Prior to the general availability of chemical anaesthesia, there are well documented records of 19th Century surgeons using trance (hypnosis) to control pain to such a degree that they were able to carry out major operations. In recent times trance has been proven to be an effective adjunctive intervention before, during, and after surgery, with major benefits for patients in pain management, calmer and more hopeful attitudes, shorter recovery times, lower post-operative infection and so on. To learn more, Dr. Alistair Campbell provides great information in his article about hypnosis for pain relief.