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Title Brain, mind and medicine : essays in eighteenth-century neuroscience / edited by Harry Whitaker, C.U.M. Smith, Stanley Finger
Published New York, NY : Springer, ©2007

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Description 1 online resource (xiii, 376 pages) : illustrations
Contents A. Introduction. Introduction / Harry Whitaker, C.U.M. Smith, and Stanley Finger -- Chronology / C.U.M. Smith -- B. Background. Introduction / The editors -- Brain and mind in the 'long' eighteenth century / C.U.M. Smith -- Enlightening neurosciences: microscopes and microscopy in the eighteenth century / Brian J. Ford -- Corpus curricula: medical education and the voluntary hospital movement / Jonathan Reinarz -- Some thoughts on the medical milieu in the last quarter of the eighteenth century as reflected in the life and activities of James Parkinson (1755-1824) / Christopher Gardner-Thrope -- C. The nervous system. Introduction / The editors -- John Hunter's contribution to neuroscience / James L. Stone, James T. Goodrich, and George R. Cybulski -- William Cullen (1710-1790) and Robert Whytt (1714-1766) on the nervous system / Julius Rocca -- 1710: the introduction of experimental nervous system physiology and anatomy by François Pourfour du Petit / Lawrence Kruger and Larry W. Swanson -- Irritable glue: the Haller-Whytt controversy on the mechanism of muscle contraction / Eugenio Frixione -- The taming of the electric ray: from an wonderful and dreadful "art" to "animal electricity" and "electric battery" / Marco Piccolino -- Luigi Galvani, physician, surgeon, physicist: from animal electricity to electro-physiology / Miriam Focaccia and Raffaella Simili -- D. Brain and behavior. Introduction / The editors -- The vision of William Porterfield / Nicholas J. Wade -- David Hartley's neural vibrations and psychological associations / Robert B. Glassman and Hugh W. Buckingham -- Charles Bonnet's neurophilosophy / Harry A. Whitaker and Yves Turgeon -- Swedenborg and localization theory / Ulf Norrsell -- E. Medical theories and applications. Introduction / The editors -- Neuroscience in the work of Boerhaave and Haller / Peter J. Koehler -- Apoplexy: changing concepts in the eighteenth century / Catherine E. Storey -- Benjamin Franklin and the electrical cure for disorders of the nervous system / Stanley Finger -- Gentleman's magazine, the advent of medical electricity, and disorders of the nervous system / Hannah Sypher Locke and Stanley Finger -- Therapeutic attractions: early applications of electricity to the art of healing / Paola Bertucci -- John Wesley on the estimation and cure of nervous disorders / James G. Donat -- Franz Anton Mesmer and the rise and fall of animal magnetism: dramatic cures, controversy, and ultimately a triumph for the scientific method / Douglas J. Lanska and Joseph T. Lanska -- Hysteria in the eighteenth century / Diana Faber -- F. Cultural consequences. Introduction / The editors -- Technological metaphors and the anatomy of representations in eighteenth-century French materialism and dualist mechanism / Timo Kaitaro -- Explorations of the brain, mind and medicine in the writings of Jonathan Swift / Marjorie Perlman Lorch -- Temperament and the long shadow of nerves in the eighteenth century / George Rousseau
Summary Ideas we associate with the 18th century are clearly seen in work published from the latter decades of the 17th century through the first decades of the 19th century. This is the "long 18th century", a period which exhibits multiple discourses in medicine, brain science and philosophy. The editors have deliberately adopted a "presentist" subtitle, "neuroscience", to emphasize that this collection of essays reflect a range of current thought about 18th century-studies of the nervous system in isolation and in context. There are six sections, each preceded by a short introduction. The opening section of Brain, Mind and Medicine: Neuroscience in the 18th Century sets forth a temporal chronology for the long 18th century. This is followed by a background section of essays on (a) brain and mind in the long 18th century, (b) the role of microscopes and microscopy in this period, (c) the nature of 18th century medical education and the place of voluntary hospitals and (d) an illustration of late-18th century medicine, discussing the early career of James Parkinson as an example. The third section contains a series of papers focusing on the nervous system, with (a) an exegesis of John Hunter's work, (b) the contributions of William Cullen and Robert Whytt, (c) a detailed analysis of the physiological and anatomical work of Pourfour du Petit, (d) the debate between Albrecht Haller and Robert Whytt concerning the mechanism of muscle contraction and two essays on developments in animal electricity during this epoch, (e) the early history starting with observations of the electric ray, and (f) the later contributions of Luigi Galvani, medical man and scientist. The fourth section on brain and behavior considers (a) William Porterfield's thoughts on vision, and three essays in speculative philosophy of neuroscience, (b) a discussion of David Hartley's vibration theory, (c) a discussion of Charles Bonnet's vibration theory and an analysis of Emanuel Swedenborg's century-too-soon thoughts on localization of brain function. The next section opens with an essay (a) on the neuroscientific ideas of Hermann Boerhaave and Albrecht Haller, then (b) a discussion of the evolution of our understanding of strokes in this epoch; these are followed by three essays on the development and applications of medical electricity, the first (c) on the contribution of Benjamin Franklin, the second (d) on how medical electricity was discussed in the popular publication, Gentleman's Magazine, and the third (e) on the application of medical electricity in physician's practices. The essays continue with (f) the medical opinions of the clergyman John Wesley, followed by (g) an essay on the best example of the power of suggestion in this era, Franz Anton Mesmer's notions of animal magnetism. The final essay in this section (h) discusses the evolution of the concept of hysteria well in advance of the well-known work of Jean Marie Charcot and Sigmund Freud. The final three essays in the last section capture some of the cultural consequences of 18th century interest in the nervous system: (a) in the context of French materialism, (b) in Jonathan Swift's literary treatment of brain and nervous system and, finally (c) in an analysis of the origin and development of the concept of temperament. Cover illustration: A young woman being treated with medical electricity in the 18th century. (From Adams, 1785; see chapter by Bertucci.)
Analysis geschiedenis
history
geneeskunde
medicine
biomedische wetenschappen
biomedicine
wetenschap
science
neurowetenschap
neuroscience
Medicine (General)
Geneeskunde (algemeen)
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record
In Springer e-books
Subject Richet, Charles, 1850-1935.
SUBJECT Richet, Charles Robert, 1850-1935. cct
Richet, Charles, 1850-1935 fast
Subject Physiologists -- France -- Biography
Neurosciences -- History -- 18th century
Medicine -- History -- 17th century.
Medicine -- History -- 18th century.
Medicine -- History.
1600s
1700s
1800s
History, 19th Century
Neurosciences -- history
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History of Medicine
Hysteria -- history
history of medicine.
MEDICAL -- Neuroscience.
PSYCHOLOGY -- Neuropsychology.
Neurosciences -- History -- 18th century.
Neurosciences -- History.
History, 18th Century.
Physiologists -- France.
Biomédecine.
Sciences de la vie.
Medicine
Neurosciences
Physiologists
France
Genre/Form Biographies
History
Biographies.
Biographies.
Form Electronic book
Author Whitaker, Harry A.
Smith, C. U. M. (Christopher Upham Murray)
Finger, Stanley.
ISBN 9780387709673
0387709673
0387709665
9780387709666
1281116041
9781281116048