Féré, Charles (1890) Les épilepsies et les épileptiques
Rating: ♥♥ (Good)
Shelfworn book that has all pages and leaves present. Edgeworn, minor spine crack, darkend pages, Ex-library.
Charles Féré (1852–1907) was a prominent French neurologist and psychiatrist associated with the Salpêtrière school under Jean‑Martin Charcot. His 1890 work, La Pathologie des Émotions, is one of the earliest systematic attempts to explore the physiological and psychological foundations of human emotion. Written during a period of intense scientific interest in hysteria, hypnosis, and neurological function, the book reflects the intellectual climate of late 19th‑century French psychiatry.
Féré sought to understand emotions not merely as subjective experiences but as measurable physiological phenomena. Drawing on clinical observations, experimental research, and the emerging fields of neurology and psychology, he examined how emotional states influence muscular activity, circulation, respiration, and sensory perception. His work represents an early effort to bridge the gap between mental processes and bodily responses — a theme that would later become central in psychophysiology and psychosomatic medicine.
Key topics discussed in the book include:
- the neurological basis of emotional expression
- the role of reflexes and automatic responses
- emotional disturbances in hysteria and neurological disorders
- the influence of fatigue, intoxication, and heredity on emotional stability
- early experimental methods for measuring physiological reactions
Féré’s work is also notable for its connection to the broader scientific movement at the Salpêtrière, where Charcot and his students were redefining the study of hysteria, trauma, and neurological disease. La Pathologie des Émotions stands as a valuable document of this era, capturing the transition from speculative theories of emotion to more empirical, laboratory‑based approaches.
Today, the book is of great interest to historians of psychiatry, neurology, psychology, and the early sciences of emotion. It offers a rare window into the origins of modern affective science and the experimental spirit of fin‑de‑siècle French medicine.
Collector’s Note
Charles Féré’s works are increasingly sought after due to his close association with Charcot and the Salpêtrière school. This 1890 edition is a significant early contribution to the scientific study of emotion and a desirable item for collectors of neurological history, psychiatric classics, and 19th‑century medical literature. Early editions in complete form are becoming uncommon.
Keywords
- Charles Féré
- Salpêtrière school
- history of emotion research
- 19th‑century psychiatry
- neurological basis of emotion
- Charcot students
- psychophysiology history
- French medical classics
