The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-08-15
SCIENCE OF d YPNOTISlI.
What the Treatment Is and How
It Is Worked.
"A Pseudo-sleep Into Which q Paticnt with
an Aptitude for It Can Be Made to
INSTRUMENTATION tho Last
Stage OF the Trance.

Stage OF LIRE IEanCc1
The history Of hypnotism forms part
Of tho history of the marvellous in hui
man existence, writes DR.. J.Luys in the
London Fortnightly Review. In reality
1t is found under different names at all
periods Of history, from the incantatlons
of tho ancient Egyptian magicians down
| to the destinations OF Mesmer, and the
Investigations OF Braid. to whom modern
hypnotism owes its name and Its APP
.pearance in the realm of science. Braid
mastered all the leading characteristics
Of the several hypnotic stages, and had
profound convictionof Its utility as
remedial agent in all diseases in which
the nerves play more or less visible
part
Hypnotism is an experimental extra
physiological condition of the nervous
system, pseudo-sleep into which pa
tient with an aptitude for 1t
can be made to fall, and during
which he loses for the time being all
consciousness OF his individual exist
ence and OF the external world.
In tho sequence of hypnotic states
there is a descending and ascending
movement, downuards to lethargy, and
upwards to restored consciousness.
From a slight drowsiness he passes to
the somnambulistic stage, preserving at
| first his faculty of hearing and speech.
Next his faculties are overwhelmed, the
power of sight only remaining. At last
in the third stage, the patient falls into
complete lethargy; the life OF the
brain is withdrawn, and he lives, mere
ly by the automatic activities OF his
spinal marrow. In the return journey
or second half OF the circle, the hypno-
tized person goes through the opposite
phases, recovering at each hating place
tho faculties which have been temperate
ly suspended. passing from complete
lethargy, through catalepsy and SOM
nambulism, which are only different de-
grees of intensity of partial somnolence.
Several processes are employed to pro-
duce the hypnotic state, the most effect
i've being revolving mirrors on which
the patient fixes his eyes; but the
sensitiyeness of other special nerves. as
we'll as of the optic nerves, can be utll-
lied; in fact, with persons readily sus-
ceptible, suggestion suffices. The ex-
perimenter says to the patient: You
and I will count together up to six, and
when we reach four you will be asleep.
To awaken the patient, it is generally
sufficient to say: "You will be awake
in a minute" but it IS important to be
sure that he is thoroughly awake; for
If patient only half-aw-akened is sent
back to his daily life, he may collide
with and knock down persons, steal
articles exposed in shops, or commit
other ofrcnses, whilo giving the impress
sion that he is in full possession of his
senses. Tho cataleptic stage IS at
tended with well-defned manifesto
tions. The muscles maintain the poses
given to them, and display force far
beyond what they are capable OF In the
waking state. The faculty OF balancing
is raised IS an extraordinary pitch OF
exaltation. Stand him on one leg,
bend his body forward Or backward,
bend his spinal column while making
him throw his head back. and he will
maintain his equilibrium. Lift the
patient horizontally, and lay his head
on the back Of one chair and his heels
on the back of another, and he will re-
main as stiff as board, supported by
| his extremities. In this oataleptlc
stage the emotions can be brought into
play in perfectly methodical manner.
He can be made glad without word,
bysimpiy putting In his line OF vision
o sketch OF happy faces; his features
expand, and by degrees he breaks out
into loud laugh.
Conversely, sketch Of gloomy per
sons will fill him with sadness. Music,
wakes emotions proper to the time, and
every color excites special emotion;
blue raises emotion Of sorrow; yellow or
red, 10y and delight. Emotional states
are also kindlcd by making the patient
no through the gestures, with which
any given emotion is habitually assocl-
ated. For example, the patients fist
being closed and placed in threaten
ing posture, the face assumes an angry
expression, but put his hand In the at
titude OF throwing kiss and his face
expresses delight and pleasure.
Somnambuhsm Is the last stage OF
hypnotism before awaking- In this
stage the patients mind is thoroughly
prepared soil. In which we call up
hallucinations and illusions OF the
senses, crazy fsncies and fixed ideas
which become. irresistible. If you tell
him it is cold, he wants fur cloak; 1t
you tell him It Is warm, he wants to
put on summer clothing. II you say:
Here Is glass OF wine, and ask him
to drink, he accepts it, and makes prs-
tence to drink II The word credscito
has been invented to characterize the
extraordinary credulity OF this stage
His Well Runs Gold aud silver.
-. Thera is wonderful we'll down near
Del Norte, says the Pixies Peak Herald.
FIT Is an artesian we'll with an abundant