Vitalogy: An Encyclopedia of Health and Home
Language: English
Published by Vitalogy Association, 431 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, 1936
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: The House of Genevieve, Canton, GA, U.S.A.The House of Genevieve
AbeBooks seller since February 9, 2026
Condition: Used - Good
US$ 528.00
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Vitalogy: An Encyclopedia of Health and Home, by E. H. Ruddock, M.D., with departmental editors, published in Chicago by the Vitalogy Association in 1936 and sold by subscription only. A thick black hardcover with red sprinkled edges and green marbled endpapers, it gathers nineteen books of household medicine in one large volume, and offers a vivid record of how American families were advised to care for themselves between the wars. It is a period document, not current medical guidance. | BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS | Author: E. H. Ruddock, M.D., with departmental editors including George P. Wood, M.D. | Title: Vitalogy: An Encyclopedia of Health and Home | Publisher and place: Vitalogy Association, 431 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois (London and Melbourne also appear on the title page) | Year: 1936 (title page) | Illustrator: Not credited; the title page describes manikins in natural colors and colored and half-tone plates | Binding: Hardcover, black grain-textured covers with blind-ruled panels, title on the front board in green and gold, spine lettered in gilt; red sprinkled edges; green marbled endpapers | Language: English | CONDITION | The binding is well worn. The black surface of the spine has rubbed and flaked away along both joints and at the head and tail, exposing the gray cloth beneath, and the spine lettering is dulled. The boards are rubbed at the edges and corners, with a small worn patch at one corner of the rear board, though the blind-ruled panels and the green and gold title on the front board remain clear. Inside, the front hinge has split along the gutter, exposing the mull, and the marbled endpaper there shows small scuffs and losses. The red sprinkled edges are spotted and stained toward the head of the fore-edge, and a folded leaf stands slightly proud of the fore-edge. The title page and text are evenly toned, clean and legible. | ABOUT THE BOOK | Vitalogy belongs to the great age of the American home medical encyclopedia, when one heavy volume, sold by subscription rather than in shops, was expected to see a family through illness, childbirth and old age. Its title page promises nineteen books bound in one, adapted for the home, the layman and the family, and lists its departments and their editors: diseases of women and children, with causes, symptoms and remedies; materia medica, the plants, herbs and vegetables used as medicines; hydropathy, the water cure, and bathing; home training, exercise, hygiene and the secret of longevity; the science of nursing, diet for all diseases, homeopathy, osteopathy and obstetrics; mental therapeutics, magnetism, palmistry and mind cure; and psychology, moral and sex hygiene, marriage and child culture. | The voice is direct and entirely of its time. The chapter on care during pregnancy, for instance, recommends raw vegetables and whole grains, warns against sweets, coffee and drugs, and urges rest at the first sign of fatigue, sending the reader on to the long section on diet. The book is illustrated with manikins in natural colors, the layered anatomical figures popular in such works, together with colored and half-tone plates. Read today it is a revealing portrait of popular health advice in the 1930s, mixing sound common sense with homeopathy, magnetism and palmistry, and it is best enjoyed as social history rather than as a guide to treatment. | COLLECTOR AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE | Vitalogy was a long-lived subscription title. Library catalogs record Vitalogy Association editions from 1904 onward, and this is the 1936 issue, with the Dearborn Street address in Chicago and London and Melbourne on the title page. E. H. Ruddock, whose name heads the work, was a nineteenth-century physician who died in 1875, and the book long outlived him, revised and expanded under the editors named beneath him. Its name and its old-fashioned confidence later caught the eye of Pearl Jam, whose 1994 album Vitalogy borrowed both.…
Seller Inventory # HOG-Gy-BOOK-0043
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Vitalogy: An Encyclopedia of Health and Home
- Author
- E. H. Ruddock, M.D.
- Publisher
- Vitalogy Association, 431 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois
- Publication year
- 1936
- Condition
- Good
- Dust jacket
- No Jacket
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- Illustrator
- Not credited; the title page describes manikins in natural colors and colored and half-tone plates
- Item weight
- 48 ounces
- Seller catalogs
- Reference
The House of Genevieve
Canton, GA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since February 9, 2026
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 12.90 | US$ 23.90 |
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House of Genevieve is a curated bookseller specializing in collectible, vintage, and antiquarian books, with a particular emphasis on signed editions, first editions, and first/first printings. Our inventory also includes fine press books, leather-bound classics, and carefully selected works of literature, history, philosophy, and the arts. Each book is individually sourced, photographed, inspected, and accurately described. We place a strong emphasis on condition, bibliographic detail, and honest representation. Edition points, publication details, signatures, and inscriptions are noted where applicable. We do not use stock images, and we do not inflate or imply significance where it does not exist. If a dust jacket is present, it is clearly stated. If a book shows age, wear, or defects, they are disclosed plainly in the listing. Many of our signed and collectible volumes originate from private libraries, estates, and long-held collections. Signatures are described precisely (signed, inscribed, dated, etc.), and listings include sufficient detail to allow collectors, institutions, and discerning readers to make informed decisions. Questions are always welcome, and additional photographs or documentation are gladly provided upon request. Images are of the actual book offered for sale. Photographs may be stylistically enhanced for clarity and presentation; however, the condition of each book is accurately represented and fully described. Our focus is not on mass inventory, but on quality, provenance, and integrity. Some books are intended to be read and enjoyed; others are best suited for collectors, researchers, or as lasting gifts. Orders are shipped promptly and packaged with care appropriate to the age and value of the book. House of Genevieve is built on the belief that books are more than objects—they are cultural artifacts, personal companions, and legacy pieces. Whether you are building a serious library, replacing a cherished volume, or searching for something uncommon, we are honored to assist.…
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We focus on first editions, first editions first printings, signed editions, classic lit, children's books and historical lit.Seller's business information
The House of Genevieve
GA, U.S.A.
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