The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-16
WHAT Is HYPNOTISM L?
REV. Ii C. LOCKWOOD ON THE
MYSTERIOUS POWER

Who Can Be and Who
/ Cannot Be Approximations It Can
Be Done-A Person Ceu influence
Himsek-An Interesting Lecture.
From the CInefaGfi Enquirer.
Notwithstanding toe heavy rain on
/ Wednesday evening last, large audience
| gathered 70 hear the first lecture on "Hyp-
notism," by N C. lockwood. pastor Of the
/ First Baptist church. Many Of our leading
! lawyers and physicians were present. DR..
/ Prendergast beamed upon the lecturer from
the audience. The lecture was comPre-
hsnsive, broad and full of the scientific
exactnsss which can be appreciated only by
such an audiences. And though the lecture
was Of this character, yet the most uuin-
/ formed parson could understand it
/ The lecturer mas the faculty Of trans
/ Iating science into popular language. Thee
/ was a wen Of humor that every few min
/ utes made the audience break into ripples
Of laughter and applause. The lecturer
/ spoke for nearly two hours. The next
one, which will lie delivered next Wednes-
day night, win fill the house, storm or no
storm.
The following is digest Of the lecture:
The introduction consisted of treatment
OF psychology, which was defined as the
science Of the soul, or the relation Of mental
/ impressions TO the consciousness.
| There Is abroad among the uninEtructed,
whose information is chaotic, two general
sentiments concerning hypnotism. One Of
them Is a skepticism, denial OF Its pre-
/ nomena This Is not wise, for the wise man
| does not deny what he does not know. The
other is a sentiment of superstition, which
regards the condition as supernatural, calls
it "witchcraft,' is afraid Of it. says lit Is Of
| the DEVIL with other OF these marks of
superstition which Charles Kingsley so ad-
mIrably defined as dread of the unknown,
a sentiment by no means exhausted among
men. The
APPEARANCE OF SUPERSTITION
concerning it is not to be wondered at, be-
cause the press has nagnifed its power for
evil and has been silent concerning its power
for good.
The doctrines Of materialism broke down
in the presence of the problem Of human
consciousness. No bridge could be found
between sensations and Consciousness. The
attempt to identify them failed, and hypno-
tism has confirmed the wisdom OF the
abandonment of the attempt. 1t has re-
! yealed that there is a relation which can be
thrown out Of gear. Hypnotism Is the per-
version of the normal relation between
brain impressions and consciousness
Hypnotism is the name Of the whole de-
partment Of psychology which treats of the
| phenomena Incident 10 the condition. A
| hypnotic is one who is subject to the condi-
| taon A hvpnotfst Is one who causes the
state for scientific purposes A hypnotizer
is one who hypnotizes to exhibit for curl
osity. Suggestion is the command given a
person who is hypnotized. Hypnosis is the
name OF the condition itself. Auto-nyp-
nosis is the condition of one who has hypno-
tizsd himself.
The phenomena are of very ancient
| origin. In Egypt trance conditions were
supposed to be inspirations from the god
/ Apis SoothsaYtng was produced by con-
centrabed gaze into precious stones, crystals
or sacred vessels. The hypnotic phenomena
existed thousands Of years ago among the
| Persian magicians. To-day the faklrs and
yogis OF India pracsace auto-hypnotism.
| HEALING BY TIE LAFING ON OF HANDS
is recorded on many an Egyptian monu-
| ment. The Eoers papyrus represent the
laying on Of hands as a part Of ths medicine
Of an age more than 1900 b. C. We have
| taken the Biblical instruction as to the lay
ing on Of hands a. belonging 10 the miracu-
lous, whereas itappeaTs as q medical prac-
toe of the age. VespAsian. the father Of
Titus, is credited With ehecting cures by the
1
craft OF the middle ages had their basis In
hypnotism. Many Of those who were
| punished with torture for witch
craft fell asleep and were senseiess
in the midst OK the most awful suf-
ferIng. Religious martyrs passed into the
state while suffering martyrdom, and some
of them became 1usensfble, others seeming
to feel no pain uttered prophecies aud saw
| visions. 1t Is recorded also that some of
these saw deeds and heard whispers at
long distances, which ID one Of the results
Of hypuorissn. known as hyperesthesia of
| the senses.
or Mssmer the lecturer said: Sew men
have been more unjustly treated than Mes
mer by history. He was a regular physician
| In Vieona. His theory was built upon the
foundation of his predecessors He had the
scientific spirit. He found phenomena and
sought by a theory to explain them. He
believed in mag aetism, and so we find him
at first using the magnet Afterward be
| advanced the theory OF animal magnetism,
holding 1t to BE- different power than me
tallio magnetism" From Mesmer the
speaker passed on TO James Braid, who in
1S4S named the condition hypnotism. at
has taken more than forty years for the
word used by Braid to find place Ia the
vocabulary of the people," After Braid the
next
EMINENT INVESTIGATOR
was Liebault of Nancy. Liebault is the
founder of the therapeutics of suggestion,
or hypnotism, as d remedy for disease. The
school of Nancy grew from the work of this
man. The school of Salpetriere has been
rather too premature in its conclusions.
A fault common to some physicians, even in
Cincinnati, if the reported interviews with
them are correct, especially concerning
hypnotism. The most eminent practitioner
in the United States of whom / have any
knowledge is DIR. Weir Mitchell of Phila-
delphia.
METHODS.
Can everybody be hypnotized7 This can
not be answered. Charles Richet says that
everybody is hypnotizable Some claim
only 30 per cent of mankind are. think
1t is Ewald who has been able to hypnotize
only 2 per cent, while Liebault has suc-
ceeded with 80 per cent. of his patients NY
own experience is about 60 per cent, and
yet | have seen gentleman succsed who
only claimed about 30 per cent. with per-
sons with whom | had failed. But no one
can say just when he has failed, for single
trial by no means determines the question.
Success has sometimes been secured after the
fortieth sitting. Nervousness, nor anemia,
feebleness of health, hysteria or weakness of
will or mind can be said to predispose any
one to hypnosis.
The most difficult persons to hypnotic
are idiots. AS a general thing they are be-
yond the reach Of hypnotism. Persons who
are a little off in their heads are little less