Creative Malady - Illness in Lives Minds of Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, Mary

In this highly provocative book, originally published in 1974, Sir George Pickering, former Professor of Medicine, examines the role of illness in the minds and lives of Charles Darwin, Florence Nightingale, Freud, Proust, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Mary Baker Eddy. Creative Malady is a masterpiece of biographical detective work.

List of contents

Author's Preface. 1. Creative Illness 2. What is Mental Illness? 3. Charles Darwin: The Vigorous Naturalist 4. Charles Darwin: The Invalid Recluse 5. Darwin's Illness 6. Florence Nightingale: The Young Heroine 7. Florence Nightingale: The Tyrannical Invalid 8. Florence Nightingale: The Extinction of the Flame 9. Miss Nightingale's Illness 10. A New Theme 11. Mary Baker Eddy 12. Sigmund Freud 13. Marcel Proust 14. Elizabeth Barrett Browning 15. The Nature of Creativity 16. Creativity and Illness 17. The Creative Personality. Notes. Index.

About the author

Sir George Pickering (1904-1980) was, at the time of original publication, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, and was a Professor of Medicine for thirty years, seventeen in the University of London, at St Mary's Hospital, and thirteen as Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford. He was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1967 and 1968, had served on the University Grants Committee, the Medical Research Council and the Council for Scientific Policy, was an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, a Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Royal College of Physicians, and held numerous honorary degrees from British and foreign universities. He was born in Northumberland. His wife was also a doctor as were three of their four children.

Product details

• Authors: George Pickering
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 01.09.2025
• EAN: 9781041083726
• ISBN: 978-1-0-4108372-6
• No. of pages: 338
• Series: Psychology Revivals
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Psychoanalysis; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Applied psychology; PSYCHOLOGY / Psychopathology / General, PSYCHOLOGY / Mental Health, Psychotherapy, Literature: history & criticism, Psychoanalytical and Freudian psychology, Literature: history and criticism, Psychoanalytical theory (Freudian psychology)