The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-02
]THE MESMERIC ART.
A Brief Glance at Its Origin
and History.
III is NOW CALLED HYPNOTISM.
How Cata,eptic Conditions are Produced-Thc
Supremacy OF a Supposed Great Mind
I Over Weaker One.
IT is NOW CALLED HYPNOTISM.
For TIE SUNDAY HERALD

times. There are some whose very pres
ence is a power of restraint and encourage
ment to their less gifted companions; and
there are others who command scarcely
any measurable degree of respect and
courteous treatment, and who would never
receive such, but for the gentle behavior
of those with whom they are brought in
contact.
Long ago this difference was attribu ted
to a mystic power which was thought to be
inherent in the bodies of some, and absent
from others; and from this superstition
there arose an intricate theory OF supersu-
ton, claiming the existence of a marvellous
force, known at different times as animal
magnetism, mesmerism, clairvoyance, cleo
tro- biology, hypnotism, odylic force, and
by other such names. Even in the days of
the ancient Chaldeans, Babylonlans, Egyp-
tians, Greeks and Romans, the people gen
erally ascribed to their priests the power
of effecting cures, and of inducing inspired
sleeps, in the course of which the SUM
berer frequently experienced prophetic
visions.
In 1860, the popular interest was aroused
in England by people who claimed the
ability to Danish disease by simply stroking
the sufferer with the hand. The chroni-
cles of that time contain numerous refer
ences to the achievements of one Valentine
Greatrakes, an Irishman whose speciality
was the curing of scrofula, or kings evil.
sEven Robert Boyle, scientist of no insig
Aificant order, and Cudworth, of theology
IA fame, and other equally noted men, SOL
emily testified to the marvellous healings
effected through Greatrakes' touch. a cen
fury later, a Roman Catholic priest resid-
ing in Swabia, Gassner by name, advanced
the supposition that all disease was the re-
splt of the direct efforts of satan, and that
all bodily disorders of every kind could
therefore be exercised away.
But it is about the name of Friedrich
Anton Mesmer that the deepest interest
concerning this so-called magnetism is cen
tired. This person graduated as a physi-
clan in Vienna. He was an ardent be-
lever in the fallen science of astrology,
and fancied that he had discovered a series
of systematic effects eXertet by the
heavenly bodies upon the living beings of
earth. This he conceived to be some form
of magnetism. With such vague ideas as
4 these, he proceeded TO treat his patients
= alike for ali ailings by stroking their bodies
with magnets of different shapes and widely
varying degrees of strength. After meet
ing Gassner, the magnetic priest, and find
ing that he effected cures by manipulation
alone, Mesmer discarded tie use of the
AldShClo NnOllO4S, ldOSuG uhouS
pecting that mysterious magnetic force
emanated from his own person.
His fame rapidly spread, he soon re
moved to France, and there gained many
converts to his strange belief. The angus
medical faculty of Paris took cognizance Of
mis- claims, and after investigating then
denounced him as an impoStor. The
French government, however, offered hin
10000 francs for his secret, but this ht
promptly refused. He was fully alive tt
the effects of appealing to the imagination
of his patients in all cases of treatment
and this explains many of the mysteries o
his consulting rooms. His patients wer
caused to sit in dimly lighted chambers
through which at appropriate interval
strains of subdued music were heard
strange odors pervaded the place and par
aphernalia of the chemic art, then regarde,
as the chief secret of Satan'S power, wer
distributed about the apartments. Tn
physician appeared amongst his patient
only when attired as magician, with
sceptre in his hand and mystic symbol
adorning his dress. AT first he induce
the mesmeric state by causing the perso
under treatment to gaze fXedly upon 4 gilt
tering piece of magnetiZed steel. To ties
the efficacy of this device an investigator
committee substituted button CT WOOD
l painted to an exact imitation of the stee
n and the effects upon the subject were tn
II SAINT, GuuS UlSpSlllHS Gu0 Ue1S
e that the magnetiZing nature Of the met;
faided the process in the least.
But this enthusiasm soon spent its force
even during the life of MeSmer, belief i
animal magnetism fell into disrepute, an
he himself came to be regarded as littl
more than juggler. Since that time, how
ever, public interest has been periodical
revived in the matter, and today the disci
pies of mesmerism are numerous.
None can dRnV that results so StraO Q
to appear at first sight supernatural. al
among the commonest of such perform
ances. Susceptible subjects may h
thrown into a sleep-lik state, attende
with an apparent loss Of voluntary contr
of mind and body. The person acts onl
in obedience TO the operators command
The writer has witnessed a number of sue
= demonstrators by some of the most famol
Rinesmerists of the day. Patients have bee
induce W swallow castor Oil with evidel
rell-h ander the impression that it ":
hCney; and others have exhibited intens
disgust at taking sip OF milk or waite
when told that it was oil. Men have bee
made to believe that they were childre
and a couple OF gray boards would carr
on game Of marbles with all the zest
their by gone school days.
Cataleptic conditions are easily product
on suscs ptible subjects. In this state Il
patient may be rendered as inert as
corpse; the muscles stiffen to such ri
idity that the body may be supported in
horizontal position upon couple OF chair
one at the head and another at the fee
while the operator takes his seat betwee
without causing the body to bend.
The fakirs of India voluntarily bri1
such conditions upon themselves. The
favorite way of producing the effect is
eaZe abstracteoly at a bright star till the
self consciousness seems 10 have been cor
L,o11 IL, II, ~,
be whipped with thorns, or needles al
spears may be tnrustinto the flesh witho
Causing them to vince.
How is all this explained! If by al
species Of magnetism, such is entirely f
eign to the force commonly bearing tn
name. The effect of mesmeric infiuenc
seems to be purely physiological and ps
Geological one, resulting from the sujug
ton OF one mind by another. The subie
becomes convinced that ne is under t
control OF the operator, and passively su
mits. The operation on his own mind is
the time suspended, and in place there
he relies entirely on external directions
Hypnotism is the modern term by viii
these effects are designated, and the su
ject has undergone a prolonged if not
thorough investigation at French instit
ton. the Salpetriere. There it is claim
numerous cures of serious mental and ne
Sdls disorders have been brought abe
Through this means. 1t is noted that If
patient has once been successfully hypr
tiled, the abnormal condition can be repl
duced much more easily. An instruct
incident was reported in one of the Sall
triere bulletins. One of the resident pt
sicians informed a certain inmate OF !
place that he would hypnotic her the f
lowing day at three O'Clock. In respol
to an unexpected call, the doctor was
England before the time named, yet at
exact hour the lady voluntarily fell into