Etherology, and the Phreno-Philosophy of Mesmerism and Magic Eloquence: Including a New Philosophy of Sleep and of Consciousness, with a Review of the Pretensions of Phreno-Magnetism, Electro-biology, &c.
Boston, MA: James Munroe, 1850. First Edition Thus [ Revised ]. Hardcover. Octavo. 252pp. + viii + 122pp. Original black cloth, boards decorated in blind, gilt-lettered on spine, b/w illustrations, appendix. The author, J. Stanley Grimes, was a committed phrenologist, who believed that phrenology was the principal science of human perception, and that the phenomena of Spiritualism were the result of abnormal phrenes rather than external forces. He took a particular exception to the (then) new vogue for phreno-magnetism (which combined phrenology with magnetism and hypnosis) against which he railed in this book. All edges a bit rubbed with a few light bumps, spine ends and corners bruised and heavily chafed with some chipping and loss to spine ends, page edges and endpapers darkened, Contemporary bookplate (of one Sidney Billing Tadmor) on the front pastedown, scattered foxing throughout, some creasing and browning to page edges, a very few scattered pencil notations. Else a clean, complete and intact about VG copy. Scarce in any condition. Item #62709
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