Dr. William Alcott - Publications - National Health Association

Dr. William Alcott – Publications

Publications

Alcott, William A. (1830). Health without Physic: or Cordials for Youth, Manhood, and Old Age. London: Effingham Wilson.

This book was written to advise and guide maintaining good health without relying on medications. The book covers various topics, including diet, exercise, sleep, hygiene, and mental health. The author emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle and offers practical tips on achieving and maintaining it. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in naturally improving their health and well-being. 310 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1835). Moral Reformer and Teacher on the Human Constitution V1. Boston: Published by Light & Horton.

In reality, this book is a collection of a monthly journal from 1935 that Alcott began titled The Moral Reformer. He started this to feel the need left by the cessation of the Journal of Health, the only American periodical at that time devoted exclusively to popular hygiene. Alcott had several years of experience editing periodicals when the first issue of the Moral Reformer appeared in January 1835. Shortly after moving to Boston in 1831, he assumed editorship of the periodical The Juvenile Rambler and Peter Parley’s magazine, both of which he published articles on hygiene.
Alcott both edited this periodical and wrote most of its articles. This magazine illustrated the range and detail of advice he offered. One might find discussions of cider, drinking, uses and abuses of light, stomach education, featherbeds, and evening parties in the single issue. In each case, physiological, wisdom, and moral sensibility combined to show the reader the right way to handle each detail of life.
The publication also covered the multiplied evils connected with eating and drinking improper substances, improper quantities of wholesome substances, and those associated with quackery, drugging, dress, and improper mental and moral habits.
This book guides moral reform and education, focusing on the human constitution. Alcott explores various topics, such as the importance of physical education, the role of religion in moral reform, and the dangers of vice and intemperance. This resource is valuable for anyone interested in moral reform and education during the 19th century. 394 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1835). The Young Man’s Guide. Boston: S. Colman.

The Young Man’s Guide’s purpose is to form such character in our young men as shall render them worthy, helpful, and happy members. To this end, the author essentially enters into the means of improving the mind, manners, morals, and the proper management of business. Something is also said regarding amusements and bad habits. He has covered the subject of marriage in extensive detail in his other works. The importance of this institution to every young man, the means of rendering it what the Creator intended, together with those incidental evils which either accompany or follow—some of them in terrible retribution—the vices which tend to oppose His benevolent purposes, are faithfully presented, and claim the special attention of the reader.
The book contains 12 chapters on good manners, good habits, good morals, and good health for a young male audience. Alcott issues recommendations and warnings on topics such as diet, work, play, conversation, reading, and care of the body and soul. 370 pages.
The Young Man’s Guide published at least 21 editions between 1833 and 1851.

Alcott, William A. (1836). The Young Mother, or Management of Children in Regard to Health. Boston: Light & Stearns.

This publication provides a comprehensive guide for young mothers on managing their children’s health. The book became a classic in the field of child-rearing. The book covers a wide range of topics related to child health, including nutrition, exercise, hygiene, and disease prevention. Alcott emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good hygienic practices in promoting children’s overall health and well-being. In addition to practical advice on child-rearing, the book includes a section on children’s moral and spiritual education. Alcott encourages parents to instill in their children the values of honesty, kindness, and respect for others. This book is a valuable resource for young mothers and anyone interested in the health and well-being of children. Alcott’s practical advice and emphasis on moral and spiritual education make this book a timeless classic in child-rearing.
This book covers the nursery, temperature, ventilation, child’s clothing, cleanliness, bathing, food, drinks, giving medicine, exercise, amusements, crying, laughing, sleep, early, rising, hardening the constitution, society, employment, education of the senses, and abuses. 346 pages.
This book underwent 20 editions of the original title, published in 1836. The 20th edition was published in 1855

Recipe (or receipts as they were called) from the **Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men and By Experience in All Ages.**

Alcott, William A. (1836). Moral Reformer and Teacher on the Human Constitution V2. Boston: Published by Light & Horton.

This book is a collection of a monthly journal from 1936 that Alcott began in 1935 titled The Moral Reformer. This book is a comprehensive guide to moral reform and education, focusing on the human constitution. Alcott explores various topics, such as the importance of physical education, the role of religion in moral reform, and the dangers of vice and intemperance. This book addresses specific aspects of moral reform and education. This resource is valuable for anyone interested in moral reform and education during the 19th century. 406 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1837). An Address Delivered Before the American Physiological Society, March 7, 1837. Boston: Light & Stearns.

In this address delivered before the American Physiological Society on March 7, 1837, he discusses that physiology is a knowledge of ourselves. It treats the laws obtained in the various parts or organs that make up our physical frame and the relationship of those organs to each other and objects in the external world — air, temperature, light, food, drink, etc. It teaches us, in one word, ourselves. He is a wise man who truly knows himself, morally and physically. He shares that physiology is like a key, which, when applied, can unlock nature’s hidden treasures and mysteries.
He discusses how the mother cannot feed, dress, or carry her infant without physiology. A generation trained to follow the great laws of nature might be made to last 20+ years longer in life. However, he laments that there is not a single physiological treaty that is well adapted for education. However, even though no one text exists, he believes that everyone should study and that they need to continue these meetings and begin a library to share ideas. 40 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1837). The Library of Health: and Teacher on the Human Constitution. Boston: George W. Light.

Alcott’s monthly The Moral Reformer is replaced by the Teacher of Health and the Laws of the Human Constitution. The first volume of an eventual six volumes is a periodical from 1837-1842. Alcott’s objective was to generate interest in the community in studying anatomy and physiology for themselves and to provide education that could be put to immediate use.
Although a periodical, this volume has no separate mastheads or wrappers, with pages headed “Library of Health” and continuous pagination throughout. A table of contents is provided alphabetically and covers various health topics, including case stories and practical advice to live a long and healthy life. 392 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1837). The House I Live In; or The Human Body. Boston, Light & Stearns.

Dr. Alcott shares that to keep the mind and heart right, and we should know how to keep the body right. Man has a body as well as a mind. A system of education that overlooks either is essentially defective. With this view in mind, Dr. Alcott commenced a series of essays on anatomy and physiology in the first volume of the Juvenile Rambler and continued into the second. He also wrote in Parlays Magazine in volumes two, three, and four on the same subject. Many articles were titled “The House I Live In.”
This book is organized into 17 chapters. Chapter 1 begins with houses and compares them to the human body. Over the rest of the book, he continues to compare the framework of a house to that of a body. He covers the materials of the “frame” (skeleton), the sills (hip bones), the body of the house (height, spine, ribs, collarbone, etc.), the arms, and the hand. He continues with the head and brain, the hinges or joints, skin, muscles, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, blood, and the body’s temperature. 264 pages.
In the third edition, its format remains the model for successive additions. The anatomy in the third addition extends beyond the skeletal and muscular systems described in the first edition. It includes the anatomy and, to a lesser extent, the physiology of the organs of sense, digestion, circulation, and nerves. 276 pages. https://archive.org/details/houseiliveinorhu00alcorich

Alcott, William A. (1837). Ways Of Living On Small Means. Boston: Light and Sterns.

This book is broken into ten chapters and focuses on living comfortably and happily by small means. Alcott shares that the actual wants of man’s physical nature are very few. He believes that people should live within their means so that they can find time to study and enjoy themselves through continued acquired knowledge. He covers estates and business, houses and furniture, transportation and servants, dress, food and drink, medicine and physicians, books and schools, customs and habits, society, and gives several case study examples. 106 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1838). The Home-Book of Health and Medicine. Philadelphia: Evans.

This book covers the laws and means of physical culture adapted to practical use: embracing laws of digestion, breathing, ventilation, uses of the lungs, circulation, and renovation, laws and diseases of the skin, bathing, how to prevent consumption, clothing and temperature, food and cooking, poisons, exercise and rest, the proper use of physicians. 536 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1838). Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages Including a System of Vegetable Cookery. Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon.

One of the first books to advocate a vegetarian diet was sanctioned by the first vegetarian organization, the American Vegetarian Society. A contemporary vegetarian food critic might have written the dedicated lifestyle philosophy advocated in Alcott’s Vegetable Diet. Alcott’s complete disdain for meat and all animal products consumed as food would be called a vegan diet. His book focuses on the superiority of a vegetable diet for supporting health and recovering from disease. It contains dozens of letters testifying to that belief by various medical experts and many citizens who report in great detail the benefits of the vegetable diet for their health and lifestyle.
This book provided information on ancient cultures, such as the Pythagoreans and Essenes, that ate no meat, as well as on the Bible-Christians and the American Physiological Society.
In addition, the book includes a complete defense of the vegetable diet on anatomical, physiological, medical, political, economic, and moral grounds, with the final argument devoted to the immorality of men “plunging their hands in blood,” as antithetical to the tenets of true Christianity. The book also contains chapters on the nature and preparation, through narrative recipes, of “farinaceous or mealy substances,” fruits, roots, buds, shoots, leaves, and stalks, as well as “receipts” for most of the common garden vegetables of the day.
Alcott thought animal flesh overstimulated the nerves, taxed the digestive system, and diverted energies. More importantly, he believed that gluttony, dyspepsia, and other culinary ills were seen as a threat to the nation’s physical and moral well-being. Alcott thought the vegetable diet would change the nation’s eating habits, transforming its citizens. He was a founding member and the first president of the American Vegetarian Society (est 1850). 290 pages. 290 pages.
- Vegetarianism was one of the many facets of health reform embraced by the publishing firm of Fowlers and Wells. Over a decade after the first edition appeared, the firm published five more issues of the second edition between 1849 and 1859, adding a categorical arrangement of acceptable foods into classes, divisions, sections, and recipes. 1853 publication

Alcott, William A. (1838). The Young House-Keeper, or Thoughts on Food and Cookery. Boston, G. W. Light.

In this book, Alcott addresses the woman’s role as a housekeeper. He devotes the first five chapters (out of 48) to the dignity and principles of domestic science. Most of the book was about nutrition principles and reformed cooking. He explained the nutritional benefits of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts and their preparation and consumption. He also discusses the pitfalls of various foods, particularly the consumption of animal flesh and excessive reliance on dairy.
In summarizing the principles of diet and cooking, Alcott states that the housekeeper should observe simplicity in the quantity and variety of foods served at the home. Meals should be served at regular hours and accommodated to the age groups of those at the table. He insists that food should not be served hot; it should be well-masticated to aid taste, nutrition, and digestion. Alcott concludes his book with a time-effort study of household tasks, provides recommendations on how time may be economized, and discusses how the housekeeper can implement the reformation of domestic routine. 440 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1839). Dosing and Drugging, or Destroying by Inches. Boston: George W. Light.

Dr. Alcott begins the book by discussing the definition of dosing, which is the administration of medicine in portions or doses, and that drugging is the custom of tincturing with drugs, things which, in themselves, are not necessarily medicinal. He wanted to share in this book several cases that resulted from indiscriminate everyday dosing and drugging. Alcott firmly believed that this was the means of destroying more lives than famine, pestilence, or the sword. He defined medicine as things dealt out by the physician or apothecary, which he believes are irritating and poisonous. He thought that the daily use of medicine in small doses aggravated the complaint for which it was taken and invited new diseases. Dr. Alcott shares a variety of examples through case studies. 52 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1839). How to Prevent Consumption. Boston: George W. Light.

In this brief publication, Dr. Alcott shares about consumption (a wasting disease, especially pulmonary tuberculosis). He breaks it down into chapters discussing fatalities, means of prevention, the health of parents and children, and case studies. He also includes the importance of fresh air, proper food and drink, physical and moral purity, proper dress, cleanliness, exercise, ventilation, avoiding medication, and the health of the mind. 28 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1839). Tea and Coffee. Boston: G.W. Light.

This book explores the impact of tea and coffee on the human body, mind, and spirit and raises questions about their potentially harmful effects. Alcott examines the chemical composition of tea and coffee, their physiological effects on the body, and their potential to cause addiction. He also explores the cultural and social significance of tea and coffee consumption and suggests alternative drinks that may be healthier and more beneficial. The book is a comprehensive study of the effects of tea and coffee on human health and provides valuable insights into the history and culture of these popular beverages.
This book is divided into three parts: tea, coffee, and the statistics on tea and coffee. Part one covers the history of tea, tea as medicine and as a poison, the manner of using tea, and a reply to arguments in defense of tea. Part two covers the origin of coffee, its properties, its effects on the human system, and objections. The last part covers the statistics of tea and coffee. 183 Pages.

Alcott, William A. (1840). The Young Woman’s Guide to Excellence. Boston: G.W. Light.

This book was written to encourage holiness in unmarried women from twelve to twenty years old. In this first section, Alcott defines “excellence” as synonymous with holiness and explains why the term “woman” is preferable to “lady.” Alcott also discusses young women’s responsibilities compared to young men, the importance of self-education, and the virtue of a young woman’s love of progress. The book is divided into several sections, each addressing different facets of a young woman’s life.
- Virtue and Character: Alcott emphasizes cultivating moral integrity, kindness, and honesty. He encourages young women to be virtuous in their actions and interactions. Treating others with compassion and empathy is essential. Alcott believes that virtuous behavior positively impacts personal happiness and societal harmony.
- Education and Self-Improvement: Alcott advocates for continuous learning, both formal and informal. He discusses the value of reading, self-discipline, and intellectual growth.
- Domestic Skills: Practical advice on household management, cooking, sewing, and other essential skills for maintaining a home.
- Health and Well-Being: Alcott stresses the significance of physical health, exercise, and proper nutrition. He promotes a balanced lifestyle and proper nutrition, contributing to a fulfilling life.
- Social Etiquette: The book provides guidelines for social interactions, manners, and comportment. Alcott encourages kindness, empathy, and respectful behavior.
- Spirituality and Faith: Alcott discusses the importance of faith, prayer, and spiritual growth. He encourages young women to seek a deeper connection with their beliefs.
- Self-Respect: Alcott emphasizes that a young woman’s self-worth should not be defined solely by external validation. Inner strength and self-respect are crucial.
- Intellectual Curiosity: He encourages young women to read widely, engage in scholarly pursuits, and stay informed about the world. 370 pages.

Alcott - recipe grains — Recipe (or receipts as they were called) from the **Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men and By Experience in All Ages.**

Alcott, William A. (1840). The Young Husband, or Duties of Man in the Marriage Relation. Boston: G.W. Light.

Alcott covers a wide range of issues of concern to new or soon-to-be husbands: career choice, selection of a wife, living away from one’s parents, how to furnish a home, the concept of human agency, conducting prayer, structuring one’s morning, leisure, and evening hours, developing and sustaining love in a relationship, how to give constructive criticism of one’s spouse for her self-improvement, chronicling one’s life in letters and journals, which newspapers and novels to read, how to make and keep friends, conflict management, gift-giving, having a sense of humor, the importance of discretion and decision, charities, dress, maintaining one’s health, finances, and finally death.
The “Sickness and Medicine” chapter echoes considerations familiar today: the benefits of employing a physician annually and the dangers of relying too heavily on one’s home medicine cabinet. 402 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1842). The Mother’s Medical Guide in Children’s Diseases. Boston: T.R. Marvin.

Alcott uses his introduction to warn his readers that diseases are not easily defined entities for which there are established, normative cures. Disease is the consequence of violating one or more laws of the human constitution. Instead of dosing and drugging, he encourages general knowledge of human structure, function, and relations. Mothers should reject the study of medicine and seek the laws of health instead of the causes of disease. He would rather see mothers banish their medicine chests and expend their energy on prevention rather than on a cure.
The book is an organized, alphabetical catalog of 80 childhood disorders. Alcott describes the symptoms and causes of each. However, his primary purpose was to discourage active medical intervention and encourage hygienic measures in managing disease and its prevention. 314 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1843). The Teacher of Health, and the Laws of the Human Constitution. Boston: D.S. King.

The present series of this periodical began nine years previously and was called the Moral Reformer and Teacher on the Human Constitution. After two volumes were completed, a second series of six volumes was published, the first part of the title being changed to ‘ Library of Health.”
This volume completes the third series and is the conclusion of the work. The same general plan has been followed since the beginning. Each series of the work discusses all subjects connected with Physical Education and Self-Management. They focus on the connection of light, air, temperature, cleanliness, exercise, sleep, food, drink, climate, passions, and affections to achieve health, happiness, and longevity. 396 Pages.

Alcott, William A. (1845). The Boy’s Guide To Usefulness. Creative Media Partners.

Alcott’s guide offers practical advice to young boys on becoming valuable members of society. Focusing on the virtues of hard work, responsibility, and kindness, this work provides a useful resource for parents, teachers, and anyone interested in helping young people grow into responsible adults.
The Boy’s Guide To Usefulness, written by William Andrus Alcott and published in 1844, is a guidebook designed to help young boys become valuable members of society. The book is structured as a series of lessons and anecdotes that teach boys how to be responsible, respectful, and helpful to others. These lessons cover many topics, including the importance of honesty, the value of hard work, and the benefits of education. The book also includes practical advice on being a good friend, behaving in public, and avoiding bad habits. Throughout the book, Alcott emphasizes the importance of developing good character and values and encourages boys to take responsibility for their actions and their impact on others. He also stresses the importance of following one’s conscience and making decisions based on what is correct rather than popular or easy. Overall, The Boy’s Guide To Usefulness is a timeless guidebook that offers valuable lessons and advice for young boys looking to become responsible and productive members of society. 188 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1846). The Young Wife, or, Duties of Woman in the Marriage Relation. Boston: Waite, Peirce.

The Young was one of Alcott’s most popular books, appearing in 20 additions through 1855. In the opening chapter, Alcott provides general remarks on marriage. Each of the following 24 chapters is devoted to a quality that he thought was essential to a young wife and a successful marriage (kindness, cheerfulness, confidence, sympathy, delicacy, love of home, purity of character, simplicity, etc.). The remaining chapters touch on other concerns and obligations, such as dress, hygiene, attending to the sick, intellectual improvement, and moral influence on the husband. However, sexual ethics and physiology were not covered. 390 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1849). Familiar Letters to Young Men on Various Subjects. Buffalo: G. H. Derby.

In a novel concept, Dr. Alcott presents a variety of topics to young men on various subjects in the form of letters. He covers self-respect, self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-dependence, education and instruction, harmony of character, reading, conversation, love, knowing ourselves, physiology, phrenology, traveling, conscientiousness, purity, character, decision-making, business, money, pleasure, excitement, respect, politics, females, the general duty of marriage, religion, and death. 324 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1850). Letters to a Sister, Or, Woman’s Mission. New York: G. H. Derby.

This publication is the lady’s version of The Letters to Young Men.
In a novel concept, Dr. Alcott presents a variety of topics to young women on various subjects in the form of letters. He covers convictions of truth, duties, amusements, employment, studies, moral character, associates in and beyond the family, acquaintances, correspondence, friendships, courtship, physical, qualifications, seven plain rules, disappointment, doing good, effort, religion, truth, caring for the sick, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. 329 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1850). The Young Woman’s Book of Health. Boston: Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason.

Comprising Practical Instructions on the Physical Growth and Development of Womanhood and the Promotion of Health, Happiness, and Beauty of Face and Form.
In this book, Dr. Alcott argues that women are currently being educated in a way detrimental to their health and well-being. He laments that societal norms are such that women are glorified for their beauty, which is judged by artificial and unrealistic standards such as a pale complexion and delicate features. The author shares that these misguided ideals result in women with poor health outcomes because their bodies are unable to withstand common illnesses or extreme conditions.
Both the problem and the solution lie in the education of young females. In Chapter 2, Alcott discusses the issues of current female education. He feels that young women, trained as a whole, are taught tenderness, delicacy, nervousness, feebleness of muscle, want of appetite, and imperfect digestion. In Chapter 3, he suggests the remedy for women through the laws of exercise, respiration, cleanliness, diet, circulation, mind, and heart. The remaining chapters describe how neglect of these principles results in uterine disorders such as menstrual abnormalities, hysteria, sterility, uterine displacements, neoplasms, etc. Throughout his discussion of these issues, Alcott lays greater emphasis on prevention than on the cure. He taught hygienic management rather than self-treatment through injudicious dosing and drugging.
Alcott advocates for a radical shift in how women are physically educated. He encourages them to engage in more physical activity, eat healthier, and take better care of their bodies. He insists that women are capable of developing physical strength and endurance to levels that will improve their overall health and well-being. Alcott believed that women should be as healthy and strong as men and that their education should reflect this. 311 pages

Alcott, William A. (1853). Lectures on Life and Health, or The Laws and Means of Physical Culture. Boston: Phillips, Sampson, and Co.

This book is a comprehensive guide to physical culture and healthy living. It is divided into chapters covering various aspects of health, including hygiene, diet, exercise, sleep, and mental health. The author emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle and provides practical advice. He also discusses the effects of various diseases on the body and suggests how to prevent them. The book is written in clear and concise language, making it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in improving their health and well-being. 518 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1853). The Physical and Moral Effects of Using Tobacco as a Luxury: A Prize Essay. New York: Harned.

In this concise publication, Dr. Alcott shares the filthiness of tobacco, its poisonous or medical character, and its wastefulness and wickedness. He believes that parents can set a proper example for their children and exclude any form of tobacco. 32 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1853). Gift Book for Young Ladies or Familiar Letters on Their Acquaintance, Male and Female, Employment, Friendships. 1854. Buffalo: Miller, Orton, and Mulligan.

This book is the second volume of the young woman’s guide. The book is a collection of letters written to young women, offering advice and guidance on various aspects of their lives. The letters cover relationships with male and female acquaintances, suitable employment for young women, and the importance of friendships. The book is intended to be a gift for young women, providing them with guidance and inspiration as they navigate the challenges of growing up. With its focus on female empowerment and self-improvement, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of women’s education and social development. 323 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1856). The Physiology of Marriage. Boston: J.P. Jewett.

Alcott devotes himself in this work to the social, moral, and physical consideration of the relations of men and women in marriage. He discusses the appropriate age for marriage, with males being at least 25 and females being at least 21. Alcott discusses the importance of an early understanding of reproductive physiology and the dangers in courtship of young males’ ungovernable passions and appetites. He also talks about the harmful effects of premature sexual indulgences, fornication, masturbation, and the physical laws of marriage. Alcott further discusses pregnancy, abortion, contraceptive methods, sexual behavior during lactation, venereal disease, and two chapters on the Laws of Hygiene. 272 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1856). Gift Book for Young Men: Familiar Letters on Self-Knowledge, Self-education, Female Society, Marriage. New York, Auburn: Miller, Orton & Mulligan.

In a novel concept, Dr. Alcott presents a variety of topics to young men on various subjects in the form of letters. He covers self-respect, self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-dependence, education and instruction, harmony of character, reading, conversation, love, knowing ourselves, physiology, phrenology, traveling, conscientiousness, purity, character, decision-making, business, money, pleasure, excitement, respect, politics, females, the general duty of marriage, religion, and death. 332 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1856). The Home Book of Life and Health, or the Laws and Means of Physical Culture, Adapted to Practical Use. Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Company.

This book was adopted for practical use, embracing the laws of digestion, breathing, ventilation, uses of the lungs, circulation and renovation, laws and diseases of the skin, bathing, how to prevent consumption, clothing and temperature, food and cooking, poisons, exercise, and rest, and the correct use of physicians. 516 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1857). The Laws of Health, or Sequel to “The House I Live In. Boston: John P. Jewett.

Alcott shares, “Our minds are the tenants of the body, so complicated as to be continually liable to derangement and premature decay, yet we seldom know the means of preventing either. Is it not strange that knowledge of such vast importance should’ve been so long overlooked and practically disregarded?” He adds, “Man has a body as well as a mind; and such as the connection between them, that it is as much his duty to understand the nature of the one, as of the other. A system of education that overlooks either is essentially defective.”
This book originated from a series of essays published under the title in the first volume of the Juvenile Rambler, or Family and School Journal (Boston, 1832), a periodical Alcott edited after moving to Boston late in 1831. The book takes the form of an elaborate analogy, likening the human frame to the structure of a house. Though the book is devoted to anatomy, it includes references to hygiene. Most chapters conclude with review questions for school use. The book contains 30 wood engravings and many illustrations, which were just coming into general use.
448 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1857). The Moral Philosophy of Courtship and Marriage. New York: Jewett.

This publication was designed as a companion to the physiology of marriage. Alcott’s physiology of marriage dealt with the sexual aspects of marriage. The present work considers the purpose of marriage, the qualifications for marriage, and the duties, virtues, habits, accomplishments, and disposition required for a successful union between a man and a woman. 353 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1858). The Home-Book of life and health, or The Laws and Means of Physical Culture Adapted to Practical Use. Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Company.

This book responds to the continual requests from attendees during the 15 years Dr. Alcott spent lecturing his views on health. The lectures are not strictly physiological; more importantly, they focus on hygiene or the laws of health. 500 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1859). Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders; or The Cogitations and Confessions of an Aged Physician. Boston: J.P. Jewett.

Alcott recounts his early interest in health and healing, his medical training, the practice of medicine in rural Connecticut, and observations on existing therapeutics’ limitations and apparent dangers. It is indeed a confession of the inadequacy of regular medicine. The book’s message can be summarized in one line, “the best preventative of disease is good health.”
Incidents derived from his medical practice provide the foundation for revealing the general ignorance of the medical profession, the dangers of medicines arbitrarily administered, his gradual realization of the healing powers of nature, and the hygienic principles by which disease may be averted altogether.
Dr. William A. Alcott recounts several cases of dyspepsia that recovered health from simple diets. This diet consisted of Graham crackers, dried Graham bread, water, apples, or other fruit. Three to seven ounces of whole-meal bread daily were eaten for lengthy periods. Remarkable recoveries from conditions other than dyspepsia are recorded as results of this abstemious fare. 404 pages.

Alcott, William A. (1859). The Laws of Health, or, Sequel to “The House I Live In”: Designed for Families and Schools. Boston: Jewett.