The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-30
DANGERS OF HYPNOTISM.
Questions Touching the Relations Be-
tween Mesmerism and Crime.
From the PittSburO Dispatch.

The pre- sent outbreak of hypnotism, or
mesmerism-for they are identical-has be-
gun to engage the attention of the authori-
ties upon the continent. The practice of
this art has been recently forbidden In the
French army and navy, and is shortly to
be restricted in Belgium to members of the
medical professional least SO far as the
young and the insane are concerned. This
is not the first time that such a step has be-
come necessary, says the London Saturday
Reuie,0. Early in the century mesmerism,
which had languished during the
troubulous times Of the Napoleonic wars,
sprang up again with tremendous energy
upon the conclusion of peace, and speedily
overran Europe This was particularly the
case in Germany where the Berlin Academy
of Science offered prize for the best essay
on the subject; and in 1917 it was found
necessary to make the practice illegal ex
cept in the hands Of qualified physicians
So, too, in Denmark, about the same time,
and in Russia in 1925. The reasons for this
were, no doubt, the same as those which
induced the university authorities of Oxford
and Cambridge some fifteen yeare ago, to
forbid the seances OF certain well-known
professional mesmerist in those towns. The
undergraduates used TO flock to these3 per-
for mances, and many of them suffered
seriously IN health from the nervous
arrangement consequent upon repea Ell
hypnotization. 1t is, indeed, denied by no
one except Prof. BernheiIn and the other
hypnolizers at Nancy that the process may
be attended by some danger to health.
"L'hypnotisasion est un agent perturbateur
dun haut degree du systemic nerveux" is the
authoritative statement of nj. Paul Richter
in the DictiOnndire Encyctopedtque des
Sciences MedicaIes. 1t often develops or
aggravates attacks of acute hysteria, and
cases have occurred in which, after hypnotic
catalepsy, for instance, the use OF an arm
has been lost for some time, or the percep-
ton of colors impaired through the induc-
ton of visual Authorizations. But 1t is not
only this aspect of the matter which has
engaged attention abroad.
A SERIOUS SET OF QUESTIONS.
The remarkable studies in somnambulism
aud in the unlimited power of suggestion
which have been carried out at Nancy open
up another and a more serious set of ques-
tons touching the relations between
hypuotism and crime. These questions may
be considered under three heads:
The observed phenomena of somnam-
bulism (which is an hypnotic condition.
show that somnambuiists may uncon-
sciously but spontaneously commit unlaw-
full acts of which they have no knowledge
and recollection when awake. In 1888
French servant girl was arrested for theft.
1t turned out that she had frequently been
hypnotized by doctor. He was allowed
10 bvpuotize her in prison. While in this
state she recollected having removed the
valuables to safer place, which she de-
scribed to the Judge, who found them in the
spot she designated. She was released. 1t
is easy to see how miscarriages OF justice
NAV occur in cases of this nature. Several
similar instances have occurred IN the
French law courts.
SOME REMARKABLE CASES.
Crimes may be committed on persons in
a condition of hypnotism. The "Atatre
CASTELAR," 1865, is an actual case. Jose
phine Hughes, a respectable young woman