Freedom from pain through hypnosis - Religious ecstasy - Queen Jezebel's priests - Ghost dances - Oriental devotees - Burning of martyrs - Catalepsy produced by savage rites - Religious fervor subduing pain - Modern instances - Production of anaesthesia a natural endowment - How to produce anaesthesia - Case of Robert McGann - Performance of dangerous surgical operations during hypnosis - Minor surgical operations - Dangers of chloroform - Indiscriminate use of anaesthetics - Value of hypnotism in surgery - Sewing the lips together - Passing pins and needles through the cheek - Tongues sewed together - Dangers.

Absolute freedom from pain can be temporarily obtained through hypnosis, and various parts of the body can be rendered insensible to all feeling. This fact is one of the most valuable attributes of hyp-, notism, and is destined to occupy an important part in the surgery of the future.

For centuries the phenomenon of anaesthesia under mental influence has been observed, without being scientifically explained. The ecstacy of religion has often played an important part in such manifestations. On Mt. Carmel the priests of Queen Jezebel inflicted upon their bodies mutilations of a horrible nature without apparent suffering. In America to-day the red men, during their ghost dances, thrust knives into their bodies and otherwise mutilate themselves, under the influence of frenzy, and seemingly experience no pain while doing so. This they are enabled to do by first monotonously chanting and dancing and undergo-ing hypnotization. Throughout India and the Orient the priests and devotees of different sects complacently undergo abuses that would be excruciating agony to others. How do they do it? Always by first rendering themselves insensible to pain by various mental influences, such as are now scientifically classed under hypnotism.

Was it not largely the religious ecstacy, associated with the frenzy of the multitude or the intensity of hatred of their persecutors and the luridness of the flames, that anaesthetized the martyrs of ancient days while they were being burned at the stake?

Among the religious rites of many savage tribes it is customary for the priests to "sing-song" with their voices and to dance round and round, performing wonderful gyrations, until they fall insensible to the ground in the condition known as catalepsy.

Modern and civilized religions are not without their hypnotic manifestations, and religious fervor causes many of the most cultured and refined to withstand experiences they could not otherwise endure. Notice the patience and weakness of many invalids who prize their religion above life. Such instances are common.

It is not disrespectful or irreverent to account for such manifestations by the philosophy of hypnotism. Religious fervor is the over-stimulation of certain brain centers, resulting in the depression of other centers. It makes no difference whether the individual is heathen or Christian or pagan or savage, the mental causes are the same in character, and the physical results are consequently identical.

The production of anaesthesia or insensibility to physical suffering by mental influence is a wonderful power bestowed upon mankind. It is a natural power, never fully recognized until hypnotism became a scientific study. Now we realize that ail are endowed with it, and that all can take advantage of its benefits for the good of themselves and others.