Miracle Mongers And Their Methods by Harry Houdini

In Miracle Mongers and their Methods, Harry Houdini turns a critical eye to wonders such as 'The Incombustible Spaniard' or 'Defiers of Poisonous Reptiles'. The timeless fascination with miracles and astonishing claims makes this classic as timely as when it was originally written.

1st edition, 1920, Dutton; reprinted, 1980, Cole; reprinted, 1981/1993, Prometheus; 240 pages.

1. I.Fire worship. - Fire eating and heat resistance. - The Middle Ages. - Among the Navajo Indians. - Fire-Walkers of Japan. - The Fiery Ordeal of Fiji
2. II.Watton's Ship-swabber from the Indies. - Richardson, 1667. - De Heiterkeit, 1713. - Robert Powell, 1718-1780. - Dufour, 1783. - Quackensalber, 1794.
3. III.The nineteenth century. - A "Wonderful Phenomenon." - "The Incombustible Spaniard, Senor Lionetto," 1803. - Josephine Girardelli, 1814. - John Brooks, 1817. - W. C. Houghton, 1832. - J. A. B. Chylinski, 1841. - Chamouni, the Russian Salamander, 1869. - Professor Rel Maeub, 1876. - Rivelli (died 1900)
4. IV.The Master - Chabert, 1792-1859
5. V.Fire-eating magicians: Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo. - Fire-eaters employed by magicians: The Man-Salamander, 1816. - Mr. Carlton, Professor of Chemistry, 1818. - Miss Cassillis, aged nine, 1820. The African Wonder, 1843. - Ling Look and Yamadeva die in China during Kellar's world tour, 1877. - Ling Look's double, 1879. - Electrical effects, The Salambos. - Bueno Core. - Del Kano. - Barnello. - Edwin Forrest as a heat-resister - The Elder Sothern as a fire-eater. - The Twilight of the Art
6. VI.The Arcana of the fire-eaters: The formula of Albertus Magnus. - Of Hocus Pocus. - Richardson's method. - Philopyraphagus Ashburniensis. - To breathe forth sparks, smoke and flames. - To spout natural gas. - Professor Sementini's discoveries. - To bite off red-hot iron. - To cook in a burning cage. - Chabert's oven. - To eat coals of fire. - To drink burning oil. - To chew molten lead. - To chew burning brimstone. - To wreathe the face in flames. - To ignite paper with the breath. - To drink boiling liquor and eat flaming wax.
7. VII.The spheroidal condition of liquids. - Why the hand may be dipped in molten metals. - Principles of heat resistance put to practical uses: Aldini, 1829. - In early fire-fighting. - Temperatures the body can endure.
8. VIII.Sword-swallowers: Cliquot, Delno Fritz, Deodota, a razor-swallower, an umbrella-swallower, William Dempster, John Cumming, Edith Clifford, Victorina.
9. IX.Stone-eaters: A Silesian in Prague, 1006; Francois Battalia, ca. 1641; Platerus' beggar boy; Fther Paulian's lithophagus of Avignon, 1760; "The Only One in the World", London, 1788; Spaniards in London, 1790; a secret for two and six; Japanese training. - Frog-swallowers: Norton; English Jack; Bosco; the snake-eater; Billington's prescription for hangmen; Captain Veitro. - Water-spouters; Blaise Manfrede, ca. 1650; Floran Marchand, 1650.
10. X.Defiers of poisonous reptiles: Thardo, Mrs. Learn, dealer in rattle-snakes. - Sir Arthur Thurlow Cunynghame on antidotes for snake-bite. - Jack the Viper. - William Oliver, 1735. - The advice of Cornelius Heinrich Agrippa, (1480-1535). - An Australian snake story. - Antidotes for various poisons.
11. XI.Strongmen of the eighteenth century: Thomas Topham (died, 1749); Joyce, 1703; Van Eskeberg, 1718; Barsabas and his sister; The Italian Female Sampson, 1724; The "little woman from Geneva," 1751; Belzoni, 1778-1823
12. XII.Contemporary strong people: Charles Jefferson; Louis Cyr; John Grun Marx; William Le Roy. - The Nail King, The Human Claw-hammer; Alexander Weyer; Mexican Billy Wells; A foolhardy Italian; Wilson; Herman; Sampson; Sandow; Yucca; La Blanche; Lulu Hurst; - The Georgia Magnet, The Electric Girl, etc.; Annie Abbot; Mattie Lee Price. - The Twilight of the Freaks. - The dime museums.

word count: 38951 which is equivalent to 155 standard pages of text