New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-07
pSYCHOLOGJC HEALING.

The uniimcy decease Of DIR. George NJ. Beard Will
be deeply regretted for years to come, especially
becaus. he had given himself 80 zealousiy anu in
diligently TO the investigation of obscure mental
phenomena and their relations TO disease Al the
time of his death he thought himself on the thres-
old of valuable knowledge respecting the trance
state Ito had settled some details. and u
u,ifvinp principlo was almost in sight. Happily he
had ipspired other men with a spirit of industrious
research and the Investigations will on. One of his
associates. Professor Thwing, of Brooklyn. enter
tanned at a private house IN that city. few days
ago "A company OF about thirty literary and sclen-
tifc gentlemen with a series OF experiments and
explanations Of trance phenomena Tho Professor
operated successfully with vitalized handkorchlefs'
" cured neuralgia and rheumatism, and in other
tespects initiated without blasphemy tho faith
cures so boastfully advertised by " the Brooklyn
Apostiep'. A largo number Of people arc operating
in this kind of medicines for all of them we may have
kind of respect except when they degrade religion
% make money A vitalzed handkerchief as an
experiment, or a piece of philanthropy, is well
enou I'll but as a ten-dolnr piece of religious mer
chandlse il il an intoierablc nuisance to any COM
munlty Professor Thwing shows that tho hand
kerchef has nothing to do with the effects produced
Though it may seem TO take feeling out OF hand
or pain out of a TOOTH IL is tho confident expecta
ton Of this result that does the work.
For ages, as a black art, this mesmerizng, psy-
chologizing, ETC.. etc. has g0no on IN the world as
money. getting industry. Sometimes the operator is
n Snowman: oftcner he il doctor: occasionally he
il disappearing quack. using religion TO inspire
confidence and get grecnbacks. IL is high time that
mon of learning character and research, whose
Office the public respects, should give the whole
subicct proiractcd and thorough study Professor
ThNing has made speciality of curing sea-sckness
by the trance sleep. lie successful that in
few years the steamship companies may be ex-
pected TO advertise that they carry trance-pro-
ducing doctors on all their vessels. He has also
shown that this sleep is useful IN surgical cases,
and in some Diseases u is n perfect sleep, not
broken or stertorous, bot quiet and deep al in
fant,s healthest slumber. The unexplained mar
yels belong not TO the trance sleep but to the
trance rake I'VE puni, or to that state in
which all the activities OF tho body are exercised
while the subject knows nothing of what he Is
doing, and Is under the complete control of tho
operator. The sGbjoct does whatever he is told TO
dc he would shoot or stab anybody IN the room If
told to do It, lie has nO sense OF moral distinctions
He obeys blindy, cheerfully innocently. Here
the trance state opens out upon morals.
public justice and religion. II may furnish the
long-sought olew to demoniacal possession. 1t may
open door to dlsemboded existence, IL may
furnish new test Of criminalty in conduct If
somebody could set as many honest men at work In
the field az there rogues making living out
of it, and showmen honestly earning livelihood
by working wonders, We might expect some highly
important additions TO our knowledge we could
at least get this obscure region far out into
shine that charlatans could nn longer plumber the