Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-05-01
ESMERlSM.

We copy the following interesting case from
the Southern Medical Journal, published bv TIN
Faculty Of the Medical College at Augusta. The
writer and operator was DIR. Dugas and the case
certainly affords matter Of deep interest to ali tho
friends Of humanity, and will esps cialy Interest,"
those who have not yet obtained the decision If
their judgment in favor Of this occult and po,en,,
though oft doubted agency.--AiiieleepiN R,.
cordtr.
"On the Sd of January, 1916, Mrs. Clart
(wite OF Jesse Clark. Of Columbia county. Ccor.
gia') came to this city for the purpose Of getting
me 70 remove q scirrhus tumor oil her right man.
ma, which had been gradually increasing for TIA
last three years, and which had now attained the
size OF turkeys egg. The tumor had never
caused any pain Of consequence, was not adhe.
rent to the skin, nor did it implicate any OF the
auxiliary glands. Mrs. G.. is about AZ wears OF
age, has never borne child, aud her health.
though by no means robust, was pretty GOOD,
and had not been impaired by the evolution Of
'ne tumor. The operation having been determin.
ed upon for the following day, Mrs. C. Remarked
70 me That she had been advised by Mr.. Kenrick
10 ne mesmerlzed, but as she knew nothing about
IL, she would like 10 have my advice, and would
abide by 1t, to which replied that there were
several well authenticated cases on record. in
which surgical operations had been performed.
ness OF the patient; that would be happy 10 test
The subject in her case, and that would endea-
Vot 10 mcsmerlze her, instead of operating, as
mad been proposed, on the day following.
Oh me an oil January, at 1 o'clock, A. NJ,
called on Mrs. c., and was informed that on the
preceding evening she had been put to sleep by
MIR. Is. +. kenrick Cat whose house she resided.I
i 'hen mesnerised her myself, and induced sleep
IN about hiteen minutes. Finding my patient
susceptible TO the mesmeric influence, and reflect
ing That II would not be convenient for the same.
person to maintain this influence aud to perform
surgical operation at the same time, / requested
Mr. henrck TO mesmerise Mrs. c., morning and
be induced ~
ms was regularly done, with gradually in
cteasihg elect, when, on the evening of the Sth
VI January, sleep was induced in FIVE minutes,
ana The prick of pin was attended with no man.
hesitation OF pain. The sittings were continued:
ana me PATIENTS insensibiity daily tested by
myself and others in various ways.
On The 9th Of January, ! invited Professor
fo'd TO be present, and after pricking and pinch
ing strongly the patient, without evidence Of pain,
'e 'hesmeriser was requested TO leave the room.
whch we exposed the breast handled it roughly
In examining the tumor and re. ad justed the dress
without the consciousness of the patient.-We
men held TO her nosils vial Of strong spirits of
hartshorn, which she breathed freely for min
u'e or Two, without the least indication of sensa-
uon' unless The fact that she swallowed once be
tegaideo as such, instead of mere reflex action.
On the TN of January. in presence of Professors
ora ana Means, in addition to the usual tests.
maze with my pocket knife an incision abouttwo
inches In length and half an inch in DEPTH into
me PATENTS leg, without indication of sensation.
,ruiy satisfied now of cur power to induce to-
TAI insens!bilty, determined to operate on her
The next day at noon; but carefully concealed any
such design from the patient, and her friends,
days later.
On the I2h of January, at twenty minutes past
H. A. NJ, Mrs. &. was put to sleep in foriy-fve
seconds, without touch pass OF any kind the
'acii''y win which the mesmeric influence was
produced having gradually increased at each sit
t'ng AT IL O'Clock, NJ, in presence of Profess
soTs Ford, Means, Garvin and Newton, and DR..
Halsee, the patient being in profound sleep,
prepared her dress for the operation and requests
ed my professional brethren to note her pulse,
complexion, countenance, &C., before,
during and after the ampntation, in order TO de-
tect any evidence of pain modification of the
MIR. kenrick had never witnessed
surgical operation, he feared he might lose his
sei-possession, and requested to be folded,
which was done. He now seated himself on the
couch near the patient, and held her hand in his
during the operation. This was accomplished
ny two elliptical missions, about eight inches in
length, comprehending between them the nipple
and considerable portion of the skin, after
which the Judgements were dissected up in the
usual manner, and the entire mamma removed.
IL weighed sixteen ounces. The wound was then
ieit open about three quarters Of an hour in order
10 secure The bleeding vessels, six of which were
iigated The ordinary dressing was applied, and
all appearances OF blood carefully removed, so
that they might not be seen by the patient, when
aroused. The amount Of hemorrhage was rather
more than is usual in such cases.
During tho operation, the patient rave no indi-
cation whatever of sensibility, nor were any of
the functions observed by those present, modified
in the least degree. She remained in the same
sound and quiet sleep as before the use of the
knife. Subsequently the pectora! muscle, which
had been laid bare, was twice thrice seen to-
contract when touched with the sponge in remov-
ing the blood About fifteen minutes after the
operation, tremulous action was perceived in
her lower jaw. which was instantaneously arrest
ed by the application Of the mesmerisef's hand to
the patients head.
This phenomenon REQUIRED in about ten minutes
after, and was again in the Same manner quoted.
Professor Ford, who counted the pulse and res
pIratIon, states that before any preparation was
made Tor the operation, the pulse 90, and the
6 per minute; that after moving the
patient 10 arrange her dress for the operation, and
just before this was commenced, the pulse was
SO, and the respiration II; that Immediately after
the detachment Of the breast the pulse was 90
respiration not counted; and that after the. final
adjustment of the bandages and dress, which re-
CURED the patient 10 be raised and moved about,
the pulse was %, and the respiration l6. All pre-
sent concur in stating that neither the placid coun-
tenance OF The patient, nor the peculiar natural
blush of the cheeks, experienced any change
whatever during the whole process; that she con.
iinned in the same profound and quiet sleep, in
which she was before noted, and that had they
not been aware Of what was being done, they
would not have suspected it from any indications
furnished by the patients condition.
The patient having been permitted 10 sleep on
about half an hOur after the final arran0pment of