Thrifting Diaries: 1880 Encyclopedia of Home And Health

It should come as no surprise that I am a huge fan of searching for old treasures. And I do it all – yard sales, auctions, estate sales, classifieds, thrift shops, side of the road. Usually, I look for furniture to upcycle, decor and vintage goodies I can sell on etsy or keep for myself. Often, I acquire pieces that are just too amazing and deserve for their story to be told. I figured it would be interesting to share these awesome finds with the world. And this is why I am starting Thrifting Diaries Series – to bring these incredible vintage items into their deserving spotlight. This time around I am sharing a book I found – 1880 Encyclopedia of Home And Health; A Domestic Guide to Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Where did this 1880 Encyclopedia of Home and Health come from?

I get so giddy when I run into finds like these. This book came from an estate sale where I found quite a few great items. A local company has a space where they bring the whole estate, instead of setting up the operation at the sellers’ home, as it’s predominantly the case. The store is massive with rows of tables and shelves running from the door to the very back.

In the far corner they have a few bookshelves set up, and this time around I saw some antique looking tomes that piqued my interest, and this encyclopedia was the one I was drawn to. I was expecting it to be pricey, because it was old and large. But the sign said hardcovers were $4 and it was a 50% off day. Shocked, I examined the book and, sure enough, there was a price tag – $4!

So, I paid $2 for it!!!

I expected to pay a lot more, but this may be the true value of it. Truly, I rarely look at books for resale, because I don’t have much experience pricing them. Most of the time I buy books that I know I will be keeping. And that was the case with this marvel.

After examining it, I realized that there is one page missing and it was one of the very first ones, but other 900, even if loose, are all there.

This is the only page I am missing in the book. And if you are interested in listing through it, the whole book can be found HERE.

What makes this this 1880 Encyclopedia of Home and Health so interesting?

I am not even sure where to start! It’s old and thick! It’s massive! And it’s an antique! You can feel the history beaming with every page turn. Apparently, it was used in medical training. This encyclopedia is Volume 1 of 2 and covers mostly health-related topics.

The style of writing was so different and less direct as you’d expect in present day health encyclopedias. It also provides a peek into the 19th century life and how times have changed. These pages were published in 1880, only 15 years after the Civil War! The country was in the middle of the Gilded Era of rapid economic growth, Garfield was elected president and Wabash, Indiana, became the world’s first electrically lighted city! How is that for perspective!

I was somewhat surprised about how much health wisdom was captured in the book that predates Penicillin by 5 decades.However, a lot of the information was somewhat comical, which makes it even more special. Want to see some fun and questionable facts? Let’s go!

Hair Matters

I know there are still those who believe the stereotype of red-haired women being fiery, but I didn’t expect to see it in a scientific publication. It is amusing though!

Furthermore, try not to think or stress too much, because you can overheat your brain and go bald! Great advice for all ages, even if there’s no thermo-dynamic reaction in the brain.

Also, bears’ grease?! WHAT??

Brain Matters

This one is pretty confusing. Is it fatigue? I feel like I am always in some form of delirium caused by lack of sleep. But they didn’t have Netflix to binge shows in the 1880’s! And I am a little jealous that they actually got enough sleep without distractions back then. But I like having electricity, too! So there’s that.

Next up – HYSTERICS! If you ask me, the name is a little too dramatic for the good old PMS!

Private matters

“Opportunity makes importunity!” Should I say more?

But in the section on venereal diseases (yup, it’s there), it provides some much needed advice.

What makes this 1880 Encyclopedia of Home and Health Super special?

The first time I opened this book, I found a pressed flower. It was so sweet, and reminded me of when I made my own herbarium in fifth grade biology class.

And then I kept finding more. I wondered how long it may have been there, and if it were a gift from someone special, pressed to be preserved forever.

Then I uncovered a letter that added possible context. It was written around Thanksgiving of 1933 by Aunt Laura to her newly wed niece wishing her the best of luck. The note is loving and written with carefully chosen words, we rarely see these day.

I’d like to think this 1880 Encyclopedia of Home And Health was gifted to the newly-weds and passed on by Aunt Laura to help them navigate marriage. But I could be wrong!

And I could go on. But I better stop before I write a book about this book. I hope this 1880 Encyclopedia of Home And Health intrigued you as much as me. And that you got the warm and fuzzy feelings with these special finds like I did. So long, until the next find and new edition of the Thirfting Diaries.