Hypnotic therapeutics : illustrated by cases : with an appendix on table-moving and spirit-rapping / by James Braid.

  • James Braid
Date:
[1853]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hypnotic therapeutics : illustrated by cases : with an appendix on table-moving and spirit-rapping / by James Braid. 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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    From'tliat period I never saw this young lady for eight months ; but I had the gratification to learn that my operation had effected a com- plete change on her constitution, as far as regarded the state of her bowels, as from that period she had required no more purgative me- dicines, as her bowels had acted daily of their own accord, and the young lady had been enjoying excellent healthieiyerisince^^ only she had not yet menstruated. .m:u k; -j-.// nvniiM^ >v.\ \ va-y • Durinti- this period the patient had left tlhe faiiirt'at'whose hbuse T hypnotised her, and the other friends, tinder whose care she was then ])laced, tv*e: afraid to have anf farther trials of what appeai-ed to them so mysterious, both in its nature and effects, as to appear more like magic or witchcraft than legitimate treatment. AVhen this patient again returned to tlie aunt at whose house she was hypno- tised, it was detfermined on, botli by the patient and her aunt, that she should be hypnotised daily, with the object in view of exciting the catamenial flow, and they had no cause to regret their decision, for within eight days after I'ibegan to hypnotise her with this view, this important fmiction was established, without the slightest incon- venience to the patient. All went on well with this lady subse- quently, and she has now been many years married, andis the mother :i6f several healthy children. ^-^ ' ulii^kijili v.!-).-'-:.fu;.>ir In like manner, bv hypnotising patients labouring under Violent diarrha3a, and imprinting on their minds by audible suggestions durino- the sleep the certainty of the process arresting the diarrhcEa, iti-'Several cases in which 1 tried it, the success was as complete as immediate, both pain and purging being entii'ely arrested Avithm a few miniites, and not recurring again after arousing the patients. I have had many other cases where the catamenia have been excited in a' few minutes by the hjqmotic processes; but I must make the following case suffice, as it has clearly proved that the expectant dominant idea^ is^ ad^eqiiate to produce such result, not oflly 'in -the hypnotic state, but even in the waking conduion; and not only of exciting it when suspended or deficient, but also of arresting or suppressing it when in excess. In Ji3y 1849,1 was called to attend Mrs —, thirty years ot age, married and the mother of three childi-en. She had suffei^d severely from epilepsy for four years, for which she had been under the care of several inedical men. The attacks became a little less ft-feduem for- some time, but again increased in frcquency and s6veriliy, until, at the period when I was considted, notwithstanding ^he was under the constant care of a physician, and was takmg 'iWedlcii^'es pi^escribed by him repeatedly eveiy day, stdl she was i^tfino- AvoAe, so that at this period she had as inany as twenty-eight §ts didly, besides what occurred during the night, when her attend- ants we^e f^sleep. The day before I first operated on her, she had ^fee^^^fviGl^M fits in the space of eight hours; and, u hen i tnst -^^^l^tSf slle wa^ i-AW-locked, as the sequel to one ot her epileptic 'imm ' Her Inends told me, that whenever this state of locked-