The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-13
GIRL PUPILSHYPNOTIZED
UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF MISS
CALLS EXPERIMENTS.

CALLS EXPERIMENTS.
Two Students in Her Glass at Lasell
seminary III for Months After q
Course in Nerve Training" - Her
Methods Explained-Seeking a Ner-
vous Balance.
From the Neio York Sun.
AUBURNDALE, MASS, June 10. Two
Lasell Seminary girls have been reduced to
a serious condition of ill-health by reason
of A curious course of study in that insti-
tuition. It is called nerve training by the
seminary authorities, but the doctors who
for the past six months have been calling
,,non all their medical resources to save the
lives of the two young ladies affected
thereby declare that 1t is hypnotism- Both
girls were completely hypnotized, and their
nervous systems were almost shattered.
They were forced to leave school last De-
oenber, and not until to-day were they able
TO leave their beds.
The instructor in this branch Of study is
Miss Annie Call. She believes the system
one of great advantage to her students,
teaching them to relax their nerves and to
economic nerve force. A portion of the
instruction is to have the student lie at full
length and endeavor 20 allow her nervous
system to relax This relaxation, which is
an essential point in the instruction, must
be so perfect that when the instructor lifts
an arm or leg or finger of the pupil and
lets it 20 it will fall as if lifeEess. If the
instructor directs the student to move the
head or an eye or finger the controlling
nerves, and those only, must be used, and
entire relaxation must Immediately follow
the movement.
A class of 40 young ladies undertook this
course last fail, and suddenly the nervous
system of two of them collapsed Their
brains were too susceptible, and both we're
completely mesmerized. 1t was some time
before their condition was understood, and
until the proper counteracting influences
were brought to bear there was no improve
ment visible. Much opposition to the
course of instruction has developed since
its effects were SO unpleasantlY shown in
the case of these two students.
The unique system of instruction which
resulted SO seriously in the cases of these
two students is dignifed with a conspicuous
place in the catalogue of the seminary. 1t
has never been introduced elsew here in this
country in an institution of learning, SO far
as is known here. This is what the cata-
logue says about 1t:
NERVE TRAINING.
"We have used systematic training in
the use of the mind in itself, as well as in
its guidance of the body, and the results
should bring young women to a better
nervous balance, and SO prepare them to
meet life out of school with strong nerves,
thoroughly controlled according to natural
laws"
Miss Call has given this instruction the
entire year, but it has been recognized only
as an experiment. She is an enthusiast, and
the principal of the school is still inclined
to believe there are good points in the in
struction, and many physical enehts to be
derived therefrom. Miss Call is very much
exercised over the publicity given the cases
Of the two young ladies. In explaining the
system of instruction she said:
Il work to obtain a perfectly quiet mind,
and then to get that mind we'll conferred or
focused by its owner at pleasure, and to
secure better direction of the mental fac
ulty. The idea is that the laws governing
the use of the body may just as successfully
and consistently operate in governing the
use of the mind. We aim first to secure a
perfectly passive body, and then to be able
to use any muscles or nerves necessary,
whether we are to play the piano, sing, or
sustain part in one act on the stage. In
this way the body is left more perfect for
natural expression in any form.
I'm pursuing the study the first thing we
aim to do is to secure the power of mind
concentration pure and simple, and the
second Is to acquire the power to act indie
pendently in thought. The plan is to ascer.
tain the method of breathing in the student
who lies fiat upon the floor in order to be
perfectly relaxed physically. The method
of breathing is taken in order to gain quiet
After having secured this, exercises occur tc
obtain direction by the mind. and the pupil
is Instructed to leave her muscles perfectly
relaxed and free. Then while one arm is
perfectly tense the other must remain
entirely relaxed and beyond the thought
of the student. This system of sepa-
rating the muscles in action is practised for
the various parts of the body, and the pupil
is taught to use one independently of the
other. The spine is next taken, and motions
are practiced to secure freedom in the great
nervous centers of that portion of the body.
The girls are made to center their minds
upon one thing, first for one minute and
subsequently for a gradually increasing
length of time up to five minutes. They are
taught not simply to memoriZe words in
themselves but to memorize ideas first. We
intend to carry on this training in thor
ough course Of five senses, although have
not been able to get to that this year"
Now in regard to the unfortunate cases
OF the two young ladies. / never knew
until she was entirely Frustrated that one
was at all affected by the treatment. The
other was case of extreme nervous tenn
permanent, and took her out of the class at
once upon perceiving i'll effects. l then
gave her very gentle motions to execute, so
gentle that it seems unaccountable that
they could have affected her."