Dr Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis: eine Klinisch-Forensische Studie ("Sexual Psychopathy: a Clinical-Forensic Study") is published in Stuttgart.
Dr Thomas Allinson's popular book A System of Hygienic Medicine is published in England, promoting health through natural diet and exercise rather than orthodox medicine.[9]
August 13 – Romanian inventor Alexandru Ciurcu and French journalist Just Buisson [fr] demonstrate a reaction engine, used to power a boat. On December 16 a second engine explodes, killing Buisson.
October 31 – Opening of Dom Luís Bridge, Porto, a two-hinged double-deck arch bridge across the Douro River in Portugal designed by Téophile Seyrig. Its main span of 172 metres (564 ft) will remain the world's longest in iron.
December 28 – Josephine Cochrane patents the first commercially successful automatic dishwasher in the United States.
^Choice and Chance: An Elementary Treatise on Permutations, Combinations, and Probability. 1886 edn.
^"Sur une forme particulière d'atrophie musculaire progressive, souvent familiale débutant par les pieds et les jambes et atteignant plus tard les mains". Revue médicale. 6: 97–138. 1886.