Commodity culture: tropical health and hygiene in the British Empire

Ryan Johnson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
106 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Before heading to a 'tropical' region of the Empire, British men and women spent considerable time and effort gathering outfit believed essential for their impending trip. Ordinary items such as soap, clothing, foodstuffs and bedding became transformed into potentially life-saving items that required the fastidious attention of any would-be traveller. Everyone from scientists and physicians to missionaries and administrators was bombarded by relentless advertising and abundant advice about the outfit needed to preserve health in a tropical climate. A closer look at this marketing exercise reveals much about the way people thought about tropical people, places, health and hygiene and how scientific and commercial influences shaped this Imperial commodity culture.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)70-74
Number of pages5
JournalEndeavour
Volume32
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2008

Keywords

  • Imperial commodity culture
  • tropical health and hygiene
  • British Empire
  • outfit
  • scientific and commercial influences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Commodity culture: tropical health and hygiene in the British Empire'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this