Lynchburg Virginian

Gentlemen: A few cases of surgical operations performed while the patient was under the influence of Mesmerism, have lately been noticed, and you may not think it useless to publish a hasty report of one performed, on the 14th inst., in the county of Putnam, Va. by Dr. Thompson, of Bedford. The patient was a negro woman, who had suffered intensely for years from caries of both bones of the right leg and consequent ulceration of the muscles, which led to amputation of the thigh. Before the commencement of the operation, a gentleman present subjected the patient to the manipulations usually employed to induce Mesmeric sleep. In about two hours he succeeded in producing a state of profound insensibility of the entire body. The operation was then performed, and the only indications of pain were a slight groan or similar to that often made by persons of the slightest pain during ordinary sleep, and a gentle tremor in the muscles of the leg at first. She neither opened her eyes nor spoke until the operation had been completed, except the insertion of a few stitches in the stump. After the insertion of the first stitch she opened her eyes, spoke, and appeared to regain her gradual sensibility. Her complaints, during the week after at the remaining stitches, were such as to indicate pain, more than usually intense. When asked whether or not she had been conscious of the various steps of the operation, she replied that she remembered them, but thought she had borne the pain much better than any of the spectators could have done. As it was the first successful attempt to produce Mesmeric sleep I had ever witnessed, I shall not presume to give any opinion as to how far this case may tend to strengthen the doctrine of Mesmerism. It seems to be clearly evident, however, that in this instance the patient was thrown into a state of insensibility, which was of essential service during the operation. Very respectfully, B. H. MOULTON