Shelley’s Knowledge of the ‘Science of Life’

P.B. Shelley’s decision to become a surgeon after being expelled from Oxford has been seen by many of his biographers as little more than a passing fancy, forgotten as soon as a new interest arose in the shape of Harriet Westbrook. Such an assessment is symptomatic of the way his scientific pursuits have been regarded in the past. Shelley has been represented as slipshod and undisciplined in his research, and this is held as characteristic of the way he picked up and discarded all manner of philosophies and opinions. 1 In this chapter I will explore the friendships and intellectual acquaintances Shelley made among the St Bartholomew’s Hospital medical community during the spring of 1811, and in London and Bracknell in 1813–14, which continued to influence him and his work throughout his life. The initial steps he took towards becoming a surgeon himself introduced him to John Abernethy and William Lawrence, who were soon to have their public debate, discussed in my first chapter, on the nature of vitality. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Art history · Biography · Political science · Politics · Public figure · Theology · Vitality · Classics · Historical and Literary Studies · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Law · Philosophy

• A Volcano's Voice in Shelley

  G M Matthews, Greg Matthews•ELH•1957

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