Mesmerism in India : second half-yearly report of the Calcutta Mesmeric Hospital, from 1st March to 1st September, 1849, containing accounts of formidable and numerous painless surgical operations, and of the successful administration of mesmerism in insanity, and other diseases : to which is added, remarks on the conduct of the English medical journalists, and nearly the whole of the medical profession, in reference to the greatest of medical blessings : with some hints to the public on the employment of mesmerism and on mesmerisers / by Dr. Elliotson.

  • Mesmeric Hospital (Calcutta, India)
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mesmerism in India : second half-yearly report of the Calcutta Mesmeric Hospital, from 1st March to 1st September, 1849, containing accounts of formidable and numerous painless surgical operations, and of the successful administration of mesmerism in insanity, and other diseases : to which is added, remarks on the conduct of the English medical journalists, and nearly the whole of the medical profession, in reference to the greatest of medical blessings : with some hints to the public on the employment of mesmerism and on mesmerisers / by Dr. Elliotson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    insensible to the severest torture seems to increase with prac- tice, and I have still the satisfaction to report, that no one has ever seen an injurious symptom to attend or follow the induction of the mesmeric trance for surgical purposes. Hun- dreds of spectators in this town can testify to this, and I might cite a score of medical men by name who have wit- nessed my operations, and call upon them to say whether anything could be, in general, more satisfactory than what they saw, and whether they would not always infinitely pre- fer gaining their object by mesmerism, rather than by any known means, if they had their choice. This I generally have, (and so may all who will use the same means); and I trust, that you, gentlemen, and the public, will not think me obstinate and hobby-horsical in holding to that which has been proved to be the best, and in resorting only to inferior and hazardous agents, when the higher and always safe power has disappointed me. I should despise myself, if, out of mere pertinacity and wrong-headedness, I continued to induce the public to spend their money in support of an antiquated worn out system; once of some utility but now only a hobby of a few unpractical speculators. But unless I greatly deceive myself, I am nothing, if not practical; and, if any doubt exists among the public and medical profession in India of the SUPERIORITY OF MESMERISM OVER ALL DRUGS WHATEVER, AS A MEANS OF INDUCING INSENSIBILITY TO PAIN, / shttll be glad to demonstrate the fact by comparative operations to any extent that may be deemed conclusive. But, even if mesmerism were superseded by some perfectly innocent drug for surgical purposes, it would still be of great service to the surgeons in the medical treatment of surgical diseases. For, by its aid, he will often be able to save his patients much pain and distress during their cure, and will frequently even be spared the painful necessity of lopping oft’ the limbs and organs of his patients to save their lives. Although many persons have little or even no pain after the operation, others suffer severely after an interval: but it is often in our power to extinguish the pain in a few minutes by throwing them back into the trance, and, on waking the second time, they have usually forgotten their first waking, and subsequent suffering, as two members of the committee. Dr. Martin and the Bev. Mr. La Croix, witnessed in the course of last month. “ It not unfrequently happens also that a second opera- tion is required for the removal of mortifying parts: in these cases, the patients are very readily again entranced, and are quite callous to the breaking up of new adhesions, and the cutting through of granulating flesh. Or extensive wounds