The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-04-10

| Northern Africa-TeIIs Of PainIes
Operation Performed on Doctor b
! This Method.
A method of self-induced anesthesi,
borrowed from the fakirs and miracle
| performers" Of Northern Africa ha
been tried in France with excellent re
suits, according to American Medicine
1t consists of the rapid practice Of deeI
breathing, and minor operations are
performed painlessly at the moment
the rapid and deep breathing produces
dizziness in the subject.
Once again nature gives proof OF
mans bungling methods and reaffirms
her superiority, this time revealing
herself to5Doctor Achard Of MarseiIles,
and proving once more that whatever
man may achieve by laborious effort,
he will find a better equivalent in ma
trre says the writer The problem Of
anesthesia for minor surgical opera
lions is more complex and delicate
! than would appear at first blush. Such
an anesthetic must be rapid, sure and
after the operation, Numerous prod
ucts and many methods have been at
tempted up to the present, but without
much success
Discovers Secret.
Now French physician, after ex-
tensive study Of the practices of the
fakirs and miracle performers OF
Northern Africa, particularly the tribe
of AissaOuas, who drive nails through |
their hands or even into their skulls |
without evincing any sign OF pain, has
captured their secret-a principle of
nature hitherto either unrevealed or
disregarded. In studying the methods
Of these fakirs it was observed that
before attempting their feats they in
Judged in preliminary exercises which
It was at first thought was merely
meant to Impress their audiences, but
which now appear to be an indispens-
lble preparation for their performances.
Ths fakfr WOULD first take deepj
breathing exercises his respiration ia-
.reasinY in rapidity and in depth, until
inally he reaches a state bordering omf
chis trance, it was discovered, was notl
eigned but actual Once ne hasI
cached this stage the fakir is ready
or his stunt. He will drive nailil
Trough his palm or through the flesh
t his upper arm, and in some in
tances he has been known to drive q /
ail into his skull, in each case without
having blood and without giving any ,
violence of pain
At first 1t was believed that the fakir I
ms merely hardened by experience
nd training, like our own Indians, to r
uffer pain without revealing it. but 1t
ras soon learned that he really felt no '
ain at all, that his trance was form +
self-induced anestheSia, and that the r
reliminary deep-breathfng exercises r
cted as an anesthetfc which lasted y
If stunt. and then wore of without :
'aving the fakir any the worse for his :
kperience. +
Deep Breathing Exercise. q
Drawing his OWL conclusions from
lese. performances, Doctor Achard be-
an a series of experiments in minor Ii
)erations, all confirming the fact that O
eep-breathing exercises before the OPP r
alton, properly conducted, acted as Il
l anesthetic. In the French maya | d
ne Cavoir, Dr. Henry Reynis gives an s
count of an operation performed on a
m by Doctor Achard by this method. I,
be operation In. this instance was the Il
TRACTION Of an inferior molar, the t,
ot of which was infected -
Doctor Achard asked his patient to D.
,gin by taking few deep breaths,
en- ordered the acceleration of the n
eathing. Doctor Reynis followed q
csc instructions and at the end of one :,
mute began to- feel dizzy. At that =,
Oment the extraction was performed, | et
pidly and dexterously, without the n,
tient feeling any pain whatever. D,
blowing the extraction, Doctor Rey- Fl
3 felt his dizziness increase his i n,
nbs feeling heavy and his brain Ct
ank. SO much SO that he had to lie Of
wn. After a few minutes rest, how W
er, this condition disappeared rap M
". Examination of the patients 90
art showed no harmful effects. ce
In giving an account Of the opera n,
N, however, Doctor Reynis suggests
at 4'this method should not be prac- 3
ed without consideration Of the pa =