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Appendix
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113 APPENDIX General Almanacs This study is based on an examination of 1,785 almanacs (1,533 general almanacs and 252 specialty almanacs) published in America between 1646 and 1861 (approximately two-thirds were published between 1750 and 1850). Of the 1,533 general almanacs consulted, 1,493 (97 percent) contain some form of astrological guidance, 441 (29 percent) contain remedy advice, and 240 (16 percent) contain regimen advice. (These percentages differ significantly from those appearing in my 2003 essay “Rules, Remedies, and Regimens.” There my conclusions are based on the consultation of 861 almanacs, slightly less than half the sample size used in this work.) These figures, particularly those relating to remedy and regimen advice are profoundly misleading, for two main reasons. Most almanacs published before 1750 do not offer remedy and regimen advice, and the figures do not reflect regional differences. An examination of almanacs by region and date issued, however, reveals that regimen advice and, especially, remedy advice appears more frequently in almanacs published between 1750 and 1860 and in almanacs issued in the middle-Atlantic region and in the South. For example, an analysis of almanacs published in the middle-Atlantic between 1646 and 1861 (see table 1), reveals that remedy advice appears in 33 percent (251 out of 748). The percentage is higher for the same period in the South, where 44 percent (76 out of 173) of the almanacs issued contain remedy advice. When one looks at remedy advice in almanacs published in these two regions from 1750 to 1860, the percentage remains virtually unchanged for southern almanacs (45 percent) but becomes significantly higher in almanacs published in middle-Atlantic region (41 percent). Throughout the period covered by this work, almanacs that were issued in the middle-Atlantic, southern, and western regions of the country were more likely to contain images of the Anatomy and health and regimen advice than those issued in New England, which tended to adhere to a more narrow focus. My conclusions are based on consulting at least 35 percent of all almanacs issued in America before 1801 and approximately 12 percent of all almanacs issued before 1861. (These percentage figures are based on Shipton and Mooney, National Index of American Imprints through 1800, and Drake, Almanacs of the United States.) I have consulted virtually all of the leading almanac titles of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as long runs of almanacs that I consider to be representative of different regions of the country. 114 APPENDIX Table 1 General Almanacs by Date and Region 1646–1700 New England Middle Atlantic South West Total Almanacs 63 12 — — 75 Content Anatomy 6 (9%) 0 — — 6 (8%) List of signs 5 (8%) 8 (67%) — — 13 (17%) Moon’s place 55 (87%) 10 (83%) — — 65 (87%) Gen’l. astrology 4 (6%) 9 (75%) — — 13 (17%) Remedy advice 1 (2%) 0 — — 1 (1%) Remedies1 12 0 — — 12 Avg. # of remedies 12 0 — — 12 Regimen advice 0 2 (17%) — — 2 (3%) 1701–1750 New England Middle Atlantic South West Total Almanacs 132 160 5 — 297 Content Anatomy 66 (50%) 96 (60%) 4 (80%) — 166 (56%) List of signs 25 (19%) 55 (34%) 2 (40%) — 82 (28%) Moon’s place 128 (97%) 160 (100%) 5 (100%) — 293 (99%) Gen’l. astrology 19 (14%) 20 (13%) 0 — 39 (13%) Remedy advice 4 (3%) 9 (6%) 0 — 13 (4%) Remedies 12 28 0 40 Avg. # of remedies 3 3 — — 3 Regimen advice 3 (2%) 6 (4%) 0 — 9 (3%) 1751–1800 New England Middle Atlantic South West Total Almanacs 209 284 85 — 578 Content Anatomy 51 (24%) 235 (83%) 62 (73%) — 348 (60%) List of signs 67 (32%) 49 (17%) 27 (32%) — 143 (25%) Moon’s place 207 (99%) 279 (98%) 85 (100%) — 571 (99%) Gen’l. astrology 1 (>1%) 2 (>1%) 1 (>1%) — 4 (>1%) Remedy advice 61 (29%) 131 (46%) 43 (51%) — 235 (41%) Remedies 247 639 299 — 915 Avg. # of remedies 4 5 7 — 4 Regimen advice 43 (20%) 85 (30%) 19 (22%) — 147 (25%) 1801–1861 New England Middle Atlantic South West Total Almanacs 167 292 83 41 583 Content Anatomy 29 (17%) 242 (83%) 65 (78%) 32 (78%) 368 (63%) List of signs 91 (54%) 175 (60%) 34 (41%) 34 (83%) 364 (63%) Moon’s place 150 (90%) 290 (99%) 83 (100%) 41 (100%) 564 (97%) Gen’l. astrology 1 (>1%) 0 0 0 1 (>1%) [3.95.233.107] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 08:02 GMT) APPENDIX...