Fit for America: Health, Fitness, Sport, and American SocietyPantheon Books, 1986 - 367 páginas "It does seem to me that there would not be so much pain and suffering . . . if there were no doctors . . . ." The skepticism reflected in this statement by a New York farmer in 1853, quoted in this fascinating study of medicine, American culture, and values, was definitely a sign of the times. Three medical philosophies and their offshootsheroic, botanic, and homeopathicwere prevalent in the 19th century, often practiced by doctors with little more than six weeks of training. No wonder the skepticism of the massesand the high mortality rates. With meticulous scholarship, keen insight, and clear writing, Green shows how religion, the frontier spirit, ignorance about sanitation, and the national drive for perfection spawned these contrasting philosophies of health. A lively social history with many lessons for our own time, recommended for public and academic libraries.--Library journal, Jack Forman, Mesa College Library, San Diego. |
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Fit for America: Health, Fitness, Sport, and American Society Harvey Green Prévia não disponível - 1988 |
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activities advertised advocates alcohol Alcott allegedly Ameri American animal magnetism argued asserted athletic bath became began Bernarr Macfadden bicycle body Boston brain calisthenics calomel Catharine Beecher cause cities Civil cold condition corsets critics debility decades diet disease drink dyspepsia early eating Edward Hitchcock electricity energy exercise filters Fletcher Godey's Lady's Book Graham gymnasium gymnastics Harper's Weekly health reformers Horace Fletcher human Hydropathic idea individual Institute Journal of Health Kellogg Lewis Macfadden machines manufacturers meat medicine ment mental middle-class mineral waters moral muscles muscular nation nature nerves nervous neurasthenia nineteenth century organized patients Physical Culture physical education physicians Pleasonton poison popular pre-Civil produced professional race Russell Trall sexual Shew social society sport spring stimulating stoves strength strong Sylvester Graham thought tion Trall transfer-printed treatment urban uric acid vegetable vegetarianism vital warned water cure water-cure women wrote York young