HYPNOTISM, ITS HISTORY, NATURE AND USE. 607 



In 1859, Dr. Guerineau announced that he had amputated a thigh 

 under hypnotic anesthesia. Some other reports are as follows : Jules 

 Cloquent amputated a breast in 1845; Dr. Loysel of Cherbourg am- 

 putated a leg and removed some glands in 1846; a double amputation 

 of the legs by Drs. Fanton and Toswel in 1845 ; amputation of an 

 arm by Dr. Joly in 1845; and in 1847 a tumor of the jaw was 

 removed by Drs. Ribaud and Kiaro of Potiers — all under hypnotic 

 anesthesia (Bernheim's 'Suggestive Therapeutics'). 



But hypnotism was found to have more drawbacks than advantages 

 in these cases of major surgery. In the first place, hypnotic anesthesia 

 is a difficult state to produce and even a more difficult state to maintain. 

 Secondly, there is always the possibility of the patient awakening 

 unexpectedly and dying from the shock of the operation. 



Although it has thus fallen out of use as an anesthetic in these 

 serious cases, still it is used constantly, and more and more every 

 day, in minor surgery. In dentistry it certainly has its place; in out- 

 patient departments of our hospitals it is often of value, as it has no 

 after effects. 



The various medical cases that have been treated by the hypnotic 

 method are too numerous to recount. They include nearly every form 

 of mental non-equilibrium and also cases of general organic trouble 

 dependent more or less on the mental attitude of the patient. They 

 include habits of various kinds, such as onycophagie or finger-nail 

 biting, excessive smoking, dypsomania, nervous twitchings, etc., 

 nervous headaches, insomnia and neuralgias; chronic nervous constipa- 

 tion and diarrhoea and dyspepsia; local and general pain, insomnia 

 and neurasthenia. Nor is this all. Hypnotism's greatest blessing 

 consists in the cure of psychic paralytics and psychic hysterics. In 

 this connection we may say that it should be used unconditionally. 

 Dr. Starr in a lecture at the College of Physicians and Surgeons 

 cited a case of paralysis in the left arm from the shoulder to the elbow. 

 A physician knows that it is impossible to get a true paralysis of this 

 kind. Dr. Starr hypnotized the patient in his clinic and in less 

 than three minutes the arm was in as good working order as ever. 

 During the course of the past year, I have worked on a few hysterical 

 cases for physicians where nothing but hypnotism could cure them. 

 A remarkable case of true organic nature came to my notice ovei 

 a year ago. A lady had a severe swelling on her finger which was so 

 painful that I could hardly bandage it for her. I put her to sleep, 

 suggested the pain away, told her the inflammation would subside the 

 next day and awakened her. I could then do anything I wished to 

 the finger without hurting her. 



I have left aside the part that hypnotism plays in mental and moral 

 culture — a phase of the subject so vast that it deserves more con- 

 sideration than could be given here. 



