Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-14
.r1,r MYSTERIES OF MEsMERIsM.

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THE MYSTERIES OF MEsMERlsM.
The reader will we'll recollect, the great excite
ment which was produced in Richmond, 10 'ne
summer of 1912, upon this extraordinary SUBJECT
Experience overcame all our scepticism. we S'a-
,ed ,bc governments which we had witnessed, aud
sa.,.red ourselves converts. We shall not emu
.sara,s Tho nroeress of the discussion. A large
naa;ori,v of The medical faculty denounced mes
,,,sy;sm as a humbug. But ridicule could not
change the laws of nature, mysterious as they
wsre And we went out of the campaign tho
rouobly convinced of the truth OF what We could
moi presume 10 explain. We were satisfied OF the
existence of certain phenomena oil mesmerlsml,
as we'll as of phrenology. We were convinced
that the former presented The best key tor unlocking
the mysteries OF the latter-and certainly the e5-
periments which we witnessed oil dinerent Por-
lions of the skull being touched, in the case OF a
person thrown into the mesmeric sleep, were
among the most wonderful and brilliant pheno-
mena we had ever seen. We were satisfied, also,
from the insensibliiy which was induced upon
the external organs that 1t was calculated 10 as
sis, the operations OF Surgery by preventing pam
in an extraordinary degree. We have almost
entirely dismissed the subject since lSi2-bui
further evidence has been since ELECTED which
confirms the impressions that we imbibed al
that time. We do not, Of course, mean 10
revive the discussion-but il may be amusing
10 our readers TO see The following cases.
The Georgia case is certainly one OF the most
extraordinary on record. In addition TO these,
is the lale case Of The Young lady OIL WASH
ins,on, whose tooth was extracted in presence OF
Dr.. Reed, Of Missouri, and another physician,
who have borne testimony TO the fact what Is
most wanting now, is 10 discover some process
for so concentrating the mesmeric power, as 10
throw the patient into this state, whenever sur
yical operation is TO be performed:
From the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal.)
Erliypation OF Ue Mamma Of a Female IN The Mes
merie Sleep aoithont ann ctMcaNe OF scnst6ahty
during tie OPERATION By L. A. DCGAs, NJ. D.,
Professor Of Physiology, Sc. IN The Medical Col
lge of Georgia.
On the Sd Of January, 1915, Mrs. Clark (wiie
ofMr Jesse Clark, of Columbia Co.. Georgia. J
came 10 this city, for the purpose OF getting me
10 remove schirrous tumor 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 tumor had never caused
any pain of consequence was not adherent TO Inc
skin; nor did it implicate any OF the aSilary
glands. Mrs G.. is about Il years oil age, has
never borne child, and her health, though by
no means robust, was pretty good, and had not
been impaired BY the evolution oil the tnmor.-
The operation having been determined upon for
The following day, Mrs c. remarked 10 me that
she had been advised BY Mr.. kenrick 10 be mes
merised. hit as she knew nothing about II, she
would like to have my advice and wonld abide by
ito which | replied that there were several
well authenticated cases on record in which sur
pical operations had been performed, under mes
meric influence without the consciousness OF
The patien that would be happy 10 test the sub
,ect in her case and that would endeavor TO
mesmerise her, instead OF operating as had been
proposed, on the day following.
On the 18th January, at IL o'clock, A. M, |
called on Mrs. c., and was informed that on the
preceding evening she had been put TO sleep by
Mr.. b. F. Kenrick, al whose house she resided.
| then mesmerised her myself, and induced sleep
in about fifteen minutes. Finding my patient
susceptible to the mesmerc influence, and reflect
inc that it would not be convenient Tor the same
person to maintain this influence aud to perform
a surgical operation al the same time, request
ed Mr. Kenrick TO mesmerise Mrs. Z. morning
and evening, al stated hours, until lnsenSibilily
could be induced. This was regularly done, with
gradually increasing effect, when, on The evening
of The 9Th January, Sleep was induced in five mi
nutes, and the prick of pin was attended with
no manifestation OF pain. The sittings were con-
tinued, and the patients insensibiiy daily test
ed by myself and others in various ways. On
the OH January, invited professor Ford 10 be
present. and, after pricking and pinching strongly
The patient without evidence Of pain, the mesme-
riser was requested TO leave The room, when we
exposed the breast, handled il roughly in examin-
inc the tumor, and readjusted the dress without
the consciousness Of the patient. We then held
10 her nosirils a vial of strong spirits OF harris
-..ts Ill t1.a a1tt f,.rr n
Two, without the least indication OF sensation,
unless The fact that she swallowed once be regard
ell as such, instead OF mere reflex action. On
the llth OF January, in presence OF Professors
Ford and Means, in addition 10 the usual tests, |
made, with my pocket-knife, an incision about
Two inches in length, and half an inch in depth,
into the patients leg without indication OF sensa-
ton.
Fully satisfied now Of our power 10 induce 10
tai insensibily, determined TO operate on her
the next day at noon, but carefully concealed
any such design from The patient and her friends
who did mol expect its performance until several
days later.
On the 18th of January, al 20 minutes past IL,
A. NJ, Mrs c. was put to sleep in torty-fve
seconds, without touch or pass of any kind, the
facility with which the mesmeric influence was
produced having gradually increased al each
sitting. At ID o'clock, NJ, in presence of Pro.
fessors Ford Means, Garvin and Newton, and
Dr. Halsee The patient being in profound sleep,
! prepared her dress for the operation, and re-
quesed my professional brethren to note her pulse,
respiration, complexion, countenance, &C., be-
lore, during and after the amputation, IN order TO
detect any evidence of pain or modification OF
The functions As Mr.. Kenrick had never wit
messed surgical operation, he feared he might
lose his seeposscssion, and requested 10 be blind
folded; which was done. He now seated him
self on the couch near The patient, and held her
hand in his during the operation. This was ac-
inches in length, comprehending between them
the nipple and considerable portion Of skin, at-
Ter which, the integuments we're dissected up in
the usual manner and the entire mamma re-
moved. II weighed sixteen ounces The wound
was then left open about three quarters of an
hour in order to secure the bleeding vessels, six
Of which were li2a,ed The ordinary dressing
was applied, and all appearances of blood care
fully removed 80 tina, they might not be seen by
The patient when aroused. The amount of he
morrhage was rather more than is usual in sucn
cases.
During The operation the patient gave no indi-
cation whatever OF sensibilily, nor was any ofthe
functions observed by those present moiiiied in
The least degree. She remained in the same sound
and quiet sleep before the use Of the knife. Sub
seouen,ly the pectoral muscle, which had been
laid bare was twice or thrice seen to contract,
when touched with The sponge in removing the
blood. About Is minutes after the operation a
lremulous action was perceived in her lower jaw,
which was instanianeousy arrested by the appii-
cation Of The mesmerizer's hand to the patients
head. This phenomenon REQUIRED in about ten
minutes after and was again in The same manner
ouieted. Professor Ford, who counted the pulse
and respiration, states that before any prepare
lion was made for the operation, the pulse was96,
and the respiration l6 per minute; that after mo-
wing the patient TO arrange her dress for The ope
ration, and Just before this was commenced, the
pulse was 90 and the respiration II; that immedi-
a,ely after The detachment of the breast the pulse
was sc; respiration not counted; and that afte rths
final Of the an rs and m6S s vh
,ha rnlse WAS Qa and the respiration l6 ALI pre-.