Mesmerism true, mesmerism false : a critical examination of the facts, claims and pretensions of animal magnetism / edited by John Forbes ; with an appendix, containing a report of two exhibitions by Alexis.

Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mesmerism true, mesmerism false : a critical examination of the facts, claims and pretensions of animal magnetism / edited by John Forbes ; with an appendix, containing a report of two exhibitions by Alexis. 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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    slumber, but its character was more natural. She was placed in her bed, appear- ing perfectly composed; the countenance had acquired its natural hue ; the re- spiration was perfectly easy, and the pulse natural. In this state, she remained during the whole of the day, until nine o'clock in the evening, once only opening the eyes, and addressing a few words to an anxious and affectionate sister. In the evening, the young lady joined her family perfectly restored to her wonted cheerfulness. She expressed no complaint whatever. Two recent histories, most probably fresh in the memory of some of our readers, constitute striking illustrations of alleged physical insensi- bility, so much dwelt upon by writers on the subject of our present dis- cussion. We refer to the cases of amputation of the thigh during the mesmeric sleep, set forth as having occurred without the knowledge of the patients, who, during the operation, were stated by themselves, and considered by others, to have experienced no sensation whatsoever. The first of these occurred in the practice of Mr. Ward, of Wellow in Nottinghamshire, in the month of October, 1842, and is authenticated by himself, and Mr. Topham, a barrister of the Temple. Some parti- culars of this case we proceed to give. It was described by these gentle- men, in a paper readbefore the Royal Medico-Cliirurgical Society, and afterwards published as a pamphlet, as one of very extensive ulcera- tion of the cartilages of the knee-joint, of four and a half years' stand- ing; the consequence of neglected inflammation of the synovial mem- brane. We shall enter into no detail of the preliminary treatment here pursued, but shall go at once to the account furnished of the amputa- tion, ultimately decided upon : the statement is in the language of Mr. Topham, who acted as mesmeriser in this instance. b. At half-past one o'clock, we proceeded toWombwell's room, to make the ne- cessary arrangements. From the suffering inflicted by the slightest movement, it was found impossible, without needless torture, to place him upon a table. The low bed, on which he then lay; was therefore lifted upon a temporary platform. Ten minutes after being mesmerised, he was drawn, by means of the bed clothes beneath him, towards the end of the bed. The movement, however, excited that pain which had so often aroused him before ; and now it did so again. There was something quite excruciating in the suffering which the state of the knee produced ; for I had seen him, whilst in mesmeric sleep, pricked to some little depth, in other parts of the diseased limb, without being disturbed or conscious of it. To preclude the necessity of any further movement, his leg was now placed in the most convenient position which he could bear. Shortly afterwards, lie de- clared that the pain had ceased; and I again mesmerised him, in four minutes. In a quarter of an hour, I informed Mr. Ward that he might commence the ope- ration. I then brought two fingers of each hand gently in contact with Wombwcll's closed eyelids ; and there kept them, still further to deepen the sleep. Mr. Ward, after one earnest look at the man, slowly plunged his knife into the centre of the outside of the thigh, directly to the bone ; and then made a clean incision, round the bone, to the opposite point, on the inside of the thigh. The stillness, at this moment, was something awful: the calm respiration of the sleeping man alone was heard ; for all other seemed suspended. In making the second incision, the position of the leg was found more inconvenient than it had appeared to be; and the operator could not proceed with his former facility. Soon after the second incision, a moaning was heard from the patient, which continued, at intervals, until the coaclusion. It gave me the idea of a troubled dream ; for his sleep con- tinued as profound as ever. The placid look of his countenance never changed for an instant; his whole frame rested, uncontrolled, in perfect stillness and re- pose; not a muscle or nerve was seen to twitch. To the end of the operation, including the sawing of the bone, securing the arlcries, and applying the band