England‟S Domestic Chemists: Science and Consumerism
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ENGLAND‟S DOMESTIC CHEMISTS: SCIENCE AND CONSUMERISM IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY RECIPE COLLECTIONS A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Katherine J. Allen © Copyright Katherine J. Allen, August, 2011. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5 Canada OR Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research University of Saskatchewan 107 Administration Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A2 Canada i Abstract This thesis examines the role of eighteenth-century recipe collections within a social milieu fixated on natural philosophy and experimental discovery. As medical sources, recipe collections have allowed historians to investigate approaches to early modern sickness alongside gender and class constructs surrounding authorship and readership. Little attention, however, has been given to the distinct nature of eighteenth-century collections and their place within the history of science. This thesis uses the manuscript of Elizabeth Jenner, an eighteenth-century compiler and distillation enthusiast, to explore how distillation of medicinal remedies established its place in the eighteenth century as a leisure pursuit of scientifically accomplished recipe compilers. This study offers a new perspective on the role of trust and credibility in eighteenth- century culture – beyond the confines of elite scientific societies – by analyzing the authorship strategies and scientific rhetoric found in recipe collections used to establish confidence of efficacy in remedies. Equipment and distillation techniques used in domestic medicine are explored to stress the kitchen‟s role as a multi-purpose and non-feminized space of scientific inquiry. As a space, the household is also a location of production and consumption within the medical marketplace and the broader economy. From everyday commodities to exotic botanicals, the materia medica used in recipes highlight the role of domestic medicine within the consumer revolution and an emerging British empire. This project contributes to a number of historiographies by addressing the value of recipe collections as sources of science, consumerism, and material history, permitting further consideration of the significance of domestic medical activities as part of the vibrant intellectual and socio-economic environment of the eighteenth century. This historical re-appraisal of the eighteenth-century recipe collection aims to uncover the often unassuming roles of England‟s domestic chemists. ii Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance and support from the following people: I thank my parents Diana and Vic Allen for their unconditional love, advice, and feedback and all my family members for their encouragement. Thank you to my friends, both new and old, for supporting me through the challenges of graduate studies and through the difficulties of moving to a prairie city. I am grateful to my committee members Dr. Angela Kalinowski, Dr. Frank Klaassen, and Dr. Ray Stephanson for their comments on my thesis. I owe special thanks to Dr. Larry Stewart for challenging me to think critically and for his mentorship. Most of all, I offer my sincerest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Lisa Smith, who has supported me in my writing process with endless patience, constructive criticism, and valuable advice. I thank her for introducing me to the study of recipe collections and for inspiring me to pursue a career in eighteenth-century studies. No words can adequately convey her dedication as my mentor. iii Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iv List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................... v A Note on Primary Sources ............................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................... 16 Authorship, Empirical Writing, and Trust in Eighteenth-Century Recipe Collections CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................... 38 The Experimental Kitchen: Equipment and Techniques in Distillation Recipes CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................... 67 Ingredients for Empire: Recipe Collections as Sources Consumerism and Early Imperialism CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 97 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 101 iv List of Figures and Tables Figure 1.1 Title Statements of Efficacy in Jenner‟s Manuscript .................................. 25 Figure 1.2 In-Text Statements of Efficacy in Jenner‟s Manuscript .............................. 26 Figure 1.3 Title Statements of Efficacy in The Queen’s Closet Opened ...................... 34 Figure 1.4 In-Text Statements of Efficacy in The Queen’s Closet Opened .................. 34 Figure 2.1 Equipment and Techniques in Jenner‟s Manuscript ................................... 51 Table 2.1 Equipment in Jenner‟s Manuscript .............................................................. 52 Figure 2.2 Techniques in Jenner‟s Manuscript ............................................................ 54 Table 2.2 Equipment in The Compleat Housewife’s Distillation Chapter .................... 62 Figure 2.3 Techniques in The Compleat Housewife’s Distillation Chapter .................. 64 Figure 3.1 Production and Consumption in the Medical Marketplace ......................... 75 Figure 3.2 Herbal Ingredients in Jenner‟s Manuscript ................................................. 80 Figure 3.3 Non-Herbal Ingredients in Jenner‟s Manuscript ......................................... 84 Figure 3.4 Ingredients in Volume 1 of Boyle‟s Medicinal Experiments ...................... 93 v A Note on Primary Sources My transcription of Jenner‟s manuscript retains original spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Where primary source quotations are included in this thesis, raised letters and upper case script have been modified for ease of readership, except where needed for emphasis. Words that were unclear or missing are clarified in brackets or indicated with [sic]. When using re- printed editions of primary documents, I adopted the conventions used by the editors. Unless otherwise indicated, all definitions are cited from the Oxford English Dictionary Online. vi Introduction Early modern recipe collections were diverse creations containing culinary, medicinal, and household advice. Eighteenth-century collections, however, were of a different nature. These recipe collections incorporated increasingly specialized medical content while isolating medicinal recipes from culinary, particularly with the popularization of purchasable chemical nostrums. Most significantly, these sources reflect the changing attitudes towards natural philosophy and „New Science‟ domestically in England.1 In this study, I examine domestic medicine and recipe testing within the context of scientific experimentation, considering domestic practitioners, particularly women, as active participants in natural philosophy. The second aspect of this study is to investigate the effects of the consumer revolution, print culture, and leisure time on the use of recipe collections.2 Medicinal recipe collections from this era are situated at the intersection of the professionalization of medicine, institutionalization of science, privatization of the household, and imperialization of the natural world. As such, these collections offer insight into the social and intellectual atmosphere of the so called long eighteenth century.