Wichita eagle., 1888-09-08
VALUE OF MESM.EnISN.
THE THEREPEUSlS OF HYPNOTisM
AS A MEDICAL STUDY.
An An3sthetic as Perfect as Ether.
Story OF the Seven Headed Cow-Re-
bellious Responsives-Can Crime Be
Committed by the Aid Of AIesmerism?

Story OF the Seven Headed Cow-Re-
bellious Responsives-Can Crime Be
Committed by the Aid Of AIesme-ism?
1t is conceivable that mesmerism might
injure an invalid. If he have heart dis
ease, for instance, an exciting or violent
episode. rapture of Joy or 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 abundantly Offset by
the value of mesnerism as 8 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 en- imaginary nedi-
cine. His temperature can be changed,
his eye dilated and his pulse qUickened.
Mesnerism Is as perfect an an&sthetlc as
[ ether, and as harmless as water. Any
Eesmerized person can at once, by
single stroke of the hand, be rendered to-
tally insensible to pain, and can have a
tooth drawn, cataract removed, can
Ger cut out, Or an arm cut off without
feeling the slightest pain. This has been
SO often demonstrated that anputations
frequently take place under its 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 q
serious study, and army surgeons will
ha 70 how
edge of it as Of any part Of the pharna-
cop9ia.
1t is quite erroneous 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-
dices. / say to my responsives, for in
stance, that have wonderful educated
cow with seven heads. They all want
to see it. / 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 l have designated her color one
sees awhile COW, another O red COW, and
SO on.
Then I tell them that she can dance,
can waltz and keep time with music. /
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 incredulty 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-
Geved that she sang ''She is singing
Tit Willow" said one. "And a War
rior Bold" said another.
Il hear singing" said the incredulous
one. turning to me. "'Annie Laurie, isn't
it? How do you work her-the machinery,
I meant?
The others laughed at him. '|Why,
the COW sings" said young lady, Cant
you hear her sing? Can't you see her
sing?"
'She looks as if she sang" conceded
1ncredulous. Il 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, them" asked
one Of the others.
"A tube and a hole in the foor," said
Incredulous, cor perhaps ventriloquism."
Jaw" exclaimed the first, derisively,
"ventriloquism does not work like that.
I've made study of ventriloquism.
"Well. I've made study of cowl" per-
sisted the scotfer 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 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-
fuchs is introduced and interviewed, the
Intelligent responsive furnishing both
questions and answers in curious dual
action of the mind that is highly enter
tanning.
Not only the reason sometimes rebels as
above, but the console nee also. As rule
responsives can be completely dominated
and made 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
= locomotive, or attack one another with
deadly weapons. But there are some e1-
ceptions- was unable to overcome the
fear Of one Of my responsives. whom I
sent to assault an imaginary Indian in the
park He refused TO go, and said it was
difficult to kill an Indian"
4 young lady. one CT the brightest SEN
sitives ! have ever seen, steadfastly re-
fuses to play cards. ! tell her she is
Buffalo Bill. end 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 out through
the window or put her hands in the FIRE,
but play cards she will not. was puz-
zled by it till. inQuiring. I escertained
that her religious parents had brought
her up very strictly end taught her it was
wicked to play cards"
And this brings Us to the question much
uooted of late, whether crime csn be COM
united by tie cid Of mesuerisrl- If so,
1t is brought into relstion. not only with
medicine, but with jurisprudence; not
only with the pha-nacopnia. but the pen
itenttary. It Is obvious that II cases Of
this kind occur the one to whom punish
neCt must be dealt out Is the rnesnerist.
could probably induce any one Of nv
responsives TO take his life e ny pres
eace or 70 assault anybody within reach,
but the mind wanders curiously In this
strange condition, and generally takes
little cognizance of surrounding objects.
/ hare used the word 'probsh;y" IN this
sentence because the conduct Of mes
nerizeS persons cannot be positively pre-
iicted. The mental impression may nos
in given case be sufficiently vivid and