The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-02-02
AMpUTATfON NfITHOUT I'm;
KNOWLEDGE 6e PIE
ID q TT

ring The mesmeric state without the
knowledge Of the patient, was read
60 the Royal Medical and Chirurgical
Society Of London on Tuesday
flames WombeIl, aged 42, a labor
ing man, Of calm and quit tenpeEa-
ment, had suffered for a period ofabonl
five years from a painful affection Of
the left knee, occasioned by liberation
arising from neglected inflammation -
On 2Ist June last, he was admitted
into the district hospital at Mellow,
near Ollerton, Notts, no longer able to
work, and suffering much pain. Ii
was soon found that amputation Of the
leg, above the knee-joint, was inevita-
BILE, aud 1t was eventually proposed
that it should be performed, if possible
during mesmeric sleep. ] saw Wom-
bell for the FIRST time on the 9th Sep
tember9 Hewas sitting upright upon
a bed in the hospital, The only position
which he could bear. he complained
of great pain from his knee, and Of
much excitability aud loss ofstrength,
from his constant festlessness and de-
privatiOn Of sleep, for he had not da=
ring the three previous weeks, slept
more than 2 hours INFO.
Gin the first attempt to mesmerize
him, which occupied me IS minutes.
the only effect produced was closing
Of the eyelids, with that quivering app.
pearance peculiar to mesmeric sleep.
aid though awake and speaking, he
could not raise them, until after the
lapse of minute and half. NV at
tempt the next day was more successful.
and in 90 minutes he was asleep. I.
continued to mezmerize him every day
except the 18th, until the 24th Of Sep
TENDER, his susceptibility gradually in
creasing, so that on.the Esd, the sleep
was produced in four minutes and a
half. The duration of this sleep va
ried continuing, generally, for half al
hour,an occasionally for an hour and a
half, but with two exceptions, attempts
to converse with him. invariably
found him awakened, though with
out being startled, by the violent
pain from his knee, which suddenly
required at uncertain intervals
The third time saw him he was suf-
fering great agony, and distressed even
to tears. l commenced by making
passes longitudinally, over the diseased
knee /; in FIVE minutes he felt compare
lively easy and, on proceeding further
to mezmerize him, at the expiration of
ten minutes he was sleeping like an in
FAINT. Not only his arms were then
violently pinched, but also the diseas-
ed leg itself, without his exhibiting any
sensation yet this limb was SO sensi-
tive TO pain in his natural state, he
could not bear even the highest cover
ing to rest upon It,. That night he
slept seven hours without interruption.
After constantly mezmerizg him for 10
or IL days, great change was obser-
we'd in his appearance. The hue of
health returned he became cheerful SIS
felt much stronger; was easier both in
mind and body slept well, and recov- I
cred his appetite. On 22d Septem- '
Der, he was FIRST appraised OF the neces- a
slty of an early amputation. The 6
seemed almost uLex- s
Dected, and affected him considerably. Q
The anticipated loss of his limb, how
aver, that night destroyed his natural a
sleep. Next day, though found still P
Iretting, restless, and in Consequent K
pain, he was yet, by my touch, asleep '
n four minutes and a half. I was a
hen absent, and did not see Wombell n
until the 28th. He was looking heal 81
by and cheerful his natural sleep &
vas sound and regular and his pain il
'oothed and diminished. / was now le
that the operation might be f
safely attempted during mesmeric a
leep, and with the mans firm consent. h
was fixed for the Saturday following. Al
son the morning of the LIST Octo- J
Ter, again mesmerized Wombell, :.
laving done so the two previous days. ::
This was done in the presence of Mr.. :,
". S. Ward (the operator,) and two !.
ther surgeons, in order that the pre- ::
ious mesmerism might tend, as ] be- i
eyed it would, to render his sleep :.
eeper, when again mesmerized for X
ls operation, and also TO satisfy them -
{ the state 10 which he would be when -
lat time arrived. He slept an hour, az
nd was reused by an attempt to con- -
erse with him. I then showed them = =
y power of affecting any one. of his - :"
nbs, even when he was quite awake. -
t my request, he extended bis arms, -
BY making two or three
uses over each, without any contact.
so frans6xed them, that, from the
ouIders TO the tips of the fingers, WI
ey became as rigid and unyielding as fir
RS of iron, not to be unbent except Il
mechanical faHae, powerful enough ma
iniure the linfEg ; and yet, instantly las
Iaxing throughout and dropping to- fro
side, from the effect Of my breath
L. L ~~,r~ ff4G