On mesmerism.

  • Russell, John Rutherfurd, 1816-1866
Date:
[between 1800 and 1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On mesmerism. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    We shall now briefly detail owp^nu oApumnce. /. The first case we shall relate is that of a lady about thirty years of age, of nervous lymphatic temperament, of a firm frame, vigorous in mind and body. This patient was formerly under the charge of Dr. Sutherland of Leamington, by whom she had been successfully mesmerised. Before coming under his treatment she had been for years delicate, and had suffered much from a short cough and pain in the lower part of the hack. For this she had been bled by an allopathic practitioner of considerable reputation, every week for many months without any advantage. When she first consulted us she complained of violent pain on one side of the head about the temporal region, almost incessant nausea, occasional vomiting, total sleeplessness, and a sense of restless uneasiness which made her quite miserable. We found the homoeopathic remedies usually beneficial in such cases of no avail, and at her own request we put her asleep by making passes slowly over the head and face. It required only a few minutes to induce the most profound slumber. We allowed her to sleep for about half an hour and then waked her by blowing gently in the face. For some weeks afterwards she was per- fectly free of all pain, both in head and back, her appetite was good, she had slept soundly every night, and in fact felt perfectly well. From time to time she had a return of her distressing symptoms, and they were always relieved for a period of at least four or five weeks by a repetition of this simple operation. We tried on one occasion making her gaz& intently on,a,small object in the manner we had seen a Mr. Darling operate, and which is similar to Mr. Braid’s method, and the result was equally satisfactory. In a few minutes she was fast asleep, and on awaking had the same sense of relief, repose, and restoration as when she had been put asleep by passes. It is now many months since she was mesmerised, and she reports herself to be in the enjoyment of perfect health. This simple case may he sufficient to correct an erroneous notion we find prevalent, that mesmerism if once used requires to he continually repeated, and that a patient becomes dependent upon it. A patient is dependent upon sleep, but the function
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