The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-09-22
VALUE OF MESMERISM.
TUE rhEREPEusl5 OF HYPNOTlsM
AS A MEDICAL STUDY.

An Anesthetic - Perfect as Ether
Story of the Seven Headed Cow-Re
ha,1ious Responsives-Can Crime B.
Committed by the Aid Of Mesmerism
r. ia conceivable that mesmerism nigh
;ninre an invalid. If he have heart dis
ease, for instance, an exciting or violen
enisode a rapture of joy or convulsio1
of treat grief or fear, it might prove inju
rious or even fatal, just as 1t might in hi
normal condition.
This possibility is abundantly offset By
the value of mesmerism as therapeutic
soent The responsive can be made sc
Intoxicated on water, which he has beer
told is whisky, as to exhibit all symptoms
Of extreme inebriety; can be made dis
eustingly sea sick by being told that he
e at sea in 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 can at once, by 9
single stroke Of the hand, be rendered to.
tally insensible to pain, and can have q
tooth drawn, 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 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 therepeusis Of mesmerism as a
serious study, and army surgeons will
be required to have as practical knowl-
edge Of it as Of any part of the pharma-
cop@ia.
It is quite erroneous to suppose that
the conduct of the resposive Is directed
in detail by the operator. He only sug-
gests the general line of thought, and
each responsive pursues it according to
bis own knowledge, experience or preju
dices say to my responsives, for in.
stance, that l have 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 ! snap my fingers
Now, by questioning them it becomes
Unless have designated her colcr one
so on.
Then I tell them that she can dance,
can waltz and keep time with music. i
hand one cane, telling him it is flute,
and that he Is an eminent performer, and
he goes through the motions of playing
to the dancing COW. They all hear differ
ent tunes, but the exhibition is satisfac
tory. now add that the COW can sing
can sing 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
l may as well add, is the narrative Of an
actual experiment.
Five Of the six mesmerized persons be-
lleved that she sang. "She is singing
Tit Willow" said one. "And "A War.
rtor Bold, said another.
hear singing" said the incredulous
one, turning to me. "'Annie Laurie, isn't
it2 How do you work her-the machinery,
mean2"
The others laughed at him. ''Why,
the COW sings" said q young lady. Cant
you hear her sing? Can't you see her
sing7"
She looks as If she sang" conceded
lncredulous II see her mouths move all
around. She sounds as If she sang; but
she doesn't sing. Cows don't sing"
Very vel, what is it, then3'' asked
one Of the others.
"A tube and hole in the floor," said
mcreduious, "or perhaps ventriloquism. +"
"Awr exclaimed tho first, derisively,
,,Ventrlloquism does not work like that.
I've en- made study of ventriloquism."
Weii' I've made study of cow" per.
sisted the scoffer obstinately.
nc'netlmes ! turn the responsives into
ttnaloren' taa aud have them play school with
uuaite n run; sometimes transport them
oser ocean to Africa or Japan on the en-
thantea ths carpet. where for brief space
eaey enjoy all the delights of travel;
eo',astlmes no,;., we participate in battles, in
a~d pd'lca campaigns, in exciting TRADE,
euu sometimes Socrates, Moses or Con.
iHs Laclus Is introduced and interviewed, the
n.el.gent asa1g responsive furnishing both
questlons and answers in curious dual
ss acslon OF the mind that is highly enter.
.he wv vniy the reason sometimes rebels as
aDove out the conscience also. AS rule
e1sPonsives snd can be completely dominated
sn sna made to do anything Of which they
s are physically capable. they could gen.
oa e4y % induced to take poison, or iump
~ ~ sue mouse, or throw themselves under
SasS locomotive, or attack one ano&her with
esy aeauiy weapons. But there are some ex-
fp1lons fp was unable to overcome the
se ses1 OF one Of my responsives, whom /
nea', nenS TO assault an imaginary Indian in the
Hsa; t.1:a; ne refused to 70, and said it was
oimcult to kill IN Indian"
81; young lady, one of the brightest sen.
s..lves fua ! have ever seen, steadfastly re.
Rm@s Gnss 70 play cards. l tell her she is
s"na Dunalo Bill, and easily induce her to as.
svaa sune nus character. but when cards are
suggested, "No, l never play cards, It
IS IS wrong!" she says, and t Cannot move
th IT, ! could make her jump out through
tl sae window or put her hands in the fire.
~ Jut play cards she will not, TWAS puz.
thst ~ u tn, inquiring, ascertained
har -! ner fehglous parents had brought
"w;oIp, ~ very strictly and taught her it was
wicked to play cards"
moo4oa 'nis brings us to the question much
m;t+oS VI late' whether crime can be CON-
Il iIu ~ oy the aid of mesmerism. If so,
med;a; I;.ought into relation, not only with
onlv lg, ,u;th .p put with jurisprudence; not
iten+;".n "..n e9e Pharmacopeia, but the pen.
this Try 1t Is obvious that If cases of
man+ A.uu occur the one to whom punish.
conid Jst 90 dealt out is the mesmerist.
resnonsi ua probably induce any one of my
ance pous!ves to take his life in nv pres.
assault anvhodv within reac::.