Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-01

complained OF M acute pam IN uef slaes
Mr.. Fccachon decided to make her
imagine that, in order to cure her, .
plaster was to be applied. "a plss-
ter win be applied to the spot where
the pain is" said Focachon; s'do not
touch it. It will bura you little and
produce blistcrs, but tomorrow you
will feel no more pain there" As .
matter Of fact, nothing at all was APP
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
a thick blister full Of matter, and the
pain had disappeared.
These facts having been communica-
ted to DR.. Eebsult and other expert
mentors, they manifested to Focachon
their desire to witness the same under
conditions which would offer the great
est possible guarantee OF exactness and
ready demonstration. Pocachon de-
cided to take his subject to Nancy,
where DR.. Liebault resided. DR.. Bern
helm selected as the place for the pro-
duction Of the blister spot on the
shoulder which the patient could not
easily touch with her hands.
Elise was put to sleep at II o'clock
in the morning. Several pieces of thin
paper were affixed securely to her
shoulder. This was done by Mr.. Lie
geois with the object Of fixing the at
tention of the subject more completely
on the idea Of plaster, and to avoid
all pretext of fraud. During the slum-
Der three mesmeric operations were
performed, each Of few minutes du-
ration. Elise spent the night in a
habitation prepared for the purpose. On
the following day the paper, which re-
manned intact, was removed in the pre-
sence Of various persons interested in
the experiment. The following document
was drawn up by DR.. Beaunis, pro-
fessor Of physiology at Nancy: On
May IL, 1885, at IL in the morning,
Mr.. Focachon put Elise NJ to sleep in
the presence Of Messrs. Beaunis, Bern
helm, Liebault. etc. During the slum-
Der eight little squares of gummed
paper were affixed to the shoulder, I'M
der the pretence that it was plaster.
The paper was sustained with diachylon
and compress. Elise was left in this
state all the day, being awakened at the
time necessary for eating. She was
watched all the time. At night Mr..
Focachon impressed her that she was
not to awaken until 7 the next morning,
which she did.
son the following day, at S:l5, Mr..
Focachon removed the papers in the
presence of Messrs. Beaunis, Bernheim,
Liebault, Liegeois, etc. We noted that
the papers had not been disturbed. On
being removed the place presented the
following aspect A rectangular space
Of four by five centimetres was seen with
the epidermis thickened and presenting
a yellowish white color the epidermis
was not broken and there was no bis
ter it presented, in word, the aspect
and character of the period immedi-
ately preceding the blister proper. This
region was surrounded bys zone Of in
tense red, inhamed it was a cent?
metre wide. These facts being ascer-
tanned, dry compress was put on the
place that the skin might be examined
later. At 80 Of the same day it had
the same aspect as in the morning"
This document was signed by
Professor Beaunis, Bernheim, Liebault,
Liegeois, Simon, Laurant. and Bru-
lard. Two days afterward Focachon an
nounced to Liebault that, on his return
to Charmes, on the same day in which
the document was signed, he observed
and photographed, at 4 in the after
noon, on the same place where it was
observed that a blister was forming,
five pustules. On the 18th a thick
and milky matter exuded. This ended
the experiment. A copy Of the photo
graph was sent to each of the expert
mentors in Nancy.