First Published in 1989. Current interest in the history of psychiatry is growing rapidly both among the psychiatric profession and social historians. This new series is designed to bring back into print many classic documents from earlier centuries. Each reprint has been chosen for the series because of its social and intellectual significance, and includes a substantial introduction written by an eminent scholar in the history of psychiatry. This volume contains ‘Observations on Maniacal Disorders’, by William Pargeter (1760-1810), and reflects change in therapeutic philosophy.