The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-20
DOCTORS AND HYPNOTISM.
WASHINGTON PHYSICIANS NOT PAY
ING MUCH ATTENTION TO 1T.
What One Physician Saw of Charcot's Ex-
periments in Paris-A Case of Hypno-
tism Here Which Got a Young Man in
TROUBLE.


"Hypnotism has not been introduced into
medical practice in Washington yet," said
prominent young physician in answer to an in
quiry by HERALD representative the other day.
"1t does not seem to attract attention among
the profession here in serious way although
the medical journals have devoted great deal
of space of late to the experiments of Charcot
and the other French physicians whose names
are associated with hypnotism. Our medical
society has not discussed it at it's meetings, and
] don't think there is a physician in Washington
who knows anything of it experimentally.
"When 1 was in Paris several years ago." the
physician continued, ''Charcot had already be-
gun his experiments in hypnotism. This was
long before the papers took the matter up.
Charcot even then made use of it in treating
patients in the clinic. L remember one day
woman came to him saying she had severe neu-
ralgic pains below the region of the heart-so
severe that she was almost beside herself.
Charcot made few passes at her, in the usual
style of the mesmerists or magicians, and told
her that she didn't feel the pains any more.
She said it was true; the pains had left her if
by magic. Now, madame, Charcot said, you
will not have return of them for two weeks
from this time, when you must come back here
and see me-.
"The woman went away,' the doctor contin-
ued, apparently very much relieved. We were
all good deal interested in the experiment my
self especially, as | understood nothing about
the matter at that time, and looked on it rather
incredulously. SO | made it point to be on
hand two weeks from the day on which the
woman came. She returned, sure enough and
exactly at the hour which Charcot had named
She said she had had no return of the pain and
had been in her usual health. Charcot told her
| the pain would not come back and we after
| ward heard it had not"
ssBut isn't it fact, doctarn asked the re-
| porter, "that those who are susceptible to the
hypnotic influence are people of rather weak in
| tellects or whose nervous systems are shat
| tered ?"
''Not as 1 understand it," the physician an
! swered. ~ believe almost any one may be hyp-
| Noticed. Then there are people whom it is abb
| soutely impossible to bring under the influence.
| High-strung, nervous people are more suscepti
BILE to it than the phlegmatic and dull Brain
workers, people who lead sedentary lives, and
| intellectual people generally more apt to be
subject to the hypnotic influence than workmen
| and persons of that class. Women, too are
| more subject to it than men,"
| "But isn't it dangerous to the health of sub
| jects?'
''Some doctors say it is; that it not only in
| jures the physical health of those who are hyp-
Noticed, but Anpairs their intellectual powers.
| Others insist that it does no harm at all; that
| subjects have been repeatedly hypnotized with
out showing the least injurious effects, either
physically or mentally Pm rather inclined to
take this view of it myself, although, as | tell
you, have never experimental with hypnotism.
All / know about it | learned while in Paris and
from what | have read in the medical journals
of late"
"Do you know if any American physicians
have taken the matter up practically at all ?''
the reporter inquired.
eyes, believe something has been done with
it at Bellevue Hospital in New York and in
Philadelphia. But no physicians are willing
yet to introduce it in their private practice The
exact nature of hypnotism and the extent to
which it can be used with safety are not yet de-
termined, and physicians are chary about tax
ing it up. AS it is easy to see, there are great
many objections to the Introduction of any
thing of this kind into private practice. The
uses that might be made of 1t by eYil-disposed
people are incalculable This has been recog-
nized in France and Germany, where believe,
laws have been recently passed forbdding
hypnotism in private. For this reason nearly
pital clinics, even by such men as Charcot"
"Did you ever know of an instance in your
own experience where hypnotlsm had been
practiced?''
"Yes, there was a case here few years ago."
| the doctor answered. SIT was a serious case,
| too, although there may have been some doubt
| as to whether it was really hypnotism or not.
| But from what | could learn | think it was
| something Of the kind. | knew the young
man who was accused of practicing it. Things
| were made warm for him by the relatives of
| certain young ladies that he had to leave town
| and go West. He hasn't come back yet, either.
| / don't know what became of him. If the
| practice of hypnotizing people ever becomes
| common it would be very serious. | have no
| doubt we will have a law against it in this
| country before years.