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The Autobiography of a Quack: And the Case of George Dedlow
Excerpt from The Autobiography of a Quack: And the Case of George Dedlow
Both of the tales in this little volume ap peared originally in the Atlantic Monthly as anonymous contributions. I owe to the present owners of that journal permission to use them. The Autobiography of a Quack has been recast with large additions.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Both of the tales in this little volume ap peared originally in the Atlantic Monthly as anonymous contributions. I owe to the present owners of that journal permission to use them. The Autobiography of a Quack has been recast with large additions.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
167 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1900
About the author
S. Weir Mitchell
290 books6 followersSilas Weir Mitchell was an American physician and writer.
During the Civil War he had charge of nervous injuries and maladies at Turners Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, and at the close of the war became a specialist in neurology. In this field Weir Mitchell's name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria; the treatment consisting primarily in isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. His medical texts include Injuries of Nerves and Their Consequences (1872) and Fat and Blood (1877). Mitchell's disease (erythromelalgia) is named after him.
During the Civil War he had charge of nervous injuries and maladies at Turners Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, and at the close of the war became a specialist in neurology. In this field Weir Mitchell's name became prominently associated with his introduction of the rest cure, subsequently taken up by the medical world, for nervous diseases, particularly hysteria; the treatment consisting primarily in isolation, confinement to bed, dieting and massage. His medical texts include Injuries of Nerves and Their Consequences (1872) and Fat and Blood (1877). Mitchell's disease (erythromelalgia) is named after him.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 15, 2016
the author was a physician. one of his patients went on to write 'the yellow wallpaper' based on a rest treatment she had gone through under his care.
george dedlows a soldier and gets his legs blown right off in the civil war only to be haunted by them later in the form of seance induced 'phantom limbs'
george dedlows a soldier and gets his legs blown right off in the civil war only to be haunted by them later in the form of seance induced 'phantom limbs'
July 30, 2014
I was doing some research on death in the Civil War and read about The Case of George Dedlow, which led me to download this e-book. Though that is an odd and interesting story, combining the horror of the Civil War with some dated religious and psychic phenomenon plot details, The Autobiography of a Quack was the more interesting of the two. It details the life of a selfish, greedy, bigoted, and all-around reprehensible doctor as he tries to make the most money possible from the poorest members of society. He's nearly impossible to cheer for, but the writing is good enough that it's easy to read in one sitting. Plus, it is very easy to believe that a doctor could be an opportunist and a pretty criminal, so there's no suspension of belief required. I can't recommend this to someone who wants nice characters and happy endings, but if you like disturbing 19th century character studies with gory medical details, this is a quick read that's never boring.
March 30, 2022
Reached The Case of George Dedlow through Oliver Sack’s Musicophilia
Seems the basis for Johnny got his gun, if I was brave enough to watch it again
Seems the basis for Johnny got his gun, if I was brave enough to watch it again
September 24, 2026
Fantoompijn
January 2, 2020
(only read the case of George Dedlow)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews