The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-05
HYPNOTlSM OF FEAR.
Treatment for Nervous Patients When
Ether Cannot be Used.

'Well," said the physician, 81 don't
know that Iwould understand it if had
not had an illustration. Among my pa
tients was a little girl who had had
considerable trcslble with ore of her
eyes. This finally resulted in the de-
velopment of a tumor on the inner side
of the upper lid. 1t was necessary to
remove this tumor, and there would
have been no special difficulty about
this, although it required delicate
operation, if it had not been for the
child's temperament. AS it happened,
the child was exceptionally nervous; in
fact, so extremely sensitive was she
that merely an examination of her eye
would set her into the most violent
Mysteries. Even the pointing of ones
finger at her made her tremble like a
leaf, and, as she was physically weak
anyhow, her parents very properly
dreaded the proposed operation very
much. finally decided to send her to
one of the leading eye experts, man
whose fame is known abroad as well as
in this country. He made a careful
examination, and decided that it would
be necessary to put the child under the
influence of ether in order to perform
the operation.
"Now, want to say right here that
while believe in expert physicians, it
has been my experience that sometimes
they are led by their theories into doing
foolish things. When the parents told
me that this physician had suggested
the use of ether Immediately con-
tention to the cons ideration of the
operation itself, and had not given
proper thought to the nervous and weak
condition of the patient. | knew the
child very much better than he did, and
felt that the administration of ether to
her would be very dangerous. | told
the parents of the child frankly what |
thought and they agreed with me. 1t
then occurred to me to call upon the
services of another oculist with whom
was acquainted, whom knew to be Il
very skillful man. / also knew, how
ever, that he was inclined to be over
bearing and somewhat cranky, and it
was not without misgivings that l
called him into the case. However, we
all went to his Office the next day. He
looked at the child carefully and then
proceeded to bring out a lot of instru-
ments which he placed upon the table.
"'What are you going to do?' l asked
him.
"I am going to remove that tumor,"
he said.
"'But do you understand how sensi-
tive and nervous this child tsp l asked
him.
eyes he replied abruptly. We'll
fix that
''Then, turning to the parents, he
said in rough, almost brutal way:
"'Now, look here! 1 don't want you
to interfere or say anything, one way
or the other. Pm not going to hurt
the child, but don't want any inter
ruptions from you. I'm in charge of
this
"He did not say word to the child,
but led her up to his chair and sat
down, taking her between his knees.
He calmly examined his Instruments
and picked out the one he wanted.
Then, assuming an air of great sever
ity, he said to the child: Now, keep
your hands down. Look down. Don't
move
"Before the child knew it the lid had
been turned up. The child gasped and
made an involuntary motion.
"'Stop that, or I'll box your earsr he
yelled, savagely.
"There was a quick motion of the
knife, another gasp by the child, and
the operation was over. The usually
nervous patient appeared to be para
lived. The tears and hysteria were all
there, but her power to give vent to
them was absolutely restrained by fear.
She trembled like leaf, but that was
all. A little bathing of the eye was all
that was necessary to complete the
work. l really have not given you an
accurate idea of how quickly it was all
done. | was almost aghast myself.
When it was over the humor of the sit
uation struck me, and 1 said to him:
"Well, now what do you call that?"
Iudt, lie rel llSu, DIS uC calmly
wiped his instrument, was what may
be called the hypnotism of fear. 1t lisa
wonderful thing when you have nerv-
Gus patient and a delicate operation.
learned that from great German ply
sician He had patient with cat
aract in his eye, No an@sthetic could
be used in his case, and yet it was nee
essary to perform the operation. The
physician was great expert with the
knife, but of course the pain of such
an operation was too great to permit of
its being performed successfully with
out annsthetics under ordinary con-
ditions. Now, what do you suppose he
did? Just this. He had the patient
sit in a chair in front of him, uncon-
scious of the fact that the operation
was about to be performed Then he
walked up to him with knife con-
cealed in his hand. "Look up" he
said to him. The man looked up. Then
the physician drew off with his Olsen
gagged hand and gave him most vio-
lent box on the ear. Before the patient
had recovered from his establishment
and the pain of the blow the operation
had been performed. IN. Y. Sun.
Consideration.
Old Wa1Izer-NOu 90 IN and strike