A study of mesmerism and the literature of the 19th century, with particular reference to Harriet Martineau

This thesis studies the 19th century interest in Mesmerism, taking Harriet Martineau as a key figure. The Introduction refers briefly to what i s meant by 'Mesmerism', and stresses the importance of Harriet Martineau in the 19th century. Chapter 1 consists of a short history of Mesmerism, followed in Chapter 2 by an account of Harriet Martineau' s medical history culminating in her 'cure' by Mesmerism. Chapter 3 discusses the events following that 'cure', and the reactions of contemporaries to it. Chapters 4 and 5 describe the influence of the mesmerist H. G. Atkinson upon Harriet Martineau and her work, followed in Chapter 6 by an annotated presentation and discussion of two stories by her, concerning mesmeric clairvoyance and taken from the Birmingham Collection of Martineau papers and correspondence . Some unpublished letters from the same collection are also used in the thesis. Chapter 7 describes the involvement of many notable 19th century figures in Mesmerism, and, finally, Chapter 8 is a discussion of the contemporary fictional use of Mesmerism as a literary theme