Mesmerism and Christian Science. A Short History of Mental Healing.
London: Methuen and Co., 1909. First edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. xvi + 306pp + 30pp publisher's catalogue. Original red cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, index. A fascinating history of the uses of hypnosis / animal magnetism in healing, from Mesmer through to the Mary Baker Eddy. Despite the title, only two of the seventeen chapters are devoted to Christian Science, so the book is actually a far broader overview than the title suggests. Frank Podmore (1856-1910) was one of the ablest and most balanced contemporary observers of Spiritualism, who wrote widely on the subject but is most widely remembered for his important study "Modern Spiritualism" (later republished under the title "Mediums of the 19th Century"). From the collection of Dr. M. H. Coleman with his ex-libris blind seal on first leaf. Cloth a bit rubbed, discoloured and unevenly faded - more so at spine ends and board edges, spine ends and corners bruised and chafed with a tiny bit of fraying to upper spine, page edges darkened and foxed, endpapers unevenly browned, small chip from lower corner of half title page, pages lightly toned, no internal markings. Overall a tight, clean VG copy (no dust jacket). Item #62977
Sold