Monthly Archives: April 2010
Capsuloids Hair Restorer
Source: Black & White, 19 March 1904 Chief among the ills to which flesh is heir in the springtime is the provoking habit of our ‘crowning glory’ to come off in handfuls, leaving us with the parlous prospect of a denuded poll. So says a 1904 advertorial recommending Capsuloids as a hair restorer. I’m not … Continue reading
Worms, frogs and the strange world of the internet
This is a bit of a lazy post, I know, but I thought I’d share with you some recent search terms that have led people to The Quack Doctor. Some of them are quite an eye-opener and not for the faint-hearted! All spelling and punctuation is exactly as it is on arrival. . Let’s start with … Continue reading
Vigor’s Horse-Action Saddle
Source: Country Life Illustrated, 8 Jan 1897 (this image from a later facsimile edition) Unusually for anything involving exercise, this contraption looks almost fun. Although perhaps not completely ‘a perfect substitute for a live horse’ – at least, not if you wanted to travel somewhere – it was well-received as an aid to fitness. The medical … Continue reading
Homeopathy made plain to the meanest capacity
Today marks the beginning of World Homeopathy Awareness Week. When homeopathy was introduced to Britain in the 1830s, not everyone was clear on what this new-fangled system was all about. Here’s an explanation from Mr Waggle, a character in Cornelius Webbe’s The Man About Town (1838). Waggle is a well-preserved 45-year-old bachelor who never stops … Continue reading
The Continued Adventures of Baron Spolasco
In the last post, we left Baron Spolasco recovering from a traumatic two nights on a storm-battered rock after a shipwreck claimed the life of his eight-year old son. . After writing his Narrative of the Wreck of the Steamer Killarney, the Baron at last made it to Bristol, where he only intended to stay … Continue reading
Baron Spolasco and the Wreck of the Killarney
On 19 January 1838, the steamer Killarney set sail from Cork, bound for Bristol. On board were 37 people and 600 pigs, and ahead of them was the most violent storm in more than half a century. The steamer was forced to turn back, and anchored at Cove for a few hours, until the Captain … Continue reading
