Manly Health and Training

January 2, 2017
This nifty “lost guide to living healthily in America,” found on microfilm by Zachary Turpin, reprints 13 weekly articles Whitman published in the New York Atlas between Sept. 12 and Dec. 26, 1858, under the pseudonym “Mose Velsor, of Brooklyn.” His “plain and we hope sensible hints” are aimed to producing in readers “a sound and capable life... and body.” His diet recommendations come down to an “almost exclusive meat diet”—though he allows vegetarianism is “well worth a respectful mention”—as well as discussions of “the great American evil—indigestion” and of the importance of drinking only (and not too much) water. He repeatedly emphasizes that long walks are “nature’s great exercise” while also writing about more structured exercises, such as hurling and swimming. Whitman’s brief observations on venereal disease, prostitution, and bad habits are interesting, but this is mainly a stimulating guide to healthy living, tied here to the development of a strong moral character and “manly beauty.” Curiously, little of Whitman’s advice seems out of date. The many charming illustrations and advertisements from the era enhance the book.