The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-01
DANGERS OF HYPNOTISM
Patients Who NJ a Word Could be
Made to Commit the Fouiest
Crimes In the Calendar and
Vet be irresponsible.

For several months the public has been
receiving occasional extracts from the
strongest chapter on medical science
ever written, i'm which are being recorded
the results of recent Investigations OF the
phenomena Of hypnotism. Most OF the
notwithstanding incidents which have APP
pearcd in secular print have come from
Europe. especially French hospitals and
consultation rooms. While the stories
have had a fascinating interest, an in
credulous public on this side of the water
has, no doubt. credited tn them a very
small germ of truth and "A very large pro-
portion Of romance. But the most emf
nent members of the medical profession
Of this country have been investigating,
too. and they give results and conclusions
as marvellous as any which have come
from the French experimentalists.
Separated from the domain of charla-
tans, mesmerists, and so-called spiritual
lists, the phenomena Of hypnotism pre-
sent under scientific scrutiny the most
puzxling marvels with which the mental
and physical constitution OF man chal-
lenges modern investigation. Some of
the 10. cmost specialists who are studying
the subject, admit that they have bcen
forced TO reject the fundamenta doctrine
that man is always a free agent, and to
acknowledge the existence Of n social
danger which. until recently, was not sus-
pected by scientific men.
The matter assumes "A decidedly start
ling aspect when IL IL said that OF half "a
dozen eminent specialists In New York,
of whom inquiries have been made during
the past few days, five readily stated that
among their patients were persons per-
fectly sane u sound, who would at their
command commit any crime In the caleii-
dar. from murder down. More alarming
still was the assurance OF each of the
physicians that these some persons would
AS readily obey anybody's command, and
that they would be absolutely irresponsi-
BILE for acts thus committed. Among
others DIR. Graeme NJ. Hammond, one Of
the officers of the American Neurological
association, and AT the head of the Neuro-
logical department of the POSTGRADUATE
School of Medicine In this city. has made
exhaustive experiments with the phe-
nomcna OF hypnotism. He furnishes
some startling information bearing upon
the point of hypnotism and crime.
~ have two patients" he said on Friday,
10 "A Philadelphia Press correspondent,
.who will, at my command, do anything
from the commission OF murder, forgery,
or burglary down la lesser crimes. They
will do these things either during the hyp-
motto trance. or nj any specified time af-
terward. and they will not know why they
do them ar who influences them To do them.
After the commits ii, n Of such an outrage
they will show all the fear of detection
an the desire TO escape which an ordinary
criminal would do. One of them can
l,vnnotixe himself. He merely has to look
;nten,iv at some bright object and 90 Inc
goes. Nobody knows that they are hyp-
motto subjects, and ! have cautioned them
for their own safety not To let il he known.
s.Tber. IL practically no limit 10 the de-
lusions which YOU can impose upon such
"a subject. hynnotixed a yo,nU man be-
fore my class HE other day and told him
the nrjck Of a hat min ON the back of his
hand wo,ld feel good. He smiled when 4
nrick,J him and said: yes. thai docs
feel vood.' and then bc seized the hat min
nnd iabbed II into his hand three ar four
times smiling nlI Ihe while. Presently /
took his other hand and drew my finger
nail across the hack gently. and ex.
claimed: .Tberc. I've hurt you-see the
hIooI' n, YELLED like an Indian and
iumncd nm and down. cxclaiming. Helm
meTuet me a doctor.' until i removed The
Iel,,sion'
.,SubIccts obcy post.bvpnotic commands
will thc utmost precision. i told n man
i'm bvn,ot,c sIeen before INV class moi
long apo: Three minutes after Won wake
Won, will tell me my face il black THE
,ue,nhcrs Of The class took out their
wa,chcs aud exnc,lv ,hrec %n;nu,,s after
hro.,ght The man ont Of The trance hc
anu,osch..I me and said, .D,c,or' i bey
vn,r narsIon' h,t thcrc Is n black mari on
yo,r face
III thouvbt the matter of time might be
coincidence, SO ! trlcd ). again telling
. II ha aha.,il n"."a s..,oh
.ar,ain s,,s,cn, nnon he sho',iJer 1rr,,a
10 the instant he did so. Undoubtedly ali
experiments in hypnotism should bc re-
stricted ny law 20 physici aus. The fact is