Samuel Johnson in the medical world : the doctor and the patient

Samuel Johnson has become known to posterity in two capacities: through his own works as the great literary essayist of the eighteenth century, and through Boswell's Life, as a man--notoriously a medical patient with a string of physical and psychological ailments. John Wiltshire brings the two together in this original study of Johnson the writer as "doctor" and patient. The subject of modern medical historians' case studies, Johnson also cultivated the acquaintance of doctors in his own day, and was himself a "dabbler in physic." Dr. Wiltshire illuminates Johnson's life and work by setting them in their medical context and also examines the importance of medical themes in Johnson's own writings. He discusses the many parts of Johnson's work touching on doctors, medicine, hospitals and medical experimentation, and analyzes the central theme, running throughout, of human suffering--in body and mind--and its alleviation. Cover......Page 1 Intro Blurb......Page 2 Plaster cast of a bust of Samuel Johnson......Page 5 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 CONTENTS......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 A note on references......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 1 Johnson's medical history: facts and mysteries......Page 22 2 The practice of physic......Page 75 3 Transactions of the medical world Fortune of physicians Charity and cruelty Johnson and vivisection......Page 101 4 Medicine as metaphor......Page 152 5 The history of a man of learning......Page 176 6 Dr Robert Levet......Page 206 7 Therapeutic friendship......Page 234 Introduction......Page 255 1 Johnson's medical history: facts and mysterie......Page 256 2 The practice of physi......Page 263 3 Transactions of the medical world......Page 266 4 Medicine as metaphor......Page 271 5 The history of a man of learning......Page 273 6 Dr Robert Levet......Page 277 7 Therapeutic friendship......Page 279 Medical and other works published before 1810......Page 282 Contemporary periodicals......Page 284 Works published after 1810......Page 285 Selected works concerned with the health and medical experiences of Samuel Johnson......Page 293 Unpublished material......Page 294 Index......Page 296 Samuel Johnson has become known to posterity in two capacities: through his own works as the great literary essayist of the eighteenth century, and, through Boswell's Life, as a man - notoriously a medical patient with a string of physical and psychological ailments. John Wiltshire brings the two together in this 1991 study of Johnson the writer as 'Doctor' and patient. The subject of modern medical historians' case studies, Johnson also cultivated the acquaintance of doctors in his own day, and was himself a 'dabbler in physics'. John Wiltshire illuminates Johnson's life and work by setting them in their medical context, and also examines the importance of medical themes in Johnson's own writings. He discusses the many parts of Johnson's work touching on doctors, medicines, hospitals and medical experimentation, and analyses the central theme of human suffering - in body and mind - and its alleviation. In this 1991 book, John Wiltshire illuminates Johnson's life and work by setting them in their medical context, and also examines the importance of medical themes in Johnson's own writings. He discusses the many parts of Johnson's work touching on doctors, medicines, hospitals and medical experimentation, and analyses the central theme of human suffering and its alleviation. AFTER JOHNSON'S death in 1784, the surviving members of his last club met to discuss what kind of monument to erect to him in St Paul's Cathedral. John Wiltshire. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 271-283) And Index.