John Haslam (1764-1844) was an English apothecary, physician and medical writer, known for his work on mental illness.

Observations on Madness and Melancholy by John Haslam is an authoritative work on madness, insanity and melancholy - terms that are used in the pejorative in most circumstances. Haslam provides the definitions, symptoms and observations for these medical conditions. The unique characteristic of this book lies in its ability to provide a clear understanding of madness as a disease and giving it a concrete form by bringing it out of the abstract. The title is spread across 18 sections which provide in depth analysis of mental conditions. The sections dealing with specific cases are particularly enlightening as they illustrate situations and circumstances that most readers will find interesting. The format of this book departs from run of the mill textbook approaches commonly found in books dealing with medicine which makes it an easy read for casual enthusiasts too. Observations on Madness and Melancholy dwells on various aspects related to our mental faculties. The chapters focussing on causes of insanity form the core content for this book. Haslam makes it a point to keep the language as sanguine and simplistic as possible even though the topic at hand is steeped in medical jargon and terminology. The author ends with detailed insights regarding management and remedies for insanity. Therefore, this title is not purely tautological but inspirational and motivating for those who might identify with the issues discussed in this book. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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