An Essay Towards a Theory of Apparitions,

FIRST EDITION, [2], X, [2], 14-130pp., contemporary half calf over marbled boards, corners restored, marbled endpapers, 8vo, London, for Cadell and Davies, 1813

In this work, John Ferriar presents a rational explanation for a broad range of supernatural phenomenons. He argues that visions of ghosts, witches and other spectral illusions have a psycho-physiological cause rather than a supernatural one. Ferrari was one of the first to offer this idea. In “An Essay Toward a Theory of Apparitions”, he makes a sometimes humorous examination of many contemporary and older stories, including the Salem witch trials, which he regards with a deep scientific scepticism.

The author, John Ferriar (1761-1815), was a Scottish physician and author whose research into typhoid and other diseases, along with his leadership of the Manchester Infirmary made their mark in British medical history. The Theory of Apparitions was Ferriar’s last published work.

Norman 790. Hunter & Macalpine, pages 543-46.