Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
Before a glowing and brilliant Audience of near Three Hundred Ladies
and Gentlemen, who were commanded by VENUS, CUPID, and HYMEN! to
assist, in joyous Assembly, at the Grand Feast of very FAT THINGS,
which was held at their Temple, on Monday Evening, the 25th of
November, 1782; but which was interrupted by the rude and unexpected
Arrival of his Worship MIDAS NEUTERSEX, Esq^{re.} ... just as the
Dessert was about to be served up.
Published at the earnest Desire of many of the Company, and to
gratify the impatient and very intense longings of Thousands of
Adepts, Hibernian and British;--of the Cognoscenti;--et de les
Amateur ardens des _delices exquise_ de Venus!
To which is subjoined, a description of the Stupendous Nature
and Effects of the Celebrated
CELESTIAL BED!’
The ‘VESTINA, or Goddess of Health,’ was no mean person. She began
life as a domestic servant, and was named Emma Lyons. She was a
good-looking, florid, buxom wench, and, after having played her part as
priestess at the ‘Temple of Health and Hymen,’ became the wife of the
dilletante Sir William Hamilton, English Minister at Naples, and was
afterwards notorious for her connection with Lord Nelson.
Graham wrote in 1790, ‘A short Treatise on the All cleansing--all
healing--and all invigorating Qualities of the SIMPLE EARTH, when long
and repeatedly applied to the naked Human Body and Lungs, for the safe,
speedy, and radical Cure of all Diseases, internal as well as external,
which are, in their Nature or Stage, susceptible of being cured;--for
the preservation of the Health, Vigour, Bloom, and Beauty of Body and
of Mind; for rejuvenating the aged and decaying Human Body;--and for
prolonging Life to the very longest possible Period, &c.’
For the benefit of those who would try the doctor’s earth-cure, I
extract the following: ‘I generally, or always, prefer the sides or
tops of hills or mountains, as the air and the earth are the more
pure and salubrious; but the air and earth of ordinary pasture
or corn-fields, especially those that are called upland, and even
good clean garden-ground, or the higher commons, especially fallow
corn-fields, are all salutary and good.
‘As to the colour and nature of the earth or soil, I prefer a good
brown or reddish blooming mould, and light, sandy, crumbly, mellow and
marrowy earth; or that which feels when I am in it, and crumbling with
my hands and fingers, like bits of marrow among fine Flour; and that
which has a strong, sweet, earthly smell----’
So that my readers now know exactly what to do.
He had a fairly comprehensive idea of modern hygiene, as will be seen
from the following extract from ‘General Instructions to the persons
who consult Dr. Graham as a Physician’:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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