The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-03
Another New Science.

Psychometry is the impressive name
of a so-called science 'from which no
mortal man can conceal his thoughts if
he will dare to write what he pretends
are his convictions on paper. The moment
he commits himself the pyschometric
expert can tell with an Invaluable GER
tainty whether what he has said is true
or false" The method is simple and
majority of persons have the power of
operating the science. One merely puts
the paper ON which statement is writ
ten to his forehead and he Is at once
conscious of the real sentiments of the
writer. While there are certainly some
advantages in an infallible method of
learning the thoughts of men, on the
whole the disadvantages are overwhelm-
ing. Abstractly we make too much of
truth; it is exalted above other virtues
which at times are of superior con-
sequence. The courtesies which make
social life bearable are necessarily full of
receptions, and society would be wrecked
if we had the power of knowing the
truth in particular instances. In the
present frail condition of humanity, a
palace of truth would be an intolerable
residence Yet abstractly we insist upon
truth as the highest essential of human
happiness. Practically the world would
reject system which threatened to lay
bare the little deceits which make social
life peaceable.
But the medical features of psychome-
try, if they can be separated from the
rest. can be of the highest utility The
discoverer finds that large portion of
the human race can be affected by drugs
held in the hand. He frequently, during
his lectures, put his auditors to sleep by
placing opium in their hands. This,
however. Is not startling, as many lee
turers have the ability to put an audience
to sleep without the opium. He has
found that cathartics and stimulants and
other substances will operate on the
system after contact with the hand 1t
is well known that under the influence
of hashish persons become remarkably
eredulous. BY covering his door knob
with this drug a man can have an
advantage over his aggressive creditor.
BY the time the creditor Is seated and
ready for an offensive campaign, the
medicine will have begun its work and
he will be as clay in the hands of the
potter. If he escapes without lending
his debtor all the money The has, he Will
be fortunate. The method will commend
itself to editors who ''wrote that article
about which man with club calls to
inquire. Under the influence of hashish
the man can be persuaded to kick him
self down stairs under the impression
that he wrote it himself.
The best place for boil, it is said, Is
on some other person. This jest, under
the operation of psychometry, can be
made aserious possibility. The discoverer
affirms that by placing his hands on a
patient, the expert psyehometist transfers
the disease from the patient to himself.
This is better than the substitution of
diseases about which something has
been said. A man can hire his doctor to
be sick for him, and in this way doctors
may prove of some value to the world.
If psychometry will abandon its attempt
to abolish lying, since this would over
turn society and destroy the legal pro
fession, the world will accept its medical
methods with alacrity.-MiLWaukee Re
publican.