The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-02
EXPERIMENTS m EpNoTl5M.
An Account of Some Extraordinary Do
ings at n Meeting In London.

EXPERIMENTS IN HYPNOTTSM.
An Account of Some Extraordinary Do
ings at Meeting In London.
Dr.. Stanley, whose performance at the
Hotel Metropole ] saw, Is clear expon-
emit of hypnotisIn. His demonstration
must have been very striking to some
men in the room, TO whom, evidently,
NJ. Charcot's experiments at the Salpe-
triere and the work of the Nancy school
were evidently unknown. The men
whom Dr.. Stanley had brought forward
as subjects were knocked over hike nine
pins by sudden sleep imposed upon them
in various ways. One yielded TO the
somnolent effect of rotating bright coll
ored disks. Another toppled of his chair
at the sudden ignition OF n magnesium
wire which dazzled his eyes.
A third. very susceptible TO the power
of suggestion. was told that he would so
to sleep when he picked match box off
the floor. He stopped for the match box,
and forthwith rolled heavily of the plat
form. Fortunately for him his fall was
broken by sympathetic hands. Another,
while intent on something else, was
startled by sudden noise. Instantly he
slept the lethargic sleep. Once again
subjects close attention to the ticking OF
watch brought on the effective drowsi-
ness, and he soon toppled off his chair.
a boy, who had IN various parts OF his
frame peculiarly sensitive centers of
nervous activity, was touched In one OF
those spots by the operator In a
twinkling he dropped to the floor asleep.
1t was strange sight, half weird, half
ludicrous, to see those ten subjects scat
tered about the floor at the feet Of DIR.
Stanley, like 50 many men suddenly be-
witched.
One man had fallen with his hands
clasped and raised some distance from
his chest He was allowed to lie IN this
attitude for what seemed to be twenty
minutes or half an hour. Let any one
lie down and hold up the arms high
above the chest and see how long he can
hold them there, even with the support
he viii gain by the clasping of his hands.
The muscles will not long sustain the
experiment. But in the lethargic sleep
of the hypnotized ones sensations of IA
tigue appear to be suspended. The limbs
obey the operator, and remain in the pO-
sition in which ne puts them. The state
of catalepsy is easily produced, and then
the men are brought, at a mere touch of
the hypnotizers hand, into that false
awaking ca led somnambulism.
Men and boys were kept in this wax
ing-sleeping condition throughout an in
terval for refreshment, and, according
to the lecturer, whose word there Is no
reason TO doubt, were all unconscious Of
their exceptional condition as they walk
ed about among US. Brought back to
the platform they were made the victims
of Authorizations of that amusing kind
to which mesmerists have well accus-
toned us. But these mesmeric tricks
are decidedly more interesting when pre-
sented as part OF an exposition OF hyp-
notism in its various stages.
One experiment, | confess, do not
like. 4 man Is given strong emetlc,
and made TO drink it under the impress
sion that it is pleasing beverage. But
[
The natural effect OF strong dose Of
ipecacuanha wine is 10 make man
vomit, and, whether he knows or does
not know he has taken it, there viii be
no difference in this physical effect. Blu:
in this curious hypnotic condition, 1t IS
! enough for the man with whom the pa
tient is en- rapport to say 10 him that he
is all right, what he has taken viii agree
with him perfectly, and no bad results
will follow. The ordinary physical ef-
feet Of the enetic il not produced.
The post hypnotic suggestion was IL
lustrated in this way: The patient was
told in his hypnotic sleep that he waa
going TO awake, aud that three minutes
after he would do a certain thing 70 Dr..
Bond which Dr. Bond had himself gug-
gested that he should be asked 10 do.
] This was 70 take off DR.. Bonds eye
glasses and put them on his own nose
I The lad was reused from his sleep. DIR.
Bond said to the boy. "Eow, are you
| going TO DO anything 70 me- With an
air Of surprise at An odd question the
/ youth made the answer "Nc."
In three minutes 10 the second the Lad,
I notwithstanding his Own statement. went
up to DR.. Bond, took the eyeglasses froSu
I him and wors them himself. When
I called to account he seemed a httis con-
7 fused at bis own act and made an apollo
/ gy TO Dr.. Bond. not for stealing his eye
/ glasses, but for having told him before
I that he did not intend doing anything u
I him. he did not know then that be had
/ 70 DO this.-LOnd0n Cor. ProYldeuce
/ Journal
- likes Zola nine months % write .
novel he handles a Pen as a laeoTsr
might spade, and is q sl0E and painful
/ toiler. The expression On his tscs when