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

THE ZOIST.

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, pr. 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 man being
as passive as a gourd during and Tony after the operation.
He is doing perfectly well, and I expect to be equ Illy
successful in a still larger case to-morrow. Brigadier
Eckford, after the operation, congratulated me on being
the honoured instrument in God's bands to work such
wonders.' It is certainly a great privilege, for which' I
am very thankful. A Government hospital and dispen-
sary having fallen vacant, Sir John has made them over
to me, for the 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 Nipal, at present in this
country, took great interest in the subject of mesmer-
ism during his stay at Calcutta. Tne Zoist, quoting
from the Calcutta Star, says:—
" We understand that one of the first objects of the
Minister of Nipal's curiosity has been mesmerism, whose
fame had 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 demonstration, taking three of his patients
who had been acted upon along with him. Two of these
were Calcutta Baboos, and a third was 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 how the thing was done, that he might be the means
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 few 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 same 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
ayni
c°;:esh. bottle
st
passes along the arm and hand, he desired the Minister
to order him to dash it on the ground, or to bribe him to
do so, if he pleased. Order and persuasion were equally
tried in vain, and at last be was offered Es. 1,000 to do
so with as little effect; the man saying that a Inc might
be offered him safely, as '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 pat t of the body, he imme-
diately shrunk and cried out. Each of the senses were
torpitied in succession in like manner. A bottle con•
armepicipgolnye•tistit
requested
t t 0
000 their
mplpsti
taining carbonate of ammonia was handed to the Minis-
ter and his suite, who all made violent contortions on
Theetliez tdo Bthhai bes onpooa' sst
nose.
nose -
m e r i a e d , and his eyes blindfolded, and the Minister was
;Tbyhahtisthleipres
Ist
and held them cluse3, so that' he couldonly
through the nose. He . • continued to breathe with perfect
ease, however,
saying that he smelt nothing; but the
moment his nose was de •
mesmerised he showed as much
disgust as any of the
party. His ears were next expe-
rimented upon, and at a given signal he was desired to
the go away. and talked to by every one without slight-
est sign of intelligence. Nipale
se cymbals, most clamo-
rous iastruraeute, were clashed at his ears without his

minding them, and a pistol was fired off behind him
without disturbing him in the least. His ears being
freed, he said that he had heard nothing for some time
back.

" The Minister then asked if it was possible for him
to learn this art, and was told that any healthy willing
man might do so after a few minutes' instruction. He
accordingly attacked the Baboo, and in a few minutes
threw him into the trance, the reality of which he very
effectually tested by gouging his no.e unmercifully with
a pin. He expressed himself perfectly satisfied, and
begged to see the first operation that was to be per-
formed."