamot, and rubbed in every third night; at the same time bad habits must be corrected, and as little head-covering as possible should be worn.

OBESITY

The causes are many, but they may be summed up in one sentence, viz., the taking of more food than the system can use. The great cause of obesity is over-feeding; next to this comes want of exercise; thirdly the retention of waste matter in the system. When food is not burnt up by exercise, fatness results. Men who are active and busy with their bodies rarely get stout; thus one rarely ever sees a fat soldier, sailor, or anyone else engaged in active duty. But porters, policemen, watchmen, and other who lead a life of not too active a nature, soon put on flesh.

In races men handicap horses by making them carry extra weight, but human beings handicap themselves when there is no necessity, consequently they do not win so many of life's prizes as they might, and they certainly do not get the best one of all, viz., health.

The cure is difficult as we have to carry it out ourselves. In the first place I must warn my readers against remedies of all sorts, such as strong acids, anti-fat remedies, and such like. The cure is careful diet and regular exercise, with the avoidance of alcoholic stimulants, and bad air. Three meals a day may be allowed. For breakfast, 4 to 6oz brown bread, a little butter, an egg, or some fruit may be eaten, and for drink a cup of weak Russian tea. Russian tea is made as ordinary tea, with a slice of lemon added; this gives a thirst-quenching liquid without milk or sugar. At dinner 4oz lean meat, one or two green vegetables, and afterwards stewed fruit and brown bread. Potatoes, carrots, turnips, and milk, or suet, or flour puddings should be avoided. Twice a week a dinner may be made from 8oz brown bread, 12oz fruit or salad, and a glass of lemon water. This helps to reduce stoutness without injuring the system. Tea may consist of weak Russian tea, 4 to 6oz brown bread, salad, green stuff, or stewed fruit, or an egg. Exercise must also be taken daily; four or five miles a day to begin with, not necessarily all at once, increased until 10 or 12 miles can easily be taken. These are the rules that must be carried out if obese persons want to become like ordinary citizens, and not to live like animated flour barrels.

CHILDREN

The longer children are out in the open air the better for them. Let them be out in all weathers; wind will give colour to their cheeks, the sun will tan them, and the rain will not harm them. Frost makes them run about to keep warm, and the cold weather invigorates them. Let the children run about and be as noisy as ever they like; if you have some place for them separate from yourselves, turn them into it, and let them enjoy themselves to their hearts' content.

PROVINCIALS AND SCOTCHMEN

People from the provinces, who come to London, usually succeed in business, because they bring a large stock of health with them, and so are able to outstrip their town competitors, because they can work longer, and more continuously. Scotchmen, for this reason, get on well in life, on account of the vitality they possess, due to oatmeal, pure air, and hard exercise.

NUTS

Most people make a good meal of soup, fish, joint, pudding, sweets and wine, and then finish up with a few nuts. The resulting indigestion is thought to be owing to the nuts, instead of to indulgence in the mixed foods and drinks taken. If a meal is made from nuts and brown bread, or fruit, the nuts will not be found more indigestible than other articles of diet, and will lie lighter on the stomach than many foods commonly consumed. Half a pound of dry bread, 1/4lb nut kernels, and 1lb raw fruit will make a dinner that will give good staying power for six or eight hours.

MISSING MEALS

If you miss a meal, do not think that you are doing yourself harm in consequence. To miss a meal occasionally does one more good than a feast.

LIFE AND DEATH

Take anyone with an average constitution, not a weakly, delicate person, nor a strong healthy one, but a medium one, and that person, with care, should not die under 70 unless by accident. Excessive abuse of any particular organ may wear it out, and because one part is worn out no other organ can do its work. Thus if a person wears out his stomach by eating too much food, drinking too much wine, beer or spirits, and irritating it by saliva laden with tobacco juice, he must die, even though his other organs are yet fairly healthy. Our physical sins are followed by the shortening of our lives.

This is an edited version of Dr Tom Allinson's Collected Medical Essays, republished in a pamphlet this month by Allinson Bread. Readers can obtain a free copy by sending a size C5, stamped addressed envelope (44p) to: Allinson's Essays, 26 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 6BT.