Beginning with the magi of the ancient Medes and the powers once credited to numbers, plants and minerals, this popular survey moves through oracles, sorcery, pretended miracles and famous impostures. It then explains how natural causes and the new science of the day, down to the making of a daguerreotype, account for many apparent marvels.
A curious Victorian guide to the history of credulity, for readers fascinated by magic and how it was debunked. Download the free EPUB.