The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-17
The Phenomena Of "HypRotisn'
Crappled With.
Hassenet's "Manon," the New Opera
Briefly Described.
Items In and About the French
Capital.
With Few Readable Paragraphs Of
Pleasantly.
Especial correspondence of the HERALD
PARIS, January 23d, 1884.

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that public curiosity finds occupation
in animal magnetism, from the
wearisome questions OF Tonkin,
Egypt, strikes, revolutionary meet
ings, and monarchial caucuses.
Scientists have at last resolved to
grsppIe with the phenomena OF
"bypnotism," a generic name for the
conduct of persons affected with hys.
terical epilepsy. A navy doctor,
bremaud, OF Brest, was selected to
make a report as to what science &C
tuslly knew of the strange mesmeric
experiments at present go extensively
exhibited by chsrlatanism. DR.. Bre-
mand's experience OF every part OF
the world, as he has just stated before
q reunion of medical and scientific
authorities, leads him to this oonolu-
sion: there are individuals perfectly
healthy in body and mind, but sus.
ceptible of being thrown into the by
ponetic state. namely: OF lethargy,
catalepsy, and somnambulism, SINH
larry as persons suffering from hys-
terra and epilepsy.
These stages are gradual; with the
hysterically predisposed. fascination
precedes lethargy, where the patient
becomes, between the hands of the
operator, q simple automaton, un-
consciously obeying every impulsion.
The second stage. easily produced, is
the le.hargic; next muscular contrac-
ton or catalepsy. The last stage is
eomnambulism, where the faculties
acquire an extraordinary power. The
lecturer stated he had patients in q
state of somnambulism, seated beside
his study fire, who were able to near
two persons. sp .aking in low tone
10 each other. in the street, distance
of fifty five yards. Another patient re.
solved trigonometrical problem that
he did not comprehend before being
thrown into the somnambulic condi-
ton, and that he could not resolve on
being awakened. Illustrations were
given of subjects obeying all the
whims and oddities the, doctor re-
Quired OF them,
Next a prism ~ss plsced before
their eyes, when they recognized the
two figures. that which proved there
was no hallucinetion. ) Next, by
placing screen between the two
eyes, a comic and frightful picture
were presented to the subject, with
the result of one half OF his lace dis
playing JOY. and the other contracted
from terror. Thus We are in presence
OF the humiliation of will, of self; of
the disiunction of functions whose
union constitutes ordinary mental life
OF states of insensibility, and of leth.
arey when lie itself seems to disap-
pear, OF rigidity and of augmented
excitation of the nerves. where the
muscles, senses, and certain intellec-
tual faculties, attain an extraordinary
development.
The doctor lays no claim to produc-
ing new facte; certain people can be
unconsciously msgnetized, and seem
to like that situation. He does not
believe In nervous, or magnetic fluids;
physical agents suffice to produce the
phenomena; the operator counts for
nothing. Thus the admission Of
ray of light entering an obscure room
and striking the eyes of 8 predisposed
individual, will induce hypnotism.
The doctor oonfesses, he has no theory
to breach; science has no explanation
to offer, but he reconms nds the study
of tho phenomena over az wide
field OF observation "a possible.
An income tax, that sound an
pleasant to the Volscians' ears, is in
the air. The minister OF finance sees
no other way of raising the wind but
by a new, or increased taxation. He
swears by all the gods of Olympus,
that no new Offices shall be created,
and the functionary who cares to
memorable for On addition tn his sal-
sry, will be served with notice TO
quit.
The govern ment, the municipality
of Paris, and a few newspapers, hsya,
been inqairing into the prevailing
distress among the working classes.
The conclusion is. that the misery is
very real. 1t is gratifying to find that
the unemployed do not belong to the
Anarchists. But what is less satisfac-
tory, no one can indicate solution.
One of the leading builders Oh Paris
states, two years must elapse, ere the
building trades come right again.
The rag.pickers are likely to be made
happy; the authorities will afford
them more time to roc. among the
dust-boxes Of house-holders before the
contents be carted away.
One OF the most striking proofs of
theiprogreas of Parisians, in taking an
interest in matters outside the fortifi-
is the dispatch, by a metro
politan journal CT live special cor.
to Tonkin, to the seat Of
war. Perhaps there is truth in the
general observation, that Parisians
having been Indifferent about colonies
may explain why France displayed
but little interest heretofore in the
matter. When Voltaire observed.
the loss ofthe Canadas Represented
only few roods less of snow, he ex.
pressed the feelings of Parisians. The
ypritar in 0uaofio, J,.o,,oo. a.