"conspiracy theory" antedating

[Stephen Goranson]

OK, earlier. Google snippet says the following is v. 16 1871, bu it's really
April, 1870

The Medico-Psychological Association: The Report of a Quarterly Meeting of the
Medico-Psychological Association, held in London, at the Royal
Medico-Chirurgical Society, by permission of the President and Council, on the
27th January, 1870
Journal of Mental Science, Apr 1870; 16: 134 - 142. p. 141
Psychological News
He [the President] had read with great regret and indignation an
article in the
_Lancet_ of this week on the "Treatment of Lunatics," written, he should
imagine, by some rejected candidate for the superintendentship of one of the
county asylums....
The theory of Dr. Sankey as to the manner in which these injuries to the chest
occurred in asylums deserved our careful attention. It was at least more
plausible that the conspiracy theory of Mr. Charles Reade, and the
precautionary measure suggested by Dr. Sankey of using a padded waistcoat in
recent cases of mania with general paralysis--in which mental condition nearly
all these cases under discussion were--seemed to him of practical value.

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson




Quoting Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>:

> Great citations! Maybe the following from 1872 fits the definition for
> an instance of "conspiracy theory" for the OED :
>
> The nomination of Messrs. Greeley and Brown was the result of a deeply
> laid, cunningly devised, plot. The secrets of the conspirators are
> well kept, but enough has leaked out to show the existance of the plot
> and some of the methods of its operation?. ... Assuming that our
> conspiracy theory is correct, who can measure the reward, the
> conspirators will claim if their plot is carried out and Mr. Greeley
> is elected? Who of the honest thousands and tens of thousands, who are
> supporting Mr. Greeley, will claim that he can arrest the tide of
> disaster which must flow over a land cursed with an administration
> based upon such a foundation as this?
>
> Citation: Logansport Weekly Journal, Logansport, Indiana, 1872-08-31
>
> It does seem to be "political in motivation and oppressive in intent".
> But I do not know if the nomination was considered to be an
> "unexplained event".
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 7:52 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
>> Subject:      "conspiracy theory" antedating
>>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> OED online has 1909f, "4. Special Combs. conspiracy theory, the
>> theory that an
>> event or phenomenon occurs as a result of a conspiracy between interested
>> parties; spec. a belief that some covert but influential agency (typically
>> political in motivation and oppressive in intent) is responsible for an
>> unexplained event; so conspiracy theorist."
>>
>> Whether or not the following--not in OED, for some
>> reason......--qualify for the
>> "specificly" definition, earlier uses include:
>>
>>
>> Critic-Record, page [2], col. 2, iss. 1856
>> Publication Date:
>> August 8, 1874
>> Published as:
>> The Daily Critic
>> Location:
>> Washington (DC), District of Columbia
>> Headline:
>> The Conspiracy Theory
>> Article Type:
>> News/Opinion
>>
>> The headline refers to the proposal that "Messers. [Theodore] Moulton and
>> [Frank] Tilton" conspired against Henry Ward Beecher. Other
>> newspapers use the
>> collocation in later reports of this case.
>>
>> Not the next use, but in a better-known case:
>>
>> Boston Journal, page [4], col. 4 & 5,vol. XLVIII, iss. 15904
>> Publication Date:
>> July 4, 1881
>> Published as:
>> Boston Evening Journal
>> Location:
>> Boston, Massachusetts
>> Headline:
>> The [Illegible][actually legible: THE ASSASSIN]
>> Article Type:
>> News/Opinion
>> col. 5:
>> It is understood that Cutter said Gatteau [Guiteau] was the man [who
>> shot Pres.
>> Garfield], but the authorities are reticent as to the proceedings connected
>> with the conspiracy theory.
>>
>> [Various other newspapers in following days deny the "conspiracy theory."]
>>
>> Stephen Goranson
>> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>>
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>>
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