Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-05
ALL ABOUT HYPNOTISM.
What the Treatment Is and How
 It Is Worked.
How Professional Operators Hypnotize Patients-A State of Insensibility Pro- duced by the Power of One Mind
 Over Another.

duced by the Power of One Mind
 Over Another.
 The term hypnotism is nearly synono- nous with mesmerism, animal magnet ism, braidism and syggignoscism. Hypnotism is believed to have been practiced by religionists many centuries ago; but little, however, is known of it's history previous to the time of Mes ner (177s). Since then hypnotism has been much. studied by many eminent men in the professions of medicine, science, religion and the arts. There came time when the interest in it Jagged very greatly; but a few years ago, says tho Boston Herald, a revival took place in France, and since then it has been generally recognized as therapeutic agent and employed by l many physicians all over the world. To produce hypnotism, operators have methods which vary somewhat in detail, but tue principle is the same. Most all | use passes. although some depend al- | most entirely, if not entirely, upon the | fxation of gaze. For reasons which will | appear anon, none of the methods em- ployed to produce the hypnotic state will be described in this communica- | tion. As to the force generated or lib erated in hypnotism, no one pretends to know; but many believe it to be cleo | tric, or perhaps magnetic. According to one observer, the description the subjects give of their sensations is that that they first feel their fingers jingle and their hands and feet get cold; then they become sleepy, and when told that | they can not open their eyes they say they hear and know all, but can not open them; then comes sleep, unless it is desired to extract tooth or do some such work when tho subject is not en- | tirely unconscious. Then they know and do as bidden, but suffer no pain. They say if the skin is cut it feels as if something was being gently drawn over it, and they feel the foreeps applied to the tooth, but that pulling the tooth feels like pulling a peg out of hole.
 As to the value of hypnotism as a remedial agent, there is necessarily much difference of opinion. Some phy- sicians consider its range 8 very limited one, while others think it applicable to a long list of affections. The majority of those who ought to know best appear to agree that it will undoubtedly prove of very great service in properly selected cases in medical practice. As for its use in surgical operations, as a substitute for gas, ether or chloroform, it can never displace them to moro than very slight extent, except, perhaps, it be with chil- dren. Very many who are about to have an operation performed must necessarily be so nervous that hypnotism will be quite out of the question.
 And there will doubtless always exist persons who will be insensible to the eff forts of operators. Some subjects are easy te hypnotize, while with others it is the reverse; to which of these classes a person belongs can not be known until an effort to put him into the hypnotic state is made. And in the susceptible cases not infrequently several seances tre necessary before the power of the operator is sufficiently felt.
 One very important point that the study of hypnotism has brought out and emphasized, says a1 observer, is the potency of suggestion. Doubtless most of the slight aches and pains that the general practitioner is called upon to treat are partly imaginary, and that all is neccs- sary for cure is a certain amount of faith on the part of the pationt, begotten by judicious suggestion by the medical man. At first sight this seems to be a sort of chicanery. but it is impossible to deny it's efficacy, and it is much safer for the doctor to acknowledge, to himself at least, that it is not his simple remedy which has wrought tho cure, but his sug- gestion to the patient.
 We now como to the reason why none of tho methods employed to produce hypnotism have been herein described It is an agent which only should be used by reputable physicians, for, like others which they employ, it will do much harm if injudiciously applied. Were the methods known there would nat urally be a tendency on the part of some to try it as means of amusement while, without doubt, there are not a few who would use it for no good pur pose. That hypnotism may be rightly applied and without injury, it must be exclusively confined to physicians, who alone are capable of distinguishing be- tween those subjects upon whom it is likely to do good and those likely to be injured by it. It is well-known fact that persons who are often hypnotized finally become so susceptible that the act is accomplished with the greatest ease. And in not a few instances o1 subjects so treated for long time 1t re- quires scarcely moro than single glance for the operator to throw them into a hypnotic sleep.
 So 1t will be seen that hypnotisn might prove a menace to society unless steps were taken to guard against it. The first precaution to suggest itself is the prohibition of all public exhibitions of hypnotism or mesmerism. This re markable power should, if possible, be limited by law to tho treatment of dis ease. And the operator should be per mitted to influence his subject only a: ) health may be improved.
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