The World's Greatest Books-Volume 15-Science

_Table of Contents_


PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM HARVEY _Frontispiece_

PAGE

BRAMWELL, JOHN MILNE
Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory 1


BUFFON, COMTE DE
Natural History 12


CHAMBERS, ROBERT
Vestiges of Creation 22


CUVIER, GEORGES
The Surface of the Globe 33


DARWIN, CHARLES
The Origin of Species 43


DAVY, SIR HUMPHRY
Elements of Chemical Philosophy 64


FARADAY, MICHAEL
Experimental Researches in Electricity 75
The Chemical History of a Candle 85


FOREL, AUGUSTE
The Senses of Insects 95


GALILEO
Dialogues on the System of the World 105


GALTON, SIR FRANCIS
Essays in Eugenics 111


HAECKEL, ERNST
The Evolution of Man 123


HARVEY, WILLIAM
On the Motion of the Heart and Blood 136


HERSCHEL, SIR JOHN
Outlines of Astronomy 146


HUMBOLDT, ALEXANDER VON
Cosmos, a Sketch of the Universe 158


HUTTON, JAMES
The Theory of the Earth 170


LAMARCK
Zoological Philosophy 179


LAVATER, JOHANN
Physiogonomical Fragments 191


LIEBIG, JUSTUS VON
Animal Chemistry 203


LYELL, SIR CHARLES
The Principles of Geology 215


MAXWELL, JAMES CLERK
A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism 227


METCHNIKOFF, ELIE
The Nature of Man 238
The Prolongation of Life 246


MILLER, HUGH
The Old Red Sandstone 255


NEWTON, SIR ISAAC
Principia 267


OWEN, SIR RICHARD
Anatomy of Vertebrates 280


VIRCHOW, RUDOLF
Cellular Pathology 292

* * * * *

A Complete Index of THE WORLD'S GREATEST BOOKS will be found at the end
of Volume XX.




_Acknowledgment_


Acknowledgment and thanks for the use of the following selections are
herewith tendered to the Open Court Publishing Company, La Salle, Ill.,
for "Senses of Insects," by Auguste Forel; to G.P. Putnam's Sons, New
York, for "Prolongation of Human Life" and "Nature of Man," by Elie
Metchnikoff; and to the De La More Press, London, for "Hypnotism, &c.,"
by Dr. Bramwell.




_Science_

JOHN MILNE BRAMWELL

Hypnotism: Its History, Practice and Theory

John Milne Bramwell was born in Perth, Scotland, May 11, 1852. The
son of a physician, he studied medicine in Edinburgh, and after
obtaining his degree of M.B., in 1873, he settled at Goole,
Yorkshire. Fired by the unfinished work of Braid, Bernheim and
Liébeault, he began, in 1889, a series of hypnotic researches,
which, together with a number of successful experiments he had
privately conducted, created considerable stir in the medical
world. Abandoning his general practice and settling in London in
1892, Dr. Bramwell became one of the foremost authorities in the
country on hypnotism as a curative agent. His Works include many
valuable treatises, the most important being "Hypnotism: its
History, Practice and Theory," published in 1903, and here
summarised for the WORLD'S GREATEST BOOKS by Dr. Bramwell himself.


_I.--Pioneers of Hypnotism_

Just as chemistry arose from alchemy, astronomy from astrology, so
hypnotism had its origin in mesmerism. Phenomena such as Mesmer
described had undoubtedly been observed from early times, but to his
work, which extended from 1756 to his death, in 1815, we owe the
scientific interest which, after much error and self-deception, finally
led to what we now term hypnotism.

John Elliotson (1791-1868), the foremost physician of his day, was the
leader of the mesmeric movement in England. In 1837, after seeing
Dupotet's work, he commenced to experiment at University College
Hospital, and continued, with remarkable success, until ordered to
desist by the council of the college. Elliotson felt the insult keenly,
indignantly resigned his appointments, and never afterwards entered the
hospital he had done so much to establish. Despite the persistent and
virulent attacks of the medical press, he continued his mesmeric
researches up to the time of his death, sacrificing friends, income and
reputation to his beliefs.