Hypochondriasis: A Practical Treatise (1766)

The work presents a practical medical treatise on hypochondriasis, surveying earlier physiological and psychological theories, tracing the transition from somatic explanations to nervous or mental causes, summarizing characteristic symptoms and proposed cures, and offering pragmatic advice for diagnosis and treatment. It synthesizes opinions of prior authorities, discusses psychosomatic mechanisms, and catalogues remedies ranging from regimen changes to medicinal interventions, while noting the disorder's cultural prominence and varied literary representations. The tone alternates between clinical observation and didactic guidance, aiming to give readers a concise, usable manual for recognizing, understanding, and managing a wide array of nervous afflictions commonly labeled hypochondriacal.