PART B: MODERN HISTORY

Section 5. John Elliotson

Like Braid, Elliotson received his M.D. from Edinburgh, but went on to study on the continent as well as in Cambridge and at Sir Guy's Hospital where I had the pleasure of speaking in 1958.  He was born in 1791 and died on July 29, 1868 after a long illness, at the house of his friend, Dr. Symes, a formal pupil.  Like Braid, Elliotson was a brilliant physician, lecturer, and Professor of Medicine.  Elliotson's fame however, even exceeded that of his predecessor, Dr. Braid, for Elliotson ascended to the academic heights of a full Professorship of Medicine at the London University.  He was also named President of the Royal Medical and Surgical Society and was one of the founders of the University College Hospital in London.

He introduced the stethoscope into England together with the methods of examining the heart and lungs and they are used to this day.  A complete history of his life also appears in Bramwell's book.

Elliotson is best known for the fact that in 1846, he established the first journal dealing with hypnotism.  It was called Zoist, and complete copies of the journal are still obtainable from some sources.  He was discharged from the University College Hospital for choosing hypnosis as the subject for the Harveian Oration of 1846.  In this Harveian Oration, Elliotson quoted this memorable passage from Harvey's works, "True Philosophers, compelled by the love of truth and wisdom, never fancy themselves so wise and full of sense as not to yield to truth from any source and at all times; nor are they so narrow minded as to believe any art or science has been handed down in such a state of perfection to us by our predecessors that nothing remains for future industry.

Elliotson then applied Harvey's words to the science of Hypnotism and stated in no uncertain terms that it was the duty of physicians of that age to carefully and dispassionately review his research on the subject.  Many interesting articles appeared in his journal, Zoist that was published quarterly from April 1843 until December 31, 1855. For thirteen years, article after article, was published by Elliotson, Esdalie, and many other brilliant physicians of that time, testifying to the excellent results of hypnotic treatment in insanity, epilepsy, hysteria, stammering, neuralgia, asthma, torticollis, headaches, functional difficulties of the heart, rheumatism, tic-douloureux, spasmodic colic, sciatica, lumbago, palsy, convulsions, acute inflammations of the eyes and testicles, and reports of hundreds of painless operations, everything from removal of a cataract to the amputation of the penis of which James Esdalie reported two cases.  Parker (from whom the expression "Painless Parker" originated) reported over 200 painless operations in Exeter, an institution Elliotson helped him to form.  Elliotson was excellent in the field of child hypnosis, and worked with many children and childhood diseases, such as St. Vitus Dance, Chorea, tics, and other maladies.  Unlike Braid, however, Elliotson continued to believe in clairvoyance and other mystical phenomena until his death.

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