Madness and Society in Eighteenth-Century Scotland [Hardcover]

How did people view mental health problems in the eighteenth century, and what do the attitudes of ordinary people towards those afflicted tell us about the values of society at that time? Here, Rab Houston draws upon a wide range of contemporary sources including asylum documents, civil and criminal court records, including the written and spoken words of sufferers themselves, to present unique insights into the many issues related to madness. A detailed yet profoundly humane and compassionate study, this book describes the everyday experiences of those suffering mental impairments ranging from idiocy to lunacy and explores the many meanings and implications for society in the eighteenth century.

1. Methodology - Mental Incapacity in the Present and in the Past
2. Sources and the Law
3. Patterns of Madness
4. Being Mad
5. Being Sane
6. Mind and Body: The Causes of Insanity
7. Madness and Religion
8. The Language of Insanity 1: Words About the Insane
9. The Language of Insanity 2: The Words of the Insane
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography

He (Houston) has given us a carefully researched and written book. It is thoughtful and humane, as well as provocative. --Journal of Interdisciplinary History