, 1890-08-28
THE HYPNOTIC CRAZE.

At last the world has found
plausible explanation for mysteries
that have puzzled the deepest think
ers for centuries. Hypnotism, in the
hands of shrewd and unscrupulous
men, may become dangerous
weapon. Its possibilities form
fascinating study. IL is not improb-
able that the so-called miracles Of
past ages were merely the dream Of
hypnotics, who were made to be-
lieve that the laws of nature had
been set aside.
Not long ago the REVIEW sug.
gested that the only reasonable ex-
PLANTATION Of the remarkable ieats
eriormed by Indian fakirs, and au-
thenticated by travellers of known
veracity, was the supposition that
the performer possessed remarkable
powers of hypnotism. In Europe
and America this mystery is little
known, but In the noun taims OF
India II has probably been closely
guarded secret for centuries.
a strange story, confirming this
theory, is told bya young Chicagoan
who recently returned from the
Orient. He was accompanied by
an artist, and carried kodak
camera. The two young men gained
an opportunity Of witnessing tho
tricks of an Indian fakir, and 1t was
agreed that while the artist was
sketching objects os they were pre-
sented by the fakir, the young man
from Chicago would focus them with
his camera. The Indian performed
the famous trick of growing a
mango tree In II bowl. The artist
sketched the tree and tho photo
grapher photographed it. Then tho
old fakir performed the still more
remarkable trick of throwing IA long
piece Of twine into the air, and hav-
ing IA child come forward and climb
out of sight. This was also skotched
and photographed ;but when the pho
tographer developed his negatives
the tree was not there, neither was
the child that assembled from sight.
The old iakir could delude his
audience, but he could not hypnotic
the camera. The artist sketched the
scene as he saw 1t, the camera caught
1t IA 1t really existed.
The power of hypnotism Is not
confined TO the period In which the
subject Is entranced. In New York
not long ago IL young lady was
hypnotized. ~ have here beauti-
ful rose" said the performer, "and
when you awake I will give 1t to
you." After the young woman had
passed beyond ,he control OF tho
practitioner, as she supposed, she
continued to see the rose In all its
beauty and to ilhale its fragrance.
1t was then explained to her that
the flower existed only In the imag-
ination. Her mind grasped the de-
ception, but her senses still kept up
the delusion. ~ know that the
rose Is imaginary" she said. ~ be-
lieve your statement, but 1t seems as
real as any rose 1 have ever seen."
Hypnotism In the hands of an un-
scrupulous man could be made ter-
ribly dangerous. Such man,
meditating the murder of his wife,
could hypnotic his victim, cause
her to write note declaring
suicidal intentions, and then tell
her that an hour hence he wished
her to drink q glass of wine to re-
move the injurious effects of the ex-
pertinent. That wine could he a
poisoned draught, and when the
victim was drinking it the murderer
could be among a group of associates
IN distant part of the city, and
thus easily establish an alibi.
A renewed interest In this fasci-
mating mystery may yet disclose
beneficent qualities; but at present
1t seems to go hand in hand with ,
crime, insanity and dception.