Invalidism and Historical Medical Tourism in South Africa c. 1880–1910

Christian Rogerson

doi:10.58683/sp.2158

Published : 2026-05-01

Vol. 49 No. 1 (2026)

Invalidism and Historical Medical Tourism in South Africa c. 1880–1910

Christian Rogerson

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1306-8867

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58683/sp.2158

Abstract

During the 19th century alongside the prevalent thinking of medical science and interest in the merits of ‘climatotherapy’ a flourishing industry developed of health-related travels. The paper contributes a forgotten chapter in the historical development of medical tourism in South Africa. The specific focus is analysis of the 19th century development of South Africa as a health resort and vital destination for British ‘consumptive invalids’ afflicted by pulmonary tuberculosis. In times of Victorian Britain medical knowledge was poor about the causes and most appropriate treatment for this chronic disease. The evolution and growing popularity of climatotherapy in Britain underpins acceptance of a change of climate and encouragement of consumptive patients to travel to destinations with climatic conditions considered as favourable for treating the disease. With its healthful reputation the Cape Colony in South Africa emerged as a destination for British invalids. Source material includes 19th century guidebooks on South Africa produced in London for ‘invalids’, contemporary traveller narratives as well as writings by medical specialists to reconstruct the landscape of medical tourism and the challenges confronted by invalids.

Keywords:

medical tourism; climatotherapy; invalidism; tuberculosis; Cape Colony; South Africa

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Rogerson, C. (2026). Invalidism and Historical Medical Tourism in South Africa c. 1880–1910. Studia Periegetica, 49(1), 2158. https://doi.org/10.58683/sp.2158

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