New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-04
HYPNOTISM IN FICTION.
MARION cRAwroRps STRANGE STORY.

- i. Marion Crawford. Illustrated by W. j. Hen
messy. 12mo PIP. 435. Macmillan d Co.
Mr. Crawford has written in many keys, but
never in strange one as that which dominates
the witch Of Prague" II is not indeed the
first essay that has been made by q novelist TO
employ hypnotism as a motive. Many attempts
of the kind will readily be recalled. Bulwers
Strange Story is the most notable instance. for
that was work Of genius written by an author
who had made profound study Of his subject,
and who was versed in occultism. So far as this
preparation goes, Dulwer and Mr.. Crawford may
be regarded as on level. The author of " Mr..
Isaacs," like the author of Zanoni' has dipped
deeply into that great and ancient body Of doc
trine which has so far successfully withstood the
assaults of materialsm He, too has acquainted
himself with those same advances of modern
science which In giving new names to old facts
have avoided the parolyzing charge of supeIsti-
tion and have brought under the aegis Of medical
science phenomena which for ages pseudo-scence
disdained to examine because they were branded
with the stigma of credulity. The wonders of
hypnotism, as revealed by the experiments of
French and German physicians chiefly, during
the past few years. have very literally overthrow
some of the most firmly held convictions as to
human responsibility and have raised medico-
legal questions involving radical reformation of
the law. Causes have arisen, and have been
examined under the most perfect test con-
ditions, which have demonstrated beyond the
possibility of doubt that the agency which we
call will-power is capable of so impressing itself
upon hypnotized subject as 10 compel him to
obey any and every suggestion, and this without
reference TO the moral bearing OF the dominant
suggestion.
1t Is known, and has now been known for some
years. that in hypnotism there resides potency
beyond all medieval conceptions Of black magic;
that in this closing period Of the nineteenth cen.
fury it is possible for crimes OF the appalling
character 10 be committed through suggestion;
that the awful power can, by the same intangible
and absolutely untraceable agency, destroy the
life of his enemy; that the hypnotic subject told
10 die not only will but must do 80, and this not
by vulgar suicide. hut by renounPing the will to
live, by exercising upon his own body that mys.
terious and illimitable mental influence of whose
part in the drama Of life modern science is only
beginning to realize the scope All this and more
has medical science been compelled to recognize.
and it Is not TOO much TO say that during the past
ten years whole new literature has come into
being because of these momentous and porten-
tous discoveries, Or to speak more precisely,
discoveries for there is no least phenomenon of
hypnotism which has not been familiar to the
sages Of the Orient for thousands of years. Most
of us have read, from time to time in scientific
and other publications, sketches or detailed &C
counts OF some of these marvels But it is only
when skilful artist like Mr. Crawford under
takes TO show, through the medium of fiction, the
full possibilities of hypnotism in real life that the
gravity and extent OF the matter is brought home
to us.
Mr.. Crawford calls "The Witch Of Prague"
fantastic tale" No doubt the gravest account
OF the modern locomotive or ocean greyhound
would have seemed fantastic to the men Of q
century ago. Those however were inventions
Of the present age dhaving no parallels in the past
But there is no reason 10 suppose that both the
most malign and the most bencfcent possibili-
tics of hypnOtism hays not been attained for
centuries, though they have been unsupported.
Many years ago traveller from Oceanica told o
strange tale. He said he had come upon an island
people among whose customs was that a. praying
one another to death. man Threatened with
this process never thought of resistance. He
simply arranged his worldly affairs, retired to
his hut, lay down upon his bed and in a few
hours, and without any appearance Of illness,
ceased to breathe. This singular story was, of
course, ridiculed at first, but later explorers
irmed II, and now hypnotism explains the
mystery. And how many sudden deaths, Or
deaths which battle the physician-deaths huddled
away under the convenient cant phrase heart
failure may even to-day be caused by this terri
BILE power? The force Of suggestion upon
weak subject,-let us say woman, for example,
Is incalculable. IL extends to full sovereignty
over life In fact and welded by ruthless intelli-
gence it may be awaited Of to remove obnoxious
persons with the utmost ease and with absolute
immunity from legal penalties. Mr. Crawford
himself suggests some Of the grimmer possibili-
ties in this connection and every reader Of his
book think out for himself or herself the wide
ramifcations Of the social aspects Of the sub
ject.
All this preliminary talk may seem superfuOus
TO such as have not read The Witch of Prague
but they will soon admit its appoeiteness when
they open the volume. The artistic skill with
which this extraordinary story is constructed and
carried out is admirable and delightful. But one
fault is at all likely to be found with il, and that
is that the author at times, carried away by his
subject, enters into discussions too serious
for work of fiction and deserving
rather place in some scientific journal.
We do not find this feature of the
book either out Of place OF tending TO heaviness.
On the contrary, it gives to the whole work an
impressiveness which will be felt in proportion
TO the readers previous Acquaintance with the
leading motive. The story itself is in the strict
est sense of the term original The beautiful
woman who is called The Witch of Prague" is
O natural hypnotist, born with gift Of fascina-
ton and domination which enables her 20 make
puppets Of all who come within her sphere. Fall
ing In love with The Wandcrer, she compeIs him
TO forget the woman he has loved and sought for
years. and in moment OF supreme tcmptetion she
even causes him to mistake her for that other
woman, and 10 lavish upon her, under that de-
lusion the love lie had borne so long for another.
Does this seem extravagant, fantastic? It need
only be said that the researches of Charcot, Lie
beault, Iiegeoris. Mol, Kraft Ebng, and a score
more OF men Of science have brought 10 light
actual facts no whit less surprising and no whit
less subyersive Of conventional ideas We do
MT vot understand what identity is. Init