HYPNOTISM AN ANESTHETIC FOR MAJOR OPERATIONS.

The successful amputation of a limb under hypnotism is reported¹ in a patient suffering from necrosis of the bone and severe ulceration of the leg. In a previous operation the patient bore the anesthetic badly and hence wished to be relieved of the necessity of taking another. Hypnotism was used as a last resort. The operator refused to work unless the means for anesthesia were at hand, but fortunately their use was not required. The patient went through the operation successfully, and the temperature at no time was above normal. Recovery was uneventful except for a slight hemorrhage and sloughing of a portion of the flap, which was not accounted for. While we believe that hypnotism as a therapeutic remedy has long passed its heyday, its occasional use will doubtless still be heard from and may be—like other seldom-used but once-in-a-while-efficient remedies—found of value. We must take into account