Diseases of Modern Life

Nineteenth Century Perspectives

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Cover from William Morris's News from Nowhere

A Disease-Free World: The Hygienic Utopia

This is a guest post by Dr Manon Mathias, a Lecturer in French at the University of Aberdeen.

“Hot Cross-Buns!” from Illustrated London News, 1861.

‘Wholesale poisoning by hot cross-buns’ and bizarre murders of medical men

As you bite into your delicious hot cross-bun this Easter, spare a thought for the inhabitants of Inverness in 1882, who were subjected to ‘whole-sale poisoning by hot cross-buns’, with over 140 worthy citizens and children affected.