{"product_id":"can-onions-cure-ear-ache-william-buchan-9781851243822","title":"Can Onions Cure Ear-Ache?: Medical Advice from 1769","description":"What common condition was once treated with cow dung? How might oyster shells relieve heartburn? Can eels really cure deafness? Is the secret to stopping a stubborn case of hiccups a simple ingredient found in most pantries? If you were struck by illness or injury in the late eighteenth century, you would most likely have been referred to Scottish physician William Buchan's\u003ci\u003e Domestic Medicine\u003c\/i\u003e--and, as a result, you may have found yourself administering urine to your ears or drinking a broth made from sheep's brains. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOriginally published in 1769, \u003ci\u003eDomestic Medicine\u003c\/i\u003e was produced for the benefit of those without access to--or means to afford--medical assistance, and copies of the book were found in apothecaries and coffee houses, private households and clubs. In 1797, \u003ci\u003e Bounty \u003c\/i\u003emutineer Fletcher Christian and his crew even had the foresight to pack a copy before fleeing to the Pitcairns. Derived from folklore and the emerging medical science of the day, some of Buchan's recommendations for how to live a healthy life still ring true: for instance, exercising, enjoying a varied diet, and getting an abundance of fresh air. Others are delightfully dodgy or even downright dangerous, such as genital trusses, the prescription of mercury, or the suggestion that Spanish fly might soothe aching joints. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBringing together an exceedingly entertaining selection of entries from one of the earliest self-help books, Can Onions Cure Ear-ache? offers fascinating insight into the popular treatments of the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e William Buchan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1851243828\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781851243822\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bodleian Library\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/15\/2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.30w x 0.80d","brand":"William Buchan","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48447995314431,"sku":"9781851243822","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5ae8a937-8f8a-4778-9899-70732e6c112b.jpg?v=1777236195","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/can-onions-cure-ear-ache-william-buchan-9781851243822","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}