Stage

April 26 to May 1

The miracles of medicine never fail to fascinate and this year’s Books by the Beach features two very different eras of medical science.

On Thursday April 27 writer and freelance journalist Wendy Moore opens proceedings at 10am with her brand new book The Mesmerist – telling the fascinating story of John Elliotson, a brilliant young doctor in Victorian Britain.

Charismatic Elliotson was the dazzling new hope of the medical world. He was backed by Thomas Wakley, founder of the Lancet magazine and a campaigner against malpractice.

But the summer of 1837 brought an exotic Frenchman, Baron Jules Denis Dupotet, to our shores -and Elliotson became entranced by the idea of mesmerism or hypnotism.

John practised Mesmerism as a new pain relief, drawing huge crowds of fellow scientist to his University College Hospital in London.

Prior to this operations were performed without anaesthesia and using leeches and toxic potions. The most common pain relief was a large swig of brandy.

This new hypnotic mania took the nation by storm and ultimately split the two