Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-11-01
How to Mesmerize


A recent writer on the mysteries of
mesmerism says: [ lay it down as mat
ter which can be verified by all who are
curious enough to try it that the mes
meric condition can be produced without
the supposition of subtle fluid, without
! the use of the cabalistic passes of the mes
merist, without the bouquet, the mag
netlc rod, or any Of mysterious means
employed by the professionals to heigh-
| ten the effect of what would be too sing
pie and too unattractive if performed
ght-forwardly. The directions are
these: Place the person to be operated
on naturally in a chair. With your left
| hand suspend by string, about a
foot from the eyes, some small object, a
dark markle, or bright steel ball, or a
diamond-it matters not what, though
something bright is, perhaps, PREFER
able. Direct the subject to fasten his
eyes and center his attention on the
object Slowly raise your left hand un-
til the object is as far above the eyes of
| the patient as is compatible with his gaz-
ingsteadily at it. Watch his eyes: At first
you will see the pupils contract, but
after few seconds they will expand
rapidly. When they are at the point of
greatest expansion, move the first two
fingers of your right hand from the OBJ
| ject directly towards the eyes, the fng-
ers being separated, forklike, to embrace
both eyes. As the fingers approach the
eyes will close, and the subject will be
unable to open them. After quarter
of minute the subject will be thorough
ly under control, SO that the operator
may make him believe whatever he tells
him. Left quiet, the subject will sink
into profound torpor, during which his
ears may be pierced. his cheek sewed to
his nose, and even a finger cut off with
out pain. To arouse him and this is an
important step-wind, either from a
hand-bellows or fan, should be direc-
ted against his eyes. or else his eyes
should be tickled with feather. The
rational of the method is simple. The
| fixed stare of the subject fatigues his
retinal nerves, and when the operator g
fingers approach the eyelids close, as
eyelids always do when the eyes are
threatened. But the fatigue of the nerves
has produced muscular fatigue as well,
transient paralysis in the eyelids has re-
suited, and they cannot be opened. The
eyes being then closed, the delicate
frontal nerves being exhausted, the
mind made vacant by monotonous atten-
ton to one object, the patient is in a
condition to fall asleep--and he does fall
asleep. He is now ready to dream. The
only thing remaining to do is to make
him dream. But how is this to be effec-
ted? Dreaming as has long been deter
mined, is the result of external sugges-
ton. DIR. Gregory, to illustrate, having
been thinking of Vesuvius, went to bed
with q jug of hot water at his feet and
dreamed chat be was CHM bling the sides
of burning mountain. DR.. Reid read
book on the Indians, put blister to
his head on retiring, and thought in his
sleep that he was being scalped. Both
the dreams, as all others are, were caused
by suggestions offered externally. These
suggestions, being received while the di-
recting power, the common sense of the
mind, was in allegiance owing to sleep,
were interpreted very enormously, yet
according to plain laws of association.
The hot water in the one case called up
the previous subject of thought, Vesu-
vius; the stinging blister in the other, the
equally stinging scalping- knife. It is
now easy to see how the sleeping subject
may be made to accept as truth whatever
! he is told