The Zoist: A Journal of Cerebral Physiology & Mesmerism, and Their Applications to Human Welfare was a British journal, devoted to the promotion of the theories and practices (and the collection and dissemination of reports of the applications) of the pseudoscientific concepts of mesmerism and phrenology, and the enterprise of "connecting and harmonizing practical science with little understood laws governing the mental structure of man".Godwin (1994), p. 213. With its name derived from the Greek word Zoe (ζωή) meaning "life"."The [journal's] peculiar title was derived from the Greek zoon and zoe, thus expressing the dual concern of the journal with (a) the animal body, the domain of cerebral physiology, by which was meant phrenology, and (b) with life in general, with which mesmerism was involved." (Forrest, 1999, p. 169) The Zoist was published quarterly, without a break, for fifteen years: from April 1843 until January 1856.
Edited by John Elliotson, the founder, and former president of the London Phrenological Society, who had been expelled from the University College Hospital in 1838 for his mesmeric practices, and William Collins Engledue, a former President of the British Phrenological Association, who was ostracized by both his medical colleagues for his dedication to mesmerism and phrenology, and by the majority of phrenologists for his rejection of their "socio-religious", spiritual position,Such as that maintained by William Scott, President of the Edinburgh Phrenological Society, in his The Harmony of Phrenology with Scripture: Shewn in a Refutation of the Philosophical Errors contained in Mr Combe's "Constitution of Man" (1837); and by Mrs John Pugh (S.D. Pugh) in her Phrenology considered in a religious light; or, Thoughts and readings consequent on the perusal of [G.] "Combe's Constitution of man" (1846), etc. in favour of a scientific, materialist, brain-centred position that, in effect, reduced mental operations to physical forces.Cooter (1984), p. 94.
"The Zoist was a materialist journal; it repudiated metaphysics and argued that everything—including human thinking—could be explained through the laws of the physical universe ..."Ruth (1999), p. 305.
The journal The Zoist's first edition was published in April 1843.The first issue had completely sold out before the second issue appeared in July 1843 (Forrest, 1999, p. 170) The journal was printed on high quality paper,Ruth (1999), p. 317. and issued quarterly to its subscribers, without a break, for fifteen years from April 1843 until January 1856. Each quarterly issue cost 2s.6d.
It was also published for a wider readership in annual volumes; and the first twelve annual volumes were published simultaneously by Hippolyte Ballière, in London, J.B. Ballière, in Paris, and T.O. Weigel, in Leipzig; the thirteenth and last volume was published by Arthur Hall, Virtue, and Co., in London.The thirteen volumes were: Volume One, No. 1 (April 1843) to No. 4 (January 1844) Volume Two, No. 5 (April 1844) to No. 8 (January 1845). Volume Three, No. 9 (March 1845) to No. 12 (January 1846). Volume Four, No. 13 (March 1846) to No. 16 (January 1847). Volume Five, No. 17 (March 1847) to No. 20 (January 1848). Volume Six, No. 21 (March 1848) to No. 24 (January 1849). Volume Seven, No. 25 (March 1849) to No. 28 (January 1850). Volume Eight, No. 29 (March 1850) to No. 32 (January 1851). Volume Nine, No. 33 (March 1851) to No. 36 (January 1852). Volume Ten, No. 37 (March 1852) to No. 40 (January 1853). Volume Eleven, No. 41 (March 1853) to No. 44 (January 1854). Volume Twelve, No. 45 (April 1854) to No. 48 (January 1855). Volume Thirteen, No. 49 (April 1855) to No. 52 (January 1856).
Well-written in crisp, scientific English, it was devoted to the propagation of information about the applications of phrenology (rather than its theories) and to the collection, storage, and dissemination of reports of the therapeutic efficacy of applied mesmerism (with even less treatment of mesmeric theories than of phrenological theories). In part, it acted as a disciplinary clearing house for information and the experiences of both amateur and professional practitioners (and their subjects) from all over Great Britain, and its colonies; and it placed great stress on the well-demonstrated usefulness of mesmerism, not only in the alleviation of disease and suffering, but in the provision of pain-free surgery, especially amputations.Gauld (1992), pp. 205–208; Winter (1998), pp. 154–155.
Over time, the journal concentrated more and more on mesmerism and less on phrenology, due in part to the evolving interests of Elliotson and Engledue, but mainly due to the fact that phrenologists were contributing far fewer articles than were mesmerists. Forrest (1999), pp. 169-170)
Similar publications Aside from the already established journal, The Phrenological Journal and Miscellany, which ran from 1823 to 1847, and The Phrenological Almanac, which ran from 1842 to 1845, published by the Glasgow Phrenological Society, there was Spencer T. Hall's The Phreno-Magnet and Mirror of Nature: A Record of Facts, Experiments, and Discoveries in Phrenology, Magnetism, &c., which lasted for eleven monthly issues (from February 1843 to December 1843), the short-lived Mesmerist: A Journal of Vital Magnetism, which only lasted for twenty weekly issues (from 13 May 1843 to 23 September 1843), The Annals of Mesmerism and Mesmero-Phrenology, which lasted for three monthly issues (from July 1843 to September 1843), and The People's Phrenological Journal and Compendium of Mental and Moral Science, published weekly, by the Exeter and London Phrenological Societies, for two years (1843 to 1844).Cooter (1984), p. 394; Kurshan (2006), pp. 20–21.
Then, to add to the mix, James Braid's definitive work on hypnotism, Neurypnology or The Rationale of Nervous Sleep, Considered in Relation with Animal Magnetism, Illustrated by Numerous Cases of its Successful Application in the Relief and Cure of Disease was released in July 1843.
Cerebral Physiology & Mesmerism The choice of the "Cerebral Physiology & Mesmerism" sub-title for their journal—rather than, that is, "Animal Magnetism & Phrenology"—is a measure of the pragmatic, materialist, "leading edge" proto-scientific orientation of both Elliotson and Engledue.
Their deliberately chosen term "cerebral physiology" (coined by Engledue) was entirely consistent with the original anatomy-centred term of "cranioscopy" (German, ) chosen by the German neuroanatomist Franz Joseph Gall; and it was intentionally applied—rather than the (then) prevailing English, metaphysical, mind-centred term, "phrenology" coined by Thomas Forster (see Forster (1815) – to distinguish their own rational, sceptical, proto-scientific efforts in pursuit of a scientific understanding of (what would be termed, today) "brain science", from the superstitious "phrenology" (which was eventually universally dismissed as a flawed pseudoscience).Although there was no "truth" ever reliably established for phrenology, its (internally consistent) concept of "Phrenological Organs" (which were responsible for various "mental faculties", such as "tune", "language", "amativeness", "philoprogenitiveness", etc.) located beneath particular areas of the skull—and, thus, external craniological means could be used to diagnose the internal states of the mental characters—was the basis for the creation of a mind-set, generated by analogy, from which today's scientific understanding of the functional specialization of the brain eventually emerged.
Similarly, their choice of term "mesmerism" was intentionally applied to indicate that, whilst they were deeply committed to a scientific ratification, and neurophysiological investigation of the phenomena supposedly produced by mesmeric methods, their interest was almost exclusively in the consequences of the applications of the practices of Franz Mesmer, rather than paying any particular attention to the wide range of metaphysical theories of the "animal magnetists".
Scope Apart from providing literature reviews and announcements of new publications, The Zoist was a source of information, disciplinary interaction, original accounts of phenomena, relevant case studies of its application to wide range of conditions, ranging from epilepsy, stammering, and headache, to torticollis, asthma, and rheumatism, and extensive reports of pertinent innovations and discoveries.
Elliotson was an opponent of capital punishment, and argued, within the Zoist, based upon his phrenological analysis of the heads of executed murderers, that not only was phrenology true, but also that, from this, capital punishment was futile as a deterrent.Gauld (1992), p. 207.
According to historian Alan Gauld (1992, pp. 219–243), apart from its concentration on mesmerism and phrenology, The Zoist was one of the principal sources for information, discussion, and education in the following domains of interest: (1) Mesmeric Analgesia: although The Zoist would become the major vehicle for the (post-1846) reports of James Esdaile's work in India,See Elliotson's synopsis of Esdaile's report. it completely ignored the extensive (early 1842) work reported by Braid in his Neurypnology (1843, p. 253). Elliotson had already published his Numerous Cases of Surgical Operations without Pain in early 1843. (2) Phreno-mesmerism (a.k.a. phreno-magnetism)Dr. Robert Hanham Collyer (1814–1891), M.D. (1839, Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield, Massachusetts) was a (medical) pupil of Elliotson. In May 1841 he claimed to have discovered a new science, "Phreno-Mesmerism", in November 1839, which combined phrenology and mesmerism. He wrote an influential pamphlet on the subjectsee Psychography, etc. (1843)however, by October 1842, he no longer believed in phreno-mesmerism, and publicly retracted his views.In his extended discussion of phrenology, in Chapter 6, of his Neurypnology (1843, pp. 79–149), James Braid clearly states (p. 105) that he began his investigations of phreno-mesmerism—which he deals with at pp. 105–149in April 1842 (just six weeks before Neurypnology was sent to the printer); and, it also extremely clear that, as a result of the researches and experiments undertaken over an extended period of time, Braid became convinced that there was no justification in the claims of the phreno-mesmerists (see Braid, !844). and hemicerebral mesmerism (the mesmerization of each hemisphere of the brain separately).e.g., Elliotson, (1844). (3) "Reichenbach phenomena" and other matters. (4) Electro-biology and related matters. (5) Alleged instances of extra-sensory perception (ESP) occurring in a mesmeric context.
According to the medical historian George Rosen (1946, p. 535):