The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-08-14
SCIENCE OF HYPN0TIsK.
What the Treatment Il snd How
It Il Worked.
A Pssude-slssp into which Ratisst with
an Aptitude for It Can Ne alsds to
Fsii-somnsmbullsm the last
Stage Of the Traneo.

The history Of hypnotism forms part
of the history Of the marvellous in hui
man existence, writes DR.. ]. Luys In the
London Fortnightly Review. In reality
it IL found under different names Ut oil
periods Of history, from the incantations
Of the ancient Egyptian magicians down
to the fascinations Of Mesmef, and the
investiga tions Of Braid. to whom modern
hypnotism owes Its namo and Its sp-
pesrance in the realm Of science. Braid
mastered all the leading characteristics
Of the several hypnotic stages, and had
q profound conviction Of Its utility as .
remedial agent in all diseases In which
the nerves play more or less visible
part. s
Hypnotism is an experimental extra
physiological condition Of the nervous
system, pseudo-sleep into which 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 o slight drowsiness he passes to
the somnambulistic 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
o complete lethargy; tho 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brain Is withdrawn, and he lives, mere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 opposite
phases, recovering at each halting place
the faculties which have been temporari.
ly 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 Axes his eyes; but tho
sensitiveness Of other special nerves, as
we'll as OF the optic nerves, can be util-
lied; in fact, with persons readily sus-
ceptible, suggestion sufflces. The ex-
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, 1t II generally
sufficient to say: "You will be awake
in q minute" but 1t Is important to be
sure that he is thoroughly awake; for
II . 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 tho impress.
sion that he is in full possession Of hia
senses. The cataleptio stage is st
tended with well-deflned manifesta'
tions. The muscles maintain the poSei
given to them, and display force III
beyond what they are capable Of in the
waking state. The faculty Of balancing
is raised to On 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
on the back Of one chair aud his heeli
on the back Of another, and he will re
main as stiff as . board, supported BY
his extremities. In this cataleptit
stage the emotions can be brought intt
play in perfectly methodical manner
He can be made glad without . word
by simply putting in his line Of visioz
q sketch Of happy faces; his features
expand, and by degrees he breaks ou
into loud laugh.
Conversely, sketch Of gloomy per
sons will fill him with sadness. Must,
wakes emotions proper to the time, ant
every color excites special emotion
blue raises emotion OF sorrow; yellow o.
red, Joy and delight. Emotional stateI
are also kindlod by making the patien
60 through the gestures, with whicl
any given emotion is habitually associ
ated. For example, the patients As
being closed and placed in q thresten'
ing posture, the face assumes an angr,
expression, but put his hand in the at
titude of throwing kiss and his fao,
expresses delight and pleasure.
Somnambulism Is the last stage O
hypnotism before awaking. In thi
stage the patients mind is thorough!
prepared soil, in which we call u,
hallucinations and illusions Of tn.
senses, crazy fancies and fixed idea
which become irresistible. II you tel
him 1t is cold, he wants fur cloak; 1
you tell him 1t is warm, he wants II
put on summer clothing. II you say
Here is glass of wine," and ask hin
to drink, he accepts 1t, and makes pre-
tence to drink 1t. The word credipit
has been invented to characterize tn
ovtraord in arv Crad r,1tty ~ this 80 >o