Report of the Committee appointed by government to observe and report upon surgical operations by Dr. J. Esdaile, upon patients under the influence of alleged mesmeric agency, 1846

Catalog Record: Report of the Committee appointed by government to observe and report upon surgical operations by Dr. J. Esdaile, upon patients under the influence of alleged mesmeric agency, 1846

Title: Report of the Committee appointed by government to observe and report upon surgical operations by Dr. J. Esdaile, upon patients under the influence of alleged mesmeric agency.

AccessKey: ackv

Corp. Author: Committee Appointed to Observe and Report on Dr. Esdaile’s Mesmeric Experiments. Bengal (India).

WLM Call Number: WO 391 E75h 1846 RB

Accession NO.: 8216

Publisher: Calcutta : W. Ridsdale ; Military Orphan Press, 1846.

Physical Descrip [ii], 29 p. ; 33 cm.

Document Type: Pamphlet

Language: eng

Subject: Mesmerism – surgery.
Subject: Mesmerism – therapeutic use.
Subject: Esdaile, James, 1808-1859.
Subject: Hypnosis – surgery.
Subject: Mesmerism – India.

Abstract: When Esdaile reported his successful cases of mesmeric anesthesia, the government of Bengal appointed a committee of seven, the majority of which were medical professionals, to investigate his work. They were convincingly impressed by his success. This report records the Committee’s observations of Esdaile’s works as assigned for investigation by the government.

General Notes: Digitized in Batch 12 by Northern Micrographics, February 5, 2013.

General Notes: This report was submitted to Frederick James Halliday, Secretary to the Governor of Bengal, on October 9, 1846. It contained 31 points, with proceedings of 14 committee meetings and other documents. The mission of the Committee was to observe and investigate, not to make judgment, on mesmeric anesthesia. The Report states that the process of mesmerization took days to effect.