On Hysteria
The Invention of a Medical Category between 1670 and 1820
- Contents
- Review Quotes
- Awards

Introduction
1 Names and Uses of a Diagnosis
The Establishment of Hysteria as a Medical Category
An Intermingling of Terms
First Occurrences of the Term “Hysteria”
Vaporous Affection and Social Class
Encounters between Medical and Religious Spheres
2 In Search of Metaphors: Figuring What Cannot Be Defined
A Catalog of Images: Proteus, the Chameleon, and the Hydra
Repeated Quotations, Divergent Readings
3 The Writing of a Pathology and Practices of Dissemination
Dialogue
Autobiography
Fictional Correspondence
The Epistolary Consultation
Anecdotes
4 Code, Truth, or Ruse? The Vapors in the Republic of Letters
Well-Timed Fits
The Practice of Vapors
The Force of the Imagination
5 Relating Fits and Creating Enigmas: The Role of Narrative
Bodies Awaiting Exegesis
The Rise of Medical Narrative
In the Shadow of a Gothic Tale
Traps and Countertraps
The Construction of Secrets
6 Adopting Roles and Redefining Medicine
To Mystify or to Demystify? Establishing the Role of the Therapist
Magnetism, Parodies, and Mystification: The Art of Framing a Therapeutic Practice
Strategies of Legitimation and Definitions of the Patient to Come
Investing in Women
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Highly recommended."
History of Science Society: Margaret W. Rossiter History of Women in Science Prize
Short Listed
History: European History | History of Ideas
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