New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-01
A TRIPLE PERSONALITY.
DIR. Won KRAFFTEBING's QUEER STORY.

TRANSLATED from the German by Charles g. Chad.
dock, NJ. ID. svo PIP. I'D u f. iu"""'
Sons.
Tn, conductor and reporter Of these experiments
In hypno,sm is an alenist whose reputation Is hu'o-
peap. aud who holds the profcssorat9 OF Psyc"ia"S
and nervous diseases IN the Royal uhN'rsN OF "'a'
Austria. The case which DIR. Won hraftEomg re
ports is I'm all respects remarkable one, being one
~ ,hos. strange exhibitions OF multiplex personality
xuch rs sibot Charcot L.egeois and other French
men of science have analyzed with some measure OF
success though without other than conlectuiai TO
SHIFTS Dr. Kraft Ebing's patient was young woman
whose anteccdcnts were peculiar She was of an
extcmely sensitive nervous temperament and had for
MANY wears been subject epilep form attacks dur
Ing which she did many things of wnich I'm her nor
NAL STATE she remembered nothing. The most SIN
cular propensity developed during these seizures
pas one toward stealing. On occasion she had
taken place servant stolen all the plate she
could lay hands upon, then walked 10 the nearest
police station and denounced herself as thief Med
examinations these occasions resulted In the
conclusion that she was irresponsible, and apparently
acted automatically. In her abnormal state she in
vented many stories of her previous dolngs. more
over. and showed fertility of imagination quite
foreign TO her natural condition.
In the hospital under hypnotic treatment she
began 10 exhibit the strange phenomena of triple
personality. She had three distinct states OF exist
snce I'm none of which dd she retain the slightest
In Of these states she was so sensitive 70 hyp
motto suggestion that her own wnl-power might oe
said to be cffaced completely. She responded 10 mess
suggestions not only with the vohtionai ou' WIN
the automatic organs and functions; that is 10 say
her body reacted unfaillngly 10 suggestions "hich
would have no effect upon person in norman s'as'
Thus when it was suggested that she would have
a certain mark on her on the following day. inc
mark appeared. II metal letter was pressed upon
her skin with the suggestion that 1t was hot. ana
that 1t would leave burn in the form OF the letter.
I'm a short time the suggestion wouid be carried INTO
effect with literal exactness CataepSy and paralySl
in either side could BIO induced in the same way. Any
action TO be performed in either OF the other Staes
could be brought about by suggestion in the hypnotic
state She would drink for wine wine for water
eat salt for sugar. take whatever condition was
suggested her, for instance, that OF twoyear
old child. Of young mother, that OF an assassin
In short. it manifestly possible to make her do
or say or think anything whatever by sugeeS t0n
On one occasion the stiguata were thus MADE 10
spposr upon her hands, feet and side. On another
exudsion of blood through the skin caused 10y the
suggestion that she had been bled III she was Ill
rected not see certain persons who were In inc
ROOM they became invisible 10 her from thai moment
some curious complications arose out OF this eNprl-
ment for while the inhibited person always in
visible 10 her. IL not always the same Win ms
clothes or hat cigar, and 1t resulted sometimes
that she was very much amazed 10 see an empty suit
of clothes walking about or hat moving through
the air or a lighted cigar perambuating the apart
ment all by itseif. Even when brought into phySl-
cal contact with persons thus rendered lnVslpS 10
her she never recognized the real nature OF the con-
tact but ted in such though she had touched
sorne inanmafe object. II was easy TO regulate her
sheen and the condition of mind I'm wbEh she would
awake by previous sugges tion and in the same way
ANYTHING might be bsniShed from her memory COM
pIeteB For example. at one time she was troubled
much by spectral appearances some of which threat
ened her. On the suggestion that she should see no
more of these disturbing phsntoms. she ceased to ex
: perence their visits altogether
stu there plenty of exceptions 10 the general
uniformity OF her reactions. sometimes she faliei
TO respond at all 10 the usual stimuli and methods
Sometimes the switching of from one personality
10 another commonly easy. became impracticable.
sometimes there occurred what seemed 10 be
merging of two states into one. Frequently these
manifestations could be traced the abnormally firm
exercise of normal will. When. for instance $40
wanted something very strongly in her natural
state this want would be reflected In The other
states This however. was not usual Generally she
appeared 10 be vehicle for the transmission anu
opclation of external mental influences. II was no
,ced that Just before pass ne the sensitive hyp-
motto condition she in the habit Of taking s'fu'-
MIXING look at her hypnOt ger as il she wished 10
fix his liReamcntS upon her memory before dtllhS
eway into the unconditional state Dr. hfant-
Ebing Is positive that no impoSture or slhiaon "ds
practised in this remarkable case. one OF the Pc
culiaries Of which is the apparent degfadatloh OF
the personality through alteration for the immoral
tendencies OF the patient developed in her
bypnotic condition. Ethical suggestions. on me o'her
hand were invariably responded TO promptly, anu
no difficulty experienced In removing an danger
Gus or evil thought by sugg sSton. The aonomaiy OF
this patients temperament and constitution no douO'
explain hcr extreme INSTABILITY and susceptibility
but the curious experiments fully recorded by Dr.
Won Kraft Ebing clearly point 10 the reality OIL inc
Influence which may be exercised upon more or less
weak-mlndcd persons-and especially womeD-by firm
wilt 10 matter 10 what sinister tnds objected
suggestion a. practised by hypnotiSm, moreover IS
really much than what il is termed. Inc expert
,ents here ajle As also those Of Charcot and Others
prove that in many If not I'm most instances WHAT Is
exercised by the operator is rather direction theh sue
cestlon The notion that will power requires con-
sciols mandate Is not we'll founded. Concentration
and projection of the will may occur quite indepch-
IDENTIFY OF deliberate intent Wish and VIII al; ol'eh
svnonymou. and in proportion the CONSTITUENCIES "
tbc nat.ent all the stages from suggestion 10 COM
mand may be covered In single p>ychioai process III
the case under notice there was one phenomenon OF
peculiar interest. which Dr. KrahtEbing thinks may
indicate the evolution of fourth condition Al one
time the patient peSsed into state in which she lo''
all consciousuess of personality describing herself a;
beng then nothing more than rho image (ot heiserI
In the hvpnOizcl's eye. She was apparently al 'ha
moment pure automston, yet she then spoke oil he
self as she" and " linz of third person ana TO
feed TO that person for Information not posesse oy
the image in the doctors eye. Dr. hran'hoihs
reaches the conclusion that bypnotism does not de
mend u,ou so-called animal magnetism. but on lSN-
,flcal ,norsn influence watch the eXperimentef OF
physician exercises over the hypnotic su6jecp ana III
4 final word ne quotes from report on Mcsmersm
Of Baly to the French Academy of Sciences IN 1854
together with Arago's comment upon that report III
tIa
MoGesty begets doubt, and has seldom DISTRACTED
the forward march of science but the same cannot 10
sad OF unbeef. lie who USES the word impossible
without the sphere Of pure mathematics IS at least
carelcss As soon as Is concerned with the living
organism caution becomes duty