Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-04
"HYPNOTISNI."
Remarkable Medical Experiments at
Nancy, France, with Mesmerism.

Nancy, France, with Mesmerism.
Resissg Contsmporanea, Of Kadrid.
For some time past, it is stated, mes
merism has been used in Paris TO save
from hamilton those demented ones who
refused TO take to take any nourishment.
The patients are mesmerized and then
commanded to eat. Those who would not
have touched food under any other cir
! cumstances, while in the mesmeric state
eat whatever is given them.
! 1t is in Nancy, however, that most sur
prising results have results have been OBJ
tanned Dir. Focachon, a pharmacist in
Chormes-sur-M oselle, after having studied
in the clinic Of DR.. Llebault in Nancy, de-
voted himself for more than two years to
a series of continuous and methodical ex-
periments Of various kinds. There is one
Of these which deserves particular atten-
ton. Elise N, 80 years old, had been
| suffering since the age Of 10 from attacks
OF hysteTlcal epilepsy, which required
/ from three TO five times a month. MIR.
FOcachon succeeded in sUbiecting her 10
/ sOmnambulism, and, by means of simple
/ passes, caused the attacks to become less
| frequent and finally disappear altogether.
| In gratitude for her radical cure Elise
/ consented TO subject herself to various
\ experiments in the interest of science.
I Focachon devoted himself to the inyestiga-
/ tim Of the problem whether, with the and
/ Of mesInerism, the physical condition OF
/ af person might be modified, and to
discover direct material proofs of the in
huence.
During the slumber into which Elise
was thrown Mr.. FOcachon. by the power
Of his viii, succeeded in affecting the ac-
tion OF the heart, diminishing by six the
I number of pulsatiOns in a minute, and
augmenting them by more than twenty.
i DR.. Beaunis professor OF physiology, made
this observation by means of the esphyg-
I nograph in the laboratory of tae medical
4 faculty. Of Nancy, in the presence of
4 Messrs. Liebault, LiegeOis and Rene, the
/ last being chief of the physiological de-
! partment. This curious observation was
! communicated to the Biological Society
last year by Mr.. Beaunis.
But here is what is truly marvellous.
The same person, Elise N. having
complained Of an acute pam in her side,
| Mr. Focachon decided to make her i'm
agine that, in order to cure her, plaster
was to be applied. ga plaster viii he APP
! piled to the spot where the pain is" said
/ FOcacbOn; edo not touch it. IL will burn
| you little aud produce blsters. but to-
mOrrowgOu will feel no more pain there"
AS matter Of fact, nothing at all was ap-
piled, and the plaster was fictitious. But,
| Notwithstanding, on the following day,
| on the spot where the plaster was said TO
be applied, there was to be seen thick
blister fun of matter, and the pain had
disappeared.
These facts having been communicated
to DR.. Liebault and other eXperimenters,
| they manifested TO FOcachon their desire
to witness the same under conditions
which would offer the greatest possible
I guarantee OF eXactness and ready demon
stration. FOcachOn decided to take his
| subject TO Nancy, where DIR. Diehault re-
sided. DR.. Bernheim selected as the place
for the production of the blister spot
on the shoulder which the patient could
not easily touch with her hands.
Elise was put to sleep at IL O'Clock in
the morning. Several pieces of thin pa
per were affixed securely TO her shoulder.
This was. done by Mr.. Liegeos with the
object of fixing the attention Of the subject
more completely or the idea Of plaster,
and to avoid all preteXt OF fraud During
the slumber three mesmeric operations
were performed, each of a few minutes
duration. Elise spent the night IN habi-
tatiOn prepared for the purpose. On the
following day the paper, which remained
intact, was removed in the presence Of
various persons Interested in the expert
ment. The following document was
drawn up by DIR. Beaunis, professor Of
physiology at Nancy: son MAY r. 1888,
at IL O'Clock in the morning, MIR. Foca-
chon put Elise ~ 10 sleep in the presence
OF Messrs. Beaunis, Bernhiem. Liehault.
etc. During the sumber eight little
squares Of gummed paper were affixed to
the shoulder, under the pretense that Il
was plaster. The paper was sustained
with diachylon and a compress. Elise
] u 4 a n hal oh
ened at the time necessary for eating.
She WAS watched all the time. At night
Mr.. F0cachon Impressed her that she was
not TO awaken until the next morning,
which She did.
con the following day, at S:i5, Mr.. Foca-
ehon removed the papers IN presence Of
Messrs. BeauQis, BerEheim, Lebault,
Liegeois, etc. WeBnNd' tlnitl tue papers
had not been disturbed. On being removed
the place presehfed The following aspect
A rectangulaF space o. four by i've cent?
metres was seen With the opidermis
thickened and presenting "a yellOwish
white color; the epiaermis was not broken
ana there was no blister. IL presented in
a word. the aspect aud character Of the
period Immediately preceding the blister
proper. This region WAS surrounded by a
zone OF intense red. inlampd: ii was 4
centimetre wade. These facts being asoer.
tained, dry compress was put on the
place, that Tue SKIN might DC examined
later. Az 1872 81 tbe,eamq day 10 had the
same aspect as Ia NE momug" This
document wlstslgnnd lbs Pr0ts. Boaunls.
Bernheim, Liebault, il'eEeois, Simon, Lnu-
rent aud Brulud. NfNouayA nttprward
Focach0n ahhp,inced 10 i.ietault that, on
his return "a Cbarmts on the snme day
In which the d0cVmgnt was signed, he 0b.
served aud photographed, at1 ia the af
iernoou. on The same place where it was
observed that "A blister was forming. five
pusiules. On May i3 q thick and milky
matter oxuded. This ended the expert.
ment A copy Of the photograph was
sent 10 each Of the oxporlmentoes in
J Macy.