Antedating of "Inverted"

[Fred Shapiro]

The OED's first use for "inverted," referring to sexual orientation, is
dated 1897.  Rictor Norton has pointed out to me a much earlier usage:

"The earliest reference I can find for 'inversion' is in a review article
of German alienism in JMS. The article is anonymous, but the editor of JMS
was Dr Hack Tuke: 'German Medico-Psychological Literature' in Journal of
Mental Science, Vol XVII, No.79, October 1871, pp.420-438.

The article translates the title Die Contrare Sexual Empfindung by
Westphal as 'The Inverted Sexual Proclivity'."

Fred Shapiro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------