Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-08-11
HYPNOTISM.
SoMc Highly Interesting Expert.
menIS.


DIR. William S. Hammond, the celc-
brated New York surgeon, not long ago
delivered lecture On "Hypno.;sm" be-
lore several hundred medical students III
that city. The lecturer brought forward
Mr.. Howlev.' .at him in chair front
ing the aud He then held before
the genic' .tcs small glass ball,
and nj :, little delay the subjec,
seemed b, completely absorbed in
the conteu.p.a ON OF Turning again
TO the students. DIR. Hammond said:
You see 1 begin in the way serpents
charm birds. The serpents fasten their
Steely eyes on those of the birds and
faScinate the poor things until they fall
IN easy prey. Now you will see in a
minute how this young man will follow
the hall wherever it goes" And so he
did. Whichever way DR.. Hammond
moved the ball the young man went
afterit. Nothing stopped him. Chairs,
tables, doctors, stood i'll his way, hut he
stumbled over them or by them, and
kept on after the ball with his eyes riv-
eted on it as if his very life depended OF
his getting as near ii as possible. Sud
denly DR.. Hammond hid it and told him
it was gone. He stopped, dazed, and
looked as If he had lost something very
precious. While he was in this state he
was handed a bottle of soda water and
told it was yOnng lady. He took the
bottle in his arms and Immediately be-
gan to make love to it. He caressed j,
and said tenderly, "Will you have nc:
Do. I love You dearly. Oh, do have
me- As he walked up and down DR..
Hammond took lance and stuck the
blade into the flesh of the Young mans
hand, telling him it was bouquet, ami
the Young man admired the imaginary
flowers, showing no symptoms of pain
Suddenly he was told that the hottie wits
~ old woman, I5 Years OF age, and he.
quickly dropped it, eNcla,ming, II don'l
want to have anything To do with her.
He ate lemon for strawberry, and asked
for more; stripped off his coat and made
:, lash for man he was told had called
him liar; waltzel, sang, cried, smell,
water and said it was ''beantiful co.
Iogne," and proved himself an utterly
plant subject.
The next subject was Mr.. David
Wright, who accepted book for bird
and sang the "Sweet BY and By" to it.
When told it had escaped through the
hall he made rush for it among tine
students as ii they had not been present.
Hemade frantic efforts 10 climb pillar
and was fnriously pursuing the bird
when called back. He preached as ali
orthodox clergyman, then MS Il coloreo
minister, changing his accent and his
manner as quickly as the order wa:
given to him, and did a number of othe,
things, much to the amusement and as
tunishment of the audience The next
subject. a Mr.. Wilson, acted Macbeth,
reading The vision scene with good
effect; preached, told funny stories, said
he was Col Bob Ingersoll, repeating
parts Of that gentleman's lectures; got
drunk on wafer, rolled in agony when
told he was sick at the stomach, and
created much merriment as a clown in Il
circus. Mr.. Pritchitt, the last gentle
man. stripped off all his clothes with
lightning rapidity when told he was in
tested with rats. He delivered lecture
IN electricity when told he was Benia
min Franklin. He stripped to fight at
IN imaginary insult, rode q chair for
horse with the same seriousness and in
tensity he wolld a live equine. He
became an OF. III grinder, taallet dane
rr. Il vioimI>G and fous other
characters. DIR. Hamnl ..... ,ouched his
nose with cork amt he roared with
pain. The next Instant he danced with
delight ut being assured that it was on
again and III good condition. DR.. Ham.
mond told him that his clothes were on
fire, and he pulled them off, rushing
almost nude to the opposite side of the
a1nphitlleater Dr. Hammond frequently
put his fingers on the left temple of the
,litl, rent subjects and instantly arrested
their power of speech: then he would
touch the right temple and the subject
resumed his discourse.