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The Curative Powers of Mesmerism
RICHARD DREWE, Sandford, near Crediton, in the employ of Mr Thos Lee, has suffered from sciatica for twelve months. Last half year his sufferings have been very great. He has suffered fearfully; could not walk without a stick, and with difficulty then. First operation by Mr Capern on Monday, September 9th, 1850. Previous to first application could not sleep. After application, free from pain and slept well. Thursday following could walk without a stick better than with two sticks before. Returned to his employ on the Saturday.
FROM The Mighty Curative Health Powers of Mesmerism (Thomas Capern, pub 1851)
Capern was the resident mesmerist at the London Mesmeric Infirmary. He went on to practice independently in the West Country and by 1864 he could claim to have cured over 600 patients
Not everyone was convinced. And some were worried about “strange practices…on the bodies of female patients” Dr. Elliotson was another practitioner of Mesmerism during the 1840s/1850s
Tiverton, 1848
A MEETING was held in the Mayoralty Room of Tiverton, on Thursday, October 5th last, for the purpose of investigating many extraordinary cures effected in various diseases by Mr. Thomas Capern with mesmerism… Mr. Capern made some remarks upon various branches of mesmerism, and then introduced successively about thirty individuals, all of whom had received more or less benefit from his manipulations. Each stated in his or her own simple language the nature and extent of the disease, and the amount of improvement, or the duration of perfect cure. Among the diseases removed, and many in a space of time so incredibly short that only the direct evidence of the patients themselves could have sufficed to establish the facts, were tic douloureux, chronic rheumatism, fits, spinal affection, paralysis, and palpitation of the heart; some of the cases having been discharged as incurable from the Devon and Exeter Hospital. At the conclusion of the investigation, which lasted nearly three hours, the Rev. John Spurway moved, and the Rev. Mr. Madgin seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. Capern, the reverend gentlemen speaking in the highest terms of the able manner in which Mr. C. had treated his subject, and also of the candour and honour of the proceeding, by which every individual case had been thus boldly subjected to the trying ordeal of a hearing in the presence of so large a number of well informed and professional gentlemen.
The entire company, a considerable portion of which consisted of ladies connected with the principal families in the neighbourhood, expressed their satisfaction by frequent bursts of applause.
We understand that Mr. Capern received a most flattering letter from Lord Palmerston, expressing the deep interest felt by his lordship in the progress of the science, and earnestly requesting a report of the proceedings connected with the meeting. Mr. Capern intends publishing all these cases, with a large number of others.
https://www.tivertonhistory.org.uk/2020/12/tivertons-mesmeric-mania.html