Cover; Misery to Mirth: Recovery from Illness in Early Modern England; Copyright; Dedication; Acknowledgements; Contents; List of Figures; List of Abbreviations; Introduction; HISTORIOGRAPHY; SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS; DEFINITIONS AND PARAMETERS; SOURCES; PART I: MEDICAL UNDERSTANDINGS; 1: 'Nature Concocts and Expels': Defeating Disease; AGENTS; PROCESSES; HELMONTIANS; CONCLUSION; 2: 'She Sleeps Well and Eats an Egg': Restoring Strength; WEAKNESS AFTER DISEASE; CATEGORIZING THE CONVALESCENT; THE FINAL PURGE; SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT; FEELING HUNGRY; GROWING CHEERFUL; SITTING UP TO GOING ABROAD
CONCLUSIONPART II: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES; 3: 'O, How Sweet is Ease!' Feeling Better; PATIENTS; FAMILY AND FRIENDS; CONCLUSION; 4: 'A Double Delight': Thanking God; BODY AND SOUL; SIN NO MORE; HOLY AFFECTIONS; PUBLIC PRAISES; CONCLUSION; 5: 'Pluck't from the Pit': Escaping Death; PATIENTS; FAMILY AND FRIENDS; CONCLUSION; 6: 'All is Returned': Resuming Life; PRISON TO LIBERTY: SPATIAL LIFE; ISOLATION TO INTEGRATION: SOCIAL LIFE; IDLENESS TO OFFICE: WORKING LIFE; CONCLUSION; Conclusion; Primary Bibliography; MANUSCRIPT SOURCES; London; British Library; Lambeth Palace Library
London Metropolitan LibraryRoyal College of Physicians Library; Wellcome Library; Cambridge; Cambridge University Library; St John's College Library; Trinity College Library; Leeds; Brotherton Library; Oxford; Bodleian Library; Taunton; Somerset Heritage Centre; Winchester; Hampshire Record Office; Other; PRINTED SOURCES; The place of publication is London, unless otherwise stated; ELECTRONIC RESOURCES; Index
Summary
Misery to Mirth aims to change our thinking about health in early modern England. Drawing on sources such as diaries and medical texts, it shows that recovery did exist as a concept, and that it was a widely-reported event. The study examines how patients, and their loved ones, dealt with overcoming a seemingly fatal illness
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-251) and index
