The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-20
miscellaneous.
A LECTURE ON THE TRAN CE.
Some Curious Experiments with Which DR.
Beard illustrated His Remarks.

Some Curious Experiments with Which DR..
Beard Illustrated His Remarks.
The rooms of the New York Academy
of Medicine we're crowded last evening
when a lecture or "Trance" was deliv-
cred by DR.. George M. Beard before the
New York Academy of Science. Doctor
Beard had on the stage eight subjects for
trance experiments. H. said that true
explanation of the many and strange
phenomena of trance, was one Of the sci
entifc questions of the hour. It's present
prominence had been caused by two re-.
cent events in Europe, the march of DR..
Slade through Europe carrying men of
science with him into the domain of
Spiri uaism, and following in Slade's
wake, the careful investigation of the
phenomena of mesmeric trance by Ger
man and French men of science. DR..
J Baird of Manchester, has proved that
the phenomena of fmesmerism are entire.
ly subjective, and not objective or &C..
complished by an outside lorce. This is
the most important discovery ever made
in this branch of science. For forty
years the French Academy and Euro.
pean men of science have tried to find
an explanation of the phenomena of
trance but have failed. They still cling
to the idea that the cause is OF iective
and that bright buttons to fasCinate and
manipulations or passes of the hand
were necessary. VIM. Stanley Grimes
was the first man to disprove this theo.
ry. The operator tells the subject he is
to 60 into this or that form of trar ce and
if the conditions are right the subject
will go, even if the operator goes and
browns himself. 1t is by the action of
the mind Of the subject alone that the
object is accomplished. "TranCe," said
DR.. Beard, properly defined, is a con-
CentratiOn of nervous activity in some
one direction, with corresponding sus.
pension of nervous activity in other di.
reCtions, and It's varieties are cataleptic,
eCstatic, intellectual, epileptic, alcoholic,
somnambuhstic, emotional, self induced,
spontaneous and mesmeriC, the latter
being the so called hypnotism or animal
magnetism. Infant prodigies, such as
Shannon, the boy orator, often 90 into a
state of intellectual trance. Great ora
tors and actors are frequently in trance
while before an audience. BeeCher and
Salviol are examples. Mary Anderson
feigns the deep breathing of trance. The
case Of the Rev. Mr. Marsland, the Con
neCtiCut preacher, who disappeared and
found himself month later at Bing.
hampton hired out as workman, was
one Of spontaneous trance. Emotional
frances are the most common and are
produced by sentiments of fear, expect
anCy wonder, reverence. Alarms of fire
and SpiritualistiG seanCes are very DC
tent as trance producers. Trance in an.
imals is produced by fear. The scien.
tific value of the mesmeriC trance is that
we can handle, test and experiment with
it and expose the secrets ofall the other
varieties. We have had the facts for a
thousand years. What we want ia inter-
pretations ald ideas. My theory is that
if there are one hundred units of force
in the brain all are active in the natural
state, In sleep they are less active, but
in mesmeric trance all activity is sus.
pended except in one direction. The
nerve force is all concentrated on one
thought and the rest is practically dead,
The best subjects are modest retiring,
shrinking, sensitive persons, while the
best operators are bold, positive and con
fident. 1t is aquestion of mental chem.
istry. The great influence of George
Henry Lewes over George Eliot is thus
explained by her retiring, dihident ma
ture, although she was Intellectually his
su Jerior. We can do three things in
trance with all functions under the con.
troll of the will-we can take it away, in.
crease it or modify it,"
Dr. Boards experiments were of the
most interesting character and held the
attention of the audience until after II
o'clock. He would point finger at one
of the subjects and the latter would
bring mis- nose to the finger and follow it
everywhere. Another subject was made
TO hunt on his knees an imaginary lost
article. Two of them looked in ecstasy
heavenward for five minutes, being told,
See the angels up there" One face ex.
pressed joy; the other man was in teare
Two of them were placed in attitudes of
statues with hands upraised; 81, 2. 8, 4,
5" said DR.. Beard, and one subject on his
| back on the floor became 30 rigid that he
could be carried across the room by his
head and heels and stood on his head as
stiff as a board. To test the genu neness
of the frances a subject was told he had
no feeling in his left cheek, and a
pin was stuck into it dozen times by
DR.. Beard, and a man in the audience
and the subject did not feel it. Another
mans hand was cauterized with red
hot iron and he made no motion. Two
others had teeth pulled but did not
vince. At one time four of the subjects
were speaking in stentorian tones in the
trance state, one was preaching, one
talking temperance, one politics and one
against woman's rights. A man was
made deaf and did not hear a pistol
shot off at his scar. The tests of the great.
est scientific value were made with the
eye, anu it has been proved that men in
trance can be made totally blind, blind
in one eye, or color blind. Cayenne pep.
per was taken by two of the subjects
with delight, they being told it was
sugar.-N Y. World llh.