Health

“‘She is a great deal too ill to be moved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her.’” (Page 41)

People of the Victorian era were very concerned with their health. Sicknesses such as the common cold or influenza were of a much more serious nature than they are now. Because there had been few advancements made in medicine, little could be done when one took ill. In addition to limited medical developments, few doctors were adequately educated and thus were often not competent enough to give accurate diagnoses. Austen demonstrates the vitality of being healthy through her depiction of Jane’s illness. Although, to the reader, it is clear that Jane is suffering from a simple cold and fever, the entire affair is made out to be more severe than it actually is. Rather than returning home, which is only three miles away, Jane is advised to stay put at Netherfield. This portion of the novel alludes to when Jane Austen caught typhus fever when she was a young girl. Similarly as with Jane, great care was taken to keep her whilst she suffered from the dangerous illness.

"Medical Developments In Britain During The Nineteenth Century." The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 08 Mar. 2010. http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/health12.html.

"Jane Austen." Web. 08 Mar. 2010. http://hermes.hrc.ntu.edu.tw/lctd/asp/authors/00177/introduction.htm.

19th Century Medical Procedure. Digital image. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://www.uh.edu/engines/medexpt.jpg.