The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-18 00:00:00

THE ZOIS7'.

The Zoist for July contains the important an-
nouncement that the Indian Government has placed
at the disposal of Dr. Esdaile a Government hospital,
for the express purpose of enabling him to combine
mesmerism with the common practice of medicine, in
the treatment of disease. In a letter addressed to Dr.
Elliotson, Dr. Esdaile says :
" Sir John Littler, the Deputy Governor, has seen
three mesmeric operations in my hospital in the last six
weeks, and has always expressed himself astonished and
delighted. On the last occasion he brought Sir Frede-
rick Currie, Brigadier Eckford, and other gentlemen
with him, and I presented them with a tumour weighing
eighty pounds in two minutes and a half, the min being
as passive as a gout d during and long after the operation.
He is doing perfectly well, and I expect to be equally
successful in a still larger case to-morrow. Brigadier
Eckford, after the operation, congratulated me on,' being
the honoured instrument in God's hands to work such
wonders.' It is certainly a great privilege, for which I
em very thankful. A Government hospital and dispen-
sary having fallen vacant, Sir John has made them over
to me, for tae express purpose of combining mesmerism
with the common practice of medicine. I did not con-
sider my task complete till mesmerism was fixed in the
Government hospitals of Calcutta. It will now be suf-
ficiently the interest of many to be my successor."
The Ambassador for N ipal, at present in this
country, took great interest in the subject of mesmer-
ism during his stay at Calctitta. The Zoist, quoting
from the Calcutta Star, says
We understand that one cf the first objects of the
Minister of Nipal's curiosity has been mesmerism, whose
fame bad reached Nipal even. We are told that this
gentleman is actually the Prime Minister, and leaves the
country to be governed by his brothers in his absence,
so secure is he of his influence. He is described as a
slight, active intelligent looking man of 32, and of pure
Hindoo blood.
"At his desire, Dr. Esdaile granted him a private
mesmeric demon,tratioe, taking three of his patients
who had been acted upon along with him. Two of these
were Calcutta Baboos, and a third ma; a woman whose
breast, weighing 10 lbs., was cut off about six weeks
ago. The people having all told the Minister the same
tale of total insensibility to the operation, he desired to
see bow the thing was done, that he might be the mew's
of introducing so wonderful and beneficial a power into
his own country. The woman was thrown into a state
of insensibility by a few passes; fire was then applied to
her knuckles, and a pin stuck into her nose without a
sign of sensibility. She was then awoke by a f.!ve re-
verse passes, and said that she had been asleep, and that
nothing had annoyed her. One of the Baboos was next
reduced to the ssme state as easily, and any part or the
whole of his body was made rigid, as desired. Being
restored to his senses, Dr. Esdaile informed the Minister
that any limb might be made rigid and insensible, or any
organ of sense rendered insensible in this man, while
the general consciousness remained perfect.
" Dr. E. having detached his watch from its chain,
put it into the man's closed fist, and having made a few
passes along the arm and hand, he desired the Minister
to order him to dash it on the ground, or to tribe hire to
do so, if he pleased. Order and persuasion were equally
tried in vain, and at last he was offered Its. 1,000 to do
so with as little effect; the man saying that a lac might
be offered him sefel3, us `his arm felt like a stick.' Be-
ing blindfolded, his arm was pricked all over, he saying
alt the time that he felt nothing; but the moment the
pin was applied to any other pa: t of the body, he imme-
diately shrunk and cried out. Each of the senses were
torpified in succession in like manner. A bottle con•
mining carbonate of ammonia was handed to the Minis-
ter and his suite, who all made violent contortions on
s blindfolded,
iz
d the and
applying it to their noses. The Baboo's nose was mes-
merised,Minister was
requested to apply the bottle to his nose. That there
ulig ht be and
no his
mistake,e3-e s
he
e
patient
he
by his
lips
and held them closed, so that Ile could only breathe
through the nose. He continued to breathe with perfect
ease, hoe ever, sayingthat n but the
tu
moment his nose was demeseerised smelth nothing;
showed
disgust a party. His e
s any of the arse
were das much
next x
rimented upon, and at a given signal be was desired to
go away. and talked to by every one without the slight
eat sign of intelligence. Nipalese cymbals, most clamo-
rous instruments, were clashed at his ears without his