Madness and society in eighteenth-century Scotland /
How did people view mental health problems in the eighteenth century, and what do the attitudes of ordinary people towards those afflicted tell us about the values of society at that time? Here, Rab Houston draws upon a wide range of contemporary sources including asylum documents, civil and crimina...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford : New York :
Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press,
2000
Oxford ; New York : Clarendon Press, 2000 Oxford ; New York : 2000 Oxford ; New York : 2000 |
| Series: | Oxford studies in social history
Oxford studies in social history |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | How did people view mental health problems in the eighteenth century, and what do the attitudes of ordinary people towards those afflicted tell us about the values of society at that time? Here, Rab Houston draws upon a wide range of contemporary sources including asylum documents, civil and criminal court records, including the written and spoken words of sufferers themselves, to present unique insights into the many issues related to madness. A detailed yet profoundly humane and compassionate study, this book describes the everyday experiences of those suffering mental impairments ranging from idiocy to lunacy and explores the many meanings and implications for society in the eighteenth century "Professor Houston draws upon a wide range of contemporary sources, notable asylum documents, and civil and criminal court records, to present unique insights into the issues around madness, including the law of mental incapacity, the written and spoken words of sufferers themselves, and the vocabulary associated with insanity. The links between madness and a range of other issues are explored, including gender, social status, religion and witchcraft, in addition to the attributed causes of derangement such as heredity and alcohol abuse."--Jacket |
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| Item Description: | This WorldCat-derived record is shareable under Open Data Commons ODC-BY, with attribution to OCLC |
| Physical Description: | xi, 450 p. ; 23 cm xi, 450 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm xi, 450 pages ; 23 cm Also available in an online ed. (restricted for use by University of Pennsylvania site/user ID and password) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (p. [411]-441) and index Includes bibliographical references (pages [411]-441) and index Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 0198207875 (hardcover : alk. paper) 0198207875 9780198207870 (hardcover : alk. paper) 9780198207870 |