Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-24
HYPNOTIC POWER.

| H1 PNO11C POW Elk.
 Most persons have at some time wit messed mesmeric exhibitions and been amused by the curious phenomena pro- duced on the mesmerized subjects at the will of the operator, The results of the exercise of hypnotic power have been before their eyes, though science has not yet satisfactorily determined the in- 1 fiuence that produces these results. To ref1ecting minds the question has often arisen, in looking on at the singular effects exhibited in the hypnotized sub- | jects, how far the operators could per form. or cause to be performed, the actual things done by those under their control. A recent seance of hypnotism given at London by Professor Milo de Meyer, Belgian, opens up vast and interesting territory for such inquiry.
 Professor de Meyer, when trying his subjects, made them lean forward to him at an angle of forty-five degrees, and holding their hands by the wrist asked them to look steadily in his face thinking of nothing; then with sudden jerk his eyes seemed to dilate and he stared into their eyes with all the in tensity of which he was capable, the eyes of subject and operator being within a few inches of each other. The effect soon showed itself in an uncon- querable desire, on the patients part, to peer closely and still more closely into his eyes. Subsequently he produced the same effect hy placing his hand between the shoulders of the subject, and later ] he fixed his eyes on a subject in his seat, and the man gazing like a charmed bird bounded across the stage to him. Close proximity was unnecessary after the l first time. Half a dozen men were sent among the audience and in various parts of the room sent to sleep by a mag netic glance ill spite of the most energetic efforts to keep them awake. The subjects eyes seemed in each case to dilate as they met the professors. On recovering the person operated on would gaze about as bough | just awakening from sleep. and it seemed 1 that some of them recovered with severe 1 headaches. An arm stiffened by the mesmerist was insensible to pain, as was proud by priching the fingers with a knife and pin. All memory of the ex- periences vanished on awaking. The professor produced some interesting tableaux vivants. One man got a mag netic tOOthache which made him writhe and hold his jaw, while another was transformed into a dentist to pull the tooth. A very singular picture was
 made by giving one the appearance of death. while several of his companions were inspired with horror, pity, desire to pray or whatever the professor wished
 Whenever they struck a good attitude he
 fixed them in it as though they had been frozen to the spot That their sorrow
 was real was proved by the tears they dropped, though ii passed into oblivion when he puffed ir their faces and awoke them. A dramatic scene was produced by making a man think that he was rowing boat, then that he had been upset and was struggling ! III tIIG W tlCI tt COlll JdlllOu, " Ho StiN
 drowning flung off his coat and swam out to the rescue, looking most doleful when he thought his friend was dead but frightening up when he recovered. But the most striking picture of all, and the one that is likely to attract most atten- 1 tion and open up an interesting field of l inquiry. was that in which a subject was prompted ill a trance to commit a shock 1 ing murder. At the exact time which had been stated he arose, crept stealthily twice; later on he was harro wed with remorse.
 As one contemplates the wonderful power shown by Professor de Meyer the lquestion naturally arises, could not ar unscrupulous hypnoti5t do in reality
 doing? Could not such one
 cause murder to be done in reality ;
 And could he not use hypnotized sub jects for purposes of robbery or other
 crimes? Would not women who might
 once yield to his mesmeric influence b;
 ever after in his power? Could not tht
 operator himself do murder by stealth
 working through his unconscious ant irresponsible subjects, and shirk responsi
 bility himself for his crimes? Here i
 something to engage the most seriou
 attention of scientists as they seek t, unravel the mysterious influences tha
 produce the results of hypnotism.
 With hypnotic power extended ther |; might be necessary extensions of tn
 criminal code to reach it's applications
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