Numerous Cases of Surgical Operations Without Pain in the Mesmeric State

Elliotson, a proponent of mesmerism and phrenology, sought to authenticate these fields of study. The credibility of mesmerism was often linked with that of the subject, and because many of Elliotson's subjects were predominantly lower-class women, often Irish immigrants, his critics suggest that this was possibly his downfall . However, this book is a series of cases in which mesmerism cured the illnesses of patients and allowed for surgical operations without any pain, and Elliotson takes great care to legitimize the powers of the mesmeric state. Although Elliotson was widely criticized for his studies in mesmerism, he was one of the first physicians to advocate the use of the stethoscope.