Elsa Richardson

The fascinating—and often secret—history of the body's most fascinating system: the gut.

The fascinating—and often secret—history of the body's most fascinating system: the gut.

This book is the product of journeys north and south. It began when I took the path trodden by many of the Lowland Scots featured in this book and moved to London in search of broader horizons. There I joined the History Department of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), where I started this research, worked in a bookshop, taught bright under- graduates, got lost on night buses and eventually completed a doctorate.

This book explores the phenomenon of second sight in nineteenth-century literature and culture. Second sight is a form of prophetic vision associated with the folklore of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.