Lillie Langtry – Victorian and Edwardian Socialite, Actress and Businesswoman

Lillie Langtry, The Sketch, August 30th 1899.

 ”It is amusing to think how I first graduated from a professional beauty to the rank of an amateur, and finally to that of an actress.”

(Mrs Langtry, April 1885)

 

Lillie Langtry (née Emilie Charlotte Le Breton) was born at St. Saviour’s rectory on the island of Jersey, 13th October 1853 and died in Monte Carlo on 12th February 1929.  She is buried in St. Saviour’s churchyard.   Lillie’s life was a complex tapestry of fame, fortune, international travel, scandal, love and loss.  She possessed a strong independent spirit and charm that saw her through many of life’s ups and downs.   She also had good business acumen and was also a successful racehorse owner, winning Cesarewitch twice with her horses Merman (1897) and Yutoi (1921).  

In 1874 she married Edward Langtry and following their move to London became the toast of high society.   One of her many admirers, and a gentleman with whom she had a three-year affair, was Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.  Albert Edward succeeded Queen Victoria to the throne in 1902 and took the title of Edward VII.   They first met at a dinner party on 24th May 1877, her husband was also in attendance.   The affair began later on that same year and lasted until 1880.  

In 1877 Edward purchased a plot of land in Bournemouth’s East Cliff area and commissioned The Red House to be built.  This house became the couple’s private love retreat.  Lillie designed the house.   The building is now a charming and beautifully kept hotel called Langtry Manor.   We recently spent a fabulous Sunday at Langtry Manor, indulging in a traditional afternoon tea, followed by a guided tour of some of the house’s historic features and finishing-off on the first floor in the mini-museum of Lillie’s life.

  

The Red House, now Langtry Manor hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset.

 

 

View of the Dining Hall at The Red House, from the peephole Albert had installed.

Albert installed a peephole on the first floor so that he could check on arriving guests and decide whether he wanted to greet them or not.

Lillie's initials E.L.L. (Emilie Le Breton Langtry) carved into the inglenook oak fireplace, Dining Hall, Red House.

Lovely mini-museum on the first floor containing memorabilia connected to the life of Lillie Langtry, including a small display with relevant artefacts and pictures from 1877.

 

Lillie used her diamond ring to scratch her initials and intertwined love hearts on one of the side windows at The Red House.

In April 1879 Lillie began an affair with Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854-1921) and on 8th March 1881 Lillie gave birth to her daughter Jeanne-Marie in Paris which was rumoured to be the Prince’s child.  The child was brought-up as Lillie’s niece and told who her father was on the eve of her wedding day.  In July 1879 she also began an affair with the Earl of Shrewsbury and in June 1880 the pair had planned to run away together    The birth of Jeanne-Marie began a turbulent period in Lillie’s life.  Her husband Edward was declared bankrupt in the same year and the scandal created by rumours surrounding Jeanne-Marie’s father and Lillie’s many indescretions, resulted in Lillie being ostracized by society.  

Never one to be down for long, the enterprising Lillie became an actress and joined Bancroft’s company at The Haymarket Theatre, London.   Lillie made her professional début on the 15th December 1881 as Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer (Oliver Goldsmith).  She then founded her own theatre company.  She became an American citizen in 1897.  Lillie loved America and toured the country many times between 1882-1889.  Lillie finally divorced her husband in 1897 and married Hugo Gerald de Bathe in 1899.  Edward died destitute in 1899.

Lillie also endorsed Pears’ Soap.  The following extract is from an 1884 advert:

‘Pears’ Soap – specially prepared for the delicate skin of ladies and children.  Prevents redness, roughness and chapping.  Fair white hands, bright clear complexion, soft healthful skin.  Mrs L. says, “Since using Pears’ Soap on the hands and complexion I have discarded all others.’

Lillie endorsed many beauty products. From the display at Red House (now Langtry Manor hotel).

 

I came across the following in a Scottish newspaper in April 1885 describing a visit made by a journalist to Lillie’s house in Eaton Square, London:-

‘The door of Mrs. Langtry’s house in Eaton Square is opened by a young Celestial named Wang-Fo, endowed with a pigtail of exceeding length and a surcoat of pale purple silk.  There are colossal footmen in attendance, but the picturesque substitute for a boy in buttons is Wang-Fo, a Chinaman in whom there is apparently no guile, and who was picked-up in ‘Frisco by Mrs Langtry, who, with the beautifully confiding nature of woman, believes him to be the son of a sometime wealthy merchant in that lively city – in short, the son of better days.  Wang-Fo politely inducts the visitor into a morning-room, furnished with a capacious couch of black satin…..In the drawing-room overhead hangs her own portrait, by Mr Poynter, R.A….. Presently appears Mrs Langtry, robed in an elegant costume which would prove very trying to a less beautiful complexion.  It is of steel-gray brocade with a mysterious scarf-like garnish of soft cachemire of the identical shade.  No other colour except her own hue of pale ivory, and hair of blonde-cendree, is visible upon Mrs Langtry, except a little cream-coloured Valois colour and the tip of a tiny black satin shoe, embroidered with gold.  Under one splendidly moulded arm the actress carries a purely white English terrier with a suspicion of the bull-dog in his head and fore-legs [Billy].’

If you are in Bournemouth I thoroughly recommend a visit, stay, meal or afternoon tea at Langtry Manor, Derby Road, East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3QB, Tel: 01202 553887, www.langtrymanor.co.uk, e-mail: lillie@langtrymanor.com.

 

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Make Do and Mend – Recycling Fashion 1940s Style

My 2011 twist on the 1940s Make Do and Mend ethos. Take one length of 1940s dress fabric.

Add modern trimmings and buttons. Transform spare fabric into a matching purse.

 

Turn rest of spare fabric into a rose brooch with button detail.

 

Recently my friend and I found ourselves flicking through the rails in our favourite vintage clothing store, Foxtrot Vintage Shop in Salisbury, Wiltshire.  My friend found a lovely 1940s summer dress, with knitting motifs on the fabric and matching belt detail.   It fitted her perfectly, the only problem was that it was just too long.  Sensing my friend’s disappointed and possible decline to purchase, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration.   I could cut the excess fabric off of the bottom and turn it into a matching purse and rose brooch, the latter perfect for pinning on to a matching cardigan.  Both of us left the shop thrilled, my friend had purchased a charming dress that fitted her like a glove and I had a craft project on my hands. This got me thinking just how relevant the 1940s government campaign, Make Do and Mend, was to us today in these cash strapped times.  

What was the Make Do and Mend campaign?   By Spring 1941 the amount of clothing reaching Britain was in short supply.  On 1st June 1941 the UK Government introduced clothes rationing, allowing each person 66 clothing coupons per year.  In 1943 The Ministry of Information distributed the pamphlet ‘Make Do and Mend’, supported by advertisements in magazines and on newsreels.  DIY fashion was born.  One advertisement issued by the Board of Trade in 1942 declared:

‘If you care for clothes you naturally want to take care of your clothes.  This is a really important War job for every woman to take seriously today.    Fortunately, you are rewarded for the extra trouble, not only by feeling that you are helping to win the War, but also by looking your best all the time.  And you save money as well as coupons.’

Here are a few examples of 1940s Make Do and Mend advice:

 

• Turn worn-out sheets into tea-towels or glass cloths;
• Join a Make Do and Mend class;
• Rayon – don’t soak, dip them.  Don’t boil them, use lukewarm water, don’t wring or twist them.  Hang evenly so they do not pull out of shape;
• Always keep a needle and thread handy.  Deal with a ladder or tear straight-away;
• Old bath towels can be turned into flannels and the more badly worn towels can be used for dusters or floor cloths.  A swimsuit can also be made out of bath towels;
• Unpick dog biscuit or sugar bags and turn into tea towels;
• Hat netting can be made into fish net stockings;
• If your suspenders need renewing, knit 4 inch-wide bands and replace worn suspenders.  Re-attach old grips to knitted bands;
• Sew loops on your towels and hang them up, they will last longer.

Clothing and shoe exchanges were also very popular.  These would have been run by local schools or women’s organisations such as the WVS/WRVS.   Clothing rationing ended on 15th March 1949.

 

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The Victorian Pharmacy – Pills, Custard and Plasters!

Pill advert from 1895

I recently discovered, in a London newspaper from 1895,  some fascinating adverts for pharmaceutical products and thought you would be interested to see them.  Also, if you are a fan of the BBC 2 series Victorian Pharmacy,  the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s website has a really good article available to view from the July/August 2010 issue of Professional Pharmacy.   Jeff Mills discusses the making of the BBC series with one of the participants, Professor Nick Barber.   

Advert for Bird's Custard Powder, 1895.

On Victorian Pharmacy, Ruth Goodman recreates the recipe for Bird’s Custard.  Originally formulated by Chemist Alfred Bird.  His wife had an egg allergy and this prompted Alfred to create a custard powder that would bind without having to use eggs.  He made his first batch in 1837.  The product was so successful that Alfred decided to go into manufacturing, setting-up Alfred Bird & Sons in Birmingham.   In 1895, he had expanded his product range to include blancmange powder and jelly powder.  Bird’s Custard powder is still available and popular today.  We always have a tub of it in our store cupboard, if you add a dash of good quality, organic vanilla essence it makes the most delicious accompaniment to stewed rhubarb and ginger.

 

Advert for Allcock's plasters, 1895.

Plasters in Victorian times were not exactly the same as they are today.   Plasters were made by the Chemist out of flattened leather, white sheepskin or chamois shaped according to where it was to be placed on the body.  The plasters were partially covered with a thin layer of either melted resin, wool fat or beeswax which contained active ingredients, often essential oils.   When the plaster was placed onto the body part, heat would melt the resin, fat or wax and the oils would penetrate through the skin to ease the symptoms.   The plasters were packed into a box, each layer separated by grease-proof paper.   They sold well in the Victorian Pharmacy.

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Mrs Beeton’s advice for The Housekeeper

Image of a typical kitchen, from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1915 edition.

There are not many weeks left now until the second series of ITV’s hugely successful and simply brilliant Downton Abbey returns to our tv screens.  I believe that the first episode is due for transmission on Sunday 18th September.  The first series ended at the outbreak of World War One on 4th August 1914.  The second series continues the story in 1916, two years into the Great War.  In the second series Downton Abbey is converted into a Military Hospital for wounded servicemen.

I am looking forward to bringing you some Mrs Beeton tie-ins to help bring life below stairs to life.  My edition of Mrs B’s book is from 1915 and contains lengthy advice for the cook (including kitchen-maid duties), the housekeeper, the butler, domestic servants and their duties.  I thought I would whet your appetite and bring you Mrs B’s advice for ’The Housekeeper – Chapter II’ together with her recipe for candied peel.  One of the suggested evening occupations for the housekeeper was to make candied peel:

Duties and Responsibilities

‘As second in Command in the House, except in large establishments, where there is a house-steward, the housekeeper must consider herself as the immediate representative of her mistress, and bring to her work all the qualities of honesty, industry, and vigilance which could be expected of her if she were at the head of her own family.  Constantly striving to promote the prosperity of the household, she should oversee all that goes on in the house, that every department is thoroughly attended to, and that the servants are comfortable, at the same time that their various duties are properly performed.  Cleanliness, punctuality, and method are essentials in the character of a good housekeeper.  Without these qualities, no household can be well-managed.  Order again, is indispensable; by it we provide that “there should be a place for everything, and everything in its place.”  A necessary qualification for a housekeeper is that she should thoroughly understand accounts.  She will have to write in her books an accurate account of all sums paid for any and every purpose, the current expenses of the house, tradesmen’s bills, wages, and many miscellaneous items.  The housekeeper should make a careful record of every domestic purchase whether brought for cash or not.  An intelligent housekeeper will by this means be able to judge of the average consumption of each article in the household; and to prevent waste and carelessness.’

The Housekeeper’s Room

‘The Housekeeper’s room is generally made use of by the lady’s-maid, butler and valet, who take there their breakfast, tea and supper.  The lady’s-maid will also use this apartment as a sitting-room, when not engaged with duties which would call her elsewhere.   In different establishments, according to their size, means and expenditure of the family, different rules, of course, prevail.  For instance, in mansions where great state is maintained, and there is a house-steward, two distinct tables are kept, one in the steward’s room for the principal members of the staff, the second in the servants’ hall for other domestics.  At the steward’s dinner-table, the steward and housekeeper preside; and here, also, may be included the lady’s-maid, butler, valet.’

Evening Occupation

‘In the evening, the housekeeper will often busy herself with the necessary preparations for the next day’s duties.  At times, perhaps attention will have to be paid to the preparation of lump-sugar, spices, candied peel, the stoning of raisins, the washing, cleansing, and drying of currants, etc.  The evening, too, is the best time for attending to household and cash accounts, and making memoranda of any articles she may require for her store-room or other departments.’

Recipe for Candied Peel

‘There are three kinds of candied peel, viz. citron, lemon, and orange, the mode of preparation being in all cases practically the same.  The rinds of sound young fruit are cut lengthwise in halves, freed from pulp, boiled in water until soft, and afterwards suspended in strong cold syrup until they become semi-transparent.  Finally, they are slowly dried in a stove or in a current of hot air.’

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Cooking Tartlets with Mrs Beeton

Pudding, Ice, Cake and other Moulds, Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management , 1915 Edition.

Let’s cook again with Mrs Beeton.  Here are  Mrs B’s recipes for:

• Lemon tartlets (Fr. Tartelettes au Citron) – two different methods;
• Parisian tartlets (Fr. Tartelettes à la Parisienne);
• Frangipan tart (Fr.  Tourt à la Frangipanne)
• Pork pie.

Lemon tartlets – Method one

Ingredients:  Short paste (see earlier blog posting), 4 ozs of butter, 4 ozs of castor sugar, 3 yolks of eggs, 1 lemon.

Method: Cream the butter and sugar well together, beat each yolk of egg in separately, and add the juice of the lemon and the rind finely grated.  Let the mixture stand in a cool, dry place for at least 24 hours, then bake in patty-pans, previously lined with the short paste.

Time taken: To bake, from 15-20 minutes.  Quantity: sufficient for 1 tartlets.

Lemon tartlets – Method two

Ingredients: Short paste (see earlier blog posting), 4 lemons, 4 ozs of loaf sugar, 4 ozs of blanched finely shredded almonds.

Method: Pare the lemons thickly, boil the fruit in 2 or 3 waters until tender, then pound or rub through a fine sieve.  Replace in the stewpan, add the sugar, almonds and lemon-juice, and boil until a thick syrup is obtained.  Line 10 or 12 patty-pans with paste, fill them with the preparation, and bake for about 20 minutes in a moderately hot oven.

Time taken:  To bake from 20 to 25 minutes.  Quantity: sufficient to make 10 or 12 tartlets.

Parisian tartlets

Ingredients:  Short paste (see earlier blog posting), 3 ozs of butter, 3 ozs of castor sugar, 2 ozs of cake crumbs, 1 oz of cornflour, 1 oz of ground almonds, 2 small eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, 1/2 a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon.

Method: Cream the butter and sugar well together until thick and smooth, add the eggs separately and beat well.  Mix the cream and cornflour smoothly together, stir the ingredients into the mixture, add the ground almonds, cake crumbs, cinnamon and lemon-juice, and mix well together.  Line 12 tartlet-moulds with paste, fill them with the preparation and bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes.  When about 3/4 baked, dredge them well with castor sugar.

Time taken: 30 to 40 minutes.  Quantity: sufficient for 12 tartlets.

Frangipan tart

Ingredients: short crust (short paste) (see earlier blog posting), 4 eggs, 1 1/2 ozs of butter, 1 1/2 ozs of sugar, 1/4 of an oz of flour, 1/2 a pint of milk, 1 bay-leaf, 2 or 3 fine strips of lemon-rind, nutmeg.

Method:  Mix the flour smoothly with a little milk, simmer the remainder with the bay-leaf, lemon-rind, and a pinch of nutmeg, for about 15 minutes, then strain it on the blended flour and milk, stirring meanwhile.  Return to the stewpan, add the butter, sugar, and slightly beaten eggs, and stir by the side of the fire until the mixture thickens, but do not let it boil.  Line a tart-tin with the paste, pour in the preparation when cool, and bake from 25 to 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve cold.

Time taken: To bake, about 1/2 an hour.  Quantity: sufficient for 1 large or 2 medium-sized tarts.

Note from Mrs B on Frangipanni puddings.  They were originally made chiefly of broken bread and a great variety of flavouring substances.  This was named after the Marchese Frangipanni, head of a very ancient Roman family whose privilege it was to supply “holy bread” or wafers to St. Peter’s cathedral, hence the name, derived from the Latin words frangere (to break) and panis (bread).  The Marchese Frangipanni was the inventor of the complicated, but very durable, perfume which bears this name.

Pork pie

Ingredients:  1 1/2lb of lean pork, 1lb of household flour, 6 ozs of lard, 1 small onion, 1/4 of a pint of water, cayenne, pepper and salt.

Method: Cut the meat into dices, and season it well with salt and pepper.  Place the bones in a stewpan, add the onion, salt and pepper, cover with cold water, and simmer for at least 2 hours to extract the gelatine, in order that the gravy, when cold, may be a firm jelly.  Put the flour into a large basin, and add to it a good pinch of salt.  Boil the lard and water together for 5 minutes, then add it to the flour, stirring it thoroughly until cool enough to be kneaded.  Knead until smooth, cover with a cloth, and let the basin stand near the fire for about 1/2  an hour.  Throughout the whole process the paste must be kept warm, otherwise moulding may be extremely difficult; but overheating must also be avoided, for when the paste is too soft it is unable to support its own weight.  At the end of this time, re-knead the paste, put aside about 1/4 for the lid, and raise the remainder into a round, or oval form, as may be preferred.  If an inexperienced worker finds any difficulty in raising the pie by hand alone, a small jar may be placed in the centre of the paste, and the paste moulded over it.  When the lower part of the pie has been raised to the necessary shape and thinness, subsequent work may be made much easier by putting in some of the meat, and pressing it firmly down to support the lower part of the pie.  Before adding the lid, moisten the meat with 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of the prepared seasoned gravy; the remainder is re-heated, and added after the pie is baked and still hot.  Three or four folds of greased paper should be pinned round th pie to preserve its shape, and prevent it becoming too brown.  The pie should be baked for at least 2 hours in a moderate oven, and its appearance is greatly improved by brushing it over with yolk or egg when about 3/4 baked.  Slices of hard-boiled egg are often added with the meat.

Time take: To bake, about 2 hours.  Quantity: enough to make 1 medium-sized pie.

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American Civil War Medicine – Part 2 – Amputations and Plaster Splints

American Civil War medical instruments owned by members of the UK Re-enactment Group, So.Sk.An

 ******WARNING ABOUT TEXT IN THIS POSTING********

This posting contains some detailed descriptions of medical procedures that a few of my regular followers may find a tad gruesome.  If this topic is not for you, then please check back again in a few days time, when there will be some lovely postings on Victorian actress Lillie Langtry, the 1940s Make Do and Mend Campaign and of course, more cooking with Mrs Beeton.  If you like your history of medicine straight-up, then please read on….

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As you know if you have read my previous posting on American Civil War Medicine, I am researching the career and life of Civil War Surgeon Dr Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919).   In the course of this research I have come across some great material on medical practices and procedures used by Surgeons during this time which I thought would be of interest to those of you who are keen to find-out more about this fascinating topic.   

Amputation was the stock-in-trade of every Civil War Surgeon.   The procedure was used to treat bullet wounds and infections.  The most skilled Surgeon could amputate a leg at the thigh in about 40 seconds.  Reporting on ‘Amputation at the Ankle-Joint’ in The British Medical Journal in August 1869, Prof. George H. B. Macleod, M.D., F.R.S.E., a Professor of Surgery in the Andersonian University, Glasgow, said that ‘..Essentials of any good method of amputation is the removal of the whole disease or injured parts to be removed with as little mutilation as possible and with as great a saving of the body (especially the bone) as can be.’  Macleod’s own research into mortality rates post ankle-amputation in the Crimean War (22.2%) and the American Civil War (8%), demonstrate that even in the few short years that had elapsed between the two campaigns, the Surgeon’s skill at perfecting this procedure had probably reached a high level.   These mortality figures are quite incredible when you think how insanitary the conditions in the Field Hospitals actually were.  The large volume of amputations performed by Surgeons would have ensured that the skill was being practiced on a regular basis.

What is unclear from Macleod’s statistics is whether the amputations were flap or circular.  There were several methods of ankle-amputation available to the Surgeon:   Syme’s, Postero (internal flap), Soupart’s, Sédillot’s and Pirogoff.   Flap method amputations were dangerous in the battlefield as they were particularly prone to gangrene.  However, the flap method was quicker to perform than the circular and would have been popular where speed was of the essence. Macleod believed that the best method was Syme’s flap method which he describes as follows:

• ‘The knife best fitted for amputation at the ankle is a short, strong bladed one. That the covering retained for the ends of the bones should be ample in amount, healthy and firm in quality, so as to make it capable of withstanding pressure and attrition; that the blood-vessels and nerves should be placed out of the way of pressure, and that they should be well-covered and protected; that the flap or flaps should be well supplied with blood, and fall easily together, and be capable of easy retention; that secretions should have easy exit; that the resulting cicatrix should be out of the line of pressure; and, lastly, that the stump should be one to which the mechanist can with greatest facility adjust a substitute for the removed part.’    

Macleod offers plenty of advice on aseptic surgery, which was not practiced during the Civil War.   It wasn’t until 1867 that the benefits of a sterile operating theatre began to be accepted across Europe.    America did not adopt aseptic surgery practices until the end of the 19th century.  Macleod, writing in 1869 advocates its use but the last couple of sentences on dealing with wound dressings would horrify us today:-   

• ‘I have employed various disinfectants and antiseptics in the after-treatment of these and other wounds, and am strongly impressed with their advantages in lessening discharge and destroying smell. Carbolic acid dissolved in water (1 to 30) or Condy’s fluid or Chloride of zinc (gr 15 or 20 to the ounce), are very useful indeed, when used to wash over the flaps at the time of the operation; and carbolic acid or Condy’s fluid should always be mingled with the water used for syringing out the stump (which I always do at each dressing, so long as pus lodges in its interior).  I am a strong advocate for dressing as seldom as possible.  Unless the suppuration is very profuse, and the drainage bad, it is not necessary to interfere oftener than every second day; and in fact, if the dressings applied be of the simplest and lightest kind, very little meddling will be required.  I rarely make my first dressing till the third or fourth day.’

Many Surgeons during the Civil War reported on the neurological phenomena known as ‘the phantom limb’.  Contemporary researchers on the topic included physicians, S. Weir Mitchell, W.W. Keen and George Morehouse.  They had all experienced reports of this phenomena amongst their patients.  Many   amputees reported feeling a sensation from the amputated portion of limb.

Conditions in the Civil War field hospitals were basic and grim.  Field hospitals were converted schools, hotels, churches, barns, private homes and even boats.  The injured soldier did not recuperate on sprung mattresses in clean, tidy wards but instead would find himself lying on makeshift beds.  These beds were boards on top of church pews or on the ground and if they were lucky they might be given a mattress made of sacks of straw or corn husks.  The operating table would have been a wooden bench often set-up underneath a tree.  Drugs and medical supplies were in short supply and in emergencies corn husks were sometimes used as a substitute for bandages on patients injured on the frontline.  Suppurating wounds were treated by applying an ointment consisting of 2 parts fresh lard and one part white wax. (For more on this particular topic, see Agatha Young’s, The Women and the Crisis: Women of the North in the Civil War, published by Thomas Yoseloff: New York, 1959).

Apart from amputation skills, the Civil War Surgeon developed relatively sophisticated techniques in the use of plaster splints.  I came across an article, ‘Plaster Splints in the American Civil War’ published 1943 in the December issue of The British Medical Journal by an author just referred to as ‘S.W.’  S.W. had discovered a series of essays, titled ‘A-T’, that had been published between 1862-4 by The United States Sanitary Commissioner and intended for distribution amongst Army Surgeons.  The essays covered a wide ranges of topics on battlefield medicine, including techniques for creating plaster splints which can be found in Volume ‘T’.  The Army Surgeons were recommended to use the Maisonneuve technique and A.W.’s article details this procedure: 

• ‘Shave or oil the skin.  Make a paper pattern of the area to be covered and cut to it two thicknesses of Canton flannel or old muslin, devising windows if wounds are present; the sides of the flannel should remain about one inch apart when in position.  Sprinkle plaster into equal quantity of water to a creamy consistence.  Immerse cloth till thoroughly saturated, lay it on a flat surface and smooth with hand.  Apply flannel to limb and put snugly over it a roller bandage.  The limb is then held for a few minutes, extension being made if necessary until the plaster sets, when the roller bandage is removed.  If it is necessary to delay the “setting” of the plaster this maybe achieved by adding a small quantity of carpenters’ glue.’

S.W. goes on to discuss the importance role that the use of plaster splints played in improving survival rates of Civil War soldiers:

• ‘..a patient with a much swollen elbow-joint wounded at the Battle of Cross-Keys.  The joint had been entered by a round bullet, which was removed two weeks later, when free incisions around the joint were found to be necessary.  At this stage a plaster splint was applied to the anterior surface of the arm and retained by a transverse band above the wrist and another at the middle of the humerus, the arm being flexed.  This split was worn for a month and then renewed.  The head of the radius came away and the patient recovered with some degree of motion in the joint.  Dr Swan employed the plaster splints in several cases of fracture after the seven days’ fighting before Richmond, during M’Clellan’s campaign, and the patients were comfortable transported to Washington.’

I hope that you have found the above interesting.  I will post further on this topic in the future.  For further resources please see my previous posting.

 

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American Civil War Medicine – Part 1 – Field Medicine

US Medical Company (Union Regiment), Southern Skirmish Association (So.Sk.An).

‘The Northern men are not only of stronger bone and muscle than the men of the South, but a very large proportion of them are mechanics and agriculturists, who are inured to labour and fatigue; whereas few, or none of the Southern men have been brought-up to bodily exertion or fatigue.’

(Extract from a ‘Letter from New York’, by J. Outram, dated 23rd April 1861 and published in The Glasgow Herald, Tuesday 7th May 1861)

One of several research projects I am working on at present is a study of the career of Dr Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919), a female Surgeon in The American Civil War.   During the course of my research I have become increasingly interested in the broader topic of American Civil War medicine, so I thought I would share with you a few basic details of this incredibly interesting subject.

The American Civil began at Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12th 1861 and ended on 9th April 1865, with the final shot being fired on 22nd June.  The Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons in the US Medical Army faced a daily struggle on the battlefield to keep their soldiers alive.  There has been much written about the manner in which Surgeons often ’mangled to death’ the wounded soldiers,  earning them the less than flattering nickname of ‘Sawbones’.  Although this did happen in certain cases, it is pretty much a distortion of the truth.  The Surgeons were highly skilled and found themselves working in unimaginable conditions on the battlefield with limited resources.  The growing number of casualties simply overwhelmed a lot of the Surgeons and facilities in the field hospitals were pretty rudimentary.   Knowledge of germ theory was not yet fully developed and it wasn’t until after the Civil War had ended that the germ theory of disease was discovered by Louis Pasteur.   Then in 1867 Joseph Lister proved his theory on the importance of aseptic surgery.   If more had been known about these two important discoveries at the time of the American Civil War, then many, many thousands of lives could have been saved. The Surgeons were simply unaware that holding bloody instruments in their unwashed hands and performing amputations on one soldier then wiping the blood off onto their apron and gown before moving on to the next procedure, was the cause of cross-contamination and infection.   However, even with the advent of aseptic surgery, physicians simply sprayed an antiseptic solution in the operating room prior to procedure believing this would kill all germs.  Many Surgeons still carried on performing operations with dirty aprons and unsterilised instruments, a practice that continued in many places  throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. 

Surgeon’s on both sides in the American Civil War faced a daily battle with disease, the silent but deadly ‘third army’.   Approximately two thirds (63%) of fatalities among Union troops were from disease rather than  battle wounds.  Surgeon General William A. Hammond of the Union Medical Corps kept excellent records and his statistics support this fact.  In J. Outram’s ’Letter from New York’, an extract of which is quoted above, he states that soldiers from the North were likely to be physically stronger than the ones from the South.  Medically speaking the statistics blow Outram’s theory clear out of the water.  Physical strength may equate to a  developed immune system but if you are living and fighting in insanitary conditions you are just as susceptible to disease as any soldier would be whether from the North or the South.  Soldiers often urinated and defecated near to the water source and would then bathe or drink from the same source, unaware of the implication of their actions.

Scurvy was also common due to the Scorbutic effect of a limited diet.  The solder’s daily ration consisted of salt pork which was often rancid, stale crackers (hardtack) and coffee.   Typhus infection and lack of sleep affected a majority of soldiers at some point too.  The nights were often freezing and to keep themselves warm the soldiers would sleep with all of their changes of clothes on and as you might imagine body lice was very common.

Malaria was rife in the South and hospital staff tried everything to control its spread.  One method involved placing heated irons into bowls of vinegar in the hope that the vapours would deter the lethal, ‘Anopheles’ mosquito.  Emetics were readily prescribed to cure diarrhea, dysentery and jaundice, a popular prescription was simply warm water and honey.   Not all prescribing was so mild, blue mass (a mix of mercury, honey and licorice)  lead acetate and silver nitrate were also  popular remedies.  Blue mass was extremely dangerous and resulted in mercurial gangrene, tooth loss and gum damage.   The South suffered quite a bit with shortages of medical supplies due to the Union naval blockade.  Desperate for ligatures for sewing-up wounds, one Southern doctor improvised by using the hair from a horse’s tail which was softened by boiling it in water.  Statistics detailing cause of death amongst soldiers of the Confederacy are much trickier to come by.   Many of the Surgeon General’s office records were destroyed during the burning of Richmond at the end of the War. 

American Civil War medical instruments owned by members of the UK Re-enactment Group So.Sk.An.

Further Resources

There are too many books and resources on this topic to list them all here.  However, here are a selection that you may find useful if you wish to read further on this topic:-

The UK based Re-enactment Group,  The Southern Skirmish Association (So.Sk.An), have a US Medical Company in their Union Regiment. 

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland, USA.

Alfred Jay Bollet M.D., (2001) Civil War Medicine: Challenges and Triumphs (Galen Press)

H. H. Cunningham, (1993), Doctors in Gray: The Confederate Medical Service (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press)

George Worthington Adams, (1996), Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press)

 

    

 

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Two recommendations for fans of all things Vintage

1950s room exhibit, Museum of 51 Exhibition, South Bank

If you are a fan of all things Vintage, I have two recommendations for you:

• Vintage Life Magazine- This monthly magazine (£3.70) is perfect if you are a fan of 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s nostalgia.  Regular features on beauty, fashion, lifestyle, music and food.  Good news is that the publication is easier to source than before, since WHSmith now stock it.  I love this magazine and the classifieds section at the back is great for sourcing Vintage goods.

1950s Scarf, exhibit in the Museum of 51 exhibition, South Bank

 

• Blitz Vintage Department Store - Opened earlier this month in London.  A huge five-room Victorian warehouse has been turned into a department store to cater for all of your vintage fashion and lifestyle needs.  Situated just off Brick Lane, 55-59 Hanbury St, London, E1 5JP. Tel: 0207 377 0730. E-mail: bricklane@blitzlondon.co.uk.

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Afternoon tea with Mrs Beeton

The Victorian Kitchen display at Tudor House and Gardens, Southampton, Hampshire

Time to cook with Mrs Beeton again.  This posting is inspired by the second series of BBC’s The Great British Bake Off which began yesterday, Tuesday 16th August, 8pm on BBC2.  I love the mix of contemporary baking and historical background of some of the food created.  This week the 12 amateur bakers tackle 24 perfect cupcakes in 2 hours, Mary Berry’s recipe for coffee and walnut battenberg cake and finally, a tiered, showstopping cake.  Compulsive viewing for all foodies and food historians!

I have selected a few lovely recipes from my 1915 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, to create afternoon tea à la Mrs B:

• Tea bread;
• Macaroons;
• Ratafias;
• Queen cakes (the forerunner of cupcakes and featured in one of the history segments on The Great British Bake Off);
• Saucer cake for tea;
• Afternoon tea scones;
• How to make marzipan;
• How to make the perfect cup of tea.
  

  Assorted Pastry from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1915 Edition

Conversions

25g = 1oz      100g = 4oz       225g = 1/2 lb     450g = 1lb

Tea Bread

Ingredients: 2lbs of flour, 1/4 of a lb of butter, 1/4 of sugar, 1oz salt, 1 1/2ozs of yeast, 1 1/2 pints of milk and water, 4 yolks of eggs.

Method: Make the milk and water lukewarm, turn it into a convenient-sized basin, dissolve the yeast and 2ozs of the sugar in it, stir in 1/4 of a lb of flour, cover over with a clean cloth, and stand aside in a warm place for 20 minutes.  While this is standing, weigh the remainder of the flour on to the board, rub the butter into it with the hands, then make a bay; add the other 2ozs of sugar, the yolks of eggs, and the salt in fine powder, and then if the ferment is ready put it into the bay, wet up into a smooth paste, give it a good kneading, then cover over with a clean cloth, and leave it to prove.  When well proved, divide up into pieces about 2ozs in weight, and form them into various shapes – twists, crescents, scrolls, rosettes, or any other shape fancy may suggest.  As these are formed, set them on to a clean tin, cover them over and leave to prove.  When well proved, wash them over with a beaten-up egg, and bake in a moderately warm oven to a nice colour.

These rolls are very much appreciated for afternoon tea, tennis and garden parties, and are an excellent adjunct to coffee, cut up into slices and dried in the oven as rusks.

Time taken: About 2 hours  Quantity: sufficient for 30 to 40 rolls.

Macaroons

Ingredients:  1/2 lb of ground sweet almonds, 3/4 lb of caster sugar, the whites of 3 eggs, wafer paper.

Method: Mix the sugar and ground almonds well together on the board, then put them into a large marble or porcelain mortar, add the whites of eggs, and proceed to well rub the mixture into a smooth paste.  When it begins to get stiff and stands up well it is ready, or if uncertain whether the paste has been pounded enough, try one in the oven, and if all right, lay sheets of wafer paper over clean baking-sheets, and lay out the biscuits upon it with a spoon, or savoy bag, place a few split almonds on the top of each, then bake in a cool oven.

Time taken: 15 to 20 minutes in a slow oven.  Quantity: Sufficient for 24 to 36 biscuits.

Ratafias

Ingredients: 3/4 lb of sweet ground almonds, 2ozs of butter, 1 1/4 lbs of caster sugar, the whites of 6 or 8 eggs.

Method: Exactly the same as for macaroons, but the paste must be a little softer and they must be laid out in very small drops on to sheets of clean white baking paper, laid over baking-plates, and baked in a cool oven to a very pale in colour.

Time taken: 20-30 minutes.  Quantity: Sufficient for 60 or 80 ratafias.

Queen cakes

Ingredients: 1lb of flour, 1/2lb of butter, 1/2lb of caster sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teacupful of cream, 1/2lb of currants, 1 teaspoonful of baking-powder, essence of lemon, or almonds, to taste.

Method: Sieve the baking-powder well with the flour on to a sheet of paper.  Put the butter, sugar and cream into a clean basin, and beat up to a light cream.  Add the eggs 1 at a time.  When all the eggs are in, add the flour and fruit, and moisten with milk to the consistency of cake-batter.  Put it into small buttered tins, and bake the cakes from a 1/4 to 1/2 an hour.  Grated lemon-rind may be substituted for the lemon and almond flavouring, and will make the cakes equally nice.

Time taken:  1/4 to 1/2 hour.  Quantity: sufficient for 2 or 3 dozen small cakes.

Saucer cake for tea

Ingredients: 1/4lb of flour, 1/4 of a best cornflour, 1/4lb of castor sugar, 1/4lb of butter, 2 eggs, 1oz of candied orange or lemon-peel.

Method: Mix the flour and cornflour together; add the sugar, the candied peel cut into thin slices, the butter beaten to a cream, and the eggs well-whisked.  Beat the mixture for 10 minutes, put it into a buttered cake-tin or mould; or, if this is obtainable, a soup-plate answers for the purpose, lined with a piece of buttered paper.  Bake the cake in a moderate oven from 3/4 to 1 hour, and when cold put it away in a covered canister.  It will remain good for some weeks, even if it be cut into slices.

Time taken: 3/4 to 1 hour   Quantity: sufficient for 1 cake

Afternoon tea scones

Ingredients:  4ozs of flour, 1oz of butter, 1 tablespoonful of caster sugar, 1/2 of a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, 1/4 of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, 1 egg, a little cold water.

Method: Rub the butter lightly into the flour, and add the remaining dry ingredients.  Beat and stir in the egg, adding cold water or milk to make a light dough.  Roll out thin, cut into small rounds, and bake on a hot griddle or in a sharp oven.

Marzipan

Ingredients: 1lb of loaf sugar, 12ozs of ground almonds, 3ozs of sifted icing sugar, 2 whites of eggs, 1 1/2 gills of water (gill is approximately 1/4 of a pint).

Method: Boil the sugar and water to 240F, then draw the sugar boiler or pan aside, and when the syrup has cooled slightly add the almonds and whites of eggs.  Stir by the side of the fire for a few minutes, then turn on to a slab, stir in the icing sugar, and work with a spatula until the preparation is cool enough to handle.  Knead until perfectly smooth, add flavouring to taste, and mould into desired shapes.

How to make the perfect cup of tea

In order to make good tea it is necessary that the water should be quite boiling, but it must on no account be water that has boiled for some time, or been previously boiled, cooled, and then re-boiled.  It is a good plan to empty the kettle and refill it with fresh cold water, and make the tea the moment it reaches boiling point.  Soft water makes the best tea, and boiling softens the water, but after it has boiled for some time it again becomes hard.  When water is very hard a tiny pinch of carbonate of soda may be put into the teapot with the tea, but it must be used very sparingly, otherwise it may impart a very unpleasant taste to the beverage.  Tea is better made in an earthen than a metal pot.  One good teaspoonful of tea will be found sufficient for two small cups, if made with boiling water and allowed to stand 3 to 4 minutes; longer than this it should never be allowed to stand.  The delicate flavour of the tea may be preserved, and injurious effects avoided by pouring the tea, after it has stood 3 or 4 minutes, into a clean teapot which has been previously heated.

Fancy Cakes from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1915 edition.

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Tudor House and Garden, Southampton, Hampshire

Members of the Hungerford Household Tudor re-enactment group delight visitors with glimpses of Tudor life.

In an earlier post I wrote about the re-opening of the Tudor House and Garden after nearly 10 years of closure on Saturday 30th July.  I thought I would share with you some images I took at the opening weekend to entice you to visit this lovely museum which is nestled in the quiet back streets in the bustling port city of Southampton.    I have to say,  I am particularly impressed with the way in which respect has been shown to this beautiful old building whilst at the same time the latest museum technology has been used to good effect throughout to bring the House’s complex history to life.

Hungerford Household Tudor Re-enactment Group

Mention must also be made of the extremely friendly staff at the Museum.  I have now made three visits to the venue and every time the staff have been so polite, helpful and professional.  I ask a lot of questions, I am a historian it is in my nature to do so, but on each occasion the staff always did their best to answer my queries.  What also shines through is their love of the building and a genuine sense of pride to be working there, quite rare to find these days.   So, if you live in Southampton then please support your local museum and if you live elsewhere you won’t be disappointed you made the trip.  The café, overlooking the Tudor knot garden, has lots of reasonably priced light snacks, refreshments and a rather indulgent afternoon tea.

A Tudor gentlemen enjoying the delights of the restored knot garden.

Many examples of ship graffiti were discovered in 2010 during the restoration, all date between 1570 and 1620. This is a very rare discovery and the museum uses the latest technology to interpret the find.

World War II air-raid shelter exhibit, Tudor House and Garden, Southampton, Hampshire.

Fireplace in the Banqueting Hall. Enjoy the clever multi-media show which will introduce you to the fascinating history of the house.

 

Tudor House and Garden, Bugle Street, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 2AD, Tel: 023 8083 4242, WWW.tudorhouseandgarden.com, Open: Mon-Sun 10-5, Admission prices:  children under 7 – Free,  Concessions - £3.75, Adults – £4.75, Family ticket (2 adults + 3 children) – £12.

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