19th-century doctor believed a seemingly harmless habit could send a woman to her grave
American doctor and cereal pioneer John Harvey Kellogg gave young women health advice in the 19th century that seems startling by today's standards. His views reveal how differently medicine and morality were once understood.
The 19th century was a time when medical understanding of health differed drastically from what we know today. Doctors prescribed patients substances such as cocaine and opium, clothing was dyed using poisonous arsenic, and in apartment buildings, infants were even placed in metal cages by windows so they could get fresh air.
The man behind Kellogg's as a health advisor
Before women's magazines, relationship podcasts, or endless advice columns online existed, people turned to books for life wisdom. One of the most prolific advice-givers of that era was American doctor John Harvey Kellogg — a name familiar today thanks to the "Kellogg's" corn flakes he developed together with his younger brother, Will Keith Kellogg.
Views on women's virtue and health
John Harvey Kellogg's interests, however, extended far beyond breakfast cereal. Health was his passion, and he placed particular importance on sexual abstinence, which he considered essential to a healthy life. According to his views, the virtue and health of young women were threatened by countless everyday habits — many of which seem entirely harmless by modern standards.
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