Publisher:  Ralston Health Club68
435 pages -- Approx. size: 8.75" by 6"

Ralstonism was a social movement founded by Webster Edgerly that promoted his pseudoscientific ideas of personal and racial hygiene. It began as the Ralston Health Club, which published Edgerly's writings. Edgerly wrote 82 of what would today be called self-help books under the pseudonym Edmund Shaftesbury. They covered subjects including diet, exercise, punctuation, sexual magnetism, artistic deep breathing, facial expressions, and ventriloquism. Although Edgerly publicly claimed that the Ralston Company had no goods for sale, he did sell his books through mail order.

In addition to advice like toothbrushing, the books make various recommendations: for example, every young man should engage in a form of probationary marriage with a woman old enough to be his grandmother. In 1900, Edgerly joined forces with the founder of Purina Food Company, which took the name Ralston Purina Company (which would later become Nestlé Purina PetCare). It made whole wheat cereal that Ralstonites were to consume. The food company Edgerly founded evolved into what is now called Ralcorp which was the original manufacturer of cereal brands including Chex and Cookie Crisp.

Very good condition with red cloth boards and Silver gilt decorated spine with gold gilt lettering. Clean interior.

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