Table of Contents

Prologue: Suffocation of the mother ; 1. Mysteria ; 2. Neurologie ; 3. An English malady? ; 4. Reflexly mad ; 5. American Nervousness ; 6. A hysterical circus ; 7. Freudian hysterics ; 8. The wounds of war ; 9. L'hysterie morte? ; Further reading

About the Author

Andrew Scull is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego.

Reviews

Elegantly constructed book... George Rousseau, TLS The stories they tell are often fascinating and alarming - pitched somewhere between farce, genius, horror and a lab report. The Scotsman These four 'biographies' of diseases go far beyond questions of biology or medical practice; they talk politics, sex and class, faith. The Scotsman The notion of an ailment having a birth, a lifespan, and - ideally - a demise...is an illuminating and useful concept. Wendy Moore, British Medical Journal Andrew Scull's exploration...provides an utterly enthralling study of medical ideology and sociology. Wendy Moore, British Medical Journal Should be required reading for all students of medicine. Wendy Moore, British Medical Journal