Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-25
SCIENCE OF HYPNOTIsM
What the Treatment Is and How
It Is Worked.
a PseudO-sIsop Into Which . Patient with
an Aptitude for It Can BE Made to
Fall-s0mnAmbulism the Last
stage OF the Trance.

The history Of hypnotism forms part
of the history of the marvellous In hu-
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 the 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 conviction OF its utility as
remedial agent in all diseases in which
the nerves play a more or less visible
part.
Hypnotism is an experimental extra
physiological condition of the nervous
system, pseudo-sleep into which q 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 the sequence of hypnotic states
there is q descending and ascending
movement, downwards to lethargy, and
| upwards to restored consciousness
From a slight drowsiness he passes to
the somnambulistio 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
q 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brain is withdrawn, and he lives, mere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 oppositel
phases, recovering at each halting place
the faculties which have been temporari-
" 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
sensitiveness Of other special nerves, as
we'll as of the optic nerves, can be util-!
lied; in fact, with persons readily sus-i
ceptible, suggestion suf6ces. The ex-l
perimenter says to the patient: "You!
and 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
| q
sure that he is thoroughly awake; for
if q patient only half-awakened is sent
back to his daily life, he may collide
with and knock down persons, steal
articles exposed in shops, or commit
other offenses, while giving the impress
sion that he is in full possession Of his
senses. The cataleptic stage is at
tended with well-def1ned manifesto
lions. The muscles maintain the poses
given to them, and display a force far
beyond what they are capable of in the
waking state. The faculty of balancing
is raised to 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
r on the back of one chair and his heels
on the back of another, and he will re-
l main as stiff as a board. supported by
5 his extremities. In this cataleptic
stage the emotions can be brought into
play in perfectly methodical manner
He can be made glad without a word,
by simply putting in his line of vision
a sketch of happy faces; his features
expand, and by degrees he breaks out
into loud laugh.
81 Conversely, sketch of gloomy per
8 sons will fill him with sadness. Music
Y wakes emotions proper to the time, and
every color excites a special emotion,
blue raises emotion of sorrow; yellow OF
a red, Joy and delight Emotional states
are also kindlcd by making the patien,
go through the gestures, with which
any given emotion is habitually assocl-
ated. For example, the patients fist
being closed and placed in q threaten
: ing posture, the face assumes an angry
expression, but put his hand in the at
titude of throwing a kiss and his face
expresses delight and pleasure.
Somnambulism is the last stage OF
hypnotism before awaking. In this
stage the patients mind is thoroughly
prepared soil, in which we call ur
Authorizations and illusions of the
! senses, crazy fancies and fixed ideas
which become irresistible. If you tell
him it is cold, he wants q fur cloak; II
you tell him it is warm, he. wants &c
! put on summer clothing. If you say
Here is glass of wine," and ask him
to drink. he accepts it, and makes pre-
tence to drink 1t. The word cTedicit
has been invented to characterize the
extraordinary credulity Of this stage.
His Well Runs Gold and Silver.