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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

Aversion of the old Schools and the Public to new Ideas. -Some old Notions must be suspended in fairly considering Mesmerism. -Irrational Incredulity. -Mesmerism to be tried by the usual Laws of Evidence. -Medical men not entitled to decide the Matter for the Public. -The Public invited to judge of the Matter of Fact. -Medical
Men in this Country favourably placed. -Personal Labour necessary. -All easy afterwards. -Qualifications of a
Mesmeriser. -The Mesmeric Power very general. -The Sick the proper Subjects for Experiment. -The Natives of
Bengal very susceptible of the Mesmeric Influence. -Nature the School of the true Physician. -Mesmerism a natural
Power of Man. -Instincts of Animals. -Mesmerism known and practiced in India. -Trial of Skill with an Eastern
Magician. -Dangers of Mesmerism no Reason for rejecting it. -No need to interfere with the mind in Bodily
Disease. -My Patients bad subjects for the Mental Phenonema. -The Public invited to judge the Question practically
and fairly

CHAPTER II.

The French Commission of 1779. -Both Right and Wrong -The Mesmerists properly punished. -Condition
required in the Patient. -State of my mind before experimenting for myself. -Report of the Bishop of Lausanne to
the Pope. -His Reply. -Accidental Nature of my First Experiment. -Accidental Nature of my Second Experiment. –
First Mesmeric Surgical Operation. -Conclusion

CHAPTER III.

Mesmerism the same in India and in Europe. -Examples of Mesmeric Sleep. -Sealing of the Eyes. -Altered
Sensibility. -Temporary Paralysis. -Muscular Rigidity. -Insensibility to Pain. -Exaltation of particular Organs. –
Convulsions. -Delirium. -Injustice done to the Memory of the first Mesmerists. -Every available Evidence here
given. -Imposture morally and physically impossible. -Mode of Proceeding. -Mesmeric and Non-Mesmeric
Operations contrasted. -Physiological Demonstration of the Impossibility of Imposture.

CHAPTER IV.

Somnambulism. -Definition. -Singular Introduction to it. -Suspected Child-Stealing by its Means. -First
Experiment in making a Somnambulist. -Trial of Mesmeric Skill in a Court of Justice. -Men stolen out of Court. –
Truth of Mesmerism publicly proved. -Natural Sleep, and its Varieties, can be imitated by Artificial Means. –
Mesmeric Sleep. -Mesmeric Day-mare. -Mesmeric Sleep-walking. -Mesmeric Sleep-waking. -Mesmeric
Dreaming. -How to make Somnambulists. -Imitative Stage of Somnambulism. -Communicative Stage of
Somnambulism. -Mesmeric Catalepsy. -Mesmeric Coma. -Natural Clairvoyance. -Mesmeric Clairvoyance. –
Nature of the Mesmeric Power. -Illustrative Examples – – – – –

CHAPTER V.

The Mesmeric Processes. -Publicity the best Security to the Public. -Ignorance and Indifference the real Dangers. –
Mesmeric Treatment of Disease a Field for the Philanthropist. -Puysegur and Deleuze, unprofessional Men. –
Processes for producing Coma. -Tumour in Upper Jaw removed during Coma. -Hypertrophy of Scrotum, ditto. –
Trance renewable at Pleasure. -Three consecutive Operations on one Person. -Mode of Mesmerising in Chronic
Diseases. -Cure of Rheumatism and Nervousness. -Local Mesmerising. -Mesmerised Water. -Process for preparing
it. -First Experiments with it. -The last. -Means of awaking Persons Mesmerised

CHAPTER VI.

Mesmerism as a remedy. -Coma as a Medical Agent. -Journal of Practical Mesmerism. -Chronic Inflammation of
Eye cured. -Nervous Headache ditto. -Acute Inflammation of Eye ditto. -Return of Nervous Headache prevented. –
Rev. Mr. Fisher`s Report. -How to make a Convert. -Tooth drawn in the Trance. -Convulsions cured by ditto. –
Arms straightened in ditto. -Sense of Formication removed. -Lumbago, Sciatica, Pain in Crural Nerve, cured. –
Palsy of an Arm Ditto. -Mesmerism as a Disease. -Resembles Hysteria. -Ignorant charges of Imposture. -The
Public abused. -The Public disabused. -Folly and Unfairness of its would-be Guides. -Spontaneous Development of
the Mesmeric Disease. -Mesmerising by doing nothing taught by the Mesmerists themselves. -A natural
Consequence of frequent Mesmerising. -Examples of Mesmerising by doing nothing. -Hysteric Theory. -Hope to
hear of Hysteria as a Remedy soon. -Rational Mode of studying Mesmerism

CHAPTER VII.

Mesmerism in Surgery. -Journal of Practical Mesmerism. -Mesmeric Trance: A Leg straightened in; Colic cured
by; Penis amputated in; Arm straightened in; Arm amputated in; Breast cut off in; Abscess opened in; Heel flayed
in; Tooth extracted in; End of Thumb cut off in; Arm laid open in; Three Abscesses opened in; Sinus laid open in;
Gum cut away in. -Invasion of the waking by the Sleeping State. -Mesmeric Trance; hypertrophied Prepuce cut off
in; Knee straightened in; Ulcer on Temple burned with Muriatic Acid in; Seton introduced, &c. in; Tumour in Groin
removed in; Fungoid Sores off in; scirrhus Testes extirpated in; Cataract operated on in; Malignant Disease of Testes
extirpated in; unhealthy Sore pared in; hypertrophied Prepuce cut off in; Pain extinguished by; Return on Awaking;
Amputation of Penis in; unhealthy Sores pared in; Two Operations for Hydrocele in. -Mesmerism alike favourable
to the Operator and the Patient.

CHAPTER VIII.

Hypertrophy of the Scrotum; different Causes of. -Elephantiasis endemic in Bengal and Lower Egypt; probable
Causes of. -Example of Malarious Fever. -True Elephantiasis of the Scrotum. -Hypertrophy from Hydrocele; from
Syphilis; Condition of the Organs involved; Mode of operating; Mismanagement by the Native Doctors; Number of
Operations for six Years previous to April, 1845; in the Mesmeric Trance, for Eight Months. -First Case. -Some
Cause for the late Increase of Cases. -Operations in the Mesmeric Trance

CHAPTER IX.

Curiosities of Mesmerism. -Unsatisfactory Nature of Public Exhibitions. -Apology for giving one. -Account of it
by a Visiter. -The modes in which the Mesmeric Fluid can be transmitted. -It acts at great Distances. -Is absorbed
by Water. -Can pass through a Wall. -Final Experiments