Philip E. Muskett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philip Edward Muskett
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| Born | 5 February 1857 |
| Died | 25 August 1909 (aged 52) |
| Occupation | Physician, writer |
Philip Edward Muskett (born 5 February 1857 – died 25 August 1909) was an Australian doctor, health expert, and writer. He believed that people in Australia ate too much meat and drank too much tea. Instead, he suggested they should eat more fish, fruit, and vegetables for better health.
About Philip Muskett
Philip Muskett was born in Collingwood, Melbourne. He went to school at Melbourne Model School and Wesley College. In 1877, he began studying medicine at the University of Melbourne. He continued his medical studies in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 1885, Muskett started his own medical practice. Many of his patients were children, as he was very interested in helping infants stay healthy. He wrote books about children's health that were very popular and well-received.
In 1888, Muskett became a licensed doctor with the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in Edinburgh. He later came back to Australia and worked at the Melbourne Hospital. From 1882, he worked at Sydney Hospital. Within a year, he became the Medical Superintendent of the quarantine station. He also served as a doctor for the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales. Philip Muskett passed away at age 52 due to heart failure.
The Art of Living in Australia
Muskett is most famous for his book called The Art of Living in Australia, which came out in 1873. In this book, he gave advice on how Australians could live healthier lives. He suggested that people should eat more fish, salads, and vegetables. He also recommended eating less meat.
Muskett thought that Australians ate too much meat, sometimes three times a day. He also believed they drank too much beer and tea. He wrote that the amount of meat and tea Australians consumed was "enormously in excess" of what was needed. He pointed out that Australia had not developed its deep-sea fishing industry.
He argued that drinking too much tea could upset the stomach and affect the nervous system. Instead of tea, he suggested people drink wine with their meals. He also recommended a diet that included plenty of fruit and salads. For this to happen, he said, more market gardening (growing vegetables to sell) was needed. However, his ideas were not very popular in cities because not many vegetables were grown for sale back then.
Muskett compared Australia's climate to Europe's. He thought they were similar, so Australians should eat a diet like people in Europe. He was concerned that Australians ate ten times more meat than Italians, even though both lived in similar climates. Muskett's ideas about eating more fruit, fish, and vegetables were similar to what is now known as the Mediterranean diet, which became popular years later.
Muskett also gave health advice about clothing, exercise, and hygiene. Some of his advice was hard to follow, like his idea that people should walk "not less than six or eight miles a day."
Muskett's Books
Here are some of the books Philip Muskett wrote:
- The Health and Diet of Children in Australia (1888)
- Prescribing and Treatment in the Diseases of Children (1891)
- The Art of Living in Australia (1893, this book also included recipes by Harriet Wicken)
- The Book of Diet (1898)
- The Diet of Australian School Children and Technical Education (1899)
- Illustrated Australian Medical Guide (1903, 1909)
- The Attainment of Health (1908)
See also
