The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-29

Hypnosipsn.


Hypnosipsn.
m. u.mMoxp's INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
nypogg TUE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY |
MEDICAL COLLEGE. i
New York Herald, 2sth.l
Some seven hundred medical students |
assembled In the lecture.hal' OF the Uniyef-
sity Medical College yesterday AFTERNOON
and listened to lecture on Hypnotism
by DIR. william :. Hammond. Mesmerism |
has been In the hands OF quacks ana coatle'
tans, said pr. Hammond. For loog 'ime
there was an impression that animal magnet
ism had much to do with It, but that was one
of the false ideas that had crept IN through
ignorance. l don't claim awning LOT ines-
merism. / am simply testing IL IKE many
others. I think about two men IN e,ena
would prove good subjects aud about four
vyoroen in the sane number. Its influence
is NOT confined TO men and women; animals
are liable TO II and make good subjects.
operated not long ago on lot OF craos 10
Fulton market. Frogs are capital SUBJECTS.
You can take frog and put him under tois
influence and turn him on bis back. NOW,
of an the things in the world frog disiikes
# Il being laid on his back. Well, when
frog is in this condition you might take
scissors. cut him open, and he Will show no
sign OF the operation.
| Dr. Hammond then eXperimehteu WIN
| hen. putting her under the innuence Dy
| holding her lead for few seconds so that
her eyes rested on piece OF glass, anu the
hen rolled over and was insensible. After
some further explanations Dr. Hammond
introduced human subject.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
He brought forward Mr.. Howley and sat
him in a chair fronting the audience. Tie
then held before the geDteman's eyes
small glass ball, and sitter little delay the
subject seemed to be completely absorbed
m the contemplation Of it. Turning again
10 the students DR.. Hammond said: You
see. | begin i'm the way serpents charm
bi, DIS. The serpcnts fasteD their steely
ewes on those Of The birds and fascinate the
poor thugs until they fall an easy prey.
Now, YOU will see in q minute how this
Young man will follow the ball wherever
| il goes Aud so lie did. Whichever way
DR.. Hammond moved the ball the young
man went after it. Nothing stopped him.
| Chairs, tables, doctors, stood IN his way, Dut
he stumbled over them or by them, ana
| kent on after tue ball with his eyes riyeied
on it as if his very life depended on bis
getting as near II as possible. suddenly
| DR.. Hammond hit it and told him II was
gone. He stopped, dazed. and looked as II
| he had lost something very precious. Whiie
he was in this state he vas handed bottle
of soda.waier and told it was young lady.
He took the bottle in his arms and imme-
diaiely began to make love to it. He Ca
tesse-i it, aud said ttnGerly, "WilIyou have
me n DO. love you dearly. OBJ, do have
me- AS he walked up and down DR.. Ham
mond took lance and stuck the blade nto
| tbfafes OF the young mans hand, tel'ing
him it was bouquet, and the young man
admired the imaginary flowers, showing no
sympl oms Of pain. Suddenly he was told
| that The bottle was an old woman, seventy
five years Of age, and he quickly dropped
| il. eyc,aiming, 4" I don't want 10 have any
thing to do with her," He ate lemon Tor
straw berry, aud asked for more; stripped
of his coat and made dash for man ne
was told had called him liar; valued,
sang, cried, smelt water and said 1t was
"beauliful cologne" and proved himself an
utterly plant subject.
THE NEXT SUBJECT
was Mr.. David Wright, who accepted
book for bird Snd sang the "Sweet Bye
and-Bye" to it. WbeDiold it had escaped
through the hall he made rush for 1t among
| the students as II they bad not been pres
ept. He made frantic efforts 10 climb pill
lar, aud was furiously pursuing the bird
when called back. He preached as an
orthodox clergyman, then as colored MIN
lister, changing his accent and bis manner
as quickly as the order was given to bim,
and did 4 number OF other things, much 10
| the amusement aud establishment OF the audi
ence. The next subject Dir. Wilson, acted
Macbeth, reading the vision scene with good
effect preached, told funny stories. said he
was Colonel Bob IngersOl, repeating parts
of that gentleman's lectures; got drunk on
water, ioled iu agony when told he was
sick at the stomach, aud created much mer-
rjment a. clown in circus. Mr.. Priich-
lit, The last gentleman, stripped of all his
clothes with lightning rapidity when told
he was Infested with rats. He delivered
lecture on electricity when told he was
BENJAMIN Franklin. He stripped TO tight
at an imaginary insult, rode chair for
Ifbrse with the same seriousness and lnien-
sity he would live equine. lie became an
orean-crinder, a balltt-dancer, Violln'st,
land numerous other characters. Dr. HaiD-
m6nd touched his nose with cork and ne
reared with pain. The next instant he
danced ith delight at being assured That
IL was on again and in good condition. DR..
Hammond told him that his clothes were
on fire, and he pulled them of, rushing
almost nude TO the opposite side OF the
ampbithcatre. DIR. Hammond frequently
put his fingers Oh the left nipple OF the dli-
ferent subjects and instantly arrested their
power of speech; then he would touch the
right temple and the subject resumed his
discourse. At the close of the experiments
DR.. Hammond started two Of the subjects
going at the same time and the result was
most ludicrous. The lecture was most To-
teresting and entertaining one and occupied
two hours In the delivery.