Hypnosis in Medicine and Surgery

CHAPTER I - Aversion of the old Schools and the Public to new Ideas. -Some old Notions must be suspended in fairly considering Mesmerism. -Irrational Incredulity. -Mesmerism to be tried by the usual Laws of Evidence. -Medical men not entitled to decide the Matter for the Public. -The Public invited to judge of the Matter of Fact. -Medical Men in this Country favourably placed. -Personal Labour necessary. -All easy afterwards. -Qualifications of a Mesmeriser. -The Mesmeric Power very general. -The Sick the proper Subjects for Experiment. CHAPTER II. The French Commission of 1779. -Both Right and Wrong -The Mesmerists properly punished. -Condition required in the Patient. -State of my mind before experimenting for myself. -Report of the Bishop of Lausanne to the Pope. -His Reply. -Accidental Nature of my First Experiment. -Accidental Nature of my Second Experiment. -First Mesmeric Surgical Operation. -Conclusion -- CHAPTER II - The French Commission of 1779. -Both Right and Wrong -The Mesmerists properly punished. -Condition required in the Patient. -State of my mind before experimenting for myself. -Report of the Bishop of Lausanne to the Pope. -His Reply. -Accidental Nature of my First Experiment. -Accidental Nature of my Second Experiment. -First Mesmeric Surgical Operation. -Conclusion - CHAPTER III - Mesmerism the same in India and in Europe. -Examples of Mesmeric Sleep. -Sealing of the Eyes. -Altered Sensibility. -Temporary Paralysis. -Muscular Rigidity. -Insensibility to Pain. -Exaltation of particular Organs. -Convulsions. -Delirium. -Injustice done to the Memory of the first Mesmerists. -Every available Evidence here given. -Imposture morally and physically impossible. -Mode of Proceeding. -Mesmeric and Non-Mesmeric Operations contrasted. -Physiological Demonstration of the Impossibility of Imposture - CHAPTER IV - Somnambulism. -Definition. -Singular Introduction to it. -Suspected Child-Stealing by its Means. -First Experiment in making a Somnambulist. -Trial of Mesmeric Skill in a Court of Justice. -Men stolen out of Court. -Truth of Mesmerism publicly proved. -Natural Sleep, and its Varieties, can be imitated by Artificial Means. -Mesmeric Sleep. -Mesmeric Day-mare. -Mesmeric Sleep-walking. -Mesmeric Sleep-waking. -Mesmeric Dreaming. -How to make Somnambulists. -Imitative Stage of Somnambulism. -Communicative Stage of Somnambulism. -Mesmeric Catalepsy. -Mesmeric Coma. -Natural Clairvoyance. -Mesmeric Clairvoyance. -Nature of the Mesmeric Power. -CHAPTER V - The Mesmeric Processes. -Publicity the best Security to the Public. -Ignorance and Indifference the real Dangers. -Mesmeric Treatment of Disease a Field for the Philanthropist. -Puysegur and Deleuze, unprofessional Men. -Processes for producing Coma. -Tumour in Upper Jaw removed during Coma. -Hypertrophy of Scrotum, ditto. -Trance renewable at Pleasure. -Three consecutive Operations on one Person. -Mode of Mesmerising in Chronic Diseases. -Cure of Rheumatism and Nervousness. -Local Mesmerising. -Mesmerised Water. -Process for preparing it. -First Experiments with it. -The last. -Means of awaking Persons Mesmerized - CHAPTER VI -Mesmerism as a remedy. -Coma as a Medical Agent. -Journal of Practical Mesmerism. -Chronic Inflammation of Eye cured. -Nervous Headache ditto. -Acute Inflammation of Eye ditto. -Return of Nervous Headache prevented. -Rev. Mr. Fisher's Report. -How to make a Convert. -Tooth drawn in the Trance. -Convulsions cured by ditto. -Arms straightened in ditto. -Sense of Formication removed. -Lumbago, Sciatica, Pain in Crural Nerve, cured. -Palsy of an Arm Ditto. -Mesmerism as a Disease. -Resembles Hysteria. -Ignorant charges of Imposture. -The Public abused. -The Public disabused. -Folly and Unfairness of its would-be Guides. -Spontaneous Development of the Mesmeric Disease. -Mesmerising by doing nothing taught by the Mesmerists themselves. -A natural Consequence of frequent Mesmerising. -