Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-30
ABOUT MESMERISM.
THE CAPITAL EXCITED CONCERNING
SUBJECTS" AND "SENSITWES."

A Correspondents Accidental Discovery.
Animal Magnetism as an Amusement.
Experiments with a Glass in Hypnot-
ism-An Operators" Conclusions.
This letter will be in the nature of a COMES
sion Last spring, discovering by accident
that could mesmerize, l took up mesmerism
as diversion for the amusement Of myself
and friends / had long believed in it
entirely, and carefully watched its pro-
cesses, but wished to study its philosophy
and find out, if | could, the cause and the
limits of its mysterious phenomena.
first found that l could, by placing my
hand on the forehead of a young acquaint-
ance and accompanying the slight pressure
with an imperative command, close his eyes
and keep them firmly closed against all ef-
forts Of his will / could compel him to dance
or keep him from moving from his tracks;
could prevent his rising from his chair; pre-
vent his striking his hands together, and, at
last, could prevent him from speaking. In
fact / absolutely controlled his voluntary
muscles in every respect, and could compel
him to do anything that he was physically
capable of doing.
Extending the experiments, obtained the
same control over Others, both men and
women, till l had quite class of sensitives
so responsive that could control them with
ease. Up to this tine they were all perfectly
conscious and without any Authorizations:
they knew who they We're, where they were
and what they were doing, and they laughed
as heartily at the absurd results obtained as
any spectator, Up to this time, too, had
no means Of ascertaining whether the ap-
parent results were genuine / might be the
dupe of cunning people who were conspiring
to fool me, for in these early stages there
seems TO be no way Of scientifically prov
ing it.
1t was some time before was able to carry
the experiments further and get control of
the consciousness and senses of my class At
last success came / made them see and hear
mosquitoes and fight the tormentors with
great energy. At this point they became
dazed, and it was easy to command their
senses in other respects. At suggestion
they heard music, the noises of riot. a thun-
iler storm, the roaring of lions, a speech by
Col Ingersoll and they gradually came to see
vividly anything to which | directed their
attention. Ia this world of haIlucination
they lost consciousness-or, rather, they
abandoned their real existence and assumed
dream.
VARIOUS EXPERIMENTS
am not yet certain whether this strange
condition is imposed on them by my will or
whether it is self imposed subjective and the
result of expectation on their part am in
clined TO believe the latter theory is true,
because when l direct their attention to a
horse, for instance, each one sees a different
sort of horse and his head is in different di-
rections
By few additional passes can induce q
cataleptic state in which the sensitive be-
comes perfectly rigid and can be laid out be-
tween two chairs, his head on one and bis
heels on another like a log. They can also
be easily made insensible to pain, SO that
pins are stuck through their hands, teeth
drawn and painful but harmless acids put in
the eye without eXtorting a sign of feeling.
In this way, and others even more conclu-
sive, | have demonstrated the good faith of
my class.
| have given several receptions for the en-
tertainment of my friends and record here
some result for the benefit of those in other
cities who choose to try similar experiments.
The available class now consists of eight
four gentlemen and four ladies, from IL to 40
years of age. Two of these Doth LADIES'
have never been able to take into the region
IF Authorizations l can control them physi-
cGlly, can prevent their unclasping their
hands, or laying down a fan, or rising from
their chairs, or pronouncing their own
names; but here my influence stops / cam
not make them think that the room is hot or
cod, or that mosquitoes are prevalent, or
disturb the testimony of their senses in any
way. .t .. ...
The other six are lost TO the realities of life
the instant touch them One of them can
put into a sound sleep in a second, and he
will sleep until awaken him
1t should be stated here that these sensitives !
are above the average of intelligence and
mental activity. Three of them are clerks in
the departments, one, who took the valedic- /
tory in college, being an artist in the Smith.
sonan Two are in business for themselves;
one of them, a shrewd, sagaciouS and level /
headed man as one would meet anywhere, /
with sharp commercial turn of mind This |
man differs from the others il being keenly f,
incredulous-skeptical of his Authorizations |
when they seem unreasonable.
SOME CONCLUSIONS
know of no other thing in which there is |
so much entertainment as mesmerism. For |
the benefit of those who desire to experiment |
/ append certain conclusions from my own
experiments here:
:. About one person in ten can be mes
meriSed.
2 The proportion of people who have the
"powern to mesmerize, if it be power, | do
not know.
s. MeSmerisrn is a trance and seems to me
almost identical with somnambulism.
T. 1t is as harmless as sleep. Ny senSitives
occasionally come to me in the daytime TO be
put to sleep for the purpose of obtaining rest.
5. Authorizations that take place under
are seldom remembered in a sub
sequent waking state, but are generally re-
called with vividness in a subsequent mes
meric state.
6. Mesmerized subjects do not see the OBJ
JectS or people in the room or hear any noise
whatever except the voice OF the operator
z. Ny sensitives could have an arm or
leg amputated, l have no doubt, without
suffering any pain.
s. Some of my sensitiveS are able to tell
what goes on behind them, and where they
cannot see it, by some occult sense of which
j am ignorant. | am at present pursuing
study along this line.
Others here are now experimenting. ard
think mesmerism is the coming fashionable
"fad. w. A. Croffut in New York Mail and
Express.
Happy hunting Ground.
Thhe recent hot weather has made Mount
Desert the happy hunting ground for the rich
and gay Loosely clad maiaens and fair
faced youths now swarm among the rocks
and on the hotel piazzas and balconies like
noisy bees. "Gsnder parties are not quite the
birrr hara u 1