Mesmerism in India: And Its Practical Application in Surgery and Medicine — James Esdaile (1846)

One of the foundational nineteenth-century medical accounts of mesmerism, hypnotic anesthesia, and surgery, newly returned to print by Holographic Pagan Press.

Physical edition: The Holographic Pagan Press edition is a handmade softcover book, not a hardcover.

Mesmerism in India: And Its Practical Application in Surgery and Medicine is James Esdaile’s landmark 1846 account of mesmerism as a practical medical and surgical method in nineteenth-century India.

Writing from direct clinical experience, Esdaile records mesmeric procedures, surgical cases, observations on pain control and altered states, and the controversy surrounding mesmerism within medicine. Published at the threshold of modern surgical anesthesia, the work remains one of the most important primary sources in the history of mesmerism, hypnosis, psychophysical medicine, and the nineteenth-century search for methods of producing insensibility during surgery.

This Holographic Pagan Press edition preserves the character and content of the historic edition while presenting the work in a newly prepared, large-format reading edition. The handmade physical edition features warm cream cardstock, black binding tape, and black cover artwork.

This is a newly prepared Holographic Pagan Press edition and not an original antique copy.

Handmade edition note: Holographic Pagan Press editions are produced, assembled, and finished by hand in small batches. As a result, minute variations may occur between individual copies, including slight differences in materials, color, binding, trimming, placement, or hand-applied details. Materials may also vary slightly according to availability. We make every effort to preserve the intended design, character, and quality of each edition while allowing for the natural variations inherent in handmade bookmaking.

Title: Mesmerism in India
Subtitle: And Its Practical Application in Surgery and Medicine
Author: James Esdaile, M.D.
Original publication: 1846
Original extent: xxxi + 287 pages
Formats: Handmade physical book or digital PDF
Physical dimensions: 8.5" × 11"
Cover: Warm cream cardstock with black binding tape and black artwork
Interior: Black-and-white
Edition publisher: Odd Enough Books / Holographic Pagan Press
Condition: Newly produced

Historical Note

Esdaile’s work is a major period document in the histories of mesmerism, hypnosis, anesthesia, and medicine. Its observations and medical claims reflect nineteenth-century practice and are presented here for historical, scholarly, and esoteric research.