Introduction

J.S. Armitage, a druggist working in the small town of Paris, Ontario, created the cookbook, Hints on Health and Tested Receipts for Plain Cooking, around the year 1900. It is unclear who the publisher was or where the book was published. The book’s main focus is to sell a strengthening tonic called Vinol. Fifteen of the twenty-five pages in the cookbook are dedicated to selling Vinol. Armitage tried to sell Vinol by describing its benefits and highlighting the men and women who may benefit from taking his medicine. Included are many positive reviews from customers who have taken the tonic and have been satisfied with its effects. These customer reviews are placed throughout the cookbook and usually occur between the recipes provided. The first few pages of the book are dedicated to the benefits of Vinol and describe the freshness, medicinal elements, and ease with which the product may be consumed. After a few pages of recipes, there are pages that discuss disorders such as “Old Age” and “Delicate Children” to emphasize who may benefit from taking Vinol. Though considered a cookbook, it does not actually have many recipes. Those included can be characterized as plain and healthy with no added flavours and/or ingredients. The recipes in the cookbook contain commonplace ingredients such as flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. Hints on Health and Tested Receipts for Plain Cooking was written in English, though a couple of pages are in French. 

 

The library is committed to ensuring that members of our user community with disabilities have equal access to our services and resources and that their dignity and independence is always respected. If you encounter a barrier and/or need an alternate format, please fill out our Library Print and Multimedia Alternate-Format Request Form. Contact us if you’d like to provide feedback: lib.a11y@uoguelph.ca