Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-09
SCIENTIFIC ToLERATION OF HYP-
NOTiSM.

The editor of the Arena, Mr. Flower,
after careful review of all the testimony
of the times believes that the scientific
sensation of the hour is hypnotism. As
he well says, the time has passed when
this new agency, which is not, however,
new discovery, can be treated with scorn.
1t has developed very recently such i'm
portance that it cannot be put aside as
was done when in less ineligible title it
was styled mesmerism. The investigators
of the past, who would not be listened to
by scientific men, are now outstripped by
the eagerness of scientific inquiries in the
present. Mr.. Flower says:
Camille Flammarion. the illustrious French
astronomer, in his recent remarkable novel,
"Uranie," tells US that fifteen years ago he COM
municated to several physicians the magnetic
phenomena observed by himself in the course
of many experiments. One and all denied most
positively and absolutely the possibility of the
facts related but on meeting one of these same
physicians at the Institute in Paris, recently, he
called his attention to the denial of the phe
nomena. "Oh !" replied the physician, no
without shrewdness, then it was magnetism,
l0lO IL IS nyp0OlSI, auO II Is 1CG WHO STUDY IL,
that is very different thing" The astronomer
wisely adds, by way of impressing the moral
Let us deny nothing positively; let US study;
let us examine; the explanation will come
later"
Whatever may have been the DISPOSE
ton of the scientists of the first half of the
century concerning biological research,
it is certain that in this day there is no
obstacle placed in the way of advancement
along any of the paths of discovery. On
the contrary, the men of to-day, while
they may not embrace every new theory,
are tolerant of all claims, and the denun-
citation, short, sharp and arbitrary, is sell
dom heard. 1t is an age of inquiry, an
era of receptivity in which the boldest
claimant is confident that he will have
fair hearing. In the development of hyp-
notism this Is peculiarly exemplifed.
Half a century ago the wonderful claims of
its promoters would have been met not
alone with scorn, but with persecution.
Yet in the interim no material advance
has been made in the science until within
the last two or three years.
But scientists have themselves advanced;
they have moved up into more tolerant
and a better atmosphere. The amazing
march of discovery has stripped them of
the hard shell and an apparently impene-
trable armor of conceit As Mr.. Flower
puts it, men are ceasing to wonder
at claims of discovery in the realm of
psychic truths and psychological research.
He recalls to our memory that only about
five years ago "a paper read on hypnotism
in the Medical Society of leading Amer
lean city was excluded from the report Of
the Society's meeting, on the ground that
the subject was unscientifc and absurd"
Now we have one of the most learned
bodies of medical scientists accepting hyp
notism, and jurists are laboring to harmon
ize its evidences with the rules of evidence
in Courts of law.
As DR.. Kempin says in the Arena, there
exists now not the slightest doubt that
hypnotism is an influence for i'll, but also
for good, and is in some instances an in
remedy for diseases of various
characters. Though as far back as 1929
painless amputations were made by French
surgeons by employing this agency, the
medical faculty refused to receive such
evidences. and the pulpit pronounced them
dealings with the evil one. Now the
inquirers consent that DR.. KEN |
pin and the Nancy faculty may say to the |
world that hypnotism is of great value in
treating hysterieal and nervous disorders;
in even stomachic troubles it is useful, and |
by suggestion control is had of the dipso- |
maniac; and it is also means of education,
says Dr. Kempin, and may be used to in
fuence the character of children and nota-
bly, can be employed symptomatically, like
a therapeutic remedy, against bad habits.
The doctor adds:
When pedagogues will realize that the key
Tor all education lies in q reasonable use of sug-
sestion the difficult art of pedagogy viii under
20 most wonderful and favorable reform.
We can well understand how such ex-
oressions would have been received half
century ago, when prejudice, biased study
ind religious bigotry would have con-
iemned the physician who dared to treat
Is science what was then pronounced
,,,oeeihla and a fraud