Numerous cases of surgical operations without pain in the mesmeric state; with remarks upon the opposition of many members of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and others to the reception of the inestimable blessings of mesmerism / By John Elliotson.

  • Elliotson, John, 1791-1868.
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Numerous cases of surgical operations without pain in the mesmeric state; with remarks upon the opposition of many members of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and others to the reception of the inestimable blessings of mesmerism / By John Elliotson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that Mr. Topham was not aware that he had been violating any rules of the society in publishing the paper after he had withdrawn it, when he was suddenly interrupted by one of a number who humbly live, and move, and have their being in Sir Benjamin Brodie,— Mr. CiESAR Hawkins/ who objected to his speaking, because he was not a member of the society: and Mr. Wood was not allowed to say another word. Here was a body of men censuring an absent gentleman in strong language, and, when his friend rose craving permission to explain for him, that friend was instantly compelled to hold his peace. This was conduct unworthy of a society of men of the very humblest class. No law of the society forbad Mr. Wood to speak; and, had there been such a law, the laws of justice, and of that charity without which Mr. Hawkins is as “ sounding brass,” would have been superior to it under these circumstances. Ungenerous man! I envy you not your heart. You little thought what you caused to pass in Mr. Wood’s recollection when you acted thus. You caused him to remember that but five days before (December 8th) he saw you standing near a table, while the leg of a poor young woman was cut off in the midst of agonizing shrieks, she being evidently in the last stage of con sumption, and with which, as well as her scrofulous knee, she had been under the same surgical care for four months. On this very day she had died (December the 13th); and, on being opened, it was seen that at the time of the operation she had been very far advanced in consumption. Not only was the upper part of the right lung extensively disorganised, but the whole left lung was studded with tubercles, which in the upper part had suppurated and formed several large abscesses; one abscess was very large, and had burst into the cavity of the chest. It is a surgical rule not to ope rate for even a fistula, unless the lungs are examined and found healthy. Here the operation could only agonise the poor creature and shorten the wretched remnant of her days; and the reflection that she might probably have been spared the useless agony of the opera tion by mesmerism,—a blessing in the eyes of every one but Dr. Copland, drew a sigh from Mr. Wood as Mr. Hawkins vented forth his hostility. Had indeed the stethoscope been employed the state of things would have been known, and she spared the operation altoge ther,—the stethoscope, without being conversant with which no man can treat diseases of the chest without daily blunders, but which has been despised in the building where the unfortunate woman died, is spoken of now by one there as v a folly reminding him of