The Mighty Curative Powers of Mesmerism |
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able to walk afflicted with rheumatism afterwards aged agricultural labourer animal magnetism assistance attack of rheumatism attended Bickleigh Cadeleigh Coleford commenced complaint completely cured confined continued crutches Cullompton cure was effected Devon disease ease East Anstey Elliotson excruciating Exeter Hospital experienced eyes felt five minutes fortnight four free from pain frequently GEORGE Coles gout hand head improvement incapable induced to apply inflammation JOHN John Heathcoat knee limb lumbago medical advice medicine merised mesmeric passes mesmerised mother nearly three neighbours never night Oakford obliged parish patient Peaster persons physicians received no benefit relief remained Sampford Peverell seven severe pains severe rheumatic pain shoulder sittings sleep statement stick Stoodleigh sufferer from rheumatism surgeon swelling Teesdale Thomas Capern three months three weeks tic douloureux Tiver Tiverton took place treatment unable violent pain weak West Exe whilst wife WILLIAM William Gunn Zoist
Popular passages
Page xxii - A Tour indeed ! I've had enough Of Tours and such-like flimsy stuff. What a fool's errand you have made, (I speak the language of the trade,) To travel all the country o'er, And write what has been writ before ! We can get Tours — don't make wry faces, From those who never saw the places...
Page xx - We beheld always with astonishment, sometimes with concern, and sometimes with contempt, the credulity, real or pretended, of the magnetizers. We observed, with some little disgust, here and there a practitioner willing to become the provincial wonder, and only restrained by his prudence from declaring what a mixture of ignorance and cupidity prepared him to assert and to do. But above all we lamented to see the great delusion supported by one of the ablest physicians of this country...
Page xviii - We regard its abettors as quacks and impostors; they ought to be hooted out of professional society." " The patient, alias the victim, alias the particeps criminis, is almost as bad as the operator; and even the man who reads about such performances is a leper " [October 29th, 1842]), but in spite of such opposition Dr.
Page 27 - ... fellow-workmen. The small bone of the leg was broken, and inflammation of the part subsequently began : a few months after he was attacked by pains in the same limb ; the attack came on quite suddenly. He continued subject to these attacks ten or twelve times a year; they always came on without previous warning, sometimes when he was walking in the street, or engaged in his usual occupation, so that he was obliged to be assisted home. On one occasion he was suddenly attacked whilst on a ladder...
Page xxiv - Does he himself (Dr. Elliotson) treat the harlotry which he dares to call science with any respect;" and in 1848, the Harveian orator for the year, Dr. Francis Hawkins, used these words, " Among the quacks, the impostors, called Mesmerists, are in my opinion the especial favourites of those, both male and female, in whom the sexual passions burn strongly, either in secret or notoriously. Decency forbids me to be more explicit.
Page xxvi - Resolved, that the Hospital Committee be instructed to take such steps as they shall deem most advisable to prevent the practice of mesmerism, or animal magnetism, in future within this hospital" [December 27, 1838].; Elliotson refused to submit to such dictation, and at once threw up his post.
Page 25 - Mr. Capern again until after an interval of some weeks, when, by the passes being made over the head, the pains in that part were almost entirely removed. Afterwards she was mesmerised three or four times, the passes being continued about ten or twelve minutes each time. She now considers herself cured. She takes the active management of the farm-yard, performing the operation of milking her cows, which for many years she was totally unable to do. She works and suffers no inconvenience from the exertion....
Page 117 - ... old complaint in consequence, as he believed, of his having overreached himself whilst engaged in his laborious employment, which requires at times a very great muscular force, offered to operate upon him, and with a few passes entirely removed the pain. Since then it has never returned. He is now well and strong, attends regularly to his employment, and is capable of performing a good day's work without fatigue or inconvenience. His expenses for medicine, &c., previously to applying to Mr. C....
Page xx - Considering the high sanction which even a temporary belief in the powers of animal magnetism has obtained in this country, we look upon its recent rise and progress, and ITS ABRUPT AND SHAMEFUL FALL, as powerfully calculated to degrade a profession which is certainly, for other reasons, not rising in public estimation.