Mesmerized: Powers of Mind in Victorian BritainUniversity of Chicago Press, 1998 - 464 pages Across Victorian Britain, apparently reasonable people twisted into bizarre postures, called out in unknown languages, and placidly bore assaults that should have caused unbearable pain all while they were mesmerized. Alison Winter's fascinating cultural history traces the history of mesmerism in Victorian society. Mesmerized is both a social history of the age and a lively exploration of the contested territory between science and pseudo-science. "Dazzling. . . . This splendid book . . . gives us a new form of historical understanding and a model for open and imaginative reading."—James R. Kinkaid, Boston Globe "A landmark in the history of science scholarship."—John Sutherland, The Independent "It is difficult to imagine the documentary side of the story being better done than by Winter's well-researched and generously illustrated study. . . . She is a lively and keen observer; and her book is a pleasure to read purely for its range of material and wealth of detail. . . . Fruitful and suggestive."—Daniel Karlin, Times Literary Supplement "An ambitious, sweeping and fascinating historical study. . . . Beautifully written, thoroughly researched, and well-illustrated."—Bernard Lightman, Washington Times |
From inside the book
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Page v
... , and the Territories of Science 276 TWELVE The Social Body and the Invention of Consensus 306 Conclusion : The Day after the Feast 345 Notes 355 Bibliography 409 Index 453 ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Mesmerist and patient 2. " The March of.
... , and the Territories of Science 276 TWELVE The Social Body and the Invention of Consensus 306 Conclusion : The Day after the Feast 345 Notes 355 Bibliography 409 Index 453 ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Mesmerist and patient 2. " The March of.
Page vii
Powers of Mind in Victorian Britain Alison Winter. ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Mesmerist and patient 2. " The March of Intellect ... Mesmerism : Being a French Version of Victoria's Visit to France " 7. Phrenological head 21 8. " The Physiognomist ...
Powers of Mind in Victorian Britain Alison Winter. ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Mesmerist and patient 2. " The March of Intellect ... Mesmerism : Being a French Version of Victoria's Visit to France " 7. Phrenological head 21 8. " The Physiognomist ...
Page viii
... Mesmerism at Balmoral 41. The magnetoscope , phrenological chart 42. " The Real and the Ideal " 43. " Laughing Gas ... mesmerist 61. " Conclusive Table - Turning Experiment at Greenwich " 63. St. Ewald healing a possessed woman 265 269 ...
... Mesmerism at Balmoral 41. The magnetoscope , phrenological chart 42. " The Real and the Ideal " 43. " Laughing Gas ... mesmerist 61. " Conclusive Table - Turning Experiment at Greenwich " 63. St. Ewald healing a possessed woman 265 269 ...
Page xv
... mesmerism . The power to create these effects , he declared , proved his " moral and intellectual superiority " over his ... mesmerist relinquished her hand in dis- gust , unaware of the effect he had had . For her , the power of self ...
... mesmerism . The power to create these effects , he declared , proved his " moral and intellectual superiority " over his ... mesmerist relinquished her hand in dis- gust , unaware of the effect he had had . For her , the power of self ...
Page xvi
... mesmerist would seat the subject before him ( or her , though most mesmerists were men ) . Everyone would fall silent and watch . Mesmerist and subject would stare into each others ' eyes as he made " magnetic passes " over her ( or him ...
... mesmerist would seat the subject before him ( or her , though most mesmerists were men ) . Everyone would fall silent and watch . Mesmerist and subject would stare into each others ' eyes as he made " magnetic passes " over her ( or him ...
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Ada Lovelace anesthesia animal magnetism audience authority Bagehot became body Britain British broadsheet Calcutta Carpenter century claimed clairvoyant controversial culture debate developed Dickens display doctors Dupotet effects electric Elliotson Esdaile Esdaile's ether experimental eyes Faraday Faraday's FIGURE Hall hand Harriet Martineau Henry Crabb Robinson Houghton Papers Howard Morpeth human Indian individuals influence Institute intellectual involved John Elliotson journal knowledge Lancet Lardner lectures Letters Library London Martineau to Monckton Mary Russell Mitford medicine ment meric merism mesmeric anesthesia mesmeric experiments Mesmeric Hospital mesmeric phenomena mesmeric subject mesmerism's mesmerist Michael Faraday mind Mitford Monckton Milnes Morpeth natural nervous notion O'Key O'Key's one's pain patients phrenological physical physiology political practice produced psychic Purland Papers readers reform relations Sandby scientific Scoresby sensation sense sickroom sleep social society spiritual status surgeon surgical table-turning Thomas Wakley thought tion trance trial University College Hospital Victorian Wakley woman