Melting Moments: The Greasy Sources of Modern Perceptions of Fat

摘要: In 1822 a rather bizarre satirical piece turned up in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine. Occasioned by the recent challenge that Thomas Malthus had launched against economic theories of Jean-Baptiste Say, cheeky yet anonymous writer intervened with report on fictitious German economist named ‘Professor Gunthred Bumgroschen’, 1 whose theory ‘save-all-ism’ represented unique contribution to debate. Upon visit England, it seems, good professor been struck size its inhabitants, who took more space streets than slender Parisians across Channel, prompting him speculate how British might make most economical use their excess fat. Explaining Bumgroschen considered human corpse be ‘a valuable mass materials’ ‘ought not suffered undergo useless decomposition deep grave’, this author proposed ‐ tongue firmly cheek reformed Britain would take better advantage corpulent dead. Bumgroschen’s plan was transform nation’s ‘morbid accumulation’ fat which noxious individual while living’ into accumulation for posterity’. This accomplished melting corpses soap and oil. Hygiene, both personal moral, two main benefits Professor unorthodox plan. Those unfortunates have otherwise worn flannel or unlaundered clothes now able don white muslin clean shirts as matter course. So rich were supplies they provide enough ‘to keep entire world clean’, thus extending virtues hygiene beyond island nation. There even render