, 1888-09-22
VALUE OF MESMERISM.
THE THEREPEUSlS OF HYPNoTIsM
AS A MEDICAL STUDY.

1t is conceivable that mesmerism might
injure an invalid. If he nave heart dis
ease, for instance, an exciting or violent
episode, a rapture of joy or a convulsion
of great grief or fear, it might prove inju-
rious or even fatal. just as it might in his
normal condition.
This possibility is a~bundantly offset by
the value of mesmerism as q therapeutic
agent. The responsive can be made SO
intoxicated on water, which he has been
told is whisky, as to exhibit all symptoms
of extreme inebriety; can be made dis
gustingly sea sick by being told that he
is at sea in a storm, and can be at once
physically affected by an imaginary medi-
cine. His temperature can be changed,
his eye dilated and his pulse quickened.
Mesmerism is as perfect an an@sthetic as
ether, and as harmless as water. Any
mesmerized person an at once, by q
single stroke of the hands b. rendered to-
tally insensible to pain, and can have a
tooth drawn, q cataract removed, q can
Ger cut out, or an arm cut off without
feeling the slightest pain. This has been
SO often demonstrated that amputations
frequently take place under it's influence
in the Paris hospitals, and it is success
fully employed in obstetrics. Though
only a fraction of patients will be found
eligible as candidates for this annihilator
of pain, its utility is so obvious it cannot
be long before medical societies will take
up the t~herepeusis of mesmerism as a
serious study, and army surgeons will
be required to have as practical a knowl-
edge of it as of any part of the pharma-
copeia.
1t is quite to suppose that
the conduct of the responsive is directed
in detail by the operator. He only sug-
gests the general line of thought, and
each responsive pursues it according to
his own knowledge, experience or preju
dlces. say to my r~esponsives, for in
stance, that | have a wonderful educated
COW with seven heads. They all want
to see it. l call their attention to the
Imaginary stable door near by; they look
toward it, and when l snap my fingers
they all see a seven headed cow enter.
Now, by questioning them it becomes
obvious that they all see a different COW.
Unless have designated her color one
sees a white COW, another q red COW, and
so on
Then l tell them that she can dance,
can waltz and keep time with music. l
hand one a cane, telling him it is a flute,
and that he is an eminent performer, and
he goes through the motions of playing
to the dancing COW. They all hear differ
emit tunes, but the exhibition is satisfac-
tory. now add that the COW can sing
can sing a different part with each mouth
can sing seven ballads at once. At this
point there is some incredulity expressed.
They see the cow stand up on her hind
legs and hear the seven ballads-and this,
1 may as well add, is the narrative of an
actual experiment.
FIVE OF the six mesmerized persons be-
Ieved that she sang. 'She is singing
Tit Willow" said one. "And A War
rior Bold said another.
Il hear singing" said the i~ncredulous
one, turning to me. ".Annie Laurie, isn't
it2 How do you work her-the machinery,
l mean?"
The others laughed at him. why,
the COW sings" said a young lady. Cant
you lear her sing? Can't you see her
sing2'
"She looks as if she sang" conceded
lncredulous. 81 see her mouths move all
around. She sounds as if she sang; but
she doesn't sing. Cows don't sing"
Very well, what is it, then?' asked
one of the others.
lncredulous, cor PERHAPS ventriloquism."
"Awl" exclaimed tho first, derisively,
"ventriloquisH does not work like that.
I've made a study of ventriloquism."
well, I've made a study of cowl" per-
sisted the scoffer ~obstinately.
Sometimes | turn the responsives into
children, and have them play school with
Infinite fun; sometimes transport them
over ocean to Africa or Japan on the en-
chanted carpet, where for a brief space
they enjoy all the delights of travel;
sometimes we participate in battles, in
political campaigns, in exciting TRADE,
and sometimes Socrates, Moses or Con-
fucius is introduced and interviewed, the
intelligent responsive furnishing both
questions and answers in a curious dual
action of the mind that is highly enter
tanning.
Not only the reason sometimes rebels as
above, but the conscience also. As a rule
r~csponsives can be completely dominated
and a to do anything of which they
are physically capable. They could gen
orally be induced to take poison, or Jump
OF the house, or throw themselves under
q locomotive, or attack one another with
deadly weapons. Bat there are some eX-
ceptions. ] was unable to overcome the
fear of one of my responsives. whom l
sent to assault an imaginary Indian in the
park. He refused to go, and said it was
difficult to kill an Indian"
A young lady, one CT the brightest SEN
sitives | have ever seen, steadfastly re-
fuses to play cards. l tell her she is
Buffalo Bill, and easily induce her to as
sumo his character, but when cards are
suggested, mo, never play cards. 1t
is wrong!" she says, and / cannot move
her. | could make her jump put through
the window or put her hands in the fire,
but pl:y cards she will not. l was puz-
zlcd by it till, inquiring, l 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 of late, whether crime can be COM
rlittcd by the cid of mesmerisu. If so,
1t Is brought into relation, not only with
medicine, but with jurisprudence; net
only with the pharmacopuia, but the pen
itentiary. 1t is obvious that if cases Of
this kim occur the one to whom punish
ment must DO dealt out is the mesmerist.
could probably induce any one of nv
~responsives TO take his life in my pres
nucn or TO assanlt nnNhndu within mach