HYPNOTISM v. CHLOROFORM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7958, 8 February 1906, Page 7

HYPNOTISM v. CHLOROFORM.

It is well-known that in England, as well os in Frarce and other Continental countries, hypnotism is being practised by medical men of standing, instead of being left to ■quacks and charlatan*), who have in the past exploited it with more zea} than knowledge. In New Zealand, which is usually to the fore in adopting new ideas, members of the medioal profession ar© beginning to make use of the same agenoy.for the cure of nervous and other diseases. •In Wangahui it appears an interesting experiment was made on the value of hypnotic sleep as a substitute for chloroform, a /patient in the hospital Was suffering from a stiffened shoulder joint, the result of ■mi accident of some months' standing. It was considered necessary that l the contractions which had formed with the joint should be forcibly 'broken down, a proceeding which it 'will be easily understood is extremely painful. Dr. Fenwick, one ©f the surgeons to the hospital, suggested to the patient that he should allow himself to be hypnotised instead of being chloroformed, and to this the' patient readily consented. 'The patient wps sent to sleep by Dr. and the operation was performed by Dr. Reid, one of the hospital staff. The patient was awakened land asked if he had felt any pain. He stated that he bad been completely unconscious of anything from the time he was sect to sleep till his awasening. In view of the fact that a certain percentage of latalities oocur under chloroform, this demonstration is ; of undoubted value to the medioal profession and the public generally. Probably, owing to the uncertainty attending the duration of hypnotic sleep, surgeons will not care to trust to it in prolonged operations. There seems no reason, however, to doubt its being of value in cases where the operation, although painful, is quickly performed.