Properly planned, a holiday - usually taken in the summertime - could be of great benefit to one's health, or so Victorian doctors like "Medicus" believed. Fresh air, sunshine, walking and exercise could all contribute to a reduction in stress and improved circulation and vitality. Often, as well, one might take a "holiday" or a trip to the seaside for the specific purpose of improving one's health. This section offers tips on making the most of a holiday, ensuring that one's activities are healthy, and avoiding errors that might be less salubrious.

How to Get Strong at the Seaside (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

The Annual Holiday: How to Benefit by It (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

The Holiday: How to Make the Best of It, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

The Sea as a Physician (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

America as a Health Resort (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

"America has drawbacks in the shape of climate... but as a health resort for portions of the year it compares most favourably with any place it has ever been my good fortune to visit; and... I can look back to the time I spent in the United States as one of the pleasantest in my life."

When the Holiday Is Over (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

How to Earn a Summer Holiday, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

Summer by the Sea, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1888)

By Mountain, Stream or Sea, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Health for Tropical Travelers, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

O'er the Seas and Far Away, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

Getting Home from the Country, by Helen Jay (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Tips on what to do when returning from a relaxing vacation.

Hints About Summer and Autumn Touring, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1894)

A Holiday at Home, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Holidays in the Green Country, by "Medicus"* (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

The Benefits of a "Summer Holiday", by "The New Doctor" (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

Is it healthier to spend one's holiday at the seaside, or on the moors or mountains, or on the sea itself? There are, this doctor says, "bad places for an ordinary mortal to spend her vacation."

*"Medicus" was the pen-name of Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N., health columnist for The Girl's Own Paper. Read the complete collection of Medicus Columns from 1881-1902 in chronological order.

• See also the Recreation section for more tips on short holidays, trips to the seaside and other travel.