Whats more astonishing is that after the surgeries, Esdaille further hypnotically suggested to his patients that their wounds would not result in any kind of infection or side effect. True enough, no one among his patients was reported to have caught any post-operation side effects. Many believed the subconscious aspects of Esdailles subjects responded well to hypnotism. When Esdaille suggested they would not be infected, their bodily functions acted accordingly and launched antibodies that would fight infection.
Soon, the death of Braid, Esdaille and other kindred colleagues, plus the advancement of anesthetics though chemicals, waned the interest in hypnotism.
Hypnotically Hysterical
Hysteria and hypnosis? Strange bedfellows at first glance maybe; but after hypnosis kept a relatively low profile after Braid, hypnotism made a comeback in the 1880s as new versions of his work were corculated. The revival also came with new experimentations, particularly in the use of hypnosis in treating hysteria led by neurologist Jean Martin Charcot.
Charcot, and later his pupil Pierre Janet, treated various cases of mental conditions, but most particularly hysteria, through what they called dissociation. This technique, utilized in a big number of patients, compartmentalizes some of the data stored in the mind, so that aspects such as a particular skill or an information from the past can be hidden or retrieved.
