Mesmerism in India, and its practical application in surgery and medicine / by James Esdaile.

Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mesmerism in India, and its practical application in surgery and medicine / by James Esdaile. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    bereavements, and that her health was much im- paired, a desire to relieve her sufferings made me resolve to try whether she could be brought under the influence of Mesmerism. An opportunity- presented itself shortly after her arrival here. On the evening of the 9th of this month (June), the oppressive heat of the weather rendered her languid; her voice was very rough, and she was evidently labouring under a slight attack of bron- chitis. Believinor that the inflammation mio:ht be subdued by means of Mesmerism, I requested permission to try its efficacy. This having been kindly granted, I subjected her to the usual mani- pulation for half an hour. She became perfectly placid, but did not fall asleep; she was merely drowsy, and disinclined to rise. No marked symptoms having been exhibited, I concluded that the experiment had failed; but, next morning, I was agreeably surprised to learn that she had passed a most comfortable night, and had slept for seven hours and a half without waking. Her voice also was clear, the expi-ession of languor had left her countenance, and she felt so weU that she ventured to dine at the house of a friend, distant three miles from the JNIansc. Whatever was the cause of the improvement, I was de- lighted to see my friend evidently better, and