Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-12-18
OPPOSED TO HYPNOTISM
CHICAGO PHYSICIANS CON-
DENIM IT'S FREQUENT USE.
They win Ask the Illinois Legislature to
Pass Law Prohibiting the Practice of
Hypnotism by Expcrimenters - What
Some OF the Leading Physicians Say.
[Chicago dlspatch.l

Pass Law Prohibiting the Practice OF
Hypnotism by Experimenters - What
Some OF the Leading Physicians Say.
[Chicago dispatch.l
All reputable physicians In this city
unite in commendation Of the resolve OF
the Medico-Legal Society of Chicago to
seek the passage OF law preventing
laymen from employing hypnotism, mes
merism, or magnetism for experimental
or other purposes. The society, which
was organized for the purpose Of dis
cussing the legal phases Of medicine and
the necessary legislation for the science,
has passed the following resolutions:
Resolved, That public seances of hypnot-
ism. mesmerlsm, and magnetism should be
prohibited by law under severe penalty,
and that the employ yment OF hypnotism for
medical purposes should be permitted solely
to duly qualified medical men, conditioned
upon It's being practiced only in the pres
ence OF other medical men or undoubted
friends OF the patients operated upon.
A committee was appointed to present
this resolution to the Legislature.
"Hypnotism," said DR.. Z. NJ. Hale, ais
a dangerous agent In anybody's hands,
and its use should certainly be restricted
to those who are responsible to the law
as medical men are. have read suf-
fcient in the French journals to know
that the subject under the operators
hands is absolutely irresponsible and
will do anything suggested-cven what
is suggested In the operators mind.
After coming out OF the hypnotic state
a subject does not recollect what he did
when in that state. There is nothing,
therefore, to prevent murder and make
an irresponsible criminal.
"When | was young / took up tho
study Of biology-what Is now called
hypEotism and mesmerism-and lectured
on il. | was astounded by the results
that can be secured by the power, and
il is clear that IL should be used only by
medical men for the relief Of suffering
and disease"
"Why should hypnotic seances be
stopped?"
"Medical men arc conservative, and
will not adopt any method that is in
vogue amongst the laity or charlatans
If law were passed preventing the
quacks from employing hypnotism the
study would be taken up by all medical
men in earnest. Mindcurers are a
species of hypnotizers. They cure at
times, especially nervous diseases, by
the power of one mind over another, but
medical men do not stoop to consult
them"
"Would the law, then, il passed, wipe
out tho mind-curers?"
"A strict construction Of the law
would put faith cure, mind cure, and
Christian science in the same category
with hypnotism. Public exhibitions Of
hypnotism tend to degrade the science,
just as vivisection would do. The law
confines that to the medical college.
a..
ing the use of hypnotism as tho use Of
poison. No layman can secure NOR
phinc or arsenic without q physician's g
prescription. l know twenty or thirty
prominent citizens who have become
monomaniacs by being votaries Of hyp.
notism or Christian science, which is the
same thing. A law such as the one pro-
posed will meet with tho appreciation Of
every reputable physician in the city"
DR.. j. +. Owens said: "The resolution
is proper and should be enforced as
speedily as possible. The indiscriminato
use of hypnotism should no more be toll
Grated than ether for amusing audiences,
individuals, or for Disqualification.
Hypnotism, think, will not be OF much
use in therapeutics. It's an old thing
that has been revived to be used by more
efficient and more scientific men, but
do not think it will take strong hold
on the profession. The doctors, how
ever, see that IL 1t is going to be planted
with an expectation of growing some re-
strictions ought to be placed around 1t.
do not think law on the use OF the
power will affect faith-curers."
DIR. j. III. Stowell said: "Thero is O
good deal of danger attending the prac-
tice of hypnotism, and it ought to be
handled by those who are skilled in its
use The means TO which 1t can be put
are too far-reaching to be intrusted to
laymen. l think that is the chief reason
why such law should be passed. Out
siders might use hypnotlsm for base and
improper purposes. As for public exhi-
bitions, they are used for deceiving peo-
pie, and the science is brought into ridi-
cule. There is some good in hypnotism,
and II should be kept under the most
careful supervision. There is sufficient
merit in the proposed law to engage the
support of all upright physicians.
"Hypnotism ought to be policed, just
as alcohol is" said DIR. j. III. Etheridge.
IL was not at the meeting" said DIR.
Belfield, "but there is no doubt as to the
facts on which the resolutions were
based; the business of mesmerism and
HAS DCtH 1UuScu, CS-
pecially in Paris, and its influence has
been exercised for improper purposes.
do not think there Is any danger of this
misuse becoming general, as the subject
for hypnotism has to act in accord with
the mesmerist. The greatest evil that
can arise from public exhibitions OF this
art is, think, that 1t is thereby brought
prominently before the public, and a
great deal too much attention is given to
it. l do not think, however, that the
law need take hold of the affair, as the
less attention called to the subject the
better. Some time ago it was thought
hypnotism could be used in surgical
operations successfully, but compare
lively few of the patients were apparent
ly insensible to pain.
IL have not given much study to the
subject, and doubtless there are men
in the society who know far more of It
than do"
DIR. Georges. Isham-The subject is
comparatively new one, which I'm the
next few years will demonstrate Just
what can be done with It. With the
dangers arising from Il at present are 1
do not know, but do think these public
and private seances given for amuse-
ment ought to be broken up, as wc can
not tell what might result from them.
In our profession hypnotism's practical
bilitv has vet 10 be demonstrated