The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-30
VALUE OF MESMERTSM.
The THEREPEUSlS OF hYPNOTiSM
AS a MEDICAL STUDY.

tsF'pOHHffOo 'Hh N'l|s'N nv
Commit, ell by She Aid Of fIcs.s.orisrp?
IL is conceivable that mcsncrism might
fnjuro an invalid. Ii hc hayo hear; cis-
ease, for instance. an exciting or violent
episode. rapture OF Joy or CONFUSION
Of great grief OF fear. It might prove inj'i-
rious or even fatal. just IS 1t might II ii4'
normal condition.
This possibility is abundGn y OFFSET ~
the value OF uesmoTisTn a. ' thc''iPed 'i'
agent The responsive sau 10 ilad5 30
intoxicated On water. which l2 Las ocen
told is whisky. as % exhibit 81 sympl 2ilS
of extreme iuebric;y. c.;a a. il,.Ac as
ruefinrIv seq sick Wy being tod that he
(, of cen r., q storm. and can b. 80 once
physicaily affected by an imaginary .lell-
rme MS temperature can be changed,
tis G.. .li'atod and his pulse quickened.
ncsr.. ,n is as perfect az an9stbc;ic as
efEcr. harmless a3 water Any
mesno I'D pa.l c1l .. once ~ a
singlo IS Of tie hand, BE- rendered to-
tally in H. 20 .-In. a..I c-1 have II
tooth lra.l.. -, -1o' removed, % can
Ger chi ont. or 81. .. -t Oh without
fcoliu t.r slightest pain This has been
60 OF r demonstrated tia: a. tiO1s
freouca.l y take pla~, under t.. .1"n'c
IN the P..'3 hospitals. AID 10 is .le'es5-
fullv r..,l1rel il obstetrics. Though
on'v q fraction Of PATIENTS VIII be found
Ell fillcas cruaiic'cs fer This nauihlator
of pain. d.. utility is $50 obviors T. cannot
b. loY. loi1ro .olic.l socic..e5 VIII take
90 Oh. tlerercl-is of mcsuc,i-m a5 a
serious sl-ly. AVID army surgeons b. i
DO rcar.,ci 10 Lave al Wacti.H ia'"I-
edge OF it.- VI anr part OF ta. p'laria''
copTil.
II H. quite orTou aJu5 10 suppose ih".
thn coulue cf cine responsive D. directed
in detail by 81 orator. lie only aug-
eo5ts the general lire Of thought and
earh responsive pusuas it according 30
his own knowledge. experience or preJu
dicos ] say % my respon5iyes, Tor IN,
stance. that have wonderful educated
coy with seven heads. They all want
e. see it, | call their attention to the
imaginary stable door near by; they look
toward IT, and when / snap my fingers
they ali SEQ seven headed COW enter.
Now, by questioning them it becomes
obvious that they all SEQ a different cow
Unloss ] have designated her color one
sees a white cow, another a red COW. and
50 on.
Then | tell them that she can dance,
con waltz and keep time with music.
hand ono cane telling him it Is hute,
and that no is an eminent performer, ana
Iro goes through the motions Of playing
10 The dancing COW. They all hear differ
ent tunes, but tho exhibition is so. .ac-
tory now add that the COW can sing
can sing different part with each mouth
can sing seven ballads at once. st this
point There is some Incredibly expressed.
They sec the COW stand up on her hind
hgs and hear tho seven ballads--and this.
may as well add, is the narrative II an
actual experiment
Five OF zinc six mesmeri2ed persons be
neved that she sang "Shc Is singing
Tit Willow. said one. And 4 War
rior Bold said another
II heaI singing, said tue iucrejuions
one, turning D. me. Annie Laurie. isn't
az How d) You work hcr-tho machinery,
imcanI
Tho others laughed at Linn Why.
tho COW sings. said young lcdy. Cant
you hear her sing Can't You see her
sing
''She looks as if she sang. conceded
Incrcdulous II see her mouths move all
around She sounds as if she sang. but
she doesn't sing Cows don't sing.
"Nery well what T., IT, them asked
one OF the others.
"A tube and q hole in the floor. said
Mcredulous, ''or perhaps ventriloquism.
"Awi exclaimed the first. derlsiyely.
'ventliioquism does not work like that.
Eve made a study Of ventriloquism.
"Well. I've made u study OF COW! per.
sisted tho scoiicr obstinately
Sometimes | turn the reSpOnSive5 into
children. and have them play school with
infinite fun, sometimes transport them
over ocean 10 Africa or Japan Oh the en-
chantcd carpet. where for n brief space
they enjoy al the delights Of travel.
sometimes We participate in battles. il
political campaigns. in exciting tiraCc.
and sometimes Socrates. Moses or con.
fuCius T., introduced and interviewed, tho
intelligent RESPONSIVE furnishing both
questions 1ni answer, IN n cuyious dual
action OF '.' mad tl.t l. highly 'Ator
taininy.
Not only the reason sometimes rebels as
above but the conscience also. As ruio
psponsiyes can be completely dominated
and made 20 do anything Of which thoy
are PLY icallr capable They could gen.
orally b. induced to take poison on jump
Of the hous' or throw themselves under
a locomotive, or attack ono another with
deadly weapons But there are some ex-
cepti0ns was unable to overcome the
fear of one of my rcsponsiyes. whom ]
sent to .sarlt m imaginary Indian in tho
park. L. refused to go, and said 1t was
"dificct 10 kill az Indian.
A young lady. ono of tho brightest sen
sitivcs | have ever seen. steadfastly re-
fuses. to Play cards | tell her she is
Buffalo Bill. and easily induce her to as
sumo his character, but when cards are
suggested. "No. never play cards. 1t
70 wrongl" she says. and | cannot move
her. could make her jump out through
tho window or put her hands in the fire,
but play cards she will not. was puz-
zled by it till, inquiring ascertained
that her religious parents had brought
her up very strictly and taught her it was
wicked to play cards"
And this brings us to the question much
mooted oil late. whether crime can b COM
,nittcd By tho aid of mesmerism. If 50,
II is brought into relation, not only with