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SH16
IMPOSTURES, DECEPTIONS AND CREDULITY
Author(s) -
Magee H. R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2007.04130_16.x
Subject(s) - malingering , popularity , variety (cybernetics) , medicine , psychoanalysis , psychology , psychiatry , computer science , artificial intelligence , social psychology
In the Cowlishaw Collection of the College Library, there is a little book by an anonymous author entitled “Some Sketches of Impostures, Deceptions and Credulity”. In a series if 26 chapters the author covers a variety of subjects including oracles, false messiahs, vampirism, malingering, medical delusions and many others. Two notable examples of impostures and deceptions that played on the credulity of the public and the medical profession were Mary Tofts who claimed to have given birth to rabbits and Joanna Southcott, a self styled prophetess, who believed she had been impregnated by God and would give birth to a messiah. Other examples of impostures were the report of the miraculous bullet, ruses used in malingering and Dr. Graham’s Celestial Bed. All of these had some temporary popularity but were all recognised as falsehoods.