The Mesmerist: The Society Doctor Who Held Victorian London Spellbound
by Wendy Moore
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Description
Medicine, in the early 1800s, was a brutal business. Operations were performed without anaesthesia while conventional treatment relied on leeches, cupping and toxic potions. The most surgeons could offer by way of pain relief was a large swig of brandy. Onto this scene came John Elliotson, the dazzling new hope of the medical world. Charismatic and ambitious, Elliotson was determined to transform medicine from a hodge-podge of archaic remedies into a practice informed by the latest science. show more In this aim he was backed by Thomas Wakley, founder of the new magazine, the Lancet, and a campaigner against corruption and malpractice. Then, in the summer of 1837, a French visitor - the self-styled Baron Jules Denis Dupotet - arrived in London to promote an exotic new idea: mesmerism. The mesmerism mania would take the nation by storm but would ultimately split the two friends, and the medical world, asunder - throwing into focus fundamental questions about the fine line between medicine and quackery, between science and superstition. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A well-written account of the fascinating life of Dr. John Elliotson!
The son of a Southwark chemist, Elliotson rose to join the ranks of Victorian Britain's top medical professionals through his tenacity, radical thinking and rebellious nature. He was one of the first in Britain to use a stethoscope and Britain's first medical professional to seriously investigate acupuncture, hypnotism and physiognomy. Of course, popularity and power corrupts, and the once anti-nepotistic Elliotson actively participates in the internal politics of the classroom, rivalry between medical journals and the pettiness of hospital hierarchy. It is during this tumultuous time that mesmerism (hypnotism) arrives in Britain. Tired of relying on bloodletting and show more toxic pills, Elliotson endorses mesmerism as a treatment and early anesthetic, risking his career and reputation!
At no point was this book not entertaining, even Charles Dickens makes a marked appearance! However I couldn't give it a full five stars because I wanted to hear more about Elliotson's treatment of various patients instead of the two that the author focuses on. She mentions others in passing but I would have liked a little more detail. Nevertheless, this is was a worth while read. show less
The son of a Southwark chemist, Elliotson rose to join the ranks of Victorian Britain's top medical professionals through his tenacity, radical thinking and rebellious nature. He was one of the first in Britain to use a stethoscope and Britain's first medical professional to seriously investigate acupuncture, hypnotism and physiognomy. Of course, popularity and power corrupts, and the once anti-nepotistic Elliotson actively participates in the internal politics of the classroom, rivalry between medical journals and the pettiness of hospital hierarchy. It is during this tumultuous time that mesmerism (hypnotism) arrives in Britain. Tired of relying on bloodletting and show more toxic pills, Elliotson endorses mesmerism as a treatment and early anesthetic, risking his career and reputation!
At no point was this book not entertaining, even Charles Dickens makes a marked appearance! However I couldn't give it a full five stars because I wanted to hear more about Elliotson's treatment of various patients instead of the two that the author focuses on. She mentions others in passing but I would have liked a little more detail. Nevertheless, this is was a worth while read. show less
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Author Information
6 Works 1,778 Members
Wendy Moore is a journalist and author of four previous books. Her writing has appeared in the Times, the Guardian, the Observer, and the Sunday Telegraph. She lives in London.
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
The Guardian Book of the Day (2017-04-30)
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Dr. John Elliotson; Elizabeth Oakey; Thomas Wakley; Astley Cooper; John Abernethy; Baron Jules Denis Dupotet de Sennevoy (show all 10); John Campbell Colquhoun; Richard Chenevix; Robert Liston; Charles Dickens
- Important places
- St. Thomas Hospital, London, England, UK; St. Guy's Hospital, London, England, UK
- Dedication
- For Peter, Sam and Susie
- First words
- The girl sat impassively at the centre of the stage while the lecture theatre filled with people.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)For the marvels of mesmerism remain as alluring as ever.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, Science & Nature
- DDC/MDS
- 154.7092 — Philosophy & psychology Psychology Subconscious and altered states and processes Hypnosis
- LCC
- BF1127 .D87 .M66 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Psychology Parapsychology Hypnotism. Suggestion. Mesmerism. Subliminal projection
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 43
- Popularity
- 687,298
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
