The Arkansas banner., 1845-04-09
THE MYSTERIES oF MEsNERIsI

THE MYSTERIES OF HIEsMERlsH.
 The reader will well recollect the great excitement which was produced in Rich mond, m the summer of l842, upon this cx- tFaordinafy subject Experience overcame all our scepticism. We stated the experj- ments which we had witnessed, and declared ourselves converts. We shall not enume- rate the progress ol the discussion. 4 large majority ot the medical faculty denounced nesmerisn as a humbug Butfitlieule could not change the laws of nature, mysterious as they were. And we went out of the cam paign thoroughly convinced of the truth off wQat we could lot eXpan We were satis- lied of the existence of certain phenomena of mesmensn, IS well a3 of phrenoloey We were convinced, that the former present. ed the best key for unlocking the mysteries of the latter; and certainly tie experiments which we witnessed of different portions of the skull being touched, in Inc case of a per- son thrown into the mesmeric sleep, were among the most wonderful and brilliant phe- nomena VIC had ever seen. We were satis. fled, also, from the insensibility which was induced upon the external organs, that t was calculated 10 assist the operations of surgery, 1 by preventing paiu Ill an extraordinary de- gree. We have almost entirely dismissed the subject since lS12-but further evidence has been since eleted, which confirms the impressions that We imbibcd al that time. Me do not, Of course, mean to revive the dlscussion--but il may be amusing to our readers to see the following eases. The Georgia Case Is certainly one of the most ex- taordinary on record. In addition 10 these. Is tie late ease of the young lady of Wash- iAgton, whose tooth was extracted in pre- sence Of Dr. Reed, of Missouri, and another physleian, who lave borne testimony 10 the tact. What is most wanting, HOW, Is to dis cover some process for so concentrating the mesmeriek power, as to throw tie patient in- 10 this stale whenever surgical operation IS 10 be peflormed.- f'icdmo8d Enquirer
 From the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal. ErArpattoa qf He .7iamma of Ftmals in
 t1c .ncameric Sieeg, aeitto@ aay eeideace
 of ssl&i5iBy during tte operation Hg
 |, ,. DRgas, .M D. Pfefa8saf of Phg-
 Siology, &c., iR As .Nsdicai College of
 Georgia
 On the 3d of January, 1915, Mrs Clark (Wife of Mir. lessee Clark, of Columbia county, Georgia came 10 this city, for tue purpose of getting me 10 remove sehiffous tamof of her right mamma, which had been gradually increasing for the last three years, and which had now attained the size of . turkeys egg. The tamor had never caused any pain of consequence, was not adhereht To the sFin HOT did il implieate any of the aXilIary glands. Mrs. C. is about 47 years eI ace, has never borne child, and her health, though by no means robust, was pretty good, and had not been impaired by the evolution of the tumor. The operation having been determined upon for the follow ing day, Mrs c. remarked 10 me that she had been advised by Mir. Kenrick 10 be mes merised, but as she knew nothing about IL she would like to have my advice, and would abide by ito which 1 replied that there were several well authenticated cases on re- cord, in which surgical operations had been performed under meslneric influence, without the consciousness of the patient; that would be happy to test the subject in her case, and that would endeavor to mesmerise her, in- stead of operating as had been proposed, on the day following.
 On the 4th January, at l l o'clock, a. m, called on Mrs. C. and was informed that on the preceding evening she had been put 10 sleep by Mir. B. | kenlick, at whose house she resided. then mosmefsed her myself and induced sleep in about fifteen minutes Finding my patient susceptible 10 the mes mericl; influence, and reAecting that il wouIl not be convenient for the same person t maintain this influence and to perform a sur gieal operation al the same time, requested MT. Kenricll te mesmerise Mrs C. mornin. and evening, at stated hours, until insensiba ity could be induced. This Was regularly done, with gradually increasing effect, when on the evening of tie 9th January, sleep wa. induced in five minutes, and the prick of q pin was attended with no manifestation o pain. The sittings were continued, and tht patients iasensibiity daily tested by myse and others i'll various ways 0nhc 9th Jan uary, invited Professor Ford to be present and, after pricking and piaehing strongly tht patient without evidence of pain, the mes meriser was requested to leave the room when we exposed ihe breast, handled i roughly in examining the tumor, and read usted the dress, without the consciousness O the patient. We then held to her nostrls a vial of strong spirits of hartshorn. whicl she breathed freely for n minute CT two without the least indication of sensation, un less the fact that she swallowed once be re garded as such, instead of mere reflex nc ton. On the lth of January, in presence of Professors Ford ahG Means, in addition [, the usual tests, made, with ny pocket-knife au incission about two inches in length, an, half aa inch in depth, into the patients leg without indication of sensation
 Fully satisfied now of our power to in duce total insensibiity, determined 10 ope rate on her the next day at noon, but care fully concealed any such design from the pa : tient and her friends, who did not expect ii performance until several days later
 On the 12th of January, at 20 minute past II, a. m. Mrs c. was put to sleep i forty-fve seconds, without touch or pass { any kind, the facility with which the mes ]. meriek influence was produced having gtad ually increased at each sitting. At l2 o l clock, m. in presence of Professors fore Means, Garvin, and Newton, and Dr. Halset the patient being in a profound sleep, Pre pared her dress for the operation, and re quested my professional brethren to note he