Miracle Mongers And Their Methods by Harry Houdini

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.