Hypnosis in Medicine and Surgery: Mesmerism in India

Hypnosis in Medicine and Surgery: Mesmerism in India

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. –